Hello,

I’m sorry that I haven’t updated the blog as often lately. I’ve been crazy busy and spending as much time with the children and the organizations that is possible.

I left Siem Reap a little sad. When I left the Green Gecko project, the children sang a song about them being happy to know me and love me and sad that I leave. The children in my yellow class raised their hands and asked hard questions. They asked.. “Why did I have to leave?”… they asked “When would I come back?”.. They asked ‘Why can’t you stay, if I will miss them so much”.

Then I has to say goodbye to the children of the School for Children of Poverty. It was even harder. The children raised their hands and asked me the same questions. Four teenage girls raised their hands and said “We love you so much and wait for you to come back to Cambodia and marry us. Teacher is Handsome.” They said this in Khmer and my assistant translated for me. It was hard. The good things is that I saw all our desks built and I held the first class with those new desks.

Then….. the Centre for Children’s Happiness…

I can’t tell you enough about this place. I felt like I was at home as I walked through those gates. The children came running with big smiles. I could barely walk into the centre because they were hanging all over me. I’m spending every minutes I can with them. I’m also working on a new project to open a third home that could free up space to bring more children from the dump. I was also there when a boy, sponsored from Winnipeg schools, arrived at the centre on a motorbike. The whole place is amazing and I wish I could share that with you. I will also be leaving here with a final visit to the dump.

I will give you more information and pictures in the next couple of days. Right now, I have to figure out how to cook spaghetti for 60 children from ingredients that I buy from an outdoor market. Where is Ragu when you need it? How do you grind beef hanging from a cart into ground beef?
Ugggg….. Help…

Love Gerry