Hello,

I recognize some of the children on the dump. This visit, I saw a girl that I met before on my last visit. It struck me really hard this day, because I realized that she was still living there months and months after I left. And, she will still be there on my next trip, if no one helps her out. It’s unreal that some children have to live this way.

Love Gerry

Hello,

During my previous visits, I had met a young girl selling books on the street. I remembered this girl especially, because I never bought anything from her and told her that I wouldn’t buy her books, but we could be friends. She never tried to sell anything to me and stopped all the other kids when they bugged me for money. Anyway, I was walking down the street on this day and this same girl ran up to me said “Hello Gerry. How are you?” She remembered my name after all this time away. Soklin remembered my name. And, she has never again asked me to buy another book. We sometimes sit at a table and play the game “Connect Four”. She beats me every time.

Two months after I left Cambodia, I received a phone call from an Internet shop. Soklin went to every place where I hung out to ask if they knew me. She found my friends at the Frog and Parrot and got my phone number from one of them. She phoned me from an Internet phone to tell me that she was still going to school and that she wanted to know when I would come back to play “connect four” with her again. I got to know Soklin from a simple “hello”. And, her simple “hello” back to me after returning to Cambodia and on the phone is most special.

Love Gerry

Hello,

I want to write you everything about today, but I can’t get everything in writing.  I’m exhausted.

I started the day at CCH and had a most incredible time with the younger children.  The second I arrived, kids came running.  Then, a girl that’s sponsored by a school in Winnipeg gave me the most incredible hug.  It was Srey Muoey.  She wouldn’t leave me.  Then, kids were telling me to come here… and the pointed up the stairs.  They said… “Srey Pich is up there”.  The kids knew that my niece Hannah sponsored Srey Pich.  Well, Srey Pich came down the stairs and was beautiful.  The rest of the day was spent playing games and dancing and talking and hugging. 

 At one point, Srey Muoey poked me and said “When you leave. I be sad.” And, she started to cry.  I couldn’t stop her from crying.  A Khmer teacher came to talk with her.  These kids have very few consistent people in their lives.  It just breaks my heart.  Srey Muoey has no parents that visit her.  What a child.

I like to face reality right on, because this is where I learn the most.  I left my little “heaven” with the children and went to the dump.  This time, I stayed there for a long time.   Perhaps, I stayed there too long, because it really got to me today. When I got back to my hotel, I couldn’t get the smell off me.  It was almost like it was there to haunt me.  I showed many times and couldn’t get rid of the people I met and the smell.   

At the dump, I had more courage today and went right into the action.  I met tons and tons of kids.  I had courage to walk right in the middle of everything.  It was almost too much as trucks drove all around me and people ran through my path.  I saw a girl that I recognized from the last time.  I realized that she has been here for the past six months.  I’m not a doctor, but this place is horrible and she won’t live a long life if she stays here.  If I don’t do anything, maybe she will always be here.   But, what can I do right now?

I found a few groups of children that could talk English.  I asked them “Do you know what Christmas is?”  I said, “Say Merry Christmas”.  Time after time they said “What’s Christmas?”  They couldn’t even say the words to me, because they’ve never even heard it before.  I didn’t know what to do.  I thought that they would at least understand somewhat.  So, what do you tell a kid that lives in a garbage dump?  How do you tell them about Christmas?  How do you tell them that God and people care?  And then, leave them there.  It’s very hard.
Tonight, I walked to this internet shop.  I try to walk the streets here almost every day.  Tonight, I saw a girl that I knew from my trip before.  She ran to me and hugged me and said ”You Gerry? From Canada. I remember you.  You remember me?”  I could believe it.  We talked for a long time and she told me that her mom got money and now she can go to school. She told me that she sells books now on the street until midnight.  She told me her Dad died a year ago, because he had a bad heart.  I told here that I couldn’t buy any books tonight. She said “It’s ok. Me don’t want you to buy a book. We’re friends.”  It’s just too much.  And yet, I can’t get enough of it at the same time.

Tomorrow is Christmas on the dump.  The kids are getting ready for the day and I’m sure it will be amazing.  I want to thank a new group of people that are supporting us from the Richmond Kings Nursery School.  They’re helping us to feed 300 children from the dump.  And, together with many other supporters… we will make a change.   If only we affect one person, it’s worth everything in the World.  And I thank you all.  Please continue to help, because there is so much that we can do to help.

Thanks for caring about these children.

Love Gerry 

Hello,

It’s almost been six months since I got back to Winnipeg. In the past six months, I’ve received hundreds of e-mails from my new friends in Cambodia and the children. The e-mails are incredibly special and I hope to share some of them with you soon.

Finally, everything is falling into place to launch our new organization here in Canada. I’ve been working on the organization evey single night since I’ve returned. The one thing that has kept me completely driven is the many great helping people that I’ve met in the past few months. We’ve also been able to sponsor a girl to English school and buy a few bikes for kids to attend classes. Every little bit helps.

I have very exciting news for you. I will launch our new Fund and web site.  Our Fund will not only change lives in Cambodia, but will change lives here at home in Canada. I’ve already had a great opportunity to get involved with youth in our city and tell them about my stories.

Thank you for supporting me on this journey. Stay tuned for some special announcements.

Love Gerry