Category: Mission Journal

When the pandemic started and we had the first cases of infection in Cambodia, all the schools (top photo) and the church put sinks in accessible places so people could wash their hands.

Now, because Cambodia hasn’t had a new infection since April 12th–and no deaths–the sinks aren’t used that much. And the bottom photo shows that people are not using masks or maintaining physical distance either.

Cambodia could really be setting itself up for a terrible second wave of infections.

This week, today and tomorrow, I am leading an online retreat for the Maryknoll Lay Missioners in Cambodia. We are using Zoom and getting it set up took some doing:

• My desktop computer has no microphone but I needed to show a PowerPoint from there so I made one Zoom connection with that computer. (I have an external mic for the desktop but it stopped working.)
• Then I used my smartphone for a second connection for speaking and listening to the group.
• I needed good background for my presentation so I moved to the end of my desk for the blank wall behind me, and then turned the monitor a bit sideways so I could see it. I couldn’t face the monitor because it put bright reflections on my glasses.
• Working sideways on my desk, I had no place for the keyboard and mouse so an ironing board became a credenza.
• I added the table lamp on the desk to help balance the light coming from the windows.
• Our office wi-fi connection went out so I had to use the data connection on my phone to connect to the Internet. Luckily my data connection here only costs $5 a month.

The setup had its quirks and problems, but in the end we basically got through the two-hour session and hopefully tomorrow it will be easier and smoother.

Stay Home!

My sister-in-law Hope Dittmeier is connected with an organization in Louisville, Kentucky called WaterStep which provides equipment for disinfecting surfaces and for water purification. This afternoon I received a shipment of four sets of disinfecting supplies to use in Maryknoll projects here, especially in the hostel for our young deaf adults. It took more than two weeks for the boxes to get here by courier because of the few aircraft flying routes to Cambodia now. Thank you, Hope!