Moving day is coming

Next Wednesday is moving day for Maryknoll Cambodia, when we move from our present office to a new and smaller one. Sr. Regina has been organizing and overseeing all the activity that can be done in advance, and today our office manager and guard boxed up a large-screen television we can use of meetings, presentations, etc.

Hybrid Presentation

We haven’t had a group activity at the Deaf Development Programme since March, 2021 when we celebrated Women’s Day. Three days after that, community transmission of Covid-19 began and all gatherings were banned. Now as the number of active cases has started to drop here and as the vaccination of Phnom Penh was completed, the government said we can have meetings of up to fifteen people if all the precautions are taken. Today we had a workshop on women in crisis. It was online but so many deaf people do not have access to wi-fi that we had eleven of them come to the office and an interpreter (in front of the green board) signed the presentations being made online.

Two endings

Russ Brine has been with us as a Maryknoll Lay Missioner for five years and worked at the Deaf Development Programme. Now he is finishing his time in Cambodia and relocate to Kenya where he worked before. Tonight we said goodbye to him at a Maryknoll Cambodia liturgy which was also the last one we will have in our present office.

Covid: Still a BIG problem

Headline from today’s Khmer Times

Last week, because the border with Thailand was closed for two weeks, the numbers of daily new infections in Cambodia dropped from 900-1000 per day down to 500-600 per day. But then last Friday the border was reopened and now the numbers are going back up.

But even with new cases coming across the border with returning migrant workers, the number of active cases in Cambodia has gone down slightly, probably the result of more vaccinations in various provinces. Bad news and good news.

Getting Ready

In ten days we are moving the Maryknoll office to a smaller building and I’m using this weekend to start packing up–and throwing out–a lot of the “stuff” that has accumulated in my room in the years we’ve been on Street 320.

Meeting with the bishop

A lot of changes are in store for Maryknoll Cambodia in the months and years ahead and today Sr. Regina Pellicore, acting country representative for Maryknoll, and I had a meeting with Bishop Olivier. We want Maryknoll’s work to be part of the church so it is important for us to keep the bishop informed about what is happening. We had a very constructive discussion. Regina couldn’t get her computer camera to work!

It’s a matter of perspective

Today I went to the dentist for teeth cleaning and a check up, and during the cleaning, I was wondering if bottom teeth get cleaned better than top teeth because the dental tech can see the bottom teeth better. That started me wondering about dental work in space where a dentist could be upside down (like these astronauts brushing away) and so could look at the patient’s top teeth like they were bottom teeth.

Masks for Deaf Community

Finally we at the Deaf Development Programme were able to receive a shipment of face masks sent to us by Peggy Fung from the Catholic deaf community in Hong Kong. Beside of the greatly reduced air travel to Cambodia, it took many weeks for the box to arrive but finally they are here now. Thank you, Peggy!