Notable Quotes

“Do not so quickly condemn the man who no longer believes in God: for …perhaps your own coldness and avarice and mediocrity and materialism and selfishness … chilled his faith.

Thomas Merton

Maryknoll “Yard”

This is the Cambodian version of a triplex, three shophouse residences side-by-side in one building. The Maryknoll office, where Fr. Kevin and I also live, is the leftmost unit with the open front gate.

Standing in the open gate on the street and looking toward the house, this is our front “yard.” Again you see how a shophouse is one room wide and goes up three or four floors. The fold-up bed on the right is for our 24-hour guards who sleep next to the front doors during the night.

Standing at the front door of the house (above), this is a view toward the street. The Maryknoll sign is for when we have visitors. We don’t keep it up outside all the time because then the city says we’re a business and charges us more for everything.

On the left side of the yard, we keep our motorcycles and bicycles. And the guards make their kitchen and bedroom and work area. The situation of guards in Cambodia is a crime. At least now they have their smartphones to look at with our wi-fi but prior to the phones, they would sit and stare into space all day waiting for a door to open or something to happen.

It’s still around…

We don’t have nearly the problem that many US communities have with Covid, but the number of people with new Covid infections is increasing here after almost two months with no infections. Many people are not wearing masks or taking ordinary precautions, but some shops, like these two, still block access to their customers.

Lights out…

Today our power was off at the Deaf Development Programme so our students in the Education Project met outside on the porch till the electricity came back on about 2:00 PM.