Finally some relief was ready to deliver. We were excited to know that on Monday and Tuesday, we were able to assist about 1700 families with Rice, Oil, Soy Sauce, and Canned fish. We started at 7:30 am and visited 5 sites around the city. All in poor areas, all in or near the RED ZONES. There are many people who have been without food. They have had a hard time meeting the needs of their families.

The donation of food from the Church, arrived and was welcomed by the people. Some of the recipients were standing in line. One man looked as though he might pass out.. a grandmother, blind, was greatful to receive her portion. Another grandmother arrived, we were told that she is raising 7 grandchildren. Her food will not last long…

We were pleased to work with ANTI COVID 19 CAMBODIA, a group of Cambodian volunteers that work under the direction of Hun Manet, who is the eldest son of the prime minister and who is the heir apparent for the seat of Prime Minister. The teams was great to work with. We feel that the donation of the church was well spent and well placed. The people usually arrived hours early to insure that they would receive the food. Each had ID that indicated that they were invited, and that they met the criteria for need.

Later in the week, we took a quick trip to see the progress of our projects in Takeo. We found that the power supply here is all 220V, rather than 110V that we are use to. We further found that the transformers on the street, are often way down the street. So the voltage loss as it follows the wire can be significant. We are finding that the motors that drive the pumps don’t often have enough power to operate. Some of the Health Centers have a 35 amp service. Most homes we have lived in have at least a 100 amp service. We also realized that in order to save money, most of the wiring in buildings here is grossly undersized. Undersized wire can cause fires, can short out, and can cause problems with motors.

From electrical to plumbing, we find that the problems we are helping to fix is a result of the original installation and that they used the least expensive materials as possible. Well casings with paper thin plastic walls, which result in the casing collapsing in the well. Undersized wiring to heavy use motors. Our hearts are saddened that the country has so many issues with so many things in so many areas.

The week was a busy one, we are pleased to help the city with needed food. We pray the Covid will soon pass. We are pleased to be able to travel to our projects and make corrections and small needed adjustments. This coming week we have Covid PPE supplies to give to the vaccination teams, then off to Kampong Cham to start two projects and check on other ongoing projects.

We love the work we are doing. We wish we could accomplish more in a day. The people are sweet and kind and so appreciative. We pray every day for our family, for each and everyone. We appreciate and love our friends. We appreciate your messages of support and we feel your prayers. Thank you all for your continued support.

More to come…

Love,

Elder and Sister Stone