Dear Caleb, my son,

Today is May 24th. I actually wrote this to you about three weeks ago and lost it in the computer. I thought you would like to know what goes on here while you are growing up, working hard flailing your arms and legs, eating every few hours, and enjoying singing lessons. I 'll begin our account at what would now be five weeks ago.

On Sunday I stopped at Marie's home to pick up her, her mom, and Bana. Marie is the girl who was going to be sent by her grandmother to the factory to work (we talked to the family about our development program and Marie was able to stay). Well, while I was waiting, parked on the river road, Marie's cousin, eight year old Gou, ran into the road behind the truck and was hit by a motorcycle. We put him in the truck bed and were off to the hospital. It took a couple of hours to get any help. I left Gou with Sarah and went to join the service in progress. As I had no translator, I gave my first, entirely in Khmer, sermon. I used some of the techniques from summer reruns, mentioning past material, reviewing, and adding commentary.

Well, the next week Sarah and I spent Saturday doing visitation. We went to Gou's house. His family was very grateful for our help. They, in turn, were treated with a look at a picture of you and your mom. Sarah and I then spent time with a woman and her mother who had just opened a little shop about the size of an American bathroom. Inside were such treasures as soap, candy, sugar, and two staples of Khmer cuisine, monosodium glutamate and oyster sauce. The woman had been working in Phnom Penh at a factory but quit when she got sick. She didn't tell what ailment. We invited her to work with us on a sewing project. She didn't show up when we had our meeting, but I was glad, because I learned she has hepatitis, at least I think that is what she has. We'll stop in and buy some candy from her in the future for the Sunday school, and see how she is. After this we went to Marie's house. Her Mom was just baptized on Easter, and the Development group voted her in as a leader of the committee. Her Grandfather asked the Wilkins family to stay in Kampong Cham. He even offered me some lunch, but I told him you and your mom were waiting for me.

It was a warm conclusion to a hot morning. In the afternoon we went over to the Bangkok market area. One of our ladies, Ming Aht who was so faithful, even taking sermon notes, is now working in Phnom Penh . We were able to meet her after months of trying. We also prayed for her daughter who has some illness, I don't know what. Another one of our ladies from this area, Ming Nearii, was baptized in October. When we visited she was going to host a wedding reception in a few days for her sister. Nearii lives in a leaf-thatched hut. Indirectly she asked me, through Sarah, for some money to fix her roof. I suggested she use my canvas if she were worried about the rain. Right now it's dry season, no reason to worry anyway. Her request was really for funds to get a new house, without leaves. I said "No." I then realized what she was talking about and drove back to give her the $12.50 she requested. People in Asia , Christian too, speak in generalities and indirectly about things so as not to be rude. It takes a long time to get used to this; it has for me. I still do a bad job with it, thinking that people are lying or being deceptive, when to them it is more respectful or politic to do so. I went to the reception and met a lot of neighbors. Ming Nearii's home still has its leaves intact.