2011 Mission Trip to Cambodia
from Rachel Painter, Nursing Student
Today was my day to go on a HIV home visit. We took a tuk tuk to the hospital and to our surprise the traffic was not all that bad. When we got to the hospital we met up with the social worker and walked over to his office. Everyone introduced themselves as we stood waiting for our driver. While standing there he asked us to donate some money to buy some fish sauce to take with us to give to the families we were visiting. When they visit these families they are bringing porage mix to them to eat.
The families we were visiting live at the dump site for the city. They all are living in small shacks and do not have much room at all. The first family we went to visit was a mother and her children. Her daughter was 7 months pregnant and was there while we were visiting. They both explained to us how they were doing and living. They were literally staying in a small room that had a tin roof and plastic on one side for a wall. She was very delighted to get the things that we brought her.

The second family we went to visit was a mother, her daughter, and her daughters baby. As we were walking through the living areas a little girl began to follow us around. She followed us to the family we were seeing and hung around us for a very long time. The small baby that was 6 months or so old was asleep in a hammock rocking back and forth. The little girl, who appeared to be no more than 1, began to pull a string to help the baby rock.
It was amazing to me how in such a horrible situation everyone there was like a small family. They all knew each other and seemed to watch out for everyone living there. I began to play with the toddler and eventually just picked her up. She was so precious. As we were beginning to leave I had to put her back down and let her go back to her family. When I set her down she reached up and tugged at me to pick her back up. It broke my heart to not pick her back up and get back in the car to go to the next family.
The last place we went to was not a certain family. We went into a common area for a bunch of different families. All of the children and some women gathered around us. Here we helped give lice treatments to all of them. They were so happy for us to be there and to be helping them out.
Its amazing to me how these people love you without no hesitation or second thought. They automatically love you from the second you meet them and become their friend. Sometimes I think that we could use a little bit of this in the states. These people have been through so much and after everything that has happened they still have the ability to love. This is just another example of how good God can be to anyone in any place. 🙂