We've got cockroaches!!!

Hey there my peeps! I hope all is well on the home front!

Just a quick post today.

I was at Daughter's yesterday afternoon getting into the swing of things working in the clinic. The girls who came told us their issues through our lovely translator/counsellor and we do our best to diagnose and prescribe. We had some girls with headaches, re-occuring STD's, pregnancy check ups and one who was raped. This girl is 17 years old and came in complaining of not having her period for 2 months (sorry guys). We did a pregnancy test and while we were waiting we asked if she had a partner. She said no. So we asked if the sex was consensual and she said no. She told us that she is raped EVERY single day by her brother in law! He is a fortune teller and when he is controlled by the spirit he comes into her room and rapes her. I sat there completely overwhelmed.

We asked about Hagar or other houses that take girls in her situation but they are either full or they are too far from home and do not pay the girls for the work they do. She didn't want to leave Daughter's. I started to cry. She sat there, hunched over, with no life in her eyes and we sat there with nothing to give her. We looked at eachother and I asked if we could pray for her. So before she left to go home to something that shouldn't even be considered a "home", we prayed. I prayed that she would be given protection, a new place to live and great comfort from God. We told her that in a way it was a gift from God that she was not getting her periods because this way she would not get pregnant. She told us that we were the first people she has ever uttered this to for 2 whole months!! My heart is sore.

I was surprised though by how quickly I jumped right in when we were seeing clients. I started asking the questions we needed to ask. And I also had suggestions that Nurse Ruth hadn't thought of either. We do a lot of preventative teaching. And that's my cup of tea! On monday I am heading to the brothels with nurse Ruth to visit with each girl and to give what medicines and care we can. I am both incredibly excited and nervous! I can't wait;)

I took a moto ride home from work yesterday. A moto is a motorcycle. And because, as you all know, hopefully...I am a woman! So I have to sit....side-saddle!! I just pretended it was a horse and I sat with my skirt and my books about STD's on my lap and went to hold onto my lovely looking motto drivers back. That's when Nurse Ruth stopped me. In her british accent she said, "Oh, well I don't think that's such a good idea. I think they don't mind eachother touching them but maybe not a foreigner. No. That's not appropriate." Okay. So I held onto the back of the seat and when he started to drive I laughed with excitement....yet another thing a woman is not supposed to do; Cackle. And you know how I can cackle. So I held in my excitement and when we went over big bumps I just bit my lip! I loved it though. Thank goodness for all those dirt bike rides when I was younger, huh Stan?!

Well, that's about it. Other then the fact that I killed a GIGANTIC cockroach this morning with Eileen's map of Phnom Penh, everything is going smoothly! (I seem to be the rodent/insect killer of the two of us...hmmm) Oh and for the record, I haven't slept walked since the first night! AND I only sleep in Eileen's bed now because SHE is scared, not me. Just for the record.

Eileen and I are headed for some relaxation at a spa today. One hour massages for 7 dollars anyone?! HA.

Peace and Love,
The Berly-Kim