TJ Phone Home

Last night as we were watching the Dog Whisperer, about 10:30, the phone rang. Now with caller i.d. a person is getting a little more careful about answering the phone -- it's nice to know who's on the other end of the line. When I looked at the phone, it was coming from somewhere I'd never heard of in California. Still, being a risk-taker at heart, I answered it.

And it was Talia. (I know that's not a surprise. Otherwise I wouldn't be writing about it here.)

She was calling from Phnom Penh and it was 11:30 Sunday morning there. Maybe.

Anyway, she just wanted to touch base and let us know what she's been doing. Here's the scoop....

First they went back to the orphanage where Tal worked last year. She was happy to tell me that ALL the kids and the wife of the couple who run the orphanage remembered her and were delighted that she had returned.

Then her team spent last week in a little village in the middle of nowhere, Cambodia. Several translators who work at the orphanage where they're staying have family who live in the village, and they wanted to spread the good news there. So the kids stayed in the village, without benefit of western amenities. They taught VBS and performed their skits and sang their songs and generally lived life with the Cambodians. Life is very rustic in the village, Tal told me. They had to shower by pouring a bucket of water over their heads and use "squatty potties." This was pretty extreme for kids used to their own bathrooms and hot running water ALL the time.

They were spending the day in Phnom Penh before returning to the orphanage for another week. There, they'll be doing whatever needs to be done. Although Tal did mention the possibility of working on the water system.

It was good to hear from her.

More later,
b