This morning an old friend of MaryAnne’s, Cornelia, met us at our hotel to have breakfast. Cornelia is a surgeon at Hope Hospital here in Phnom Penh, which is a medical center dedicated to providing free health care to adults. Over breakfast she told us a bit about the hospital and how busy it was. So busy in fact that many times they must turn down patients. Right now, Hope Hospital is celebrating its 1 million-th patient. That is absolutely incredible.
After breakfast MaryAnne, Cornelia, and I went to church down the street. The mass was very interesting. We were given headphones because somebody translated the service for us in English. There was music with drums, guitars, singing, and everybody was clapping their hands to the beat. It was also neat because we got to see three baptisms today where each person went into this huge barrel of water and held under water for a second. Everybody crowded around cheering and clapping.
The greatest thing about going to the mass today was all of the people I had the opportunity to meet and learn about. I met this one man named Sutton. He told me how he was a pediatrician living in a million dollar home overlooking the water in Orange County, California. Recently him and his family gave up everything they had and moved to Cambodia to help out here. I met this one woman named Jennifer who is the Priest’s wife. She was a very nice lady who also moved here for a period of time to do missionary work. I also met a girl who is about 23 years old named Rachel. Rachel grew up in Boston and recently moved here by herself to open her own small shop where women who have HIV/AIDS work. I met a doctor and his wife from Massachusetts as well. MaryAnne and I went to lunch with this group of people. I learned a lot through speaking with Cornelia, Jennifer, and Rachel. We had a very nice conversation while we ate. I really feel that it is so important to meet people and to network everywhere I go. I hope to keep in contact with these wonderful people I met today.
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