June 5 update

We are now using AAfC to deliver rent money to SoPha. The good thing about that is they do not charge us for their time and will keep track of Soporn's grades, attendance and behavior. None of which I am worried about. The down side to this is that they do not have time to do Skype and take pictures. To be honest Skype was getting a little old as Soporn is very shy and we struggled to keep conversation going.

I received these photos below from Fr. Charlie Dittmeier, the director of the DDP school. I am very grateful to him for the impact his organization has made on Soporn's life and hope to meet him on a return trip to Phnom Penh. I also appreciate him taking the time from his very busy schedule to send the photos. We cherish every picture and study it inch by inch in the hopes of learning something new. The kids in these photos are all in their twenties yet they look so young!

Soporn (far left) enjoying lunch with her classmates. I emailed Charlie to ask him what the thing in the middle of the table is used for. Here is his reply:

Hi Julie,
To bring rice for lunch and to put something on it (e.g., curry, wokked vegetables, etc.), they have this carrier with two, three, or four separate containers for the different foods. You canNOT mix them! Even when they eat rice with something, you can't mix the different foods. You take a spoon of rice and then a spoon of curry or whatever.

These (picture below) are three of the four students who live at Sopha's house. This is after school today. Sopha has been out on sick leave for several weeks now, and the students were waiting for a tuk-tuk that takes them back and forth each day. Soporn, of course, is on the right.

Peace, Charlie

Above is another picture sent from Charlie. Soporn is in the back on the far right learning the number 5. Until now these kids have been taught absolutely nothing. Can you imagine? They could not even communicate by writing. I wish I had the time to research how these kids live and write a book. I think it would be fascinating reading.

That is all for now. Please keep Charlie and these young adults in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you all for your support.