Update from us.

Hi!  We just wanted to let you know that we are doing well.  Like you, we are trying to limit our time outside and around people.  When you live in a city of 4 million people, that is a bit difficult. 

For the most part, we are staying in the house.  We do go out and walk for exercise (usually in the early mornings or evenings), and to the grocery store.  The American embassy requested that we not go to the local markets.  As I told you in the last blog, the Khmers go to the market every morning for that day's food.  For the most part, they don't have refrigerators, so all of their food is fresh.  I did go to the market a couple days ago, but I went in the afternoon when I knew that there wouldn't be hardly anyone there.  I was glad to see my favorite vegetable seller.  She sits near one of the entrances to the market, so I didn't have to go down into the market very far.

The US Embassy gives us daily updates.  They are a little hard to decipher because they start out saying that there is a Level 4 travel advisory, meaning "Don't Travel internationally".  However, the rest of the emails tells about what airlines to contact that are still flying to the US and to get out now if you are going to.  There are still 3 airlines that are flying at this time. The comment is "make immediate plans to get back to the US or be prepared to stay indefinitely".  Please keep us in your prayers as we try to use wisdom in deciding what we need to do. 

There are 110 confirmed cases here in Cambodia.  I am almost positive that all of these cases have gone to private hospitals.  Because while there are only about 36 Khmers listed out of the 110, the prime minister is considering a "state of emergency".  One of our Christian friends said that in the regular hospitals, they aren't testing for the virus even when people come in sick.  Makes it easy not to report if you never test.  Avy, one of Christian sisters, said the in our neighborhood market, there was a lady that died 2 days ago.  They just said that she had a cough and died. 

In another week, we start the Khmer New Year holiday time.  Typically, people take off 1-2 weeks; they go back to their villages.  It would be comparible to our Christmas time.  The government is trying to decide what to do as they know the majority of people in the cities travel back to their villages, making the spread of the virus very easy.

We are being cautious - we wash our hands and gargle salt water every time we get back home from being out.  We are wearing masks, even though they most likely won't help.  We are wearing them because it make the Khmers feel better.  I think I told you before, but the government here is leaving  the impressions to the Khmers that the virus is the Caucasians fault.  You should see people get out of our way when we walk down the street.  They are all nice about it, but give us plenty of room.  All of the stores here have alcohol sprays that are used coming and going into the store.  Some places have masks at the front and ask you to not come in without a mask (although they aren't enforcing it).

Thanks for your prayers for us and the work here.  Please pray for our students who are now home in their villages - that they will remember what they have learned and be a light to their families.  Again, pray for us as we watch the happenings and make decisions on what we should do.

We hope you are all well and staying home.  Know you are in our prayers as well.
Much love,
Ronda