Rich and Ronda Dolan

 Hello!  I hope you all are doing well. I just wanted to update you a bit.  But first, a couple funny things I saw. These Almonds Mixed Anchovy are "Buy 1 Get 1".  Is it any wonder??  And no, I didn't buy them even if they are on sale.  Because our plumbing pipes are small here, you don't flush the toilet paper down the toilet in many public restrooms.  Most of those bathrooms have some kind of sign making sure that you don't flush any paper. I always appreciate those with a little more creativity! I took this picture of part of our students.  It was during chapel; and you can only see about half of the students. To update you, Rich is teaching a class called Major Biblical Doctrines.  It is primarily about helping them understand God the Father, God the Son and God the Spirit. Lek has now finished his studies.  Bunthai has just a few more classes to go.  Rich plans to wait until Bunthai can graduate ...

 I wrote a blog yesterday but wasn't really pleased with how it sounded so I didn't post it yet.  This morning, we got the call that Tee, Veasna's mother, died.  If you remember, Veasna is the man who worked with Rich at CBI since December 2012.   Just about a year ago, he moved to the village of his in-laws. Veasna converted his mother about 10 years ago.  She was a sweet lady.  Tee has not been in good health for several years.  She had diabetes as well as some heart issues.  About two years ago, they told her that the only way they could really help her was to "exchange her blood" (dialysis).  The family opted not to do that.  She had gone blind as well as deaf and had difficulty getting around at all.  But even with all of that, she loved getting to come worship with the church family on Sundays.  And now, she is seeing Jesus' face (can you image how incredibly awesome that must be!!) I thought you might be in...

 THANK YOU!  THANK YOU!  THANK YOU for your prayers.  As of 11 a.m. today, I am through quarantine and free! We had the option of 2 places to go to get the 2nd COVID-19 test done.  I chose NOT to go to the Khmer-Russian Hospital because I figured it would be more crowded and I also heard that one of the people giving the test was a sadist.  I had not been to the Chak Ang Re Clinic before so this was a new place.  This is the area in front of the hospital building.  I drove our motorcycle, arrived at 8:40 a.m., filled out my paperwork and then, sat under the tree and waited.  There were about 8 "workers" sitting there taking the paperwork, but they weren't in a hurry to get the process started. Here are a few of the others waiting with me.  There were about 7 people in front of me.  We ended up waiting until 10:40 a.m. before they started calling names.  I will say that they man administering my test was checking for s...

Thank you all so very much for all the prayers on my return to Cambodia.  It is quite an ordeal trying to time everything right. Foreigners have to have a negative COVID 19 test and arrive in Cambodia within 72 hours.  Since the flight is around 30 hours (and that is with short layovers), it is quite a trick to make it.  Since I had a return ticket, I decided to have my COVID test, get the results and then change my flight dates.  When I landed, I was at 71 hours. Also, since the flight from Atlanta to Seoul, Korea was operated by Korean Airlines, they checked my documents for COVID test, medical insurance, visas, etc. there.  That is nice because if there was some problem, I would have still be in the US.  Other that I have heard of have gotten to Korea and then had to pay to fly back to the US if there documents weren't right.  I did see a man that didn't make the flight to Phnom Penh because his COVID test was over 72 hours. The hardest part ...

Hi, friends: Guest blogger Rich here.  Several of you have asked about Ronda.  Here's where things are: In early April, we decided it would be best for her to go back to the US during the CO-VID 19 time.  If you remember, about a year and a half ago, she had surgery for breast cancer.  During that time, they removed several of her lymph nodes.  Because of that, there is an increased risk that a major infection or virus could be very dangerous for her.  There are a couple of good hospitals here. But, the government had required all those who have the virus to go to one of 3 government run hospitals. The standard of care there is just not very good.  One is named the Khmer-Soviet Friendship Hospital.  Think Soviet hospital and you've got a good feel. She left Phnom Penh on April 6th, thinking she would be back in a month or so. A few weeks after she left, the government here put a ban on Americans and people from several European countries (b...

This note was in an email that Rich sent to some of you.  I thought I would share it on the blog. Background:   I was just talking with Sokun (2011 CBI Grad) because we're going to sell the old CBI van to him.  Sokun has been in his village teaching and preaching for 9 years.  His co-worker is Soklee (2010 CBI Grad).  Sokun used the vocational money CBI gave when he graduated to buy 2 pigs. He would breed them and then sell the piglets. This helped support him.  Later, he sold the pigs and bought cows. The cows were bred and also rented out to work in the fields. This also helped support him.  Now, he has sold the cows and is going to buy the old CBI van (at a discounted price).  He will use the van to help take the Christians to the hospital, gather for worship, etc..  Sokun has become a real leader in his village. In the past, his father was the village chief (read Mayor).  Sokun has developed a lending co-op and a rice ...

I am writing from Richmond, Virginia.   After much talking, thinking, praying, looking at pros and cons, we decided that I would come back to the US.  Our kids were concerned, especially with my cancer a year ago, about the healthcare in Cambodia for this virus. We do have a good hospital that is a branch from Bangkok Hospital in Thailand, but we confirmed with the hospital that the government is not allowing them to do testing or receive patients from this virus.  Everyone in Phnom Penh has to go to the Khmer-Soviet Friendship Hospital.  I told you before that this really isn't a place we want to be. Thailand has basically closed off its borders so going there isn't available. I flew out of Phnom Penh on Monday night, flying through Korea, Atlanta and then to Richmond.  My flight from Phnom Penh to Seoul was pretty full.  Probably 2 people for every 3 seats.  The next 2 flights weren't full.  It was a bit strange to go from Asia, where ...