June 2011
Dear friends,
Building Nokor Tep Women’s hospital is like building a Field of Dreams – if you build it, they will come. For friends standing with us it means that multinationals will come with pharmaceuticals and equipment, doctors, nurses, other medical professionals are volunteering to come from many lands – countries like US, Canada, Australia, Singapore, Israel, France, and the Netherlands.
This week I am once again starkly reminded of Cambodian women who will come. I met Ratna several years ago in one of our project areas. She was 33 years old but looked much older. She and her husband were still bearing babies; her ninth child was born last year. Ratna was excited about our programs, her and her husband had several small fields – 20 x 20 meters each – with a water well they had started growing food year round – they were raising pigs and chickens – her field of dreams expanded from eating each day to rebuilding their small house, buying a bicycle so her children could go to school, getting a local elder to help with the birthing process.
Life felt good – there was hope – despite the hope, Ratna remained tired – she complained of aches and pains that ebbed and waned each day – all was not well – but the dreams were happening. 9 months ago, the aches and pains turned to severe pain and so they sold their first piece of land – with the money they searched for help – there was some relief but no diagnosis, no cure – as the pain continued – they sold their last piece of land, they sold their pigs and chickens – by now the field of dreams had turned to sorrow. Ratna died this week – her field of dreams now a field of sorrow. Ratna was cremated on the last field they sold – her ashes mixing with the dreams she once had.
Nokor Tep Hospital is a field of dreams for so many women like Ratna – our design incorporates an atrium – a stream of light and air that infuses the building – a stream of hope for women like Ratna - to welcome them and bathe them with the light of hope, of love. Our design is one of brightness and natural beauty for those women who are living with disease. They are welcome with natural beauty surrounding them – welcome with sights and smells of the homes they will leave to come to our field of dreams.
Atrium of Light and Hope Oncology Ward If we build it, they will come. What a privilege my God has given me – has given all of us – to build a field of dreams so that many, many Cambodian women will be able to fulfill their own field of dreams. What an awesome dream it is.
Janne
