Visit to Kham's village

As the boat slowed down and began coasting into the edge of the bank, I knew getting out of the boat like a lady would be impossible.

It was up a sandy bank about 4 feet high so our workers got out and pushed the sand down with their feet to make a flat area to step out on but then it was a climb up the embankment in the loose sand.    With help, I made it to the flat area.

What I didn't know was that there were a flight of steps ahead that looked like the great wall in China.    Everyone but me, climbed the steps like a professional climber but I had to rest several times along the way.   It was straight up with narrow steps and my stamina didn't hold out very well.   One of the men came back down part way and held my hand for the rest of the way up.   Half-way up, I took a picture looking back down so you can see that I'm not stretching the truth very much.  

We had a delightful visit because it is where Kham lives with her parents.   

Her father is the minister of the church of this village.   Ron saw Kham on his visit last year and was told that she was blind from birth.   It bothered him so much because he thought her eyes looked like cataracts and he hoped it could be corrected.   It took months for them to get her a VISA to leave Laos to go to Bangkok, Thailand to see about surgery.    I think it was July when she had her surgery and it was successful.   She is wearing large glasses and we don't know why but for whatever reason, she can see after the cataracts were removed.   We have learned since that, although unusual, babies can be born with cataracts.    Kham is going to the village school to learn to read and write.  She can't go to school in Luang Prabang until the 5th grade so she will need to study hard and catch up to enter school there.  I think she is about 14 but it does not bother her to be in the first grade.

They served us lunch but I was too tired by this time to eat much.   They had sticky rice, stewed chicken and steamed bok choy.   We saw many of their members and helped quite a few. Their village is just the same type buildings, without power.  They are poor but happy to be Christians.   They know there's a better life waiting for them someday.

Funds were given to those who needed help and we trust this minister to let us know if more is needed.

When we started back to the boat, guess who came and held my hand all the way down the steps and around the hillside to the boat?   Yes, it was Kham.    Six months ago, she couldn't see and now she was concerned about an old lady falling down.    Tik took my bag that had my camera and other stuff and walked beside us all the way to the boat.   Tik's village was the next one but she and Kham knew each other.

Bundled up again to face the wind to the next village as Chansouk takes a selfie.