Summer 2024 newsletter

Hang Tran, Cambodia

Differently abled youth help Hang with wiping the skin, applying lotion and combing the hair of Panut at the Home of Hope.

Panut is a young man living with severe developmental and physical challenges. He needs assistance with daily living activities such as eating, having his diaper changed, being carried from the wheelchair to the bed, etc. Panut grunts loudly, shakes his head rapidly or swings his arms wildly when he is not feeling well. He has some command over a few parts of his body and uses them to express his inner states.

Other youth usually assist me in attending to Panut. We wipe his skin with wet cloths to give coolness in the steamy weather; put lotion on his legs, feet, arms and hands to remedy rashed skin; and comb his hair to soothe tension on his head.

After a while, Panut becomes calmer, less agitated, makes eye contact and gives us a big smile. The kids who help Panut also appear more relaxed and gentler, even if only for a short period of time.

Before receiving the Eucharist, Auntie Sovan touches a Mother Teresa statue for a blessing.

Like the young people at the Home of Hope, Sovan, a frail woman in her 70s, has difficulty walking. Her only son has not been able to support her financially or otherwise.

She stays with the Missionaries of Charity and attends daily Mass. She has a unique ritual before receiving the holy Eucharist, which caught my attention. After observing her for a while, I gained some insight about her ritual and wished to learn what it means to her.

“Auntie Sovan,” I asked her, “why do you touch the statue of Mother Teresa and then touch your legs?”

“Som porchay dambay ach daer ban“ (I request a blessing to be able to walk), she replied.

“Does the blessing come from Mother Teresa?” I inquired further.

“Pi neang nang pi Preah” (From her and from God), she explained.

Auntie Sovan animates her belief in God and in her communion with the saints by presenting them with her concerns and life circumstances, here and now. Every time Auntie Sovan touches the statue of Mother Teresa, she is invoking the saint’s intercession, as well as receiving a touch from God. What a beautiful, tangible opportunity to exercise faith?

Another woman in the gospel had a similar idea:

Suddenly a woman who had suffered from bleeding for 12 years came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak. She said to herself, “If only I touch His cloak, I will be healed.” Jesus turned and saw her. “Take courage, daughter,” He said. “Your faith has healed you.” And the woman was cured from that very hour (Mt 9:20-22).

These women were open to seeking and receiving the vital energy through healing touch. The youth at the Home of Hope, suffering from various illnesses, challenges, abandonment and loneliness, are also in need of such healing.

Along with other sensory functions, touch has a significant role in the spectrum of health. The kids have willingness, just as the women have faith.

Their willingness to participate in the daily hygiene routine leads to new experiences, nurtures their well-being and advances their development. Not least is the ability to care for oneself and one another. Both the giver and receiver of wholesome touch become channels of grace. It is amazingly therapeutic and brings big smiles to everyone.

Please consider supporting my mission work at the Home of Hope with a donation through the link below.

I invite you to walk with me as a “COMPANION IN MISSION.” Companions in Mission are friends and generous donors who give financial gifts on a regular (usually monthly) basis. For more information, visit Become a Companion in Mission. Thank you so much for your generosity!