My expectations of Krousar Thmey were grim. I had visited homes for disabled children in other countries and was appalled at the conditions, so as we drove to the school for the deaf and blind I was preparing myself.
I could not have been more wrong. We drove into a beautiful courtyard with lush, well-kept greenery, and as we stepped out of the van we were greeted by a young boy signing that he loved us. He immediately ran up to me, grasped my hand, and wrote a message to me. "I love you." And I loved him too.
We were shown into a spacious, airy room and seated facing a large, smiling group of children, all signing that they loved us. In the room beside us there were traditional Cambodian instruments, all played by blind students, and then two groups of kids presented traditional Cambodian dances for us. The dancers were clad in sparkling, colorful costumes and complimented the music with graceful, choreographed movements, following cues from their instructor because they were deaf. Afterwards we presented the rice and school supplies.
The school uses 2 tons of rice a month to feed their live-in students and had raised enough support for a six month supply, but still needed enough rice for the rest of the year. It was a highlight of this trip to be able to present them with the 12 tons of rice they needed to feed the children for the rest of the year.
After dinner I was able to make friends with some of the smaller children. The children loved posing for photos and then would laugh hysterically at themselves as they viewed their antics on the screen. My favorite moment was teaching them that God loved them. This school is not a Christian establishment, but it is our prayer that in time these loving, intelligent students will come to know their savior.
As the sun began to set the celebration began, as students, staff, and our team danced into the evening.
It is a memory that I will keep forever.
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