March 25th continued

I have been writing a small volume when I checked out our blog and realized that somehow most of it had never been recorded- sobs! Due to my lack of time, I will try and hit the highlights of our last two weeks. The visit to the Royal Palace was enjoyable, but our time spent with Operation Smiles was life-changing. Each year Operation Smiles comes to Cambodia and repairs cleft and pallet deformities for children free of charge. For some reason, Southeast Asia has a high concentration of these kinds of problems which the doctors believe are a combination of poor nutrition and possibly genetic disorders. The Church supplies the vital need of translators for the doctors and their patients. The young elders are the ones who do the work, but we as senior couples have the privilege to be involved in support. It was a miracle to see the changes made for the children and the hope these operations provide. In addition to the cleft work, the surgeons provide some slight plastic surgery repairs. As I wandered down the halls to the initial screening area, I heard a young child sobbing. At the screening desk, the nurses check to make sure the children have had no liquids or food for 20 hours and do an initial blood pressure check. This one little boy- possibly 2-3 years old, was having his blood pressure checked for the first time and he was terrified. A young woman stood at his side and I assumed she was his mother. As he continued to cry, I just couldn't help myself, I got down on my knees and gently hugged him. His tears dried up- taking off the blood pressure cuff also helped!- and I found out that he was an orphan who had been adopted. The man who adopted him had hired this woman to care for the child while he was at work and could not be with him. The little boy had facial deformities along with his cleft lip and pallet, and looking into his eyes just tore my heart apart. As I choked back the tears, I felt such gratitude for the Atonement-for the pity, compassion, and love of our Savior. He has already carried all this child's grief and loss, all his rejections and hurts and He will make up all losses for him. I can not express in words this experience of the Spirit, but I testify that the Savior is our Savior and Redeemer and he succors us, all of us, in every whit.