Bev Armstrong accompanies her husband, Doctor Robert Armstrong, as he visits the health clinics in the outlying provinces of Cambodia. They are Medical Missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. When they began visiting the clinics, Sister Armstrong noticed that the newborns wear a knit hat for the first 2 to 3 months of life, regardless of the hot weather. Sister Armstrong started crocheting little hats on days they were not busy with the medical project, and while traveling in the car.
Som Sarome saw her crocheting and indicated, that she knew how to knit and crochet, and wanted to help. She started out making hats, but soon moved to include little mittens and booties. Sister Armstrong then pairs them up with a matching hat to give as a set. Som Sarome helps teach a crochet class so others can help make the hats. She has crocheted over 100 pairs of mittens and 50 pairs of infant booties.
- Bev Crocheting Hats
- Som Sarah with hats
- Holding up hats
- Class member delivering Hats with Bev
- Hats with Booties and Mittens
- Giving New Mother Hat for Baby
- Crocheting a Hat
- Som Sarome and Bev Armstrong
- Health Center
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The Armstrong’s have taken them on all of their hospital and health center visits - to the hospital in Pea Riang District of Prey Veng province and their 8 health centers, Takeo Referral Hospital and their 15 health centers, and to the Strueng Trang District hospital in Kampong Cham province and are now visiting the health centers there.
If there are newborns at the hospital or health center when they arrive, they have been allowed to give them directly to the new mother and baby. They usually leave a dozen or so with the midwife to distribute later as they are needed. Some of these mothers are among the poorest in Cambodia, and they receive this little gift with grateful smiles.
“It is just a small token of our commitment to them and the people, and it is giving some of our Khmer members a chance to serve in a way they might not have been able to otherwise,” said Sister Armstrong.