Kingdom of Cambodia Day 11

Today was the last day together as a team, which was bittersweet, but a great day nonetheless.

We went to Svay Pak today, an area that used to be known for their trafficking of little girls. Since then, IJM has raided brothels in the area, and Agape missions has come in to the village. They provide kids program, kick boxing/working out, and employment for many of the women of the community in which they are paid better than they would be as sex slaves. I didn't know how I would feel when I got there, but when we got upstairs, all the kids were singing about Jesus, and it was the most beautiful thing I have seen on this trip. I literally cried and just felt the presence of God wash over me as I observed these kids singing and dancing and acting silly. It was amazing observing that ministry. We also toured the Lord's Gym, where they run kickboxing and weightlifting. Some of the boxers are on tv, and nationally known, which is awesome. It was cool hearing how that ministry is working, especially on the pimps and men in the community. We then went to a factory, which used to be a brothel, where women work as seamstresses and make jewelry. The jewelry (3 strand is the brand name) is sold in boutiques in the states, as well as the tshirts. The women that work there are either all rescued or at risk, which is awesome as well. This provides them a way to make a better income than they could ever make in the sex trade, which is another incentive for them to leave the trafficking world. From there we went to the first building the ministry used, where the pastor now lives. They kept one of the rooms exactly like it was before it was raided, and it was a room where the men would rape the young girls.  Just seeing that dirty, small room and thinking of the atrocities and injustices that occurred there was enough to make me feel sick. The pastor and his wife lived in the "pink" room, which is where the young virgin girls were kept (virginity is a prized and coveted commodity in the sex trade industry). Thinking of the things that happened there disgusted me, but seeing how that village is being transformed was absolutely beautiful and inspiring. God is doing amazing things there, and I ask that you guys would be in prayer for this ministry. Something about it really touched my heart today, and I don't know why exactly this one really stuck out to me on this trip, but God really put them on my heart today.

After getting back we went to the market, then decided to go to Romdeng (the restaurant where we ate tarantula) and swim in their pool, but it was closed. So we tried another at a hotel where the group in June swam, but they wouldn't let us :(. Thankfully it rained and cooled things off, so it was fine that our swimming plans had been thwarted.

We then went to dinner as a team, and invited the 2 tuktuk drivers that have been working with us the whole trip. We heard their testimonies, which were amazing, and enjoyed a last night of fun and fellowship. Tomorrow is going to be rough for me, especially since everyone else is staying longer and decided to plan a trip to the beach, for which they are leaving in the morning. I will have to take one of the tuktuks alone to the airport, which will be lonely, but good I guess, since there will be no one to witness how emotional I get. I still don't know why God has called me here, but I am content to pray about it and be patient for God to reveal it in his own timing.

Kingdom of Cambodia Day 11

Today started off early, with us leaving for another trip to the orphanage today. We told them the story of Abraham, and it was encouraging to see how many of them had already heard and knew the story. We did crafts and games with them, and then, all too soon, it was time to go. As I left I was just so sad, wondering if I were to come back, would those kids I saw yesterday and today even still be in good health or even alive? It was a sobering thought, and one I am still turning over in my head this evening.  I know that death happens for everyone, but to think of these small and beautiful children wasting away from this awful, horrible disease is almost more than I can bear.
From there we bought supplies and went to a village outside one of the trash heaps near the Killing Fields. These people literally sift through rotten, putrid refuse looking for items to recycle day in and day out, as whole families, to make a profit of maybe a dollar or two a day.  It was awful seeing it, and thinking of where they live, and how they are considered the lowest of the low here.  However, there was an inspiring story and a miracle out of this village: A man named Moen, 23 years old with a wife who was pregnant and due any day, fell nearly 50 meters from a tree 4 months ago. He was paralyzed from the waist down, and was sent to a hospital. He literally laid on a wooden board for days at the hospital, ignored by the staff due to his lack of money and the severity of his situation. Brett, the man we have been partnering with here, paid for an ambulance to taked him to a different hospital where they would treat him. Phil and others at Steps of Justice raised money to help pay for his treatment. Now, 4 months later, he came home yesterday. He has regained feeling in his legs and can slightly move them. For him to be alive after a fall like that is remarkable; for him to have feeling and slight movement is a miracle! We were able to meet him, his wife, and 3 month old baby today. We brought him a care package and prayed for him. It was such a blessing to see a prayer I had in the states 4 months ago come to fruition and be seen before my own eyes. It was honestly one of the highlights of my trip, and seeing the joy on his face was beautiful.

Today has been one of the longest days of the trip for me so far... Not because of being super busy, but just a weariness and feeling of overwhelming hopelessness. I keep seeing so many things, and I feel like God is breaking my heart over what breaks his, but I feel like I am not even making a difference. I'm too overwhelmed to process everything, and everyday I keep adding heapfuls to it, without getting through the events and experiences from the days before. I don't know why God has brought me on this trip, and all I can feel is complete and utter failure; for not understanding why I was called here, for feeling like I have accomplished nothing, and for feeling extrememly lonely and outcasted from the group (when that isn't the case, but I still feel it nonetheless). I just pray that our last day of ministry tomorrow would revive me with purpose and reveal God's will to me, that I might be able to understand (at least partially) why he called me here.

Kingdom of Cambodia Day 10

I didn't wake up dying from eating tarantula last night, so I found that encouraging. Today after breakfast we went to the Happy Tree orphanage, which is a facility for.children with HIV/AIDS. They live and attend school at the orphanage, and there are over a hundred children in residence. The organization is Christian, and it is so cool that they are bringing the love of Christ to.these kids in the way we do it. We did bible stories, games, and crafts. The kids are so adorable, but its hearbreaking thinking about what they are suffering through, especially through no.fault of their own. Another injustice of this world that I wish I could change, but cannot.

After that and lunch we went back to the first village with Brett. My little.buddy sat with me for over.an hour, and fell asleep on my lap, before his.mom came and took him home. It was super sweet. We also finished installing all of.the solar panels and lights today. Now every family in this village has a renewable source of power, and can save so much money now because they no longer need the car batteries. It's amazing being a part of a project like that. We didn't build a house, but we brought the light to these people. "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to God in heaven" (Matthew 5)

Kingdom of Cambodia Day 9

Today started off amazingly! Gowri and I went to a hair salon to get our hair shampooed (the water pressure is not the best at the mission house, and my hair was getting disgusting). So we went, and for 2.50$ we had it washed and massaged, rinsed, washed and massaged again, rinsed, conditioned and rinsed, dried and then straightened. Not gonna lie, I may have to go back to get my hair clean before I leave Thursday.... Just something about clean hair made my whole body feel cleaner all day.

We went to a different international church today, one that was a bit bigger and more contemporary. It was so cool worshipping with people from all different races and nations... Gave a glimpse of what heaven will be like some day :).

After church and lunch we went crammed 15 people into a small, hot van and drove to a different village to work with the children in a bible study/game time sort of activity. We played games, taught scripture, two people gave testimonies, and we sang different songs in Khmer. All in all it was a great time, and it was a blessing to see this ministry in action. Then we got back in the small, hot van and sat through rush hour traffic for forever. I felt like I was back at home....lol.

After that and cleaning up, we went to a different Friends restaurant, that serves mainly Khmer dishes. As we were sitting, they brought out two live tarantulas to our table. Naturally I screamed, backed far away from the table, and couldn't work up the nerve to hold one. I tried, I really did, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. However, I did try some cooked tarantula. I ate a VERY small portion of a leg, and was able to get it down quickly and somewhat painlessly. Others in our group were more brave, eating entire spiders whole (which disgusted me). But because they were all being brave, I had to eat a whole leg, which was not as painless as the partial leg. Even with the amazing sauce they had for it, I couldn't get over the fact it was a freaking tarantula's leg. It was like eating very chewy, hairy bacon, but in the form of a creepy crawly spider leg. And now that I've had it, I can brag about it and never have to do it again (hopefully).  We then spent the night hearing the stories of two group members, just spending time together in fellowship, which was wonderful. 

Tomorrow we are going to visit and AIDS orphanage, and I am supposed to give my testimony. Please pray that I would be able to say what God would have me to say, and that he would be glorified through it all!

Kingdom of Cambodia Day 8

Today started with me asking up at 4:30am and not falling back asleep at all, so it was a pretty exhausting day. Thankfully we treated it as.somewhat of a Sabbath, resting and preserving energy for the rest of the trip.

We ate breakfast at the mission, and sort of debriefed over everything that happened yesterday at the village and IJM. Cambodian Life Lesson #5: Durian is one of the foulest smelling foods EVER. People here LOVE it, but it literally makes me want to vomit whenever I'm within 15 feet of it. Just avoid it if you ever come here.  After debriefing we watched a documentary called "The Girls of Phnom Pehn," which was about three teenage girls in the sex industry here. They all sold their virginities at 14 and 15 years old in order to provide for sick mothers and struggling families, and had to continue in this trade because society deems them sullied and unworthy of anything else. Two of them had children, and one had an abortion during the film. They worked and worked, still barely making enough to survive, and it was a very heartbreaking film. However, the film crew raised enough money to rescue them, and they now are working as hairdressers in a beauty shop, living new lives filled with hope and promise.

Afterwards we spent the afternoon relaxing and visiting different NGO shops near the Russian Market, supporting their work and learning about their work. A lot of cool things are happening with these organizations... Now only if the government would stop using them as an excuse to not do more for their people, the country would be able to better grow and prosper.

We then went to Friends again for dinner, and spent an evening just in fellowship, which was amazing. All in all it was nice to have a relaxing day. Tomorrow we have church, are visiting a children at risk organization, visiting a village, and doing other things, so it was good to have a day of rest after being here a week! Can't wait to see what tomorrow has in store for us! Please continue to keep praying for us!

Kingdom of Cambodia Day 7

7:15 today! Finally into a normal sleep routine, which is exciting! And good, because the days are getting longer and more action-packed...

After going out to breakfast this morning we went to IJM (International Justice Mission)!!! It is one of the organizations I'm much more familiar with, and visiting today was such a blessing. The building was unmarked, and we were not allowed to post on facebook where we were or take pictures of the building, because of the nature of their work and ministry. We learned more about their undercover work, and how the industry is evolving the sex trafficking industry, causing more work for the people at IJM. For those of you that aren't familiar with their work, google them! They have twenty bases or so around the world, with each focusing on needs specific to their cities, Phnom Pehn's being sex trafficking of women and children.

From their we ate lunch and went to a different displacement village, which was even more heartbreaking than yesterday's village. They were forcibly evicted from their homes with no prior notice, being physically attacked by the government and police, their homes destroyed along with all their possessions. They were moved 40 km (25ish miles) outside the city, literally in the middle of nowhere. They were given no shelter, no land of their own, and left to survive on their own. The government compensated about half of the families with with land (lots smaller than the size of my front lawn at home), leaving the rest as squatters on the land. They have been there since January, and have erected shelter from sticks and tarps and whatever they can find, but they are no match for the rains. Many in the community are HIV/AIDS positive as well. Brett (from yesterday) is trying to build them homes with a toilet and simple water filtration system, but his first focus are the squatters; he is raising support to buy off that land from the government/developers so that everyone would have a place of their own. After raising the remainder of the funds for that (they have about 2500$ of the 6000$ needed), they will begin building homes for the people (which will cost about 600$ a piece). Just seeing the abject poverty and trials and suffering of these people is heartbreaking. I spent most of my time today holding and playing with a baby (no surprise, right? Lol) whose mother is a drunk. He is 8 months old, but looks to be about 3. His mother is starving, but is an alcoholic, most likely as a means for coping with depression. The people say she walks around the village with her baby in the sunlight, and seemed to not approve of her treatment of her son. As I held him and he lay, weak and exhausted in my arms, I seriously considered what it would take to bring him home with me. That was my biggest fear on this trip: becoming attached to children, but I never imagined feeling like I did today. It definitely confirmed my plan to adopt someday, and just holding him, I wished that I was finished with school and financially stable enough for it to be that child. I cried giving him back to his mother, praying that he would survive the hell he was currently living in.

We then came back to go to the hospital, broken and dejected from the sufferings of the villagers, to minister and pray to the HIV/AIDS patients.  In Cambodia, many patients die of starvation in the hospital, not disease, because meals are not provided unless paid for separately. Some can pay, but most cannot. One of the ladies here, Pina, has an amazing ministry with these people and brings meals for the hungry four or five days a week.  She led one young man to Christ, and he is ebtering Discipleship Training School here at the mission next month! To think he has only a short time left to live, and yet he is seeking and serving God full-heartedly, wanting to be a missionary himself. Seeing him today really inspired me and renewed my strength on this trip. Even though it seems like we aren't doing much (especially in my own eyes) we are planting seeds and showing the love of Christ through our actions that those we work with might come to know Christ some day. Even despite the language barrier we are still able to love and serve these people, and that is what they first need in order to be receptive to the gospel later. I just have to keep telling myself that we ARE seeking and working towards justice for the people here, and that it may not happen now or even in my lifetime, but we are doing what the Bible has called us to do (Matthew 25). Please continue to pray for us and the different ministries we are partnering with here!

Kingdom of Cambodia Day 6

I SLEPT IN TIL 7 AM!!! Haha, it was wonderful,  blissful sleep and I felt so rested when I woke up, which is good, because yesterday was a long day....

We at breakfast, and then went to Daughters, which is an AMAZING organization. They are a Christian organization, and they provide gainful and fair employment for women in the sex trade industry who want a way out. They don't provide housing, which provides a level of independence for the women, because the salary they make is enough to fully provide for them. The have a bakery, a factory, a sewing shop and a store where they sell their wares. Its only been around for 5 years, and yet they have grown so much and help nearly 100 women a year. They alson have an organization called Sons, which focuses on doing the same thing. Such a cool ministry that is doing amazing things here.

After lunch there, which was amazing, we went to a displacement village outside of the city limits. These people were told by the government that they had to leave the land they own in the city, because developers wanted it. The moved them outside the city to a ditch (literally) during the dry season. However, when the rainy season came, it flooded the entire area, becoming part of a nearby lake. The people had nowhere to go, and their tarp shelters were no match for the elements. So a man named Brett from Louisiana came, saw the need, moved to Cambodia and began financing and building houses on stilts (to withstand the rainy season). Four years later and everone has a house (27 families in all), and the community is able to live and provide for each other.  We were visiting to provide solar lights for each house... Right now, in order to have light and charge cell phones, the people use car batteries  which is dangerous and expensive to recharge.  For people making 1$ a day, 5$ a month to recharge a battery is a lot. So now they have these new solar charging lights, with 2 hookups for phones and other things, and it is amazing how much their lives with be changed by this small act of service. 

All of the people look out for each other, especially the children. There was one boy, Pierre-na (how its pronounced at least lol) that had downs syndrome, and another boy with MS. These people could have left their children in the city, or neglected them, but instead, the entire community has rallied around them and cares for and supports them. Its amazing to see the love and community in this village, and the way they are working together despite their circumstances. I also really considered bringing Pierre-na home with me; he was so sweet, following me around and holding me hand, playing patty-cake with me. I felt so blessed just spending time with all the children, but especially him.

After that we came back to the house for dinner, then relaxed and had coffee nearby. It was just an awesome day, and I can't wait to go back!