John 15:12

Hello Phnom Penh

06/15/2013

  I'll try to give a quick overview of what our trip has looked like these first few days. We flew into Phnom Penh late Wednesday night, and started serving right away Thursday morning in Svey Pak. As a team, we woke up, got into our Tuktuks and putted down through Phnom Penh along the Meikong river into the suburb of Svey Pak. Where we met the Grace and Peace Gals, who work at the school there. Rahab's House II is the name of the school which is funded by Agape International Missions. We were assigned to their library project, which meant categorizing and labeling everything in their supply closet to help create a new checkout system for the teachers. At first it was somewhat disappointing to be put in a room labeling books but then the Khmer staff came in and we were able to work along side them as well as do a small English corner.         It was really great to be able to talk with them and get to know them, because last year when we were in Svey Pak we painted the teacher's work room but didnt really have any opportunities to talk with them. It was such a blessing to hear their stories and share devotions with them. Nzinga and Christy both gave devotions after lunch on thursday and friday, and I found it really neat that regardless to cultural and language barriers, we were all able to relate and share connections through our relationships with Christ. I enjoyed being able to talk about God with the local people, because in China is not really something you're given the direct opportunity to do. Where as in Cambodia is isn't a law saying you can't share your faith. So, I was really encouraged when I was sharing prayer requests with this one teacher, her name was Moneat. But she's 18!, one year older than me and so confident about what she believes. She asked that I pray for her studies at university, and I asked that she do the same for me, especially because I'm facing so many fears about transitioning back to the States. She and her friend laughed at me because although I still looked American, I would be a foreigner in my own country, it made me smile that they understood my dilemma.    Something I've decided I want to focus on this year during the trip is relationships, not so much about the actual work that I'm doing, but how I can influence the lives of the people I meet, and how they also leave an unforgettable impression on mine. On that note, last night after finish the library project and visiting an Agape run factory in Svey Pak, we went to a local beer garden. Now I knew a couple members of the team would be doing this, and I and Christy were given the opportunity to come along. Its a very unsettling environment,  I didn't know how I would react or how I would be able to process, but in the end I couldn't have been more blessed. When we walked into the beer garden, it was one of the most awkward things i've ever done, because we were 10 white foreign women,, walking into a beer garden, its not something you see everyday. But also, just seeing the faces of the women, I could only imagine what was going through their minds, one of the thoughts i'm sure was shared was, i'd rather not be here, or this beer garden is not a place of comfort. We all awkwardly sat down and tried to order soft drinks, and snacks.. but I couldn't help but watch the women sequentially go up to sing on the cheap stage with the dodgy clubs lights. The whole atmosphere of the place was just so gloomy, its was like the depression of the situation manifested itself in the thin layer of dirt that covered everything. We got out our card games that we had brought and began to aimlessly play, then Becki brought a girl over to sit and talk at our table, she played UNO with Christy, Nzinga and I, and I finally felt like the awkwardness was worth it. Then I got out my henna and did an example on Christy and Hyun Sun, then I gave her one. I was so excited, and I still am, to see how the gift of creativity that God gave me could directly bless someone who dearly needed it. She said the pattern I drew on her hand was beautiful, and it made me smile to see her happy. It was an encouraging experience, even though its hard to find peace with seeing people in any difficult situation.  

  -Michaila

 

Back Again!

06/15/2013

 

This is my fourth trip to a land that causes me to laugh and enjoy the day and then to be overwhelmed with waves horror and sadness.  The team I am traveling with amazes me.  Those of us over the age of 25 have a few more years of maturity and life that can be helpful as we negotiate the emotions that run through our bodies in a day.  The other four members of our team who are16 and 17 years old are witnessing and hearing stories that they process with such strength and I am so proud of them.  Yesterday the new members of our team visited The Killing Fields and S21(Khmer Rouge Prison).  The first plan was to go as a whole team, but then because of a canceled flights some of us needed to stay back and shop and prepare for the next 5 days of Kids Club and English Classes. 

In our debrief of the day Hyun said she was filled with so many questions of how and why?  These are two small simple words that form the basis of some very tough questions.  How can man be so terrible to others?  Why would they hurt and kill so many over and over? Why would they kill babies?  Why would they torture?  How could they live and sleep knowing what they had been a part of?

As we talked about how they were doing, Nzinga, one of the teachers on the team, told how when they left The Killing Fields the rain was pouring down as they searched the dirt parking lot for their Tuk Tuk.  As she pulled out her phone to call him the others started to run to the street to find him Putting her phone away she joined in and as the warm rain drenched their hair, clothes, and shoes it also helped wash away the horror of what they had just seen and heard. 

So now we are prepped and ready to go to the a local friends place tonight where we will hold a party for between a 100 – 120 kids who live in the area.   It is in the garment factory district and we are the main attraction. =)  It will be a night of skits, crafts, games, songs, food,  and juggling by out very own Alicia.   Last time we were here this was the best and most chaotic night we had, so we are looking forward to some more fun and chaos!!
 

-Keli

 

 

A Flurry of Activity

06/17/2013

 

We arrived here, in Cambodia, 5 days ago and since then, we have done so many things. From the work in Svey Pak where we were helping set up a library/check out system, to going to a beer garden, to touring the brick factory area, to visiting S-21 and the Killing fields and then even further to going to New Life Church in the morning, then organizing a kids club at Sinath's centre and then that evening another church service. To anyone on the outside you might say "well that isn't that much to do in 5 days...." but for me it has been somewhat overwhelming. It has been good, but a lot to take in and a lot to have to process. Cambodia is as many of our team members have said at one point or another "a warped/twisted place." The reason for this would be because there are these conflicting emotions between eating delicious food or seeing kid's joyous smiles and then seeing some of the history of the genocide or going to the beer gardens. One of the things that I have appreciated through this time, trying to figure out these conflicting emotions is not only having the team around me and being able to work with them all but also my camera. Who would have thought that this device could be so useful in the process, haha, of processing all that I see? It has not only helped me filter what I choose to remember and see but also allows me to go back and think on how I was feeling at the time I took the picture and such. So I want to use my pictures to be able to express a bit more about our trip.

There are always two people in every picture:  the photographer and the viewer.  ~Ansel Adams

 

 

 

 

So these pictures allow me to remember the places where we could take pictures but then there have been places like HPC (Hard Places Community) where we aren't allowed to take pictures of the kids and so I have to think of other ways to remember and so I would want to do that through writing. This afternoon we organized a smaller kids club with maybe only 15 - 20 boys aged from 3 to 12. Before that though, we got to interact with some of the staff there which was really cool. It was really nice to see how Michaila and Christy, who had been there last year where able to see and be with some of the people they had got to know previously. So when we were there we started off by just throwing been bags around with the kids, it started off with only one or two of us and then all of the boys were doing it! Our time there in general was pretty good and I could already begin to see each boys personality so I look forward to being able to see and get to know each of them over the next couple of days. There was one boy who was very full of life and who was real joker and knew how to get people's attention. Maybe half way in though, he got very quite and sat at the side and looked very forlorn. I found this really challenging to see because I could, in a way, relate to him. I was the first one to notice him do this and so I went and sat and held his hands just to let him know that I was there for him. Then more people started to ask him what was wrong. I think this must have been frustrating for him and again, I could relate. When he moved further away from everyone, I took him some paper and a pencil and just sat there with him. He drew a picture and got up and moved away again. At this point I gave him a bit of space but I wanted to give him more paper just so he would have something to do if he wanted. It was really difficult to see him in pain but not be able to help him. In a sense, at first, it almost seemed like he didn't want help. Again, I could almost relate and so that made the whole situation even more challenging. I had no idea what sort of family he came from, if he had one and had no idea why he was upset. All I could do was to pray, as Keli and Alicia encouraged me to. Soon after, he took the second piece of paper and drew a picture, by this point I had started to get involved with the other kids as well and he gave his picture to Christy to give to me. This boy, as young as he was, seemed to understand the frustration I had felt and also had been able to overcome whatever had been bothering him and perked up a ton and was smiling and happy with everyone. So tomorrow we will be returning to HPC and I look forward to seeing and working with this boy again and also with the other children. I do not know where they will be living tonight but I trust that at least HPC can be a safe haven for them and that God love's them and has a plan for each one of them. 
Gemma

 

 

 

We each have a story...

06/19/2013

 

So Keli asked me to write in the blog today and I honestly don't know where to begin.

We've worked in Sway Pak on a library project, held a party for over 150 kids of all ages, hosted English classes and kids clubs at HPC. I do feel like I am coming into this trip with a different perspective having been here once before. Last time I was here I realized my love for kids, and this time around it's been cool to see myself grow and realize how I respond to different situations. Cambodia is an eye opening country. We were discussing tonight how it is a place of many different layers. It is so true. Yet amidst these different layers each person has their own story. I've been waking up to an amazing view every morning. It can become almost overwhelming how many people there are out there. And even when we go to bed, the surrounding city lights up showing the lives of those around. Yet as Keli sat us down one evening she encouraged us that amidst all of the needs, God also cares for the one.
There is so much darkness and grief in this country that I frankly do not know how to deal with.  The other day I was sitting in the tuk-tuk waiting for Mrs. Schoon to come out with the supplies. I saw a foreigner and a local girl standing together. He paid her mumbled "I really enjoyed our time together", got his own tuk-tuk, kissed her hand, and drove off. Could that have been what I thought it was? I observed her and watched as she mounted the back of the moto and drove off herself. The reality is that I don't have the right to point fingers at another person and guess what may be happening underneath the surface. On this trip a lot of times you just don't know what the situation really is like for the person you are with.
But as we served out at Sinat's place I began to wonder where the kids that we were dancing with, doing crafts with, would really be in 5-10 years...And that can be the sickening thing. I think Gemma mentioned that the pictures of the kids we saw at S-21 reminded her of the kids that we had been working with. I tutor some back in China, and throughout cultures...kids are kids! They love to play on sand piles and squeal with joy. These are just normal kids, but in a difficult situation. 
But I am so blown away and thankful for families like Senat's who take the children into their home and show them love and respect. Their entire attitude towards their mission, and the way they treat those who come into their center is absolutely beautiful. They're encouraging to others and pointing them to focus on God and draw their strength from Him. They give glory to God for their story. Their story is a testimony of God's goodness and hope in the darkness.
I have been thankful to step into the lives of others and listen to their stories. When we worked at Swey Pak we had English corners with the teachers, and I so appreciated hearing how they decided to come to the school, how they became believers, and more...because at the core of that school was a God who had been working in lives of young believers to draw them in. They each held their own dreams as well. Starting their own center for children, getting a degree, and more. Even working at HPC has been awesome because we're able to step into these kid's lives and get to know them, each having their own personality.
What is my story? What is your story?
Perhaps one of the most refreshing things has been at the kids club both yesterday and today when the staff sat the kids down for worship time. They began to sing in Khmer while we sang along in English. "Bless the Lord oh my soul, oh my soul, worship His Holy name." The God of the universe is working through us and putting the pieces of our stories together!

UPDATE:
So, I got back on to finish this blog post and also update you all about what has been happening. Right now we are doing prep work in the morning, then heading out to HPC for kids club. After that we go back out to Senat's and split up so we can each teach English classes. It will be our last day at HPC, and It'll be really hard to say our final goodbyes. Tomorrow, we'll still be going out to Senat's still.
If you could be praying for protection over our team from any discouragement or tiredness...
Also please be praying for protection over all of the students and children we're encountering and encouragement for them. Yesterday Hyun Sun and Gemma did a skit with some of the teachers at HPC that was about respecting women (HPC is an boys kids club) and afterwards some of the boys stopped to help us sweep up an clean. Pray that as we do a skit today about giving up burdens to God, anybody watching will be touched in a personal way.

-Christy-

 

If the room is dark...turn on a light!

06/23/2013

I am always amazed because as I "work" here in Cambodia I do get tired, but I also see the team and I being filled up with energy from the blessings and prayers of others.  One amazing place in the midst of the darkness that fills the streets of Phnom Penh is the House of Prayer.  Five minutes there is like putting an empty cup under a waterfall. Gemma and I went back for a second time and spent an hour resting in His presence and praising the One!! 

 

 

Power in Prayer!

06/25/2013

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HERE IS LIFE & POWER IN OUR PRAYERS.

As our trip comes to an end, I'm led to think about how awesome our God is.  In spite of the suffering and pain that we witnessed these past 12 days, it is evident that God is alive and working in Cambodia and in the hearts of the Khmer people.  Although we came to serve and encourage them,  we were blessed by the testimonies of the many victories over satan, the laughter of the children, and the new friendships that we made.  

I have learned that poverty is not so much a state of being, but rather a mind set.  We met many people who live with much less than we do, but because they know the love of Jesus, they faced each day with unspeakable joy and a peace that passes all understanding.  This experience made me ask the question, "What more can I do with the resources that God has blessed me with if I learned to live with less."  If you are asking yourself, "what can I do to help?", my simple response is PRAY.  Prayer is the most powerful weapon that I can think of to truly combat the still ever present effects of the Kmer Rouge Regime and the cancer that is the sex trafficking industry in Cambodia.

PRAY for the leaders of Cambodia.  Pray that they will seek godly counsel and wisdom as they work towards the rebuilding of Cambodia.  Pray that the administrators and officials that are complicit with the exploitation and trafficking of children industry are convicted by the Holy Spirit and are moved to be agents of change among their peers.

PRAY for the people (orphans, street children, exploited children, trafficked girls & boys, factory workers, migrant farmers, tuk tuk drivers, food market merchants, hotel staff, ...) of Cambodia.  They give all that they have daily just to survive.  Pray that in their darkest moments, God reveals Himself in such a way that they will know and remember that they are not forgotten nor forsaken.

PRAY for the NGOs that call Cambodia home.  They were birthed out of a vision to rebuild a broken country.  Pray that the right resources and people are called to them and at the right time.  Pray that as they continue to share the gospel to the broken hearted in Cambodia that they themselves receive encouragement to not be weary in well doing.  Pray that the seeds that are planted in the hearts of the youth that they minister to, grow a harvest 30, 60, 100 fold.

PRAY for the young people (disciples) that were called by the spirit of God to serve at the many NGOs that service the street children of Pehnom Pehn.  Many of them have desires to go to university but lack the funds.  Some even expressed the desire to become pastors and starting churches in their respective provinces.  Pray for the wisdom and the spirit of discernment as they minister to the youth of Phnom Penh.

PRAY for, Michaila, Christy, Hyun Sun, and Gemma.  Pray that the seed that has been planted in these young ladies hearts ignites the vision that God has already placed over their life.  Pray that they do not walk way with feelings of guilt because of the blessings that they live with regularly but rather feel empowered by what they can do with what God has blessed them with.  Pray that they can be ambassadors for the good work that God is doing in Cambodia.

PRAY for next year's Cambodia trip.  Pray the for the teachers and students who will be called to join the group.  Pray for their vision and encouragement.  Pray that the hearts of the group members are knitted together as they move boldly towards the unified vision of serving in Cambodia.  Pray that the logistical aspect of the trip is planned with wisdom and efficiency.  

Finally

Please, please please PRAY for those that the enemy has tightly bound in his grasp, the sex traffickers and pedophiles.  Pray that like Paul on the road to Damascus, they have an interaction with Jesus, such that their lives are changed forever.  Pray that the love of Jesus permeates every inch of their heart so that there is no room for the wicked desires of their flesh.  Pray that in the mighty name of Jesus, that they are set free from the tight chains that bind them and their lives will be used to glorify God.

For those of you who like to know more about the different organizations that we worked at or supported, here are the websites.

www.AgapeWebsite.org (Agape International Missions)
www.hardplaces-community.org
www.friends-international.org
www.daughtersofcambodia.org
www.bloomcreations.org
www.Justees.org

-Nzinga