Monday, March 29, 2010

Yesterday (Friday) began with a 5 AM departure to the Angkor Wat temple area – expecting to see a beautiful sunrise. We are confident the sun did rise – but we didn’t see it as a layer of clouds got in the way – followed by some light showers – which did at least cool things down a bit. Today we will tour the temples and hopefully gain a little more insight on the history and spiritual development of this land.

It is amazing the number of people that we have met serving God in Cambodia who have attended and been impacted by a North Point Church. Yesterday we visited the new office of the International Justice Mission in Siem Reap and there met Laura, a recent graduate of UGA, currently serving on an intern assignment in Phnom Penh. She had attended both the Athens and North Point campuses and seemed excited for some connections from home. She and one of her co-workers joined us for dinner – at our guesthouse. We also met Heather – a young woman from Marietta (Mount Parin North) who works with White Dove, an organization working to rescue and equip young women.

IJM is just in the process of opening a new office in Siem Reap as they seek to develop a presence and expand their influence with the Cambodian government and legal systems. Pray for them as they seek to locate indigenous Christian Lawyers, Social Workers, Administrators and Investigators. This is not an easy task in a country primarily made up of Buddhist and Hindus. Less than 1 percent of the population are Christian.

Bonnie did a great job of describing for us issues of sex trafficking in Cambodia and the niche that IJM was seeking to fill. Bonnie is a Social Worker and part of the team who engages when an orchestrated rescue is being planned. IJM investigators will have determined that “minor girls” are being prostituted in a certain establishment and will coordinate with Cambodian Police and Courts so that a successful raid and rescue can be initiated. They not only want to free the girls – but also collect sufficient evidence and forensics to lead to a prosecution of the perpetrators. Prior to the raid, the IJM investigators and operators will have collected video and physical evidence of the child abuse – but hopefully keep their investigation secret enough that word is not leaded out and the young girls moved to another location and out of reach.

When the raid takes place, Bonnie and her social work comrades will immediately take charge of the under-age girls. They will provide them a care kit containing many things that help to put the child at ease, including some fresh appropriate clothes, toiletries, maybe an Asian Doll or some games to play. A raid can be very traumatic for a little child who is already grossly traumatized and distrustful on anyone – especially men – and often policemen. Local police sometimes turn their heads, for the various favors that they are offered at the Brothel - free of charge.

Many of these children do not have legal documents reflecting their birthdays – they in fact are likely in the country illegally. They have been told to lie about their age and to do everything they can to protect their owners. It is a difficult task to separate truth from fiction in this environment. The local police need to treat these girls as the victims of abuse – regardless of whether they are in the country legally, and regardless of whether they had the physical opportunities to flee. Children can easily be put under the mental and emotional control of an adult who controls their food and self identity and continually threatens physical harm to the girls or to their families or children. IJM works as an advocate for these children along with local indigenous lawyers and social workers. The children will be assessed in a placed with an appropriate church or NGO who can lead them towards recovery from extreme abuse.

Once the child is through the various crisis stages – IJM will work to see if effective testimony can be given. This testimony is critical for a comprehensive prosecution of the perpetrators (Brothel owners, recruiters, etc) As stated in Isaiah 1:17, it is important to “rebuke the oppressor,” but the greatest impact of a successful prosecution is the testimony that it provides to other pimps and brothel owners, that they are no longer safe from substantial prosecution – and that they are likely to find themselves behind bars in very difficult circumstances.

While the release is very important to the individual girls that have been rescued – the greatest impact comes from improvement in the police and legal systems, equipping the indigenous people to care for their owns. Rather than just individual lives being saved – IJM works to eradicate systems of injustice which if allowed to continue will result in an ever increasing number of victims, regardless of how many are rescued.
IJM has a primary focus on underage children who have been taken into this sexual darkness. While it is true that their systems are designed to protect the minor rather than attack prostitution in general, adult prostitutes of legal age may also benefit from IJM’s actions if they are seeking relief and another way of life.

Prostitution isn’t necessarily illegal in Cambodia, as long as the woman is over 18. It is however illegal for a business or individual to be involved in the buying and selling of sexual services of someone else. This sometimes makes the prosecution strategies more difficult and complex, thus experience is paramount.

Pray that this new IJM location will be blessed by God and that they will be able to hire the Christian Staff that they need to make this new office effective at transforming the rule of law in Cambodia – protecting children in ways that the church may find difficult to address.

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Who is willing to pay?

Great problems are solved only at a great cost. Evil doesn’t go away quietly. Broken systems do not change without struggle. When Jesus stepped into our broken world to defeat sin and death, it cost his life. Not just his time, energy, and effort. His life. Redemption costs something. Someone has to be spent. I mean, name the issue, point to the place: trafficking in Cambodia and Thailand, the devastation in Haiti, genocide in Rwanda, hatred and killing in Sudan, ethnic cleansing in the Balkans, starvation in Somalia or China, gang violence and drug abuse in downtown Atlanta – these problems don’t just go away.

Someone has to be spent.














As I’m looking out the window at the trash dump that is Poi Pet, I’m overwhelmed. Halfhearted measures and temporary concern won’t change a thing in this place. I’m reminded of when Paul wrote in Colossians 1:24:

“Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body which is the church.”

There’s more work to be done, Paul is saying. More to be sacrificed. More to be suffered. He’s not saying that Jesus’ sacrifice was incomplete. No, Jesus died once, for all, for all time. But cultures are still broken. Peoples are still living in darkness. Things like sex slavery still exist. And if we want to take what Jesus has done and make it a reality in a place like Poi Pet, we’ll have to suffer too. We’ll have to sacrifice too. We’ll have to be spent as well. Because redemption costs something, and we’re going to have to fill up in our flesh what’s lacking, what is still yet to be paid.

People are going to have to give. Some people are going to have to go. Some people are going to have to go and stay a while. Some are going to have to choke on this dust and smell these sewers for a while. Someone is going to have to go to these muddy villages and teach for a while. Someone is going to have to love on these girls who’ve escaped the brothels for a while. Somone is going to have to give micro loans and cows and seeds to parents so they won’t sell their children for income. It’s going to take time. It’s not going to be easy or fast. And someone, maybe lot’s of someones are going to have to fund it all.





















Bottom line is that it’s going to cost us if we want to do something about sex trafficking in Poi Pet. Or hey Buckhead church folks, it’s going to cost us if we want to see salvation & redemption come to Buckhead. And I pray that I, that we would be a people who are willing to pay that price. I hope we will not shrink back. I mean seriously, imagine what we could do in our days. Imagine what God could do through us in Buckhead and in place around the globe like Poi Pet in these days! Imagine what we could look back on 10, 15, 50 years from now and say, “can you believe that God used us to do THAT?!” It’s possible. Seriously! God desires to do immeasurably more than all that we ask or imagine according to his power that is at work within us.

We just have to be willing to pay the price. Our God is a God who gets right down in the middle of the mess, the brokenness, the dirty, the ugly, and the sin of this world, and it will cost something to join him.

Purses for Promises

Promises for a better life, promises for a future, promises that never again will she have to endure the life she has come from.

This week while we have been here in the wonderful country of Cambodia we have visited many places and met many people. Our purpose here is to observe, learn and try to process all that we have seen in order to make a plan for future teams to come back.

One of the organizations we visited works to rehabilitate women who have been trafficked. We heard an amazing story about one woman that I want to share with you.

A woman was sold into trafficking by her family because they were lead to believe that she was going to go into a better city and work for a family as a house keeper or cook. Her family was tricked and she was sold into prostitution.

Once her family found out what really happened they began to look for her. After many years of being trafficked, she was arrested for having a fake passport. Once she was taken into custody, she began a long journey of trying to prove her real identity. Because she had been trafficked across many different city borders no one knew where she had really come from and she had no proof. She was put in jail.

During her time in jail her family and several organizations were looking for her. She was finally found and then began the long process of her family trying to prove her identity {there is no such thing as a social security card or birth certificate here for the poor, her family had to go to their village and have the elders in the village say they knew her and she lived there, they guaranteed their word with their thumb prints}. While she waited in jail for her family to gather the resources necessary to prove who she is she learned how to make purses.

When she was finally released from jail she joined the above organization for a time of restoration and healing. While she lived in the home she was able to teach her trade to other women. Those women made these purses!








































They are made from really hard strips of plastic. They are extremely well made and will probably last your entire life time and maybe even your child's, they are so sturdy!

I bought the ones above and would like to offer them to you. I would like to sell them to you and then send the money back to the women.

Each woman in the shelter is given a salary comparable to the wage she would make in a brothel or karaoke bar {also like a brothel}. She is paid because she produces wonderful goods like the purses above. I also bought aprons, cards and wallets. They are all handmade by these amazing women.

Will you join me in helping these women? Will you buy one of these purses and help these women achieve a better life?

If you are interested in one of the purses just comment here or email me at mckennah1972@gmail.com. I am open to any price but of course will sell it to the person with the highest "bid".

How amazing is it to be a part of changing a woman's life?

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Anthem

I woke up this morning with an anthem in my head:

“my God’s not dead
He’s surely alive
and He’s living on the inside
roaring like a lion.”

What a way to start off the morning!

Yesterday was such a mind-blowing day. It was one of those days were you have to stop and ask, “God, did you really just allow me the honor of being in this moment here with these people?”

What an amazing organization CHO is. The depth of their love for this country sets the bar so high for us all. From the dignity they try to bring to those dying from AIDS to the hope they try to bring to trafficked children, I am honored to call the people at CHO friends. They are an inspiration.

I wish I could put into words what we have experienced these past few days. Sadly I can’t. Maybe the words will find themselves to me soon enough. I hope so. I don’t want to hold the thoughts captive in my head just for me to sort through.

But for now, I am praying for an awakening over this country…over this city…over these beautiful people. Praying their hearts will swell with the knowledge and hope in another song that’s been ringing in my heart… “for You and You alone awake my soul.”

love.
Kelli

“Let hope rise. Darkness tremble.
In Your holy light
And every eye will see Jesus our God
Great and mighty to be praised.”

The Children

The children here are so beautiful. We have had so much fun visiting with them. They are everywhere. Yesterday when we visited one of the villages to see one of the sewing co~ops the children surrounded us like a little swarm. When we first arrived there were a few children and those few followed us to the back of the road to the sewing room. We talked a bit to the women sewing and when we turned around there were about 15 children! It was precious!

Here are a few pictures of some of the children we have seen while we have been in Poipet.














This boy was at the village where we were able to see “School on the Mat” in session. He was playing while some of the other children were in school.












Here he is again.












This tiny, tiny little girl was so shy. She would not look at me or smile. I just got lucky with this picture.

Are you noticing all of the trash that surrounds these children?














I think this is the sister of the little girl above. She was so sweet. She did smile at me!












Some of the children from “School on a Mat” singing a song with hand motions.












These are the same children from above doing one of their lessons.












The children are putting out the mat for school at a different village.












This is our friend Kip, an Australian man, here with the organization “Be a Hero”. He was playing Mouy, Mouy, Bee {Duck, Duck Goose} with the children!












The little boy was trying so hard to catch Kip!


















These children live on the grounds at the hospital, we believe their parents work there.












Precious little man! So funny! It took him a while to warm up to us but once he did he followed us around and would push us and then laugh.












So pretty!












This boy is 7 years old, he has HIV, and his parents are dead.
























School children.


















Little poser!














Street girl playing with her toy zebra.


















This precious girl lived in a village where there is a sewing school.

Isn’t she beautiful?


















This little boy just tore my heart out! He is covered in little round sores all over his body. I am not sure what he has, someone suggested infantigo.


















Look at that beautiful face, precious.

CHO projects

I am not sure how many of you have had a chance to visit the CHO website but yesterday we had an opportunity to visit some of the projects that CHO sponsors. CHO’s philosophy is a holistic one in that they desire to rebuild and restore Cambodia as a whole, and not just in this area or that area.

The process looks a bit like this:

A child is rescued in a myriad of ways {authorities bring them in, they are sent to CHO from people who know about the organization, referrals from hospitals, etc.} CHO will provide medical care, schooling {depending on the age of the child/person}, skill training {sewing, Moto-repair, agriculture and animal raising}, after the person graduates from skill training they will be given a micro loan to start their own business {they pay back the loan in 10 months} and CHO will follow up with them periodically throughout the year to make sure they are doing ok and if they need anything. Chomno’s vision {he is the Founder/Director of CHO} is to see the person through complete healing and restoration. His belief is that in order to break the cycle of poverty here that leads to trafficking in the first place is to give the person a future, an opportunity to provide for their current family or their future family that will lead to stability and a way for that family to rise out of their current poverty status.













Sewing School













Moto Repair School ~ young boys working on talking apart motors and putting them back together













School on a Mat













A school that CHO built!

CHO also supports staff that work at the local AIDS/TB clinic. The government provides the Doctors but does not provide a nursing staff to care for the patients or any kind of administrative staff. The government also does not provide food for the patients so whenever they take their medicine they used to get sick. CHO came in and now provides staff and food for the patients.













Hospital that CHO supports

We were able to visit all of these places and see what CHO does first hand. It is amazing the work they are doing here. The undertaking is so big and so overwhelming that Chomno can only do this by relying on the Lord. As I look around here I am so overwhelmed with the poverty, the need here is so big that I wouldn’t know where to start. But Chomno is a visionary. He sees Poipet 20-25 years down the road. He sees a Poipet that is healed and restored completely. He sees all of his children as working graduates with families of their own. He sees his elementary school as a University; he sees the streets of Poipet free of trash. He sees trafficking eradicated, and a fully staffed and funded hospital. He is amazing.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Sunday 03/21

It is hot in Cambodia – my guess is about 37 Celsius that’s a little over 98 degrees Fahrenheit. We had a brief shower this afternoon that settled down the dust – but also moved the humidity up a notch or two. We are staying at the Ly Heng Chhay Hotel. Rooms are decent – but problem is we are on the 5th floor with no working elevator. Other problem is that there is no on site restaurant and no Internet – however they have had internet in the past – and the elevator has worked recently – so maybe we are just in a lull. We haven’t found any other better options -- unless you go to the casino zone – and then the price jacks way way way up
Cambodia has established a Casino Zone – designed for Thai’s and foreigners – in fact Cambodian people are not allowed to enter unless they are with foreigners or picking up foreigners. – We have had a couple of good meals in the Casino Zone (full dinner for under $5) and it is the only place that we have been able to find wireless at one hotel. Unless the Ly Heng Chhay gets their internet working – future teams will need to limit their internet expectations and use. Although we hate to be disconnected from families – sometimes we just need to focus on the area where we are seeking to serve. I have found a strong AT&T signal (or their Cambodia partner) and have used text messaging to touch base. I think this is only about 50 cents per text. We have purchased a cell phone and simm card for intra-country calls which has worked well. We will be passing the phone along to future teams.
After church today – where Jamey spoke on our key team verse – from 1 John2:5-6 “By this we know that we are in Him, the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as Jesus walked.” Jamey did a great job and related well with good stories and application.
Tonight we had dinner with Mr Chomno In – the Founder and Director of CHO. It is clear God called him to this ministry as he seems to keep going by faith. As is often the case in these settings where there are limited numbers of believers in dominate cultures – Chomno made his decision for Christ as a result of a dream. He had been studying to become a Monk and at the same time – attending English classes at a Christian Church. Chomno was obviously dealing with spiritual issues while at the same time – following the normal male path of studying to be a monk. God timed it to where one day – Chomno needed to decide to either be Baptized as a reflection of his faith – or shave his head in the pursuit of becoming a monk. That night he had a dream which clearly showed him the choice and sacrifice that he would make.
Chomno grew up in the midst of the Khmer Rouge Power in Cambodia. While He is a good example of how a persons history and life experience do not have to dictate a life direction – he has overcome many obstacles with a strong and engaging faith. The Khmer Rouge carried out a planned attack on the people and culture of Cambodia with radical programs, seeking to isolate the country from foreign influence. They broke the people and drove them back to another era. The Banking System was abolished, all religion outlawed, and schools closed along with hospitals, businesses and factories. They sought to drive the country back to a totally agrarian Communist Commune economy and assassinated most elite, educated, business leaders and foreign connected. Money was abolished, books burned and families split up and sent to commune farms and camps. Chomno found himself split from his family and in a holding camp surrounded by machine gun posts and land mines – miraculously one night walking out through and armored and land mined field. For years, Cambodia dealt with issues of un-exploded ordinances and land mines – still a problem in many areas.
The combination of these factors broke Chomno’s heart to bring rescue to the poor and the afflicted and the oppressed in his land – by bringing them the Hands of Christ and the Good News of a Savior.
While CHO is involved in issues of Human Trafficking of children, they also are engaged in remaining issues of “child soldiers” conscripted by the Khmer Rouge, poverty, education, micro-enterprise, agricultural production, clean water. HIV/AIDS and street children. Their approach is certainly very wholistic, and their efforts are well accepted by the government around Poipet, they do rund the risk of spreading themselves too thin over multiple issues without fully equipped management staff to handle such diversity.

More later

Tim Neet

Sunday, March 21, 2010

So far so good

Hi friends and family,

So far so good. It is really really hot here but wonderful. The people are amazing, sweet, gentle, helpful, and beautiful. The Cambodian people are a very beautiful people, especially the children.


















This morning we went to church with CHO {Cambodian Hope Organization}, it is humbling to worship God in another country with another people. One of the members of our team, Jamey Dickens, spoke this morning - the tradition here seems to be to have guests teach at service. Jamey's message was very encouraging to me, and we hope that it was encouraging to the people here. He talked about "Walking Like Jesus Walked". When we look around and wonder where God is when we see the poor, the oppressed, the hungry, and the needy we need to look in the mirror. God is in us, we are the ones to help the poor, the oppressed, the hungry and the needy. We are the hands and feet of God. So look around you, and ask yourself: What can I do?

I was encouraged and challenged. Because sometimes the need is so great that I tend to get overwhelmed and don't do anything. So I just need to start with what I know. What would it look like to walk as Jesus walked in that moment?

So we are here to learn, how can we as a church come along side of these people, how can we help them? What CHO is doing is amazing, but the need here is SO great. As I walk the streets I am overwhelmed with the filth. There does not seem to be a central waste management system. Trash is everywhere.












It is hot, and most of the homes that we have seen are exposed to the elements. Some people appear to not even have homes. Some of the men who are Tuk Tuk drivers seem to sleep in their vehicles.












The clothing some of the people are wearing are filthy and torn. I saw a man this morning working and his shirt had a big hole in the back and his pants were very torn. There does not seem to be a lot of knowledge about hygiene and medical care. We are dealing with a culture where some people believe that if you have AIDS you can be cured by having sex with a virgin. So in order to guarantee that you are "getting" a virgin the men have sex with younger and younger girls. Some as young as five - see the picture at the top of this email for a reference of a young innocent Cambodian girl. So not only are they ignorant in that but what about the little girl? What about the value of her life? Even if we were not dealing with the fact that having sex with a child is inconceivable what about the person these men are using to "cure" themselves. What about the fact that now you are passing your disease onto someone else. Is their life not valuable? Why is this mans life more valuable than hers? What makes this country think this way? Why is it ok to sell your child because you are hungry? As a mother myself, I would sell myself and give the food to Maggie. As a mother, I think that this is the way it should be. Why is this not the thought here? Why are there 14,000 to 24,000 street children here in Cambodia? Where are the parents of these children? We are not talking teenagers who have run away from home. We are talking about young children who live on the streets. How did they end up here? Where are the mothers of these children? How can a mom live with herself knowing that her child is living on the streets in danger every minute of every day? I just don't understand this. I would die for my child.












So as we are here learning and observing and experiencing the world that these people live in, pray for us. There is a big need here, an overwhelming need that seems impossible to meet. But in the midst of this, we know that we serve a big God and nothing is impossible with him. We are his hands and his feet and we must press on and continue to walk as he would walk.

Random thoughts

I wish you all could hear the music in the background as I type this blog. It reminds me that I’m not anywhere near home. Earlier, I heard chanting that reminded me of the call to prayer streaming from the mosque beside a guesthouse I stayed at in Nairobi. Not something I normally hear on my day to day back home…probably not yours either, I would assume.

The sights and smells here are like nothing I’ve ever seen…yet similar all at the same time. The heaviness of the poverty around us is enough to suffocate you. If you allow yourself to go unchecked, you start to feel hopeless. What can little ole me do for these people? What can our church do for them? What can The Church do for them? Well, when you put it that way…

Imagine what would happen if every person on earth who was madly in love with Christ took a stance…did something to fight against even just one injustice they have seen/will see in their lifetime? Just that alone would change the world….don’t you think?

Imagining The Church as freedom fighters and believing with all my heart that my God is the God of restoration and Justice lifts the hopelessness.

__

There’s something about worshiping God under the same roof with people from a different culture that makes my heart so happy. I love the feeling in the room whenever I hear God being worshipped in a different language. Those moments are very holy. I love bowing my head in prayer as another language pours over me. Our God hears those prayers just the same as ours. I love that!

We went to church this morning with our new friends at CHO. Their church (as far as I could tell) consisted of a room on the second floor of their office. I’m horrible with numbers, but I’d say about 40 to 50 people were there. A great turn out for a country with hardly any Christians.

Last night, Mao asked if one of us would like to give the message for the service. We volunteered Jamey for the job. Good decision on our part…his message this morning was powerful and full of truth. It takes a lot of courage to get up in front of a group of people no matter what the situation…let alone getting in front of about 40 people who don’t even speak your language.

At church we met a couple from Scotland, three 18 year olds from England and a father and daughter from Australia. It encouraged me to know that CHO has friends from all around…that Cambodia is not forgotten.

__

Night has been the hardest time for me here. I keep getting distracted. The girls in the brothels are on my heart and mind. Night time is when they are “working.” So while we are eating, talking and discussing, there are girls right down the street who are being abused and violated. There are children who should be safe at home who are being raped. They are being tortured, raped multiple times a day, beaten…And the world knows about it…

So what will we do?

Please continue to pray for us. Please ask God to show us where He’d have us go and what He’d have us do.

Please pray for our hearts...that no matter how broken they may be by the amount of injustice we see, that God’s Justice will continue to ring strongly in our hearts and especially among these beautiful people.

Love you all.
kelli

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Cambodian Hope Organization

Tonight we had a chance to visit with CHO ~ the main organization we are considering partnering with ~ and learn a little bit about what they are about and why they do what they do. Did you know that Cambodia is only about 1% Christian? Please pray for this small team of people who are trying to rebuild Cambodia after the devastating Khmer Rouge.

They are doing amazing things here from a Safe House for Children who have been trafficked or are orphaned to School on a Mat. They want every child to have a chance at an education, even those whose families cannot afford the $20 per year that it takes to send a child to school.

Spend some time on their website and be praying for them. They are doing great things here, but there is a very very long way to go.

Friday, March 19, 2010

Good morning Cambodia!

Slept for 7 hour last night. That's awesome because it means I'm close to adjusting to the time change. It's a whopping 12 hours!

So I woke up this morning and saw Cambodia for the first time in the light. It is beautiful! It's also exotic. It doesn't look like anything in America. I really can't wait for the bus ride up to Poi Pet. I want to see more of this country.

Ate chicken fried rice for breakfast. Nothing says breakfast like fried rice :). We had a great time meditating and discussing Jesus quoting of Isaiah 61 in the temple at Nazareth (Luke 4:16). What does it mean to preach good news to the poor, and release to captives, and comfort the oppressed. This is the Gospel and it is meant to be applied spiritually AND physically. In Jesus' kingdom there will be no oppression, slavery, poverty of any kind. Our goal today is to be as best we can the presence of Jesus. What a daunting task. I truly feel poor in spirit.

The fired rice was awesome, by the way. So far the most interesting thing, however, has been the people. They are so warm and friendly. And they all ride motorcycles. Literally, it's like swarms of motorcycles. No helmets not pads, just a man with his motorcycle and his girl riding side saddle. But I've really enjoyed watching the people so far and trying to figure out how they relate to one another. On the way from the airport, we saw groups of young men randomly camped out in circles on the side of the road. Our tuk tuk driver (a rickshaw attached to a motorcycle...not a creature from Star Wars) told us that's what they do to hang out. They just go sit somewhere and will even sleep there on the side of the road. That's crazy! But it makes sense to them.

We're leaving for Poi Pet in just a bit but not before I get a massage! Yep, that's right. A massage. I've been told the most important thing is to make sure you tell the masseuse, "No happy ending please." I'm glad someone told me that before. That would have been a little awkward.

In the meantime, I'm also going down to the market to buy some sandals and maybe a shirt. There's a "look" here in Cambodia. All the men where a tan or white shirt, jeans, and sandals. Right now I don't have that "look". I'm going to try go recreate it without getting abducted or robbed. Here goes.

JD

We made it!

Here we are in Atlanta before we got on our plane for Seoul, Korea!























We are now in Siem Reap!

The flight was long but totally bearable. We were all able to catch up on our movie watching! We each had our own personal tv at our seats. I guess that is what they give you when you will be on the plane for 14+ hours. We are now at a hotel where we will stay overnight before heading to Poipet tomorrow am. Poipet is where we will spend the majority of our week. Cambodia Hope Organization is located in Poipet. We are looking forward to meeting and serving along side of this team!

So far we all really like it here. We deplaned on the runway and walked into the airport. Very cool!























We rode to the hotel on Tuktuks. Jamey and I rode together and Kelli and Tim rode in another. We rode the smaller kind with a motorcycle in front and a cart/wagon type vehicle on the back that was pulled by the motorcycle. Motorcycles and bicycles seem to be the way most people get around here. We saw a few cars, and buses but not as many compared to the other.























*Here is our view inside of our Tuktuk.

The weather here at night is simialar to Florida at night, we will see what the day time brings! It promises to be really hot here :) most days will be 90.

The ride to the hotel was amazing. It is so refreshing to be able to ride along in the fresh air. We are so closed up in our air conditioned cars back home, I found the fresh air freeing.

But yet sort of ironic as well. In a country that seems to be relaxed and free about things like their vehicles, no helment laws, booths with items for purchase set up along the rode at random intervals {I compare it to our "conveinence stores'} that seem to be placed there at the persons will and not an "official store" {of course I dont actually know this I am just guessing that people are free here to set these little stands up as they please}, I saw a man in a hammock on one corner where his hammock was tied between a fence post and a light post, he had a friend with him who was just hanging out sitting in a chair, we passed a minor accident involving a motorcycle and car. The motorcycle was under neath the front of the car and the motorcycle driver was off to the side of the rode on his knees, appearing to catch his breath, no shoes and no helment and the driver of the car was standing at the door of his car talking to some of the bystanders. This just was not a sceen that I could imagine back home.

As I think about these few things that I have seen in my few hours here that seem so free and like the people have a choice to do things I think about the women and children who are here, right down the street from us, who have no choice, who cannot ride on a Tuktuk and enjoy the freedom of the wind in their hair, or set up a small store on the side of the rode, or to sit in a hammock and talk to a friend.

Anyway those are my thoughts for the night. I am not sure if they even made sense. :)

If you want to know what time it is here and there you can look here or at the picture below. Good night!


Wednesday, March 17, 2010

We are in Countdown mode

This morning I made it to LifeTime Fitness Center for my last solid workout before sitting on a plane for 24 hours. My routine is to do my stretches and weights and then get on the stepper for 30 minutes. (well almost) ( I know some of you are thinking – it doesn’t really show.) Anyway – I plug in my IPOD, put it on music shuffle and start reading a book.

Wouldn’t you know it, the song that comes up is Steve Camp’s “Do You Feel Their Pain” (I’ve included the lyrics at the end of this post.) The Chorus called out:

Do you feel their pain, has it touched your life
Can you taste the salt in the tears they cry
Will you love them more than the hate that's been
Will you love them back to life again?


As I consider the journey to Cambodia that we begin tomorrow this song describes why this trip may be harder than others. We are going to a land of beautiful people with wonderful smiles and a graciousness that we may not often see in the States. I think we will see a small but powerful church that both speaks and lives out a gospel of love, compassion and justice. But I think we will also see a dark side – maybe not dissimilar to what we might see in the bad parts of Atlanta – but significantly different in breadth and depth and scope of poverty and also perpetuated evil.

We will be with organizations and individuals who serve those who have been sold or trapped – trafficked into a brazen sex industry. We will see girls who have been broken, stripped of their youth, used by men and women as their personal property rather than vessels containing the image of God. We can imagine the tears they have cried over countless days and nights of unspeakable events. We will witness their brokenness and the impact of horrific encounters. We may view some, or even their children, who now walk with the knowledge that they, through all of this, have been infected with HIV – a disease that is guaranteed to take them to a premature and unfriendly death.

We need to “taste the salt in the tears cry,” and love them more than the “hate” and disrespect they have experienced. We and you can pray that the Holy Spirit will bring healing for their long term brokenness. We can pray that God will provide them with Hope for tomorrow – with maybe even a poor memory of yesterday.

We can thank God – that he has provided ministries that bring rescue to these girls. We can thank God – that he has prepared and equipped his church and his adopted sons and daughters to bring good news, and healing, jobs and places to live. We can thank God – that he has provided those who will speak up for the rights of the oppressed and even carry their battles into the courts and systems of law within Cambodia. We will be honored to meet and to walk among these great people.

Please go with us. Pray for health and that we will have ears to hear, eyes to see, and hearts to beat – as God’s would. Pray that we will complete our mission to assess where and how North Point Churches can engage and come alongside these warriors who are being used by God – doing the good works that He has planned from the begging of time Eph 2:10.
You can read more about our trip and other perspectives from our team blog located at http://cambodiaglobalx.blogspot.com/
Thanks for your Prayers
Tim Neet



Lyrics to “Do You Feel Their Pain”

Have we failed again, talking about the love of God
But judging those who need it most
All these afflicted ones, I feel their lives just fade away
Left to face the end alone
So we say a prayer for their needs
Afraid to touch, to hurt, to bleed

Chorus:
Do you feel their pain, has it touched your life
Can you taste the salt in the tears they cry
Will you love them more than the hate that's been
Will you love them back to life again?

We should feel ashamed, allowing fear to close our minds
These are lives we can't ignore
Oh, don't turn away, will you see Jesus in each of them
These are souls He suffered for
There is hope for them, open up your heart
There is grace for them, do you think we've gone too far?

CHORUS

Oh empty eyes, and lonely souls
Starving for love and crying for hope
And Jesus said, "Bring them unto Me
I will make them whole, I can set them free"

Will you care for them, or let them go alone
Will you lend a hand, or will you cast the stone

Chorus:
Do you feel their pain, has it touched your life
Can you taste the salt in the tears they cry
Will you love them more than the hate that's been
Will you love them back to life again?

prayer requests and schedule

So here we go. We leave in 12 hours. We need to be at the airport in the morning by 9am. I wanted to ask for a few prayer requests for us as we are preparing to go.

For me (Erin): my kitty died yesterday. While I know it is ok and that she was really really sick, it is still really hard and I miss her so much already. Just pray for me to be able to grieve her little life but to also not let it get in the way of my purpose for this trip. For my little bug (my daughter), she will be with grandma and great grandma. I know she will have a blast but she is a mommas girl, and I hope she doesnt miss me too much! I already know I will miss her!!

For Kelli: that she will stand firm against the enemies attacks. Her mind has been playing tricks on her.

For Jamey: he has been a bit under the weather.

For Tim: Pray for my shoulder – rotator cuff – as I am having trouble lifting my arm – and I don’t want to have to ask Erin to carry my bags.

For the team:
  • Pray for us for our LONG LONG flight. it is 19 hours and then another 5! We will also loose 12 hours :) Basically Friday wont exist for us at all except for 2 hours or so.
  • To see the beauty in the Cambodian people
  • To know how to respond to begging children – who are mostly managed by handlers
  • To understand clearly with whom and how North Point should partner.
  • For a team with humble hearts and servant spirits

Here is our daily schedule so you can be praying for us!

team daily schedule
3/18 Depart Atlanta Korean Air 12:55 PM via Seoul, South Korea
3/19 Arrive Siem Reap, South Korea
3/20 PM meetings with Cambodian Hope Org (CHO)
3/21 Church with leaders of Cambodian Hope
3/22 Participate in CHO ministries
3/23 Participate in CHO ministries
3/24 Participate in CHO ministries
3/25 Siem Reap PM meeting with White Dove Ministry
3/26 Meet with International Justice Mission
3/27 Explore Siem Reap – tour Temple Historical Areas – identify future team opportunities
3/28 Debrief – develop recommendations for North Point globalX Evening depart for Atlanta via Seoul, South Korea
3/29 Arrive in Atlanta 11 AM

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Letting Go

So as we are getting down to the final days of preparation for our trip I have found myself having to let go, more and more, of things that I have always had control over.

All my life I have been a do it myself, control all things, if no one will do it for me I will do it myself kind of girl.

For my job I have always always been the one to control situations that have to do with the volunteers I work with. Once a year, we have one big Sunday where we celebrate existing volunteers and ask for new people to partner with us to "Lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ". Every year for the past 5 years I have managed {controlled} the process by which these new people are contacted. I have been responsible for their first impression of what we {I} do.

This year Strategic Service happens on Sunday, March 21st. Not only will I not be here for that Sunday, to help manage {control} the process itself, but I will also not be here the following week when we reach out to and call all of the new volunteers.

I am leaving a list of Q&A for the people that will be calling volunteers and trusting that all will go well. I totally believe that each of the other people who are involved in this process are going to be totally fine, who will probably do a better job than I have ever done, but there is something in me that is still fearful that something will go wrong.

For my bug {my daughter} I have been the main caretaker for her for her 3 years of life. Sure she goes to my moms and sure I have left her alone over night with my mom. Sure I have even gone "out of town" and left her with my mom. But each of those times I have only been MAX about 1 1/2 hours away. Still in the same state.

On Thursday, March 18th, I am leaving my daughter with my mom and I am going half way across the world. I will be 1 1/2 days away from her! This is by far the hardest thing I have ever done. Of course, I keep having all of those "what if" conversations with myself. I know my mom will take care of her, I know she will have fun, I know I will be back soon and the reunion will be amazing! But I also know that my bug is my life and I am fearful that something will go wrong.












And then there is my cat. Yeah, yeah, she is a cat. What is that compared to my daughter and my job? But if you are a cat person, or even a pet person you understand. My cat, Maggie, has just been diagnosed with chronic renal failure. I have had her for 18 years. I got her when she was a tiny, tiny baby. She is such a sweet kitty.

All of her life she has only loved me. When I first got her, I had some friends over and was trying to find her so I could show her off to my friends and looked and looked all over my apartment and finally found her in the litter box! She was so scared and that was the best place she could find where she would be safe and away from everyone. She has been that way her entire life. I have been the only person she likes. She is still a hider and still a scared-y cat.

But she is beautiful and soft and fat and fluffy. She has 2 different colored eyes and fur as soft as a rabbit. She always smells like baby powder and is always, always spotless clean. She has a little tiny pink nose and always hides her sweet face in my arms when she is around other people. She curls up on me at night to sleep and loves to do back flips! If I am sitting down, I can pick her up and put her on her back and she will flip her legs over and do a perfect back flip! I wish I would have gotten it on video sometime :(

She is very consistent in her behavior. Always the same. So when I didnt see her around for a few days I was a little concerned. I looked around for her and found her in her usual spot under the bed. She seemed fine so I didnt worry then. But yesterday, yesterday was a different story. I went into the bathroom and she was there. She ALWAYS comes over to me when I am in the bathroom and rubs on my legs. ALWAYS! When she didnt, I called her over to me. She didnt come. So I went over to her and picked her up and hugged her. I set her back down on the floor and she fell over, stumbled a bit and then laid down again. I knew immediately something was wrong. I took her down stairs to the kitchen to show my husband and while she didnt fall again, she did stumble and then laid down under the table. We immediately took her to the emergency room. The doctors first initial observation was that she probably had kidney failure. I left her with them so they could hydrate her and monitor her and they would call me back with a diagnosis.

Well they did call. She does have CRF. The Dr described her levels like this: a "normal" cat has neoplasia (?) levels of 1030. His moms cat had renal failure with levels of 1018 and my cat has a level of 1015. While this doesn't mean much to me, the fact that his moms cat had 1018 and he ~ a veterinarian~ treated her, she lived only 6 more months. My cat has a lower level and I am going to be treating her.

This is where the trust factor comes into place. I am leaving the country. My cat will need treatments several times a week. This will need to start while I am gone. I am having to rely on a dear friend to care for her. I know Kelly will love Maggie the cat like her own, I am still fearful that something will go wrong.

So while I know that all of the above situations will be ok, I also know that in order to have peace and be able to concentrate on our mission, I am going to have to go and trust that God is ultimately in control and He will handle all of this for me.

Friday, March 12, 2010

interview with the trafficker

ever wonder how the perpetrators think? well here you go

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

What is Working?

So today, I, Erin, had the privileged of hearing a man named Dan Heath speak about his new book, Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard.

Instead of talking about finding what is not working and trying to change that, he talks about finding what is working and going with that idea and trying to emulate that to make the things that aren't working work. That's clear as mud right?

I know I don't do justice to explaining how it he did, but he did give us a story that I will share with you to hopefully help it make sense.

He told us about a man named Jerry Sternin, an American, who was given the responsibility of making a change in the malnutrition of Vietnam children in 6 months. So rather than find things that aren't working and trying to change that he instead interviewed moms to find children that are healthy and to find out why those children who live in the same country with the same resources seem to be surviving (and sometimes thiriving) when others are dying. You can read a more detailed and eloquent version of this story here.

But the point I took away from this was; in the world of human trafficking where can we find systems or cities when things are working, where children are not being stolen or sold? Where people value the life of another as equal to themselves. Where women and children are loved and cared for and respected and protected by the men in their lives and the men around them.

Where is it already working, where is human trafficking already NOT happening and why is that? What makes one mom willing to sell her child and another mom willing to anything, including die, for her child? What makes one man willing to have sex with a girl 5 years of age and what makes one man willing to protect that young girl to the point of killing for her?

I think there is something to be said for this model from Jerry. Find whats working and emulate that, share it with the commnity and maybe just maybe it would have the same results that Jeffy had, from one small community to now influencing tens of thousands of children in 20 countries!

Monday, March 8, 2010

Tim - Part of My Story

In 2008 I visited an organization in Bangkok Thailand which serves young women they can lure from the Sex/Bar Scene with an offer of a job making jewelry and unconditional love. Nightlight has become fairly well known now as a front line team battling against injustice and sexual abuse. While there, I had the opportunity to interview some girls who had been bartered into the business and to hear some of their story. These stories helped me to understand the culture and family life of many Southeast Asians. I converted the interview into a magazine article for NightLight - but God used the interview as another step to convert my heart to be more like his with a deep desire to see the church step up its efforts to rescue and restore these fragile young women. Following is the article;

------------------------------------------------------
Beads of Hope
Beads – brightly colored, multi-shaped, strung together by the hands of Asian women . Women who have been captive to the sex trade of Thailand – but are now set free to earn a living by a small upstart organization known as NightLight. Women who have been trashed – create beauty – by crafting jewelry that has been artistically designed.

The year 2007 has brought a high profile to issues of human trafficking, slavery and abuse of women. Amazing Grace, a movie about William Wilberforce and his persistent and untiring efforts to eradicate the slave trade from the British Empire drew nearly 5 million men, women and children to theaters around the world and created new levels of empathy for their fellow man. Books like Not For Sale and Good News About Injustice brought to light the abuse that many women and children suffer in the world at the hands of the strong, wealthy and powerful. Governments, churches and non-governmental agencies began working together as never before to find solutions to problems of slavery that today claim more than 1000 times the number of victims as it did in the 1800’s.

One tool included in the arsenal to free women from this bondage is surprisingly the bead. Beads, assembled by women who have been rescued from their imprisonment and provided employment through the art of jewelry making. Hands that have been defiled and abused are now free and creative. High quality bracelets, necklaces and earrings are now for sale through the internet and online catalogs. Revenues from the sale of these items now support the women and their children that were brave enough to tell their Mamasan, bar owners and pimps “NO MORE.” NightLight ministry provides light in the midst of pitch black darkness.

How this jewelry is designed, assembled and marketed would in itself be interesting reading. But the stories behind these women and the organizations that serve them are the ones that grip. If you are willing to put your heart at risk try to visualize yourself born into a peasant family living in Isan in Northeastern Thailand. This region is one of the poorest, primarily agricultural and subject to extremes of nature and drought. What if you were female, always a step below your brothers - - sometimes a huge step? What if your family existed in the midst of absolute poverty subsisting on minimal income and the food you could scratch out of the parched earth? What if your parents were beginning to age as a result of the rugged village life? It could have been that way.

Had this been your lot in life, who you are would have been significantly impacted by your culture. Your brother, or brothers, would receive great favor from your parents. He would represent the future for your family, you would not. Most likely, he would spend some time earning merit as a Monk, bringing honor to your parents, and insuring their life beyond, you would not. You, instead, would assume your rightful place to care for your aging parents. You would do this out of great gratitude, inborn in a culture which has significant reverence for parental structure and authority.

Half of the young girls in your village would abandon their village life to travel into the cities of Northern Thailand or even south to Bangkok. A “job broker” might visit your village and convince you and your parents that you will earn a good wage in the city and will be able to send home a sizable percentage of your income. You dream of the things you could buy, and believe that many of your friends are now living in luxury and pleasure. Your parents are paid seven thousand baht ($212 US)as a finder’s fee, but you are indentured to pay it back to the “broker” and send money home each payday. If you have children you leave them behind with your parents or a sister.

Soon, you find yourself doing jobs that the Southern Thailand girls are unwilling to perform, earning only enough for one bowl of noodle soup at the end of the day. You have nothing to send home. You are crushed in spirit, unable to speak the language, in a foreign land and foreign culture. Eventually, men come by with money – they are willing to purchase your body. Why not you ask? I will have money for food and maybe some to send home to mother and father. The cycle of sexual slavery begins – and continues until you have little self worth, not much money, and very possibly HIV/AIDS. You are only 15 years old.

Some girls are sold into the brothels by their parents, others tricked into employment that was not what they expected. Still, others voluntarily enter the trade having lost all hope and in desperation falling victim to evil men who will satisfy their own desires without a thought to how you are being broken. Yet the culture tells you, you must send money back home to support your parents. Oppression, injustice, abuse of power. Evil prowls like a lion, waiting to devour its prey – a young girl, or possibly a young boy. It is hard to break free. The darkness of life snuffs out hope like a candle extinguished by a gust of wind.

Yet, NightLight provides an alternative. Nightlight – provides light – in the middle of pitch black darkness. NightLight provides love, they provide hope in a Savior, they provide counseling, they provide spiritual nourishment, and they provide employment. Three years ago – NightLight was an idea that God had placed on the heart of Annie Dieselberg. Churches, including Perimeter Church in Duluth Georgia, began to support Annie’s vision and has helped to establish the NightLight ministry. Today 80 girls are employed in the jewelry business. 80 girls who no longer need to rely on selling their bodies, and too often their emotional soul, to men seeking to use them up.

NightLight produces beautiful and reasonably priced jewelry with many different shapes, colors and sizes of beads. It also produces beautiful and infinitely valued women – who are now able to earn a respectable living, make contributions to their society, and care for their families.
You can purchase this jewelry from NightLight and also support a very good cause by going online at
http://tradeasone.com/tradeasone/Do-justice-collection/NightLight-jewelry.html

What better way can you think of for the use of beads.


Tim Neet

Sunday, March 7, 2010

War!

We Are at War

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10)

Have you ever wondered why Jesus married those two statements? Did you even know he spoke them at the same time? I mean, he says them in one breath. And he has his reasons. By all means, God intends life for you. But right now that life is opposed. It doesn’t just roll in on a tray. There is a thief. He comes to steal and kill and destroy. Why won’t we face this? I know so few people who will face this. The offer is life, but you’re going to have to fight for it, because there’s an Enemy in your life with a different agenda.

There is something set against us.

We are at war.

I don’t like that fact any more than you do, but the sooner we come to terms with it, the better hope we have of making it through to the life we do want. This is not Eden. You probably figured that out. This is not Mayberry, this is not Seinfeld’s world, this is not Survivor. The world in which we live is a combat zone, a violent clash of kingdoms, a bitter struggle unto the death. I am sorry if I’m the one to break this news to you: you were born into a world at war, and you will live all your days in the midst of a great battle, involving all the forces of heaven and hell and played out here on earth.

Where did you think all this opposition was coming from?

(Waking the Dead , 12–13)

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Why We Are Going!

Cambodia's Thriving Child Prostitution Industry
October 28, 2008

Al Jazeera's investigation found underage girls working in brothel's around Phnom Penh.

Girls as young as 14 work in brothels' around Phnom Penh, the Cambodian capital, and while the industry is often shown as serving predatory foreign tourists, local men have been found to be the mainstay of clients.
Thousands of children are bought and sold for sex every day in Cambodia an investigation by Al Jazeera found.

Al Jazeera filmed secretly at several brothels, and in each case found much the same thing - rooms full of young women in their early twenties, as well as teenagers. "For my virginity they gave me $200," Ya Da, a 16-year-old former prostitute, said.

Ya Da worked in a brothel for two years before she ran away. Now, she lives in a safe house with other former prostitutes and abused children. "There were just a few foreign customers [at the brothel]," she said. "I never slept with any, I slept only with Cambodian men."

'Local customers'
Mu Sochua, a politician with the opposition Sam Rainsy Party and a former minister for women's affairs, told Al Jazeera that most of Cambodia's sex industry was supported "by local customers".

"And some of these local customers are high-ranking officials. You have the military, the police and civil servants. you have rich businessmen who have lots of money," she said. The involvement of high-ranking officials has been one reasons, NGOs say, that the sex industry has thrived in Cambodia.

"Very often these brothels and criminal networks are being supported and protected by high ranking officials," Mark Capaldi, from Ecpat International, an organization working to eliminate child prostitution, said. "The problem is not just the abusers but also the impunity and lack of law enforcement in closing down these brothels and karaoke bars."

Daniela Reale, an advisor from Save the Children, told Al Jazeera: "The reality is that we do know local demand is the force driving this abuse. "We also know it is around 70 per cent of local demand rather than sex tourism."

But General Bith Kim Hong, from the Cambodian national police force, rejected allegations that the officials focused their efforts to curb prostitution almost exclusively on foreigners. "The national police are concerned about anyone who commits a crime, who has sex with children, whether they are foreigners or Cambodian," he told Al Jazeera.

"We have a very high commitment to prevent child prostitution."

Few arrests
Last year, the Cambodian police arrested only 21 people for committing sex crimes with children - eight of those arrested were foreigners and 13 were Cambodians. The police also admit that the brothels they shut down in high-profile raids often reopen a few weeks later.

In 2002, Gary Glitter, the British pop star, was expelled from Cambodia amid child-sex allegations.

But while the arrest and conviction of foreigners make the headlines, most child sex trafficking supplies local demand, Mu Sochua said.

"It is easier to catch a foreigner and also the government wants to have showcases to make itself look good - that Cambodia is actually taking care of this problem of human trafficking, which is really not the truth," she told Al Jazeera.

Reale said that governments need to combat the worldwide problem: "They need to address their legal system and their law enforcement." To tackle the poverty that forces girls into prostitution, Reale said that governments must provide support systems to help families match their needs.

She said that the 3rd World Conference on Sexual Exploitation of Children in Rio de Janeiro next month will be as a big opportunity to make real and genuine commitments.


Adapted from: "Cambodia - Child Sex Trade Soars in Cambodia." Al Jazeera. 21 October 2008.

VIDEO Direct Link:
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia-pacific/2008/10/20081021560267677.html
Testing phone updates to the blog!

Isaiah 61

1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners, [a]

2 to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,

3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD
for the display of his splendor.

Isaiah 61: 1-3

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Fear and Trust

15 days out from leaving for Cambodia! I just got a pit in my stomach. I'm nervous, excited, apprehensive, joyful, expectant, intimidated, overwhelmed, really any adjective that exists could probably be applied to me right now.

When I have been talking to people about it lately the only thing I can keep thinking of to compare to how I am feeling is just imagine this: You really support AIDS research, and awareness. Most of your volunteer time is given to support the cause, give to the cause, you make others aware of the cause, you eat, sleep and live AIDS. But then the opportunity comes for you to hold the hand of someone while they are receiving the news they have it, sit with them while they receive treatment, watch them run out of energy because they just had treatment. Any myriad of opportunities to actually interact with AIDS in human flesh. Not just on paper doing research, not just doing a walk to raise money. But to actually love on and serve someone with the disease.

That is how I am feeling right now. Yes, I feel like the Lord has put this passion in my heart. And not just a little over a year ago when I saw the movie Taken. God put this in me when he rescued me from the darkness, when he gave me a crown of beauty instead of a crown of ashes, when he called me out of the darkness; he put a calling on my life, because he anointed me to preach the good news to the poor and he is now sending me to bind up the brokenhearted. I know that in my soul.

But I am afraid.

I am afraid to look into the eyes of the humble servants who are already loving on and doing their life's work to restore children of God who have been abused to an extent that we can only imagine in our nightmares.

I am afraid to walk the streets of Cambodia and see the little children who are being forced to beg me for money - money I am encouraged not to give them, because then all the children will come - that will be beaten if they do not bring home their expected bounty.

I am afraid to see a young woman on the street waiting for someone to take her to a place when she will degrade herself just to live another day.

I am afraid that I will judge every man I see to be the evil that we are fighting against.

I am afraid that I will come back so hard and bitter at this world that I will have a hard time readjusting and living a "normal" life.

But I trust.

I trust that the Lord has already looked into the eyes of those servants and has told them: help is coming.

I trust that God has walked the streets ahead of me and loves and is protecting those little children and will be with them no matter what happens.

I trust that the young woman who is trying to live just another day is a child of God and he knows her future.

I trust that these men, as evil as they may be, are also children of God and are in need of a Savior, and I can only be the light of the Lord for them.

I trust that when I come back, as hard as it will be, that God is with me. He has NOT given me a sprit of fear and he will give me the courage and strength that I will need.