Dear friends,
It's been three weeks since we boarded planes and headed to Cambodia. During the first week, each day felt like it contained a month's worth of experiences. God remains the same in all the new things - both good and hard - we are experiencing. He is still good and He is present here.
Currently, we are in language study in the morning and training in the afternoon. Each day we have heard different speakers from ministries in the city. We listened to a passionate women who works with a highly marginalized group - transvestites. There was great hope in hearing from a women who works in an assessment center where girls rescued from brothels first go to receive care before being placed back with their families (if it is safe) or in a longer term after-care. We were able to visit an after-care facility that works with both Khmer and Vietnamese girls who have been rescued from the sex-trade. One day we visited a community just outside Phnom Penh that is notorious for the trafficking of very young children, both boys and girls. In this community, it is normal for mothers to sell their children to pedophiles out of their own homes in the evenings. We visited with a pastor in this community and saw a care center that developed in the very building that formally was a brothel with young children. There is also a joyful school bursting at the seams with children from high-risk families, finally able to get an education and loving care from adults. The realities of evil and hope living next door to each other is very intense.
In a few weeks we will be done with training and will begin working at a local park to reach out to a group of children in high-risk and abusive situations. In the afternoons in this park we will be playing games, telling Bible stories, and teaching English. Through all of this, we will be developing relationships with the kids and getting to know their individual needs and circumstances and we will see how we can be a part of the story God has for them. We pray we can be a part of them knowing the power of God's love, the redemption of Jesus, and freedom from abusive situations.
A few days ago we were able to move into our more permanent home and we are thankful for a place to settle into. There is always so much to tell! Please keep in touch with us on Facebook and our blog. We thrive off of your prayers.
Much love,
Kimberly, Becki, and Rachel
Friday, February 4, 2011
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Moving Day
On Tuesday we moved from our temporary housing to our permanent home. It's a two story house with 3 bedrooms, an office and a guest room for visitors! As we are still getting settled, we don't have real pictures to show off, but we do have some from moving day.
We thought you might enjoy a timeline of this slightly crazy day, so here it is:
8.15AM-We meet our tuktuk driver at our temporary apartment and pile in with a few random bags of stuff.
8.20AM-We stop by our director's house to pick up her housekeeper. With two small children our director couldn't help us with cleaning and moving, but she generously donated her housekeeper for a few hours to help us with cleaning.
8.30AM-We go upstairs to Becki's room and pray for a few minutes to help focus before the busyness of the day sets in.
9.00AM-Becki and one of our Khmer teammates set out to the market in a tuk tuk. Rachel and Kimberly start sorting the piles of stuff that had been bought for the moving day.
9.30AM-Becki and company arrive at the market and begin bargaining for curtain fabric and other household items.
10.00AM-The water delivery people finally show up with 5 giant bottles of water for our house after being lost in our neighborhood for 30 minutes. Rachel stood out in the road and eventually waved them down.
11.00AM-One of our teammates arrives to help us with the chaos!
11.15AM-Becki meets another one of our teammates at the tailor to start the process of making curtains.
12.00 noon-Kimberly and Rachel start unpacking the boxes that had been shipped from China. It was like Christmas again finding all of our treasures that we said goodbye to in June.
12.15PM-Becki shows up with her treasures and some take-out for lunch so we eat our first lunch in our new house in the living room! We rest and regroup for a little while.
1.15PM-Yet another one of our teammates shows up to help us. We tackle moving some misc. unwanted things (left from our landlord) to storage.
1.30PM-Several of our Hard Places Khmer staff show up to help with the real moving part of moving day. Kimberly, two of the guys, and our tuktuk driver go back to our temporary housing to get our stuff.
1.30PM-Becki and our teammate start painting some furniture outside.
2.15PM-The tuk tuk comes back with all of our luggage and looks like this:
Yes, this is all of our personal belongings that we brought with us to Cambodia three weeks ago. We each have two suitcases, a purse and a carry on and they all fit on one tuk tuk.
Plus pillows and other random bags and still both guys plus the driver were able to fit!
2.30PM-Kimberly is busy trying to figure out what pieces of furniture we want from the second hand shop that was in the ground floor of our temporary housing. Rachel and Becki are busy at the house taking the suitcases to the various rooms.
2.45PM-The second load comes back looking like this:
There was three people, three shelves, two mattresses, one desk and one driver all in one tuk tuk!
3.00PM-Everyone sits down and enjoys a nice cold soft drink after all the moving.
3.15PM-Rachel heads out to get a PO Box from the post office, arriving 30 minutes later. She finds the right window after going to four wrong windows and begins filling out the necessary paperwork. Meanwhile, Becki and Kimberly are busy cleaning the kitchen and finding a home for everything.
4.15PM-Rachel finally secures a key and pays $13 for a whole year. She just happens to bring a treat of cupcakes home from a local bakery.
5.00PM-Becki and Kimberly head out for an adventure procuring furniture while Rachel stays at home hoping beyond hope that the internet people actually show up (we started calling them around 10am - when they were first suppose to show up).
5.30PM-The internet people do show up--all five of them! They climb up our front gate to install some cords and then wait around for a while to see if a signal is available.
5.45PM-Becki and Kimberly find some furniture for various rooms.
6.30PM-The internet people come in and begin installing the router upstairs.
6.35PM-The delivery guys arrive with some furniture that Kimberly and Becki sent back to the house.
6.45PM-Becki and Kimberly stop by the market and pick up yummy fried rice and fruit.
7.15PM-We eat our first dinner at home and debrief our day.
8.15PM-More cleaning and unpacking ensues. The goal for the end of the night is to have the main rooms of the house clutter-free. The office and guest room piles continue to grow.
8.30PM-The internet people finally get everything in order and we are online three hours after the initial process started.
9.00PM-The goal for the day is met and there is much celebrating!
We hope to have the house in order this weekend so we can take pictures and post them soon.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
First Thoughts
Two weeks. It’s very hard for us to believe that we’ve only been in Phnom Penh for two weeks. Each day feels like a month all to itself. I am seven years removed from all of my China ‘firsts’ and I really do not remember what it was like for everything to be so completely new. It’s as if time has no choice but to slow down in order for me to be able to absorb all the new information - all the details, the sights, sounds, smells, and people.
Not everything has been new. Asia, in many ways, is still Asia. I have been able to assimilate all the Cambodia ‘new’ not just into my United States schema, but also into my China schema. Very little here fits into my US mold, but a lot of it is similar to China.
Yet, Cambodia is so different from China. I see that more and more as each day passes. To me, Cambodia makes China look like the most predictable and orderly country known to man! With only two weeks under my belt that’s not a very informed statement, but for now it’s what I can see and give words to.
The amount of learning in these past two weeks has been extraordinary. I have not only started daily language study but also training in anti-trafficking for sexual exploitation. Our team has heard from several people who are working specifically with exploited boys and girls. Their stories are inspiring and overwhelming. The problems are enormous. As someone said recently, “there will always be more problems in Cambodia.” You can tackle one issue and then ten other serious issues will surface. There is no way to isolate the problem of poverty without intersecting with problems due to lack of education. You can’t work on reaching only sex tourists and not grapple with the supply chain of girls coming from the countryside or neighboring countries. Where does one even begin?
One thing I have taken comfort in these past few days is the fact that I am not the beginning. Many others have come before me and tilled the ground. For many years, people have been fighting for the lives and hearts of exploited and marginalized people in Cambodia and all over the world. I am joining a large Body of workers. ‘Together’ is such a powerful word. ‘Alone’ is scary. And we are not alone! Praise God!
I am eager to learn more from those who have already given so much to the cause. I know my heart will be incredibly overwhelmed at times, but I have teammates here and people all over the world who remind me that we are never alone. There is hope. Change is possible.
Here are some links to some of the amazing organizations we have heard from so far. As things continue here, we will let you know more about what we are learning.
Much love,
Kimberly
Daughters of Cambodia
International Justice Mission
Chab Dai
First Steps
Not everything has been new. Asia, in many ways, is still Asia. I have been able to assimilate all the Cambodia ‘new’ not just into my United States schema, but also into my China schema. Very little here fits into my US mold, but a lot of it is similar to China.
Yet, Cambodia is so different from China. I see that more and more as each day passes. To me, Cambodia makes China look like the most predictable and orderly country known to man! With only two weeks under my belt that’s not a very informed statement, but for now it’s what I can see and give words to.
The amount of learning in these past two weeks has been extraordinary. I have not only started daily language study but also training in anti-trafficking for sexual exploitation. Our team has heard from several people who are working specifically with exploited boys and girls. Their stories are inspiring and overwhelming. The problems are enormous. As someone said recently, “there will always be more problems in Cambodia.” You can tackle one issue and then ten other serious issues will surface. There is no way to isolate the problem of poverty without intersecting with problems due to lack of education. You can’t work on reaching only sex tourists and not grapple with the supply chain of girls coming from the countryside or neighboring countries. Where does one even begin?
One thing I have taken comfort in these past few days is the fact that I am not the beginning. Many others have come before me and tilled the ground. For many years, people have been fighting for the lives and hearts of exploited and marginalized people in Cambodia and all over the world. I am joining a large Body of workers. ‘Together’ is such a powerful word. ‘Alone’ is scary. And we are not alone! Praise God!
I am eager to learn more from those who have already given so much to the cause. I know my heart will be incredibly overwhelmed at times, but I have teammates here and people all over the world who remind me that we are never alone. There is hope. Change is possible.
Here are some links to some of the amazing organizations we have heard from so far. As things continue here, we will let you know more about what we are learning.
Much love,
Kimberly
Daughters of Cambodia
International Justice Mission
Chab Dai
First Steps
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Exploring Phnom Penh
We spent the afternoon walking around the river front area yesterday. Here's a link to our Facebook photo album if you liked the pictures from our previous post. You don't need to have a Facebook account to view these pictures--just click here.
Enjoy!
Saturday, January 15, 2011
First Days
Dear friends,
We made it! After some long flights, we all arrived safely without any major snags. It's been less than three days and already we've gotten settled at our temporary guest house, acquired cell phones, met our teammates, had a stomach bug, explored the neighborhood and started language school. We'd give you a Khmer greeting, but we don't remember. We're going to blame that on jet lag.
On Monday we begin orientation and training with our team. This will jumpstart our education into Cambodian culture and the realities of the sexual exploitation that surrounds us. Soon after we will begin working with local children at a park that surrounds a Buddhist temple. More on that later! Also in the coming weeks we'll begin searching for an apartment to call home.
It's been quite a journey to get us to this place. Walking off the plane and realizing we were finally here - that this is our new home, our new country - was surreal. Thank you for all the support and prayers that have made this possible!
There will be many stories to tell in the days to come. We'll post pictures and more frequent updates on Facebook. Feel free to e-mail us any time; we'd love to hear from you.
Much love,
Kimberly, Becki, and Rachel
We made it! After some long flights, we all arrived safely without any major snags. It's been less than three days and already we've gotten settled at our temporary guest house, acquired cell phones, met our teammates, had a stomach bug, explored the neighborhood and started language school. We'd give you a Khmer greeting, but we don't remember. We're going to blame that on jet lag.
On Monday we begin orientation and training with our team. This will jumpstart our education into Cambodian culture and the realities of the sexual exploitation that surrounds us. Soon after we will begin working with local children at a park that surrounds a Buddhist temple. More on that later! Also in the coming weeks we'll begin searching for an apartment to call home.
It's been quite a journey to get us to this place. Walking off the plane and realizing we were finally here - that this is our new home, our new country - was surreal. Thank you for all the support and prayers that have made this possible!
There will be many stories to tell in the days to come. We'll post pictures and more frequent updates on Facebook. Feel free to e-mail us any time; we'd love to hear from you.
Much love,
Kimberly, Becki, and Rachel
Wonderful snacks left for us by our team.
Fried bananas and bread on the street--a very yummy snack!
A beautiful gate in our neighborhood.
A vendor selling coconuts.
I can't read Khmer, but I think this is a dentist!
Bamboo scaffolding at a construction site--notice how the wheels are up in the air.
There are NOT underground power wires in Cambodia.
We are getting around the city in tuktuks.
Fried bananas and bread on the street--a very yummy snack!
A beautiful gate in our neighborhood.
A vendor selling coconuts.
I can't read Khmer, but I think this is a dentist!
Bamboo scaffolding at a construction site--notice how the wheels are up in the air.
There are NOT underground power wires in Cambodia.Monday, December 27, 2010
Year-end Update
“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel (which means God with us).” Matthew 1:23
The truth that God is indeed Immanuel - God with us - has taken on new significance for us. 2010 was a year in which we each decided to leave our jobs in China, move to the US to raise support, and prepare to move to Cambodia to work in a new area of ministry: anti-trafficking for sexual exploitation. Changes, changes, changes! We had many questions along the way: what would we do and where would we serve and how in the world would God provide for us? Last January these and many other questions seemed so overwhelming. We had to trust that God was going to be Immanuel as we took a step of faith.
One of our big leaps of faith was traveling for 14 weeks across the US to raise support. We originally sketched this trip out on a big piece a paper taped to a bedroom wall in China, based on hundreds of e- mails that were sent to friends and family. We were told a few times how crazy we were for even attempting this. We didn’t argue this point.
Now, on the other side of all of the flurry - it is awesome to recount the stories of God’s faithfulness and provision. Never once did we lack a home to stay in during our travels. So many friends stepped in and took care of us. And each day we had our daily needs met, sometimes through a gift card and sometimes through home-cooked meals. And then there were all the ‘random’ connections that allowed us to meet some of the most amazing new friends and partners in ministry all across the country. Two of our now biggest supporting churches were not on our itinerary when we started. These connections came through friends who heard our story and captured our vision and then called their friends and family to tell them about us.
The most meaningful way we learned that God is indeed Immanuel comes in the fact that on January 11, 2011 we depart for Cambodia with so many friends cheering us on and praying for us.
Thank you God for being Immanuel!
Grace and Peace, Becki, Rachel and Kimberly
The truth that God is indeed Immanuel - God with us - has taken on new significance for us. 2010 was a year in which we each decided to leave our jobs in China, move to the US to raise support, and prepare to move to Cambodia to work in a new area of ministry: anti-trafficking for sexual exploitation. Changes, changes, changes! We had many questions along the way: what would we do and where would we serve and how in the world would God provide for us? Last January these and many other questions seemed so overwhelming. We had to trust that God was going to be Immanuel as we took a step of faith.
One of our big leaps of faith was traveling for 14 weeks across the US to raise support. We originally sketched this trip out on a big piece a paper taped to a bedroom wall in China, based on hundreds of e- mails that were sent to friends and family. We were told a few times how crazy we were for even attempting this. We didn’t argue this point.
Now, on the other side of all of the flurry - it is awesome to recount the stories of God’s faithfulness and provision. Never once did we lack a home to stay in during our travels. So many friends stepped in and took care of us. And each day we had our daily needs met, sometimes through a gift card and sometimes through home-cooked meals. And then there were all the ‘random’ connections that allowed us to meet some of the most amazing new friends and partners in ministry all across the country. Two of our now biggest supporting churches were not on our itinerary when we started. These connections came through friends who heard our story and captured our vision and then called their friends and family to tell them about us.
The most meaningful way we learned that God is indeed Immanuel comes in the fact that on January 11, 2011 we depart for Cambodia with so many friends cheering us on and praying for us.
Thank you God for being Immanuel!
Grace and Peace, Becki, Rachel and Kimberly
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Links
We've been posting some links on Facebook recently to various websites that have information about trafficking and other related issues and we thought we would repost them here for non-Facebook users.
Check out this blog post about a village outside Phnom Penh where Hard Places Community is working. Very hard and dark realities. Silent Images
A recent special about sex-trafficking in Cambodia by America's Most Wanted. America's Most Wanted
Kimberly stopped by The Body Shop in the mall to ask them more about their anti-trafficking efforts. She was impressed with what they are doing. The Body Shop
Check out this article about Hillary Clinton's recent visit to a Cambodian aftercare facility. Clinton
A friend of ours recently blogged about the book Sold. We highly recommend it as well! Sold
Check out this free documentary about trafficking in India and Nepal. The Day My God Died
Check out this blog post about a village outside Phnom Penh where Hard Places Community is working. Very hard and dark realities. Silent Images
A recent special about sex-trafficking in Cambodia by America's Most Wanted. America's Most Wanted
Kimberly stopped by The Body Shop in the mall to ask them more about their anti-trafficking efforts. She was impressed with what they are doing. The Body Shop
Check out this article about Hillary Clinton's recent visit to a Cambodian aftercare facility. Clinton
A friend of ours recently blogged about the book Sold. We highly recommend it as well! Sold
Check out this free documentary about trafficking in India and Nepal. The Day My God Died
Enjoy!
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