In the Brokenness

I met Patty* nearly a year ago. She was one of the handful of children that frequented Kid’s Club, a play and teaching time at a local park for at-risk children.  She didn’t come every day and even when she did come, her grandmother often made her to leave early so that they could continue their rounds of begging for money in the park. She was an adorable six-year old with a hint of mischief in her eyes. She had two little brothers who would trail after her everywhere she went. This little girl quickly stole a piece of my heart and not a day of Kid’s Club would go by without me intentionally seeking her out.

At that time my spoken Khmer was very basic so our communication was limited.  Whenever she saw me at the park, she would race up to me and we would have the same conversation:

        Becki: Hello Patty! How are you?

        Patty: Hello bong (older sister) Becki!  I’m good. How are you? 

        Becki: Good! Happy to see you!  Becki loves Patty!

        Then I would say, “God loves Patty!”  

This conversation would give her so much delight that she would grab my hand and say,

            “Patty loves bong Becki!”

It was our little ritual.


Something so simple yet so powerful. I know that this little girl was daily in harm’s way, perhaps it was only a matter of time before she was abused or sold or both. I wanted so much to protect her and love her well. 

Three weeks ago a former colleague called me out of the blue and told me that Patty had been at Kid’s Club that afternoon and she insistently asked where Becki was. It had been nearly six months since I had last seen her because of a change in my job. The call reminded me of this precious child and I told my friend that I would visit soon.  I wanted to see her and have our ritual conversation and remind her that she was dearly loved!

But before I could get back to the park, some really terrible things happened to her. Much more than I can bare to think about...things that shouldn’t happen to a six-year-old full of so much life and wonder. When these events were discovered, she was quickly removed from her situation and taken to the safety of an aftercare shelter. 

And now I sit and cry in the brokenness that is all around me.  I wonder where God was and why He didn’t save this little one. I know that she is now in good hands - a place that will provide for all her needs and begin the hard work of restoring her.  While this is good, I am still broken-hearted for the darkness that is all around me.

"Lord, come quickly!"


--*name has been changed

February Newsletter

Follow this link to see our latest newsletter.

February Newsletter

Enjoy!

Christmas Party!

We want to share a few pictures with you from last month. The last Friday before Christmas break, the church and school at Rahab's House Svay Pak hosted a Christmas party for all the children who attend these ministries. The best estimate was that 350 children attended!  The party took the entire month to plan, but was worth every minute of shopping and preparation. 

The teachers presenting a song

Praying before eating birthday cake

Singing Christmas carols together

Presents for the students

One of the leaders giving a message

A group of students performing a dance

*For the protection of the students, their faces aren't shown*

December Update

Follow this link to see our end of the year update.

December Update

Blessings!

On the Road to Svay Pak

Here are a few pictures that we took on our commute out to Svay Pak--a drive that takes about 45 minutes to an hour and is around 20 kilometers/12 miles.

First we must drive across the city of Phnom Penh...

...passing local trash dumps...

...the Independence Monument...

and wedding tents that take up half the road.

As we leave the city, the poverty becomes more noticeable.

The marginalized Muslim communities live on the outskirts of the city.

Then we arrive in Svay Pak.

This building houses a medical clinic, a church auditorium,  nine classrooms,  two offices,  two supply closets, two households, a kitchen and a computer lab -- all in five floors!

The view of the community from the back of the school/church. 

Becki having a meeting with the teachers.

And just for fun--never underestimate what can be carried on the back of a moto!  

Happy Thanksgiving!

This year we are far away from the normal traditions and rhythms of Thanksgiving. The weather is a balmy 90 degrees, there are no paper turkeys and pilgrims decorating the aisles of our supermarket, and pumpkin pie does not abound. Despite being away from the normal American Thanksgiving, we find ourselves so thankful for the many things this year has held. We want to share with you a few things that we praise God for.

• We are thankful for the friends that we have made in Cambodia over the last eleven months.  Heather, Jen, Sopheak and Borey (and many others) have encouraged us and walked through this first year with us.
• We thank God for our language teachers. Moi Ding, Sopheap, Panha and Anin are endlessly patient and seek to help us speak the language well and understand the Cambodian culture.     
• We are thankful for fun package full of Christmas cards from Cornerstone Church in Arizona!
• We are thankful for our safe and peaceful home. It is a haven and a place of rest for us.
• We thank God for you and the many ways you have blessed and lifted us up. Your prayers have sustained us and we could not be here without you.
• We are thankful that God has been our refuge and rock as we have encountered both joys and struggles in this year.  He has been so faithful as we have followed Him into unknown territory.

“O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.”

  1 Chronicles 16:34

We hope and pray that you and your family have a blessed Thanksgiving!

Equipping and Expanding

November Update

Our latest news is of how God has been so faithful to plant us where He wants us. We have new positions with Agape International Missions! Agape International Missions (AIM) is a Christian organization that fights child sex trafficking and seeks to restore hope to victims.

Seven miles outside of Phnom Penh is a village called Svay Pak. Svay Pak is known as a place where men can go to have sex with very young children. AIM has been working in Svay Pak for several years now, planting churches, establishing a medical clinic, reaching out to pimps, traffickers, and parents, and rescuing children being sold for sex. A year ago, AIM opened a school in Svay Pak with the purpose of providing a quality education and giving students a safe place to learn, to grow, and to dream for a future. Many of the children are at high-risk of exploitation or are already being sold for sex out of their homes. The local Cambodian church partners with the school and is heavily involved in trying to transform this community with the power of the Gospel. We are excited to be a part of what God is doing in Svay Pak!

So, what will we be doing? The school is still very young and in need of continued development, and our collective background is in education. The three of us, in conjunction with the director (our good friend, Jen Morgan), will train the Cambodian teaching staff, build curriculum, and develop relationships with the community. We will work to equip, build up, and expand the school. Because of the poor education system in Cambodia, the teachers at the school have very little training in being teachers – they are learning on the job (and doing fantastic!). Currently, the school has three kindergarten classes and offers English classes for the community, with a total of about 300 students. One of our big goals is to expand the school by one grade level each year.

The needs of the community are great. The poverty is profound. Drugs, domestic violence and sexual exploitation are a part of daily life for many people. Just recently, a six-year old student at the school was rescued from being sold for sex by her parents. She is now safe in a residential after-care facility. The situation in Svay Pak is dark, but there is hope!

We will be transitioning into our new roles through the end of this year, and then will begin full-time at the school in January. Our positions with AIM are volunteer roles and we are still missionaries sent through International Outreach Ministries (IOM). Our financial support structures are not changing in any way. We covet your prayers to cover us in this new partnership!

Prayer Requests

• A smooth transition into work with AIM, especially as we are developing new relationships in the community.

• Spiritual alertness, protection, and wisdom as we work in an oppressed place. 

• Continued perseverance in our language study.