Why in the world would we take a bunch of Cambodian orphans to the mall??!!
Well, here is the story…
In Thailand one of our contacts is Remember New It is an organization run by a man named Karl who is originally from OHIO… O-H! (In case you don’t know I’m also from Ohio)
This month we were in Cambodia at an orphanage who has no funding. Sometimes they run out of food. They wear the same clothes every day. They only have shampoo and toothpaste for 2 weeks out of every month.
While at the grocery store some of our girls ran into Karl. IN CAMBODIA!! A contact we spent the month with in Thailand just happened to be in Cambodia, in the same city, at the same mall, in the same store, down the exact same isle as a few of my squad mates who worked with Karl 2 months ago. Coincidence? I think not. We didn't know it but God had big plans.
Karl runs many orphanages across 7 countries and partners with other orphanages to get them sponsored. With this knowledge Abbi asked if Karl would come give some tips to Rithy, my current contact here in Cambodia who runs the orphanage, about how to get funds and a budget for the orphanage. So, Karl, his wife, and his daughter dropped what they were doing and came to see the orphanage that moment. After visiting, Karl wanted to come back the next day to have another meeting.
Upon returning, Karl decided he wanted to partner with Rithy. He wanted to get all thechildren sponsored. Checks will start coming for the children on April 1st.
The next day Karl and his family paid for all the children to go to the mall for arcade and ice cream. Many of these children had never seen the inside of a mall, let alone an escalator or an arcade but if you want to hear that story read my blog 30 Cambodian Orphans VS the Mall
In less than 24 hours God did the impossible. He answered a prayer that Rithy has been praying for 7 years. In less than 24 hours The Lord took 30 poor children and provided them with all they need until they are 18! While it’s Karl who is partnering with Rithy, in one fare swoop the Lord used us, World Racers, to feed the hungry, clothe the poor, and love the broken hearted. God wants, needs, and is using World Racers all over the world to help connect the body of Christ and it just blows my mind!
I realize that to readers these are just cute children in a picture but to me these are tangible, real children. Children who are my friends, my little brothers and sisters, beautiful sons and daughters of our God, who each stole a little piece of my heart.
So often on the race, we see big needs in the places we go but there is nothing we can do to fix the big issues. We love the people and give what little we have. But a few bowls of food and a couple shirts will only last a person so long. After that we have trust that God has it in his hands… and that is H-A-R-D hard!
This month, when I saw how these children lived and found out that they struggle to have money for food; my heart was broken once again. I found myself dreaming up all the ways I could get enough money, food, clothes, toys, and education for these children, in order to ensure that these children had everything they needed to grow up happy and healthy. But actually doing most of those things was not in God’s plan for me. My dreams are impossible for me to carry out in the short period I get to spend in each place. This month, God showed me that he is SO much bigger than the most hopeless of situations. He is so much bigger than MY impossible!!
Every time I tell this story I have to fight back the tears. Thank you Lord that I don’t have to worry about these children being taken care of, because you are, were, and will always be taking care of them. They aren't just poor orphaned children. They are YOUR children.
Thank you so much if you are supporting a World Racer. You are sending people to change lives through the name of Jesus. You are sending hands and feet to feed starving children. Cloth people with nothing but one holey shirt, love the poor, and take hope to the broken hearted.
I need to raise $1,994 to stay on the race. You can help support me by Clicking Here to Donate.
