I never knew I would have such a heart for addicts. I also never thought I would discover this deep place in my heart in the middle of NOWHERE Cambodia working in knee deep mud.
We are partnering with Teen Challenge this month which is a one year drug rehabilitation facility that was started by the Assembly of God church. Arriving in Phnom Penh we had no idea what to expect. We spent the night in the city and then were picked up early the next morning to drive 2 hours to our ministry site for the month.
We pulled up to two cement buildings and fields of rice growing, and 31 smiling boys and men interested to see who the guests were.
I was slightly worried about having to adjust back to village lifestyle. No running water, unreliable electricity, no internet, squatty potties, and no A/C or fans to offer relief from the heat.
We are now one week in and I am already dreading leaving.
These boys have captured my heart. They range in age from 10 years old to 45 years old and they all live in a tight knit community (there is one young man who has brought his two young sons with him). They eat together, sleep together, work together, fight, encourage and everything in between as a unified body.
Most of the younger boys were taken off the street and brought to the center for their dependence on glue. Glue sniffing is something I was completely unaware of until World Race training camp. Younger street boys all over the world will sniff glue to get a high. It is highly addictive and damaging to their brains, health, and future but a cheap escape from their harsh reality. The older men 18+ are there for sexual addictions, crystal meth addictions, or other types of drugs. If you were to visit the center blindly you would never know. They are helpful, loving, joyful little guys and it breaks my heart to even think of where they have come from.
This past week our team (Team Fuego) has been working in the rice fields with the boys/men every morning for about 3 hours. We get knee deep in mud and pull the rice plants out and clean the roots off, they are then bundled and set aside to be planted further apart in another field. The idea of Teen Challenge is to develop a self sufficient base by raising livestock, growing rice, selling pigs, etc. They are teaching the boys how to be self sustaining and they are doing it by their example. Everyone works. It is a group effort, and when it comes time to playing….Everyone plays. They fling mud at each other, throw each other in the water, tease like brothers.
At night they are treated to some TV time. They all gather in the hallway of their dorm and sit on the floor and are mesmerized by the TV. The movies are generally english and few of them understand it at all but it is always such a treat for them.
I love being around these boys. They are a walking, talking example of the Lord’s redemption and grace that abounds to everyone. It is so powerful to walk side by side with them and be part of their lives. They appreciate such small treats that it is a reminder for myself to also appreciate the small things in life.
Day after day I am humbled by being around these boys. It is going to hurt to have to leave them….
