Long is twelve years old and has been kicked out of two schools this year because he struggles with learning. His father has a mental illness and his mother struggles to find work. He takes turns staying with his parents and grandma in a village in Cambodia.
The first week we started teaching at One Hope International School he was quiet, had a frown on his face and there was no way to get him to participate in class. As the weeks went on he became more and more happy, participated in class and ran to give me a hug every morning and afternoon. We formed a bond I will never forget.
One day I asked him what he wanted to be when we grew up. He responded by saying a factory worker. This BROKE my heart. Factory workers in Cambodia work 12 hour days, stand the entire time, have terrible working conditions, and get payed 2-5 dollars a day….A DAY! It broke my heart because this is what he thought he was destined for…a factory worker being worked harder than any human should ever be and paid almost nothing. I then asked him again “if you could be anything…ANYTHING when you grow up, what would you be?” He said a teacher. But this broke my heart again. Long is 12 and is probably at the level of a preschooler or kindergartener in America. At this rate becoming a teacher would not be possible. So I had an idea. What if he was tutored? I noticed when I worked with him individually he learned much faster and was more engaged. So with my parents help financially, Long has begun to be tutored by a teacher at the school. I recently received an email from the teacher, Somien, saying “Now Long became one of our family too. . He start to come here from 5pm . He spent night time with us as family he eat here worship studies and sleep here. In the morning after breakfast we go to school together . After school he go home and study English till 5pm he back to our home. .. This what we do with him. He so happy and enjoy his life with us so much…” My heart is full with this news. Long has a future now. He is no longer destined to be a factory worker. He has a future and I was so blessed to hug and show him the love of Christ for a month.
I fell in love with Cambodia last month. It is a place I can see myself living in the future doing some type of volunteer work. With half the population under the age of 25, the country of Cambodia needs love. Love that they never had the opportunity to receive because of the genocide. They need education and hope so kids don’t think their only option for work is in the factory or prostitution. But most importantly they need the Lord. With so many gods in that country they need the one true God that will never leave their side, never let them down, and love them unconditionally. But the Lord needs us. He needs us to show them love, the unfailing love of the Lord.
