One of the boys I bonded with at Love in Action is named Chomrong. Chomrong is 15 years old and has lived at Love in Action for a few years now.
One brother lives at the boy’s house with him, while two of his sisters live at the girl’s house. He is so proud of his siblings! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a 15 year old boy so proud of his brothers and sisters.
One day, Chomrong showed me a picture of a little girl dressed in traditional Cambodian garb. He told me that it was his sister, but it wasn’t one of the ones that lives at the girl’s house. No, it was the sister that his mom kept. Out of all of her children, this was the only one she chose to not send away. As he told me about his family, his voice became soft and his mind seemed to wander.
His father had died and his mother remarried. His sister lived with the mom and the mother’s new husband. (This girl could possibly be this man’s child with the mother, although this girl was very close to age as one of the sisters at the girl’s house. It’s very common here to see a family of siblings with different fathers.) Chomrong didn’t know why the rest of them had come to live at the home and she didn’t.
Surprisingly, Chomrong was one of the boys that I felt a closer connection with. Surprisingly only because I didn’t get to know him for the first part of our time there. Only after a week or so did I even find out who he was. We then quickly developed a relationship. He taught me Khmer; I learned that he knew a lot more English then he lets people know and he started opening up to me.
Chomrong helped make my time at Love in Action!!!! I hope to go back soon and see what an amazing man he will turn out to be. Please keep Chomrong in your prayers. One day he wants to be a doctor and hopefully if he still chooses to do this, doors of opportunities will open up for him.
