What is the worth of a girl’s life in Cambodia?
There is a Cambodian proverb that states:
“Men are like gold, women are like white cloth.”
The meaning behind it suggests that if man is tainted by any moral impurity, he will be easily washed and made like new, but if a woman is tainted by any moral impurity, she will be stained forever.
What is the worth of her heart and soul?
For many girls, maybe the majority, their hearts and souls are not cherished, nurtured, nor safe-guarded. Her virginity, however, is of great worth. A young, beautiful girl ages 11-13 could receive up to $1000 USD for her virginity; or a mother could receive that much for a beautiful baby who would then be raised for the sale of her virginity. A girl’s virginity is effortlessly sold or traded without a second thought to the death of her heart and soul which accompanies such a transaction.
As the Lord has been speaking to me about names, I have begun to take note, when I meet a girl, of her name. In my heart I believe the names of girls in Cambodia are very telling of the underlying, cultural mindset regarding a woman’s worth.
Her name is Srey Put.
Srey in Khmer literally means “girl”.
Put in Khmer is the word for “Wednesday”.
Her name means “girl wednesday”
. . . Maybe she was born on Wednesday?
Her name is Srey Dtooik.
Dtooik in Khmer is the word for “small”.
Her name literally means “girl small”.
Her name is Srey Puhg.
Puhg in khmer literally means “last”.
Her name means “girl last”.
Her name is Srey Nek.
“Nek” in Khmer is the generic qualifier for people
just as “pair” in English is the qualifier
for shoes or socks or trousers.
In other words, her name means “girl person”.
But God is doing something. God has new names for each of these girls; new names that bestow an identity and an authority. When God gives us a name, it is a name that slices through every lie Satan feeds us about who we are. It rips off every label the world tries to tag us with. It reveals the truth of who God created us to be.
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Srey Nek is 7 years old. Her mother is abusive, neglectful, and drinks too much alcohol. She mends nets for a living in a seaside town in one of the western provinces of Cambodia. Srey Nek was brought to a safe house after she was sexually interfered with by an adult living in her home. She is small for her age and could neither read nor write when she arrived. The safe house she now lives in is run by Christians and filled with the presence of the Holy Spirit.
After only two months of living there Srey Nek has found her very own faith in Christ, she reads, she writes, she prays fervently, she is a self-proclaimed leader, and she LOVES her mother.
During a supervised visit, this little 7 year old looked straight into her mother’s eyes and said,
“Mommy! There is a man named Jesus, and He loves you,
and one day we are all going to go live in His house,
but Mommy, you have to stop drinking!”
“And Mommy! I am going to be a success some day,
so, you need to stop drinking alcohol because
I want you to be alive to see me be a success!”
When I think of Srey Nek, I think of that day on the beach when Jesus bestowed on Simon Bar-Jonah, a new name!
“Blessed, Srey Nek!! For flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but this has been shown you by the Spirit of God!”
Little, precious girl, whose name generically means, “girl person” no longer accepts the ambiguity of that name. She will not merely be a “girl person,” 1 in millions in Cambodia; she is going to be a success!
Jesus has shown her that she is going to be somebody some day because He loves to bestow on His children new names- true names- that reveal true identities and grant true authority.
. . . Srey Nek is going to be a world changer,
but she is starting at home.
Her mother has given her life to Christ
because of the word of her Daughter’s testimony.
The people at the safe house, are now helping her find work,
and hope for the day when Srey Nek could safely return to her care.
