A year ago I was sitting in my rented college home of Fort Myers, Florida, enraged and completely broken over what I was currently watching on the screen in front of me. I was in the middle of watching a four hour documentary, Half the Sky, which films and goes in depth of women oppression around the world. The current woman's story that was being told was Somaly Mam in Cambodia. She was orphaned in her youth, taken in by a man who then raped her for years before selling her to a brothel where the horror only continued. She experienced giving over her body to unimaginable amounts of men daily, brutally raped, beaten, tortured and locked up. She finally escaped and years later began her own foundation for women and children in similar situations. Her foundation helps fight sex trafficking, as well as provides housing and rehabilitation for these children and women.
I remember laying my hands over those little girls on the screen, crying and praying that they'd receive the full healing that they will only receive by knowing their Savior!! Never in a million years did I expect myself to end up in Cambodia only a year later, and be able to pray for Somaly and those women and girls while being in the same exact country as them only 4 hours away- MINDBLOWING!! Please keep Somaly and those rescued victims in prayer, that they will come to know their Father who will bring them their ultimate healing and restoration that no amount of human wisdom or words can!
The issue of women being bought and sold in trafficking, prostitution, and local brothels, is a staggering increase compared to anywhere else I've been so far. It's so much more raw and in your face, igniting an even bigger flame and passion to combat this through prayer and intercession for all of who are involved. Only The Lord can truly put a complete end to this horrendous situation and our first plan of attack has to be going to Him!
Battambang, Cambodia has been incredible since hitting the ground running about a week ago. We are living with our wonderful ministry hosts and their family, which is at their English school, formerly a brothel 10 years ago. Our team is involved in teaching English each day at the school from ages ranging 3-30 years old along with working with a girl's home, helping recreate and plan curriculum for the school, training workshops, village outreach, and school out reaches. It's powerful to see the impact this establishment has had on Battambang, and God's light shining into the dark crevices. There's a local church we attended on Sunday and witnessed the young congregation of believers 14-25ish years all passionately on fire for The Lord, and have a passion to see Cambodia changed. It's exciting to see God moving in such an oppressed area, and to be allowed to join in through prayer!
Last update, we experienced team changes at the end of Thailand before driving to Cambodia! In this new season I was put in a leadership position to serve my team of beautiful women, let me introduce you to team Royal Symphony!! Daphnee Sanon, Kristina Smith, Lauren Elizabeth, Kath Schemel, Ashley Metzger, and Crystal Canales. I'm beyond excited for what The Lord will be doing with this team, and the new depths we will be entering into. Please pray for our team, along with our squad as a whole- been experiencing much more spiritual warfare this month so prayers for health and protection are much appreciated 🙂 thanks and love you all!!!
