The darkest, most wicked stories I have ever heard are the sweetest girl’s I have ever met realities. Imagine little children suffering abuse like the concubine in Judges 19. This month my new team had the opportunity to work in a safe home in Cambodia for girls who have been sexually, physically, and emotionally abused. On our first day before we met the girls we were told their stories. I sat there and felt like I was listening to horror story after horror story. I couldn’t believe they were true, but they are. When we met the girls and put faces to these tragic stories my heart shattered.
Although they were innocent victims they all experienced rejection by their families. Many of them were physically beat after their family discovered what happened. In Cambodian culture a girl’s worth is based on her virginity. She is seen to have no value and viewed as a burden to the family if she is not a virgin.
The girls are from ages 7 to 17 years old. They have been face to face with more darkness and hatred on a regular basis than most people will experience over the course of a lifetime. Being here has been the heaviest yet sweetest place on my World Race journey.
One afternoon we were painting the girls fingernails. I was painting a 9 year old girl’s nails. As I was polishing her nails red my heart broke. I had to fight back the tears. Her nails were so tiny, how could anyone ever cause so much pain to someone so precious. As I blew on her wet nails her face lit up with joy. She filled me with hope.
In the short time we have been here my team has grown to deeply love these beautiful little girls. We have seen them experience supernatural healing. They are able to laugh and love. They experience joy and are filled with compassion for the other girls. They pray and worship the Lord with their entire hearts, it is incredible. They have intimate relationships with our heavenly Father; and praise Him with a heart of gratitude. They are some of the most thankful people I have ever met. Children who have experienced so much evil are thankful, how is AMAZING is that! The strength of these girls is admirable, they are fighters. They refuse to settle for darkness. They shine so brightly! They are all inspirations to me. The things they experienced are sickening but do not define them. They represent hope, grace, and love.
The staff and caregivers at the safe home have unbelievably huge hearts. They overflow with God’s love. God is clearly using them to do incredible healing in these wonderful girls. It has been an honor to work here with all of them. Being a part of this ministry has been the greatest blessing I could have asked for.
“May the God of hope fill you with all the joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”
Romans 15:13
I will wait on the LORD…and I will hope in Him…strong>Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!…Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the LORD. (Isaiah 8:17; Psalm 27:14; and 31:24
(For privacy and safety purposes details and pictures are not included)
