A new month means a whole new ministry, a whole new group of people, and a brand new daily schedule. It’s something that at first took me a few days to re-adjust but now I find this comfortability in a constant change. This month we went from living in Africa to South East Asia, we went from a team of 6 people (3 guys, 3 girls) to a month we call “Manistry” were the guys from my squad pair up with a group of guys from another squad and spend the month together, so I also had a new team. But change excites me and quite frankly that, personal growth and being able to love people all around me are some of the main reasons I came on this trip.
This month we are partnered with a boarding school called “Lighthouse” which is located in Battambang, Cambodia. It’s an amazing schooling opportunity for the youth in this community who typically come from poor backgrounds and families who live in rural areas of Cambodia. Here they are instilled with the three major aspects of life that take some of us years and years to truly understand and grasp. Living, Learning, and Serving. They live at the school and these three things are the foundations to everyday for them.
“The Lighthouse is first of all a place, where Hope is possible. Our goal is not creating welfare, we help people to help themselves”
Lighthouse Living– Our goal is to assist poor Cambodian youth that desire to further their education yet may lack adequate resources to complete school. They live permanently on the dorm campus that has numerous resources for them to take full advantage of growth in social competence, educational progress, and sports and athletics. The dorms they live in are in close proximity to their local school and they also provide mentors to assist the kids in personal needs during their educational path. The kids are expected to learn how to fully take care of themselves which includes daily chores, personal responsibility of their education like transportation to a from school, preparation of food, laundry, and personal care.
Lighthouse Learning– Although these kids go to school off campus they are given an amazing opportunity to invest time into their future. Lighthouse provides tutoring in a number of 10th, 11th & 12th grade subjects such as: Math, Geometry, Chemistry & Physics. Other side subjects to help them in life skills and personal growth include Computer classes, Music, Sewing, Sports & Bible study. Also each Sunday they provide a Youth Service that’s held by the students for the students to further their faith and understanding of God.
Lighthouse Serving– Many NGO’s (Non-Government-Organizations) are planted in Cambodia and use outside donors to work on the issues like human-trafficking and agricultural projects. But what many have come to realize is the dependency and “victim hood” that can be formed through outside projects that simply come in to aid rather then provide a way to self-sustainability within the country. Lighthouse has created a new form of aid in which their goal is to become a fully domestically funded NGO. Their goal is to grow and enhance local businesses that directly engage with the community. Their main focus is working with the people in the rural areas who work jobs like raising cows, goats and other agricultural work. Where they will provide local farmers with more livestock and resources to help them not only maintain they’re business but experience real growth as well.
A Day At Lighthouse
5:00 am – Students partake in workout.
5:30-6:30am – Students clean and organize the campus.
7:00-11:00am-Students attend off campus school. (We do Labor around community.)
11:20-12:00- Daily Bible Study.
12:00-1:00pm – Lunch
5:00-6:00pm- Tutoring Sessions
*Sunday Only
Youth Service 6:00-7:00pm
*Tuesday Only
Men’s Soccer 7:00-9:30pm
