[To protect BYKOTA House and their kids I wont use real names, just initials.]
One of my mother’s fears as I came on the world race is that this year I would find a new place to call home. A place that is far, far, farrrrr from my Seattle home. Honestly, it was one of my fears too.
While I’ve visited many incredible places this year, places that I will definitely visit again, no place has captured my heart enough to make me want to call it home.
Until I went to Cambodia.
Cambodia is not the nicest country we’ve visited. It’s not the safest or the cleanest. It doesn’t have the most fun things to do and it doesn’t have the best weather. But it does have BYKOTA House. And let me tell you, that home makes up for anything else that Cambodia is lacking.
This place houses a couple of incredible faith – Mark and Rhonda Benz…along with their 30 children. Yes, I said THIRTY. 7 of them are adopted, officially Benz kids forever. The other 23 live at BYKOTA House and are loved and cared for as if they’ll be Benz kids forever. Mark and Rhonda also have 5 adult biological children who currently live in the states. We had the pleasure of meeting one of their youngest, Danielle, who showed us around the city and practically became a part of our team.
[the girls of the team – me, heather, danielle, julie, melanie, abby]
We also got to spend our days with Micah and Kelsey. They moved to Cambodia last June, expecting to stay just 9 months and help out with the BYKOTA House school. But that changed the day they met A. and L. They knew these girls were meant to be their forever daughters but because of adoption laws they aren’t allowed to bring the girls to the states until some laws are changed. So, they stayed. Now they have been there a year and a half, another baby girl on the way.
I’m blown away by these people and their willingness to say “Yes” to what God has for them.
Then there are the children, these sweet kids who have unimaginable pain and trauma in their past, but who are finding restoration and healing and family here.
M. who came to BYKOTA House literally starving to death.
H. who was brought in by another missionary because her mother was going to sell her for body parts.
T. who came without any information except that his previous orphanage called him “boy with the broken head.”
G. who is 7 going on 16, smart and sassy and intuitive, and a little girl who truly knows Jesus.
S. who is severely disabled, not born that way, but became this way as a plastic bag was placed over his head to make him more “profitable.”
V. who just turned 18, loves the Lord, and just started his very first job.
These are just a few of the kids and small parts of their very big stories. Stories that no children anywhere should have, but stories that are being redeemed a little bit more every day.
To learn more about and support BYKOTA House visit their website — http://www.bykotahouse.org
And in case you’re wondering, I’m not moving to Cambodia. Not this year, at least. God has lead me to and opened some doors in different directions for me. But if future doors lead back to Cambodia I won’t at all be disappointed.
