“I
quit school to play with the white people!” declared Pao, 10
years old. Pao was the first one to greet me with the cutest and
brightest smile on our first day in Arng village. He is one of many
street children, who attend half day school, 5 hours each day, if
their families can afford to send them to school. Most of the time,
you’ll find them chasing our tuk-tuk to catch a ride with us to the
next village.
quit school to play with the white people!” declared Pao, 10
years old. Pao was the first one to greet me with the cutest and
brightest smile on our first day in Arng village. He is one of many
street children, who attend half day school, 5 hours each day, if
their families can afford to send them to school. Most of the time,
you’ll find them chasing our tuk-tuk to catch a ride with us to the
next village.
“My
husband died four years ago and I am supporting our eight children
but I keep getting this pain in my heart and my shoulder,”
describes a petite middle-aged mother, who eagerly grabs my hand and
squeezes. “Whenever the pastor prays, I feel better, but then I
feel bad again.” The church has come around this family
surrounding them with prayers. After teaching her a few anxiety
relieving exercises, we pray together for God’s provision and His
healing power to release her from her fears.
husband died four years ago and I am supporting our eight children
but I keep getting this pain in my heart and my shoulder,”
describes a petite middle-aged mother, who eagerly grabs my hand and
squeezes. “Whenever the pastor prays, I feel better, but then I
feel bad again.” The church has come around this family
surrounding them with prayers. After teaching her a few anxiety
relieving exercises, we pray together for God’s provision and His
healing power to release her from her fears.
“She
makes 70,000 riel ($17.50). It only takes her a month to finish
one,” her mother explains as she busies herself with the beading
onto lace which will be sold to create dresses and other fancy things
for fancy people. “Business people come and buy the completed
fabric for $40. It is made of the thing that worms make, you know…
they buy them when they are finished and sell them in Phnom Penh for
$80-150,” explains Bibi, our translator, as we watch a loom
working quickly. “That doesn’t seem fair!” I exclaim. It
isn’t fair.
makes 70,000 riel ($17.50). It only takes her a month to finish
one,” her mother explains as she busies herself with the beading
onto lace which will be sold to create dresses and other fancy things
for fancy people. “Business people come and buy the completed
fabric for $40. It is made of the thing that worms make, you know…
they buy them when they are finished and sell them in Phnom Penh for
$80-150,” explains Bibi, our translator, as we watch a loom
working quickly. “That doesn’t seem fair!” I exclaim. It
isn’t fair.
“I
have to sell my house and land to pay the debt I owe to the bank. I
borrowed $5000 from the bank to pay for my sister’s wedding and my
mother’s healthcare. I cannot pay it back because business has been
bad, so now I must sell before the bank takes everything away from
me!” cries a desperate mother while holding her crying HIV
infant. “When my family found out that I have HIV, they will
not help me.” I remind her that we can rejoice because our
earthly possessions do not compare to the glory of our citizenship in
heaven. We prayed for healing for her family and for jubilee.
have to sell my house and land to pay the debt I owe to the bank. I
borrowed $5000 from the bank to pay for my sister’s wedding and my
mother’s healthcare. I cannot pay it back because business has been
bad, so now I must sell before the bank takes everything away from
me!” cries a desperate mother while holding her crying HIV
infant. “When my family found out that I have HIV, they will
not help me.” I remind her that we can rejoice because our
earthly possessions do not compare to the glory of our citizenship in
heaven. We prayed for healing for her family and for jubilee.
“I
had to give my daughter to my brother to take care of her while I
worked in the factory. While she lived with them, she was told bad
things about me and now when she is angry with me she tells me I’m
not her mother,” a desperate mother cries. She is near tears,
pouring out her innermost fears about her daughter growing up with
the wrong influences in her life. She doesn’t know how to move on
from here, laden with guilt about leaving her daughter for a year.
After a few moments of sharing her deepest fears and nodding
vigorously at the empathy and thoughts from an MFT, she left quickly
to catch a ride back to her village.
had to give my daughter to my brother to take care of her while I
worked in the factory. While she lived with them, she was told bad
things about me and now when she is angry with me she tells me I’m
not her mother,” a desperate mother cries. She is near tears,
pouring out her innermost fears about her daughter growing up with
the wrong influences in her life. She doesn’t know how to move on
from here, laden with guilt about leaving her daughter for a year.
After a few moments of sharing her deepest fears and nodding
vigorously at the empathy and thoughts from an MFT, she left quickly
to catch a ride back to her village.
“I
want to go to Phnom Penh to study English, but no money. I want to
eat pizza, but no money. I want to be translator.” The
farthest this teenager has ever been is to the next village. She
works tirelessly for her family, ranks 12th
out of 48 in her high school class in school and is the model for
many of the children in her village. She is one of a few students
who soak up each English lesson and request private tutoring to
improve her English. As we say goodbye, she asks, “Can you take
me with you?”
