Last month in Cambodia, my team and I spent our last week of ministry living at an orphanage in a small village. All of the kids in this orphanage had been adopted and taken away from their families so that they could be given more opportunities. They were taken because they were all at risk to end up being trafficked. While I know that this happens all over the world to see it first hand puts it into perspective.
The first time I witnessed human trafficking, I was in Iquitos, Peru. The first sign that you see when you land is one stating that it is illegal to buy or sell children. That is when the idea of trafficking became a reality. There are children all over the world that are at risk to be trafficked and I was able to work with these children once again 9 years later in a completely different country.
I got to work with these children. I got to celebrate a New Year with them. I got to hold their hand and give them hugs. I got to love them like they deserve to be loved and in return I got to be loved by them. I was attacked by hugs every morning, many kisses on the cheeks, back rubs and new hair dos. They got to show me love and I think I learned more from them than I ever could have taught them.
I learned that no matter what you go through in life and how many hardships you go through you can still be strong. Each of these children come from a different background, they come from a different village, different family and some even had to be rescued from people that bought them, yet they still have so much joy, love and freedom.
The one thing i enjoyed most about this week is listening to them all worship. My eyes were shut and I was listening to their beautiful voices singing to our loving Father in a language I could not understand, but then a familiar tune came on and they all started singing this beautiful song in their language and as my team and I recognized the song, we began to sing it in English. It was beautiful. Two cultures, two languages, people from all different backgrounds feeling God’s love and singing of his great praise. If I could bottle up a moment, I would have wanted to bottle up that moment. You could feel God’s presence!
These kids could have had a completely different life if they weren’t in this orphanage. I have no idea what their backgrounds are, but I know that they were always loved by our Father and now they get to praise him in a safe environment and feel that love from so many different people. They showed me how to love and find joy in everyday and their little faces will forever be imprinted on my heart.
Enjoy joy this small clip! If you listen carefully you might hear the two languages!
