I'm not sure how to put this into words, but I'll do my best.
Today, I celebrated my 24th birthday which was pretty epic. My wonderful team made me pancakes and sang to me in the morning, my amazing boyfriend sent me roses from halfway around the world, my parents and grandparents called and sang to me (family tradition!) and my team took me out on the town for a day of fun. We found a cute little cupcake shop and sampled wayyy too many exotically delicious cupcakes :). The cupcake place, Bloom Cafe, provides sustainable jobs for women who are rescued from trafficking. They've been open for about 3 years now. I love what they're doing to provide work for this women!
After Bloom Cafe, we decided to go roller skating!!! There's a rooftop roller rink at one of the malls in Phnom Penh- who would have thought?! We bought our skate tickets and headed to the rink. And man. We stuck out like sore thumbs! Not only were we the only group of white girls there, but we were terrible skaters! Within minutes, children were around us wanting to hold our hands and "help" us skate. As I was skating around, I noticed 3 children sitting at the edge of the rink with an older, sketchy looking white guy. They looked so sad and out of place with him. I started smiling and waving at the children, then motioned to them to come sit with me when the guy walked away. They came running over to where I was sitting. The older boy, Yen, was probably 11 or 12 and the younger two (a boy and a girl) were 7 or 8. They didn't speak any English, but fortunately an older boy saw me struggling to communicate with them and came over to help translate. I found out that one of Yen's parents was in jail and the other children's parents sold jewelry. I noticed that the little girl had large scars on her leg and arm. She said she had been burned with hot water. I asked the children if they were with the sketchy old man, to which they hesitantly answered "no." I'm still not sure if they were or weren't with him or what he was doing talking to them, all I know is that there was deep pain in all 3 of these children's eyes. After the older boy who was translating for me left, Yen came and sat next to me. I put my arms around him and the other little girl and started praying for them, doing all I could to fight back tears.
Through charades, I asked him if he wanted to skate. His face lit up as he shook his head "yes"! I took the 3 children over to the skate rental area, helped them get sized for skates and paid for their skate tickets. Yen was a pro and was zipping up and down the ramps in no time. Two of my teammates and I headed out to the rink to help the two little ones skate. It was so fun to see them smiling, laughing and having a good time!
As we were skating, I saw the sketchy old man return and this time he was talking to some teenagers who had sat down at the table he was at earlier with Yen and the 2 other children. "something's not right," I said to my team… "I'm gonna go talk to him." So I walked over and started asking him what he was doing there, if the 3 children were with him, etc. He gave me vague, broad answers such as "I don't know those children" and "I like the music here" and "I'm here with my two friends across the rink." (who also happened to be 50-60 year old sketchy white men).
This didn't sit well with me. I walked back over to my teammates and said "I'm going to talk to the guys on the other side of the rink and find out what's going on." Abby came with me, suggesting that I ask for directions to the king's palace to strike up a conversation. After some small talk, I asked what they were doing there and why they were there. Again, I got vague, broad answers with no eye contact- "I like the music; I like watching the girls skate." Ew. By girls, he meant teenagers or younger!!! Anger started building inside of me as I continued the conversation. The one guy told me he lived there, but did nothing all day, everyday.. just hung out. He also told me he didn't know anyone else in town (including the guy sitting across the table from him who hadn't said one word). A minute or so later, the original sketchy man came walking over and sat down next to the guy I was talking to. He looked angry. The conversation continued a little longer until one of them turned the tables on us, asking why we were in Cambodia. We told them we were Christian missionaries. That didn't go over well. They rolled their eyes, told us all religion was ridiculous and got up to leave- zipping their pants and fasting their belts as they did so. WHAT THE HECK! My teammates and I stood there in disbelief, not knowing what to say to these disgusting men. "we're off to drink some wine!" they said, walking away.
As they walked off, we all just looked at each other, jaws hanging open not sure what to say. WHAT THE HECK?! God, where are you in that?! How can something so blatantly perverse happen in a public place during the middle of the day?! Who knows what could have happened if we weren't there and didn't approach them. At least they left. And at least, if only for one afternoon the 3 children got to be kids and roller skate.
I tell you this story to show you the injustice. The disgusting, perverse things that are happening right under our noses. Were these kids being trafficked? Were those men their "pimps" or "owners"? I don't know. I have my thoughts and speculations. Either way, there is absolutely no reason 3 middle aged/old men should be hanging out at a roller rink during the middle of the day and talking to children with the pants undone.
And now as I sit here thinking back on what happened, I wish I would have done more. I wish I could have taken those children to a warm, loving home. I wish I could have called some non corrupt police officers to help. But now all I can do is pray. So please join me in praying for Yen and the other 2 children- for God to protect them, provide for them and for them to be in a safe, loving environment. Also pray for those 3 men, as well as the thousands of other men like them out there; that they will feel a deep, heart level conviction about what they are doing and turn from their evil ways.
