Hello Everyone! I’m sorry I haven’t written a blog sooner. I
had the best of intentions to write one all week but could never find the time.
I made it safely from Seattle to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. I felt like it took
forever but I think it was actually only 18 hours or so. We arrived a little
after midnight on Sunday evening/Monday morning. (I’m 12 hours ahead of Georgia time.)
Natasha and I after we arrived in Cambodia.
had the best of intentions to write one all week but could never find the time.
I made it safely from Seattle to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. I felt like it took
forever but I think it was actually only 18 hours or so. We arrived a little
after midnight on Sunday evening/Monday morning. (I’m 12 hours ahead of Georgia time.)
Natasha and I after we arrived in Cambodia.
The Lord has totally blessed us with wonderful
accommodations this month. I’m sharing a room with two other girls on my team.
We have two beds which are nice even though they are as hard as a rock slab,
electricity, air conditioner (we most definitely need it… it’s so dang hot
here), a 15 inch flat screen TV and a
mini frig. Even though our hostel is very nice it isn’t immune to
prostitution. There have been several
occasions where we have seen a young women enter a hotel room late at night
with a gentlemen and neither one of them have any luggage. It’s sad and it’s a little unsettling but
that’s just a reality here.
Our Hostel
accommodations this month. I’m sharing a room with two other girls on my team.
We have two beds which are nice even though they are as hard as a rock slab,
electricity, air conditioner (we most definitely need it… it’s so dang hot
here), a 15 inch flat screen TV and a
mini frig. Even though our hostel is very nice it isn’t immune to
prostitution. There have been several
occasions where we have seen a young women enter a hotel room late at night
with a gentlemen and neither one of them have any luggage. It’s sad and it’s a little unsettling but
that’s just a reality here.
Our Hostel
The first two days here we had “Launch” which was
basically different sessions where we went over things we would need to know
for the trip. Wednesday was our first day working with our ministry contact. We
are working with an organization called “Daughters of Cambodia”.
Here’s an excerpt from their website about their ministry:
basically different sessions where we went over things we would need to know
for the trip. Wednesday was our first day working with our ministry contact. We
are working with an organization called “Daughters of Cambodia”.
Here’s an excerpt from their website about their ministry:
“Daughters
has developed a unique model in Cambodia, one in which sex workers come direct
to the organization from the brothels by choice. Daughters’ day centre, in the
heart of an area of Phnom Penh brothels, reaches out to girls working as sex
workers and offers them ways out of this situation. We are not a shelter, but
we facilitate the girls’ exit from the sex industry by providing a number of
resources and programs that enable them to set themselves free and sustain
healthy choices for their own lives. They come because they are already
motivated to change their lives, and Daughters gives them choice and dignity in
building a different future, that make their choices sustainable and respect
their human rights. Most organizations in Cambodia that work with sex workers,
rescue them by force; the process is traumatic, and in most cases is not
sustained once they re-gain their freedom because no alternative job has been
provided and pressure from parents for money forces them back to the brothels.
At Daughters, if girls wish to change their life-styles, they are empowered to
make changes by building their internal capacity and through immediate
alterative income generation in the provision of jobs. Rather than learn NGO
dependence, the girls learn to be responsible for their own lives and
accommodation and provide for their staple needs out of their salaries, in
order to foster sustainability.� (www.daughterscambodia.org).
has developed a unique model in Cambodia, one in which sex workers come direct
to the organization from the brothels by choice. Daughters’ day centre, in the
heart of an area of Phnom Penh brothels, reaches out to girls working as sex
workers and offers them ways out of this situation. We are not a shelter, but
we facilitate the girls’ exit from the sex industry by providing a number of
resources and programs that enable them to set themselves free and sustain
healthy choices for their own lives. They come because they are already
motivated to change their lives, and Daughters gives them choice and dignity in
building a different future, that make their choices sustainable and respect
their human rights. Most organizations in Cambodia that work with sex workers,
rescue them by force; the process is traumatic, and in most cases is not
sustained once they re-gain their freedom because no alternative job has been
provided and pressure from parents for money forces them back to the brothels.
At Daughters, if girls wish to change their life-styles, they are empowered to
make changes by building their internal capacity and through immediate
alterative income generation in the provision of jobs. Rather than learn NGO
dependence, the girls learn to be responsible for their own lives and
accommodation and provide for their staple needs out of their salaries, in
order to foster sustainability.� (www.daughterscambodia.org).
Daughters is primarily made up of women but last year they
opened up a program called Son’s of Cambodia that helps men (or lady boys) who
are also coming out of the sex trade industry. The men and women working at
Daughters Day Center learning skills like sewing, crocheting, screen-printing
and jewelry making. Daughters has a shop
in Phnom Penh where they sell their items. In the back of the shop there is
also a nail parlor and upstairs there’s a super cute café (that’s where I am
now).
The outside of the “Daughters” store.
opened up a program called Son’s of Cambodia that helps men (or lady boys) who
are also coming out of the sex trade industry. The men and women working at
Daughters Day Center learning skills like sewing, crocheting, screen-printing
and jewelry making. Daughters has a shop
in Phnom Penh where they sell their items. In the back of the shop there is
also a nail parlor and upstairs there’s a super cute café (that’s where I am
now).
The outside of the “Daughters” store.
Monday through Friday we go to Daughters (from 9-4) and we
each have a different area where we are working. Our team leader Dana is
teaching some design classes. Julia is teaching a training
class to the social workers. Anna is preparing to begin a knitting
class.
Natasha will be helping Ruth (the founder) in her office. We’ll also be
helping
out organizing some of the other rooms. Jenny and I are working in the
nursery.
There is a small nursery on the first floor of the building that has
about 20+
kids in it. The whole room is probably the size of my mom’s kitchen but
somehow
they manage to fit all those kids in there. Most of them are infants.
The women
are allowed to bring their children (up to age 5) with them to work and
they
get free child care. At first I was
like, “I don’t want to set in the nursery everyday rocking babies on the
floor.
I want to be out stopping Human Trafficking and ending prostitution in
city of
Phnom Penh.� But Jenny reminded me that this is the perfect time for us
to be
praying over these babies and asking the Lord to break the generational
curses
that that have been put on their little lives. She said, “How many
people are praying over these
children? Probably none.� She couldn’t
have been more right. I have a lot more to say about this particular
topic but
I’ll save it for another blog.
each have a different area where we are working. Our team leader Dana is
teaching some design classes. Julia is teaching a training
class to the social workers. Anna is preparing to begin a knitting
class.
Natasha will be helping Ruth (the founder) in her office. We’ll also be
helping
out organizing some of the other rooms. Jenny and I are working in the
nursery.
There is a small nursery on the first floor of the building that has
about 20+
kids in it. The whole room is probably the size of my mom’s kitchen but
somehow
they manage to fit all those kids in there. Most of them are infants.
The women
are allowed to bring their children (up to age 5) with them to work and
they
get free child care. At first I was
like, “I don’t want to set in the nursery everyday rocking babies on the
floor.
I want to be out stopping Human Trafficking and ending prostitution in
city of
Phnom Penh.� But Jenny reminded me that this is the perfect time for us
to be
praying over these babies and asking the Lord to break the generational
curses
that that have been put on their little lives. She said, “How many
people are praying over these
children? Probably none.� She couldn’t
have been more right. I have a lot more to say about this particular
topic but
I’ll save it for another blog.
Our first weekend has been great. Friday night I played
cards with two other teammates and then we when out with another team to a
little American restaurant/café called “Jacob’s Well�. Then everyone from my
team piled into our room to watch “50 First Dates� on my computer. Granted we
all fell asleep within the first 30 minutes but it was still a lot of fun.
cards with two other teammates and then we when out with another team to a
little American restaurant/café called “Jacob’s Well�. Then everyone from my
team piled into our room to watch “50 First Dates� on my computer. Granted we
all fell asleep within the first 30 minutes but it was still a lot of fun.
Saturday we went back to Jacob’s Well for brunch and then
headed to the Royal Palace of Cambodia. We did a ton of walking which was
exhausting and it was 90 degrees so we were exhausted by the end of the day.
Today (Sunday) we went to an international non-denominational church called,
“New Life Center�. It was in Khmer (the native language of Cambodia) so I
didn’t understand anything but the awesome thing is you don’t have to
understand the language to feel the power of the Holy Spirit. God is so good. Here are a few pictures from the weekend. (Editoral note: I’m having the worse time in the world posting pictures from our hostel to my blog. It’s much easier to access these pictures and more on facebook. I’m sorry for those of you who don’t have facebook I’ll try to post more later.)
At the Royal Palace of Cambodia
headed to the Royal Palace of Cambodia. We did a ton of walking which was
exhausting and it was 90 degrees so we were exhausted by the end of the day.
Today (Sunday) we went to an international non-denominational church called,
“New Life Center�. It was in Khmer (the native language of Cambodia) so I
didn’t understand anything but the awesome thing is you don’t have to
understand the language to feel the power of the Holy Spirit. God is so good. Here are a few pictures from the weekend. (Editoral note: I’m having the worse time in the world posting pictures from our hostel to my blog. It’s much easier to access these pictures and more on facebook. I’m sorry for those of you who don’t have facebook I’ll try to post more later.)
At the Royal Palace of Cambodia
Finally, I would like to share some things I’m asking your
prayers in regard to…
Since getting here a week ago there have been
several spiritual attacks that I’ve had to face which is understandable because
anything you try to do something BIG for God, the Devil will do all he can to
interfere. Thank God for my AMAZING team
who are committed to praying with me and encouraging me through these hard
times. I ask that you continue to pray for
me to have strength and courage to face theses attacks.
several spiritual attacks that I’ve had to face which is understandable because
anything you try to do something BIG for God, the Devil will do all he can to
interfere. Thank God for my AMAZING team
who are committed to praying with me and encouraging me through these hard
times. I ask that you continue to pray for
me to have strength and courage to face theses attacks.
I’m having a very difficult time sleeping at
night which makes my energy level very low during the day. I’m exhausted by
11pm but I can’t seem to sleep for more than 6 hours. I wake up multiple times
a night. I was told that it takes one day for every hour that you travel out of
your time zone. So that means it should take me about 12 days (next Friday) to
adjust and be sleeping well again. I’m just praying that it will be over soon
and I will be able to get at least 8 hours of sleep to feel rested.
Please pray for my health as well as the health
of the rest of my team. Nothing has happened to any of us so far and we would
love to keep it this way.
I would like to be posting more blogs but I get so
caught up with trying to journal, keeping up with my facebook (feel free to add
me if you haven’t already) and uploading pictures that sometimes it is the last
on my list of things to do. Please pray that I can make a better effort to
keeping you all informed.
Lastly, I’m asking you to pray for my ministry,
“Daughters of Cambodia�. Pray that we will help make a difference while we are
here for the next three weeks and that God will use us all to the best of our
abilities.
Thank you all for the love and encouragment you have sent me so far. It means so much to know I have so many people praying for me back home.
