The last 3 and half weeks I have been living at the Hands of Hope Orphanage the Sek Yom Village in Kampong Cham, Cambodia. It’s in a village, tucked away amongst a vast blue sky, red dirt roads and rice fields for miles and miles. There’s always people riding through on bikes and motor bikes. There’s always sounds of laughter and sounds of loud, odd music. There’s always sounds of pure joy, in a place that seemingly could be so dark.
Here, I have been living simply with 36 orphans ages 5-18.
With that, I have been simply living.
Here, there was no set ministry. Not having a schedule was odd. Each day was ours to do what we pleased. Every morning we would wake up and just begin our day and whatever happened, happened. The only thing guaranteed was rice and chicken every day at 8, 11:30 and 5:30.
With my 3 and a half weeks here, I’ve made some incredible friendships with so many kids. Kids half my age, a little over half my age or even younger than half my age. These kids, never much older than 14 years old have taught me so much. They have encouraged me and brightened my days and given me life long lessons, probably without even realizing it.
A pair of brothers captured my heart from the moment we arrived. One, being 13 and the other being 14. From the second we stepped foot into the orphanage they were EVERYWHERE. They were jumping and laughing and yelling, itching for someone to give them attention. They undoubtedly made their presence known.
After about a week after being here, we got to learn their story.
When they were very young, their parents dropped the both of them off on the side of the road with their sister- not much older than they-by themselves, with nothing but the clothes on their back. From there, they ended up in a government ran orphanage. While here, they struggled. They stole from the children there and from the employees, thus getting kicked out. Back on the street they were. Hands of Hope, took them in next- it still hasn’t been easy but nonetheless, it is fighting to improve. Here, they were kicked out of school again for stealing. It became clear that their parents had taught them, and they knew no better than this behavior. As a latest update, the both of them are working on attending a new school and positively advancing their behaviors.
After hearing their story, it became clear why they did the things they did and acted the way they acted.
They wanted to love, and to be loved. The two of them captured my heart right away and haven’t lost their hold since.
Every day, the two of them greet me with warm embraces. They practice their broken English and are so proud when they can complete the conversation of “Hello! How are you?” “I am fine! How are you?” They are always asking to go on bike rides and walks through the village and to play volleyball. Each day, I get to hear them yell “Sista! Sista!” and feel their hands pulling me in whatever direction they please. We fly kites, and look for crabs. They drag me to the stream near our house and assign me as their own personal lifeguard. They love putting on our headbands, and they love sharing snacks. They anxiously write pages and pages of the English Alphabet and then ask for it to get checked and start all the way over when they miss a letter (or two, or three).
With my time being here, I have never heard a complain. I have never seen a face of sadness, or a face of despair and worry. I have never seen them shed a tear, or back away from learning or back away from receiving love and attention. What I have seen, is constant and relentless joy. With that, it has been constant and relentless joy with Jesus in their heart.
[Psalm 34: 17-18]
It blows my mind, how kids so young, who have faced nothing but fear and doubt and unfaithfulness, could put all their hope and faith and just everything into The Lord. These children, have not much of anything, but in their eyes you can see how much they LOVE THE LORD.
On Sundays, we have a quick devotional at 2pm. We gather with all the kids where they lead a prayers and songs in their language. I never understand a thing, but in that room you can feel the Holy Spirit just moving in them and around them. I look around and each of them, even the loud ones, are silent. Their eyes are shut and their small bodies just sway with the music. I always wonder what their prayers are saying out loud, and I really am curious what they’re thinking when they’re deep in thought.
During these Sunday’s, the 14 year old boy is all in. Normally hyper and antsy for something new and a new place to go, he sits still and gives his undivided attention. If you’re not sitting by him, you still know he’s there because he sings so loud and doesn’t even seem to realize it. His heart just beats for The Lord.
One Sunday, my teammate Jack wasn’t feeling too good. The main man in charge had asked that we pray for his healing. I felt a constant prodding at my shoulder and I look down and he was there. He looked at me while pointing to Jack saying “Jack, sick? Jack, sick?” and doing a quiet cough noise. (We used the cough to demonstrate teaching them the word sick). I said “yes” and immediately both of his hands were up hovering over Jack’s back and he began whispering in his language.
My heart just smiled. How awesome is it that these kids, each with broken hearts just understand Jesus’s love for them?? They put everything they have, and all their faith into Him. They know that He will never let them go. These children have radically changed my face of hope and love. These children are hope. These children are love.
They are His!
