3 Weeks in Cambodia
August 17th, 2009 by Stephanie
Bittersweet
This is the best word I can think of to describe my experience in Cambodia over the past 3 weeks.
Although I was exposed to a level of darkness and human depravity beyond what I was even prepared for, God was gracious to allow me glimpses, and even full-blown success stories, of what He is doing in this devastated country.
For those of you who read my updates while I was gone, you know that our time was spent at Daughters Cambodia (an NGO that provides vocational training and jobs for rescued survivors of the sex slave trade). My team of 12 spent each day teaching various life-skills workshops (budgeting, nutrition, domestic violence, dance, etc) to supplement the girls’ vocational training. This was such a privilege to be able to offer these girls practical skills they would not otherwise receive from their daily environment.
Teaching the dance class was one of the highlights for me, as it was such a joy to give them an hour in their day when the burdens and brokenness of their hurt and abuse were replaced with a sense of expressive freedom and the opportunity to smile and laugh again. My co-teacher and I taught a variety of jazz and lyrical dance routines, which they performed for the rest of the team and girls on our last day.
In addition to seeing the success stories of these girls’ lives and the ongoing care and restoration that is poured into them thru Daughters Cambodia, a few other “lights” in the midst of the darkness of Cambodia were:
Rahab’s House: A church in the middle of Svay Pac (a slum neighborhood in the heart of Phnom Penh), this place is a blinding example of God changing what is meant for evil into good. The very building that this church meets in was a former brothel for the neighborhood only a few years ago. God has transformed not only the physical building into His sanctuary, but is in the midst of transforming the people of this place into His kingdom of light as well. However, there is still extreme darkness in this neighborhood, as many other brothels still remain and every single one of the children are at-risk for being trafficked, as this is one of the known ‘depots’ for traffickers to come pick out children for brothels throughout the country.
Place of Rescue: A glimpse of what heaven will be like. This was my reaction upon visiting an orphanage on the outskirts of the city that hosts close to 200 children and also houses abandoned grannies, babies and AIDS patients. It was such a place of peace, unity, laughter and restoration. I was overwhelmed at one point, when I looked out on the 200+ children, staff and grannies singing and dancing in the rec center, as I realized that each person there represented a story of God’s redeeming intervention in their lives. And it became our prayer that one day Svay Pac would become a second ‘Place of Rescue’ that all those children may be testimonies of His redemption as well.
The fight for the end of human trafficking, specifically the sex slave trade, is far from over, but it is being fought for and led by the victorious King of all battles…and this is what gives me ultimate hope. The following became my prayer for the girls of Cambodia and the country itself, and I would ask that you would join me in praying this for them:
“For [Cambodia’s] sake I will not keep silent.. until her righteousness goes forth like brightness, and her salvation like a torch that is burning…[She] will also be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord…It will no longer be said to [her] ‘Forsaken’… but [she] will be called ‘My delight is in her,’ …and ‘Sought out, a city not forsaken.’ ” (Isaiah 62)
3 Responses to “3 Weeks in Cambodia”
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Thanks for the update Steph. Powerful stuff.
And it looks like I am the first commenter ever on the GT blog!
Thank you for sharing this.
Wow Steph, that’s some pretty powerful stuff you’re sharing. Thanks for what you wrote, and for being willing to go and give of yourself to the people of Cambodia.