Cambodia Day 4

I am laying alone in my hotel room all to myself enjoying a little down time tonight. It was a long day! Things start bright and early around here. We were up by 5:30 am so that I could teach the devotional time at 6am. I am teaching on the story of Joseph so before I began I asked if any of the girls had heard the story before. I was shocked to learn that not one of them had ever heard the story. Oh Lord, I now why you needed to send us here! Seriously, these girls have never heard anything from the Bible. About half of them do not read or write so they cannot learn it on their own. By the time the leave the center they will learn, hopefully. But the girls just teach eachother, it's not like there is a teacher coming in to teach them all the time. How I would love to come and teach them the bible for a few months!

I thought after that I would take a shower, but no, as we walked back from the women's devotional time the staff was meeting and Randa said, "you want to speak to them too?" So I did. And then the day just got away from us!

Food is a little scarce around here. I didn't want to pack any extras in my suitcase so I only have a couple Lara bars to hold me over. This morning, Randa kept saying she didn't know anywhere safe to have us eat. I thought we would be eating with the girls everyday but she doesn't want us to eat the food they prepare in case it might make us sick. But she didn't tell us this before we left so we didn't bring any groceries to make our own stuff. And they don't have enough to cook for us anyway! So by 8:30am we had been up for 3 hours and still had not eaten!!! Time to head to the market to get something to eat. The market was a memory never to be forgotten!!!

Rows and rows of vendors lined up like a maze. We decided while buying for ourselves we would also buy food for ladies at the women's center. They eat fish and rice pretty much everyday. Fruits and veggies are scarce, they only eat them occassionally. So we asked Randa and she said we should get them asian pears and apples because they don't ever eat those. They have so much good produce! I would have taken them the wonderfully fresh mangos but I guess they eat those all the time because Randa planted a mango tree at the center. Anyway, we also got each woman a chicken thigh to eat. So we had to buy 32 chicken thighs to have enough for the staff and all. There are more than 15 women here now, a few children and a couple boys that Randa had no where else to house them and her big heart would not let her turn them away. So all in all there are 32 here. Well, getting chicken here in Cambodia is not like getting it in the state. You see, they slaughter the chicken in the morning. It's FRESH! So as we made our way deeper into the market the produce changed to the meat section. Whew, the smell! And the flies, the heat, and raw meat hanging everywhere, lined up in baskets. Talk about unsanitary!!! Women sitting with a piece of wood and a big butcher knife. Dead, plucked chickens with head, feet and all laying on the tables. When we asked for chicken thighs they grabbed the dead chickens laying on the table, laid them on the wooden blocks, whacked thru the bones and all and stuck them in a plastic bag to take home. No washing hands, no refrigeration, nothing. Just salmonella waiting to happen!!! No wonder we can't eat the local food unless it is cooked. And if the chicken wasn't bad enough you turn around and there is big chunks of red meat hanging from strings everywhere, fish with head, tail and all salted and dried so it lasts longer strewn across tables and so much more. Really, I can't wait to show you pictures. I am so happy to have had the experience but it was an experience for sure!!!

We also bought carrots, cucumbers, mangos, watermelon, and fresh baked bread. Some for us and some for the women. Randa bought us some treats from vendors she knew were safe. A banana inside sticky sweet rice all wrapped into a leaf of some sort, and some cooked bananas that were very interesting. We also stopped to get iced coffees. Yes, we can have iced lattes here but have to remember to ask for good ice.

After the market we came back and began teaching the women how to make jewelry. They were really into it and had a wonderful time. They caught on very quickly and made some amazingly creative and beautiful necklaces and bracelets. But the supplies we brought are going to run out quickly so we tried to talk to the women about becoming business women, that they can go to the market and sell their jewelry so they can make money and buy more supplies. In this way, they can have a way to make some income. While Beth and Karen taught jewelry, I helped the ladies in the kitchen. The kitchen is outdoors under a canopy of sorts. It's a great big kitchen, I actually would love to have their set up. I sat on the ground and chopped green beans, cut on the bias as they did it. I wasn't as good and fast as their method but got the job done, nevertheless. Then we cut all the apples and asian pears and put them on platters for the girls to enjoy. All the while, I taught them the english words for things. So the cook had a journal and I wrote the English words in them and she wrote the Khmer equivalent. I attempted to also learn a few of their words but for every one of our syllables it seems there are 3-5 in their language and honestly I can't understand the sounds very well. I keep wanting to speak Spanish to the girls. I find myself saying something in Spanish every once in a while.

After lunch we put together gift bags and had another teaching session. Beth gave her powerful testimony which led to us following up with sharing a bit about the need to forgive. I asked the girls if there was someone on their life they needed and wanted to forgive and every hand shot up. So we prayed. It's amazing how open and eager they are to do what is right. You can see in their faces they are listening intently and they just need to be taught what to do and they will do it. I was so impressed. Then we had the girls play a game where we drew numbers. Each number had a question they had to answer and we got to know some of their stories. We asked very personal questions and I was so pleased they were open to answering them. Questions like tell us how you came to be here, what was your family like before you came here, what do you want God to do in your life, when was a time you were afraid or when was a time you were happy. It was sweet to get to know them more and after they answered we gave them a gift. Also, as they answered questions I got to encourage them and pray over them as appropriate.

There is one woman here that Randa told us more about and I am so amazed. She is the life of the party, a strong woman with a lot of personality. It is clear that she is a leader. But she has been in the home multiple times, each time she leaves she has fallen prey once again to being manipulated back into prostitution. Ronda told us that last time she left she was working and some people convinced her to move with them to somewhere else for a job that would make more money. She believed them and they ended up kidnapping her and she was not able to get free for 3 years. Because she had become a Christian she refused to sleep with men. So they beat her. Her body is scarred from it. This is the woman I told you that learned massage. Because she refused to sleep with the men, even after beatings they taught her to massage instead. Eventually she got free again, I am not sure how and she is back in the center. She has begged Randa to let her stay and Randa said if someone can sponsor her at $40/month then she could employ her at the women's center and keep her around so she does not fall prey again to the same things. When she answered her question "what do you want to do when you leave this place" she said only to have a trade that she can do to keep her from falling back into her old life. Big sigh, our lives are so blessed. You can't even imagine the tragedy these people live with every day. Every one of them have had incredible pain and yet they are so joyful, so beautiful.

One thing I have enjoyed so much is hearing Randa's story. Her and Setan have an amazing, amazing testimony. Randa survived the killing fields, not many people did. She hasn't told us any details about that, mostly talks about after she survived. She said it is still to painful to talk of and so her and Setan wrote a book and they pretty much just ask you to read the book if you want to know more. I can't wait to read it. Even after the war was over, when they came back to Cambodia they were imprisoned and accused of being CIA spies from the US. Randa laughed and told them no, CIA stands for Christians in Action and that yes, they were CIA's, but not spies. Her spunk and lack of fear is incredible. I guess when you have looked death in the face as they both have it takes away the sting. Her faith is so simple and childlike, yet so strong and unshakeable. She is truly and amazing servant, gentle, humble, and with compassion the likes of which I have never seen before. Words can't describe the richness she has taught me about life in 2 short days. Anyway, she was sharing how the whole situation has opened up the gospel in Cambodia. Before Pol Pot took power, evangelism was not allowed at all. Thru the genocide, only 300 Christians survived in the entire nation. But now, God has granted Setan and Randa good relations with the King, and government officials and they have given them their blessing for them to evangelize. They have actually not allowed it for many other organizations, but Transformasia they do allow. They do because they see that they are helping people and having such a huge impact for the good. So out of the death and tragedy of so many people, it is like God used this to propel his message forward and multiply the harvest. It is amazing how God can take the worst of life and use it for His good. If you want to read their book, you can get it on Amazon. Setan gave our team an electronic copy but I found it just by searching for Setan Lee on Amazon. The book is called "Miracles in the Forgotten Land and Beyond", I would highly suggest it.

After all that, we came back to sleep at our hotel. We had dinner at the hotel. Phad Thai, fried rice and cashew chicken, the real deal...very yummy! Beth, Karen and I got to visit and debrief about our experience so far. Both of them are great additions to the team. Karen laughs easy, loves kids and is so much fun. Same with Beth. They balance out my over serious nature which is nice. It's been easy to have a good time with them.

Well, I better get to bed because I know the day will start over again very early!!! I will let you know tomorrow what adventure awaits us next.