We are getting ready to head to Church at the Rapha House here in Battambang. I am really excited. Ron is going to preach and all the RAPHA girls and staff will be there as well as a few folks from the community. It should be a morning of worship to remember!
The Director of the RAPHA Houses over here is Soom (sp?). He has 2 goals. One is to rehabilitate these girls for a safe reintegration into their villages but also to plant churches in Cambodia and Thailand. He already has 7 planted. He sees the girls as being a part of that process one day. This country is 95% Buddhist and 3% Muslim. Soom is an amazing Cambodian!
Yesterday we were able to tour all of the Battambang RAPHA HOUSE facilties including the FREEDOM CENTER. The FC is their HALFWAY HOUSE. It is heartwarming to see what is being done for these girls. At the RH, they are treated with lots of counseling and work with social workers as part of their recovery. They also have the opportunity to seek JUSTICE for their particular situation. Many of the girls have court dates to fight for justice and work against sex trafficking in their country. When RH feels the girls are getting close enough for reintegration, they go to the FREEDOM center to fully develope their lifeskills and to develope a trade. The trades for women in this country that can produce a sustainable living are hairstyling and sewing. So, these girls start with that. They learn both. However, if there are girls that have a specific interest in something else like accounting or social work, this RAPHA team helps them get started with that too. Basically, RAPHA HOUSE does anything and everything you can think of in the recovery process and future success for these beautiful young ladies.
While visiting the FC yesterday, we let them practice their skills on us. Some of us got our nails done. Others got their hair colored, cut, or straightened. It was precious to watch the girls work and learn. They were so sweet. The girl that straightened my hair was SO PROUD of her work that it made me cry to watch her. I LOVE ALL OF THESE GIRLS! It has to be so rewarding to watch them come in so traumatized all leave to start a life of healing and success.
Due to pending court cases and the UBER need for protection for these girls, we cannot take and post pictures of the facilities or the girls.
As for our group, we are all doing well. God has blessed a group of this size greatly. We are all jumping in with both feet. I am so proud of each and every person on this team. We are all in it for HIS glory!!!
I hope you all have a blessed Sunday in worship tomorrow. God is love! That is the devotion we taught the girls last night. AND, pray for us....We are going on a TUK TUK ride this afternoon. If you knew what these roads were like, you would know why we need prayer for that one! YIKES!!!
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