Reflections ~ Part 1

Hi Everyone! We made it back to this amazing country where we have so much to be thankful for late Saturday night. Most of us cried our eyes out as we left Cambodia. As much as we were anxious to see our loved ones back home, leaving a place in such need AND the amazing friends we made, like Theara Sath, was like tearing our heart out!

I was super intentional on making notes of culutral differences in Cambodia with the plan to share with you all. I love learning about other cultures and maybe some of you do too:

1) In the rainy season, it pretty much rains every evening. It rained every evening while we were there. There was one night that it didn't rain until after we were in bed.

2)Very warm and very humid every day. The girls at the FREEDOM CENTER (Halfway House) did an Asian straighening thing on my hair, but it only lasted an hour in this humid climate! BUMMER!

3) It is beautiful. There were banana trees, coconut trees, palm trees, rice fields, and exotic fruits and flowers everwhere. The people live in such sad conditions that there is such irony in what we saw with extreme natural beauty and extreme poverty and filth.

4) Their potties are typically "squatties" with no toliet paper, trash cans, soap, or towels. To flush, you simply scoop up some water and pour into the toilet bowl that is inset into the ground. Voila! Needless to say, we used LOTS of germX. We were fortunate enough to have western toilets most places we visited. We only met a few squatties.

5) Their "napkins" for eating were basically sectioned toilet paper squares and I am not talking Charmin either.

6) There is very little sanitation in this country. There was trash on the ground everywhere. Trash cans were very difficult to find anywhere with the exception of the hotel rooms and airport.

7) They fish by getting into the water with nets. We saw lots of people up to their necks in flood water fishing away.

8) Most Cambodians seem to make their livings by selling something either from their shanties or in a market. Children are expected to work and sell things as well. The first born daughter is supposed to support her family.

9) The roads: There is no order to their driving. Most folks drive MOTOS which are a cross between a motorcycle and a moped. I think I saw ONE stop sign the entire trip. If you want to turn, you just honk and go for it. I am pretty sure that my attemp at driving in Cambodia should be considered a suicide attempt.

10) The food was ok. They eat a lot of rice, fish, and chicken. Pineapples, mangos, dragon fruit, fruits that I don't know the name of that we called eyeballs and hairballs, papaya, passionfruit, etc. My favorite things I ate that was Khmer was banana chips, passionfriut juice, and a very crisp pancake.

11) The coffee was not good. It tasted instant almost everywhere. I had a lot of hot tea! I also loved lime juice drinks. Fruit smoothies are everywhere and many team members loved them!

12) The electricity was pretty sketchy. It was not uncommon for the power to go off and on at any given time.

13) The government owns most of the land in the country. To own property, you have to be wealthy. Most families squat somewhere.

14) The water has a very different smell to it. After we got our clothing washed there, our clothes smelled just like their water. I don't even know how to describe it. It wasn't overtly offensive, but it was very strange. The smell of their cooking had a very unique smell as well. I am not sure if was the cooking oil or the gas they used to heat with that created the smell, but it take a lot of getting used to.

15) The inside of any building (business or otherwise) was very bare basic. The people really seem to appreciate very intricate and fancy details when it comes to furniture and sculptures, but that is it with decor. Walls in the evenings were usually decorated with live GEKOS! Gekos are everywhere there!

16) The country is 95% Buddhist. No matter the sad state of their homes, they all had these large decorative structures called SPIRIT HOUSES sitting out front. They would put food, flowers, incense and other offerings on these. Inside many business, they had a fancy set-up with a Budda on the floor where the same type of offerings are given.

17) In the towns, there was constant chanting and dingly music.

18) Throughout the country there was all poverty with a big fancy PAGODA (Buddhist Chapel) every so many miles.

17) There didn't seem to be any health codes when it came to restaurant cooking. We saw pots being washed with hoses in the back allies and thousands of things that would be instant violations here in the states. Because of God's grace, we only had a few instances of tummy problems.

18) Clothing for children is optional. We saw lots of naked babies and children. It's not like they need it to stay warm.

19) It is their custom to remove your shoes before entering any structure.

20) When you greet a Khmer, you put your hands together and bow your head.

21) The people loved having their pictures taken.

22) When you shop, bartering is customary.

23) The cows and chickens are a sign that your family is making it ok. They are the skinniest chickens and cows I have ever seen.

24) A fun thing for kids seemed to be riding water buffaloes which are everywhere!

25) They siesta in the afternoons. Most of them had a hammock for that.

26) Cobras are revered in the country. Almost every town has a huge cobra structure with either 5, 7, or 9 heads.

27) Many girls were wearing long sleeves, sweat suites or even turtle necks! I think this was all in the name of fashion. Girls will be girls everywhere. The children loved to wear pajama sets as daily outfits. They think they are quite cute and fashionable!

28) After struggles with my feet not fitting on the stairs many places, bonking my head mulitple times multiple places, and being rejected at a shoe market, I realized Cambodia is not designed for tall people!

29) You can get an amazing massage for $5!! I ended 3 days of ministry with one. I will have massage withdraws! The Thai massage was the best.

30) HUMAN LABOR and SEX TRAFFICKING is everywhere, on every corner, affecting nearly every family. It is rampant and a problem we should all be aware of as it is happening here in the USA more and more everyday. Men from all over the world fly into Cambodia just to have sex with young girls. Children as young as 3 are selling wears everywhere in Cambodia. These children are obviously slaves working for some labor-lord. Several of us were asked to purchase children by mothers! Things are desperate in Cambodia which causes the slave laborers to be continually successful.

Before I wrap up, I want to say personal thank yous to:
Chad Burghart (you are the husband God designed for me. Thank you so much for your support and being the best daddy ever.),

My mom and dad (Thanks for spoiling the family while I was gone and for not laying down in front of the airplane during take-off. I know you worried, but it was a trip meant to be.)

My in-laws (thanks for all the support and all the help while I was away. I am sorry I missed the birthday celebration.),

Susan Roberts (I know you serve the kids because you love them and it is one of your talents and gifts, but I whole-heartedly say prayers of thanks for you daily.)

Joshua Foster and Tyler Copp (You are very good boys. You make every Sunday bright and your willingness to teach these kids about Jesus is beyond impressive. I love you both!)

Jennifer Siebert and anyone else who likely stepped in and covered gapping holes I likely left behind! LOVE YOU!

Last Day in Cambodia

Hi Everyone! Today is our last day here in Cambodia. We fly out of Phnom Pehn at 6 tonight. We will need the long journey home to begin our processing of all that we have witnessed and experienced. Not only did we get to see what RAPHA HOUSE does in its amazing efforts in prevention, healing, and reintegration for girls that have been sexually exploited, but we have also soaked in how the people of this country live. It is so vastly different from the place that I live that I can't go back and view the world the same. It simply CAN'T happen. I will share many of the differences we have observed in a later blog. We have been compiling a list.

I want to say thank you to those who supported this journey for me financially. Because of what you gave, I was able to:

* Help purchase bedding, storage, and supplies for the FREEDOM CENTER in Phnom Pehn. Your dollar goes a long way here and can cover a lot of needs!

* Give money to the RAPHA bride and her new husband to help start their life together. She gets to be pure once again thanks to her healing in God. AMEN? The wedding was so touching. (And Randy, your pictures are coming when I get home.)

* Give $150 towards one of the rescued girls medical needs. Her eyes were damaged while in slavery, and she needs surgery. She loves to sing and has the most beautiful voice.

*Give money to the Kids Club which provides needs for the street kids in Phnom Phen.

* We were also able to purchase things that the RAPHA girls made such as purses and jewelry. Each girl gets paid some money for each item that she makes and sales which teaches her empowerment, confidence, and opens the door to learn money management. The rest goes to support the SAFE HOUSE.

* I am most thankful for the opportunity I was given to come here. I needed to be here. I am honored to be a voice for these girls who do not have one themselves. I will forever support RAPHA HOUSE and their efforts to fight for these girls every step of the way. They have lived nightmare childhoods and deserve a chance. They need to know there is hope in this dark world. My hope is that you all will feel compelled to support this cause. Meeting these girls solidifies how worth it they are.

It will take many of us from this team time to re-adapt to things when we get home. Likewise, it may take time for us to be ready to fully share our hearts and stories with you. Please be patient with us. We will share and probably not shut-up once we are ready.

LOVE to you all one last time from Cambodia.

Wedding Day in Cambodia

We have done SO much since my last post that I might miss telling you some things. Yesterday morning we did our last staff devotions in Battambang. A couple of us went into the ugly cry. These people are so amazing. The love Jesus and they love helping these girls AND fighting for justice. There is no way to describe our love and appreciation for them. They will forever be in my heart and prayers.

After that, we headed up to Siem Reap which was a 3 hr trip via bus. Siem Reap was best described by Pastor Ron when he said it is like a Cambodian Branson. It is the most "touristy" place in Cambodia. They are best known for their NIGHT MARKET. There is a smaller safe house here. They did secure some land where they can build larger facilities soon. Praise GOD for the funding that they have received for that so far.

We went to RAPHA after making it into town and did devotions with them. It was wonderful. The girls here were all around 14 and over, and many of them could speak some English. I enjoyed them very much. We didn't get a lot of time with them this time. But, we will get more time with them at the wedding and several different times over the next few days. This staff seems just as amazing! One memory is our GRAND entrance we made. We had wade through diseased water for quite a distance to get to the house. I was not in my happy place. But, it was worth every step to get to these precious girls!!

After that, we went to the NIGHT MARKET where we practiced our bartering skills. It was such an adventure and experience. We will go back again late tonight. It was sort of like our craft fairs at home. There were some artists, but you never have to pay full price. It is fun to see what bargains we can come up with.

We are currently back at the hotel between the wedding ceremony and reception. To experience the wedding of one of these girls makes us all very emotional once again. The bride and groom are just precious!! They really go all out for weddings here. In fact they usually last 3 days. This one felt American in a lot of ways, but I was reminded that it isn't American, it is Christian. So, off to the reception I go where we will mix with the RAPHA girls and celebrate ultimate healing in Jesus.

LOVE TO YOU ALL!!!

Cambodia ~ Day 7

Good morning from a rainy Battambang. Pray for the rain to stop!! They DO NOT need anymore rain anywere in SE Asia. Levees are breaking, people are drowning, water is unsafe to drink in many parts, and of course DISEASE is breaking out. We are seeing adults and children walking around in waiste deep water like it is business as usual.

We are packing up and getting ready to head over to Siem Reap which is a big tourist city because of the Angkor Watt Temple that was built around 1200 AC. There is a smaller safe house there, so we will once again meet some precious RAPHA girls and staff and spend some time with them. We will be attending a wedding tomorrow. A former RAPHA girl is getting married. What a thing to celebrate. Our entire team is so excited to be a part of this amazing experience. She has healed so much that she is going on to live a rich full life. And, to have a Kmher (Cambodian) husband that is willing to let her share her story and love her even after her nightmare life, is a wonderful thing to celebrate. In this culture, these girls are damaged goods. I think we get to take pictures!!

Yesterday was a difficult day. We had to say goodbye to the girls here in Battambang. The way it works when we are at RAPHA is that the girls pick one of us and attach themselves to us, so we each end up bonded with several girls. They know we are leaving, and it is difficult on them to let us go and even more difficult on us to leave them. The best thing is knowing that RAPHA is the best place for them right now. My girls were so beautiful. I cannot share their names for their protection. They definitely have part of my heart, and I pray that they realize their hopes and dreams and understand that having them is ok!

One of our team members got sick last night. We aren't sure if it is food related or a bug she picked up. Pray that she feels better quickly and that no one else gets sick. We have been so blessed with safety and health up to this point, so pray that continues!

I want to share with you all what Cambodia is like very soon. I am making notes, so I share as much as I can think of for you.

If you see my family, hug them for me.