I have just finished reading a most interesting book for job hunters “What Colour is Your Parachute” by Richard N Bolles. You may ask, Why? As I’m not job hunting. I read somewhere this book help you to know what lifestyle best suits your own personal gifting’s and talents. Where you would feel most fulfilled and how to recognise your own personal mission in life. I love finding out more about how we all tick such as the Briggs Myers personality types test as they challenge my way of thinking, which is a good thing. These tests remind me that we are not all made the same, that my way is not the only way and to be more tolerant of others who operate from a different world perspective. There is always something new to learn about ourselves and others and Bolles gives some practical tips to enable us to find a deeper understand of our own personal calling or vocation in life. My life has been enriched having read Bolles’ book. It confirms I am on the right track as I follow my heart and the gifts and talents God has deposited within me.
For the last 3 days of the Khmer New Year holidays I took the 6 older girls at the children’s centre for an hour of Bible studies from the book of Matthew 5&6. My desire was to help the girls understand the Fathers love for them and how in everyday circumstances He is watching over them. He not only provides, He leads and guides them to the future He has for them but He also wants to talk with them. I wanted them to recognise it’s a relationship of father-daughter that He wants with them and they can come to Him at any time about anything or just to sit in His presence and enjoy His love. We talked about everyday situations, challenges, disappointments and where they have already seen His hand in their lives. What gifting’s and talents they have, their dreams and future plans. It was a good time in which I also got to know them better.
The day after Martin and Deborah left for a month in Korea, I plugged in the little rice cooker to get some cooking done early before the heat of the day. Unbeknown to me there was a fault in the electrical cord and it blew a fuse! There was no power in our house. This was also just as Yu Jin was leaving for the village ministry, so she was unable to help with her Khmer. I also found out the landlady was not around so she couldn’t assist either so I waited for the other HisChild team members to wake up. Help finally arrived by 9am and the power was back on within minutes. Praise the Lord!
Then Yu Jin arrives home at 10am and reminds me we are out for lunch. Phew! I’m glad she reminded me I was just about to go out! We joined the rest of the team with Jung Young driving us into PP for an amazing Korea lunch. No need for dinner tonight! Jung Young is the HisChild director, she has just returned from furlough.
Before Deborah left she had arranged for our usual tuk tuk driver to pick me up on Sunday for church. As it ha
ppened he was busy on Sunday so had arranged for a friend to take me which I didn’t mind as this driver spoke English. Before the service started at church one of the elders who came over to chat. He had remembered me as he had prayed for me previously for my back. I explained this was my last Sunday here which prompted him to suggest I go forward from prayer during the prayer time. I did and was blessed by two members of the prayer team who prayed that the Lord would lead me as I left on the next step of my adventure.
On my way home from church there had been a terrible accident with a motorbike driver and the back of a big four wheel drive ute. As we approached the bike rider was being dragged, no thought for a possible back injury, to the side of the road as other commuters were weaving their bikes around the accident scene. As we drew near I could see the rider had a huge gash on his forehead which oozed blood, there was more blood on the road where his thongs (flipflops, jangles) and part of the bike lay. I didn’t notice a helmet although the law is to wear one. The man’s clothing on his right arm and leg were torn to reveal large bloody gashes. A policeman already on the scene was shouting instructions to bystanders who had begun milling around the site of the accident. I felt helpless as we too manoeuvred our way around the vehicles. There was not much I could do to help without a good command of the language. So I prayed.
Only two days earlier one of our Korean team members had just had an amazing escape from a potentially disastrous motorbike accident. A car unexpectantly turned right across his path. His quick thinking to avoid a head on collision was to thrust the motorbike out of the path of the oncoming car and slide across the road. Fortunately he come away with only badly grazed hands and a sc
rape to his knee. I’m sure it was the prayers of the saints that kept him safe!
The roads here can be mayhem! Everyone being a law unto themselves doing whatever felt right in their own eyes, which is often putting their own safety and the safety of others at great risk.
Monday started off with no wifi! Then a tuk tuk into the Thai Embassy where I waited for over an hour to find out my visa application was rejected (more about that in my next blog). On route home I stopped off to get some yogurt at Lucky supermarket. None of the brand I prefer (without sugar). Home and still no wifi. Collected my computer and off to Rosewood to cool down with a cappuccino and aircon. I also needed to make some urgent correspondence re my Thai visa application. I was still trusting the Lord would make a way where there seemed to be no way in the very little time I had left. By the time I reached home the wifi was back but the water was off and remained off till late. I was feeling quite despondent. Then to top it all off when I was opening the kitchen window, to let the cool evening breeze in, it just fell out! aaahhhhhh! What was it with this Monday? At least the glass hadn’t broken and the toilet hadn’t blocked today and we had a full day without power failure! I AM thankful for these small blessings. It was time to go to bed and pray that Tuesday would be better!
Before I leave Cambodia I would like to mention a worthy NGO (non-government organisation) called Daughters.
A few weeks back Martin and Deborah took me to visit Sugar ‘n Spice Café operated by the Daughters of Cambodia. Daughters of Cambodia is a faith-based organization reaching out to victims of sex-trafficking and sex-exploitation in Cambodia. They tirelessly work to eradicate enslavement in the sex industry by offering to those trapped in it, opportunities to walk free and start a new life. Daughters’ operates a Centre in the heart of an area of Phnom Penh brothels, where young women and men wishing to leave sex work can start a new life, through employment in one of the 8 fair-trade businesses and a range of social and psychological services. Daughters has developed a unique model in Cambodia, one in which sex workers come direct to the organization from the brothels by their own free choice. They come because they are already motivated to change their lives, the programs empower them to set themselves free and teach them how to sustain their new lives for the long term. Daughters goal is to empower young men and women whilst avoiding the aid-dependent approaches prevalent in this part of the world. It is not run as a shelter, but offer jobs in the Daughters businesses whilst teaching and empowering those in the programs to change their own lives. This model operates fair-trade workplaces, with good working conditions, higher salaries than average, training, daycare, medical treatment, counselling, life-skills classes and opportunities to learn about the love of God for them. There are at least 100 girls helped each year to permanently walk free from sex-work, and to experience psychological healing and quality of life through the Daughters of Cambodia programs.
An increasing awareness of the plight of male transsexual sex workers in Cambodia prompted the extend Daughters project in 2010 to include this unreached population of precious human beings whose lives are caught up in slavery of a different kind. The ‘sons’ are employed in wood-craft workshop and silk-screen printing workshop both provided by the Daughters program. The ‘sons’ are then promoted to positions of responsibility as they learn workplace skills.
Aromas of coffee and baked goods emanate from the Sugar & Spice Cafés in PP. In the café, around 10 clients are employed, and learn skills in culinary arts, customer service and hospitality skills that will one day enable them to move on to jobs in the city’s high-end hotels. Upstairs on one of the Sugar & Spice cafe is the Phnom Penh House of Prayer. Here the three of us spent time seeking the Lord, presenting our requests and reflecting on His great love.
On that note I will close.
Pictures: 1. Rain Shower flowers 2. Korean Lunch 3. Me and Jung Young 4. Martin, Deborah me and Yu Jin 5. Daughters
Prayer & Praise Points:
Praise the Lord for His protection and safety on the roads.
I praise the Lord for an opportunity to take Bible studies with some of the older girls from the centre.
Please keep us all in your prayers for ongoing good health and safety especially on the roads.
Pray also for me and for the Lord’s intervention with my 3 month Thai visa. And for His leading as I organise my trip through Thailand. Pray that I will also be able to return after the 3 months for another short visit before my trip to India.
Praise the Lord for watching over my Mum, and her ongoing health. Thank you all for keeping her in your prayers, please continue to pray she will remain in good health.
Thank you all for standing with me in prayer as I continue on my adventure. Not long now I will be on a new adventure in the distant hills of Chiang Mai.