You see, I was not prepared (nor could I have been) to receive such a wonderful blessing from two beautiful, bright eyed little girls aged 8 and 10. We were sent halfway around the world to hopefully be a blessing to them, and I believe each of us accomplished that task in our individual ways. But God is good and had more planned than we could imagine.

When we arrived at Rapha House on Friday night, we were greeted by 100 precious young ladies. After they danced and sang for us we were treated to a wonderful dinner with them. Following dinner we then had some time to get acquainted with them, dancing and just having fun. It was during this fun time that the 8 year old named Champei (no real names are used in any of these blogs to protect the identity of the girls) and the 10 year old named Maly chose to get my attention. It must have been the “grandfather image” or something like that. We chased each other around and just plain had fun. After about an hour they both stopped, looked into my eyes and absolutely stunned me with Champei asking me to be her “daddy”. As I tried to keep my composure on the outside, this 58 year old husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather was collapsing on the inside. I knelt down and gave them each a huge hug as the tears flooded my eyes and streamed down my face. I could hardly believe that God gave me that moment.

Then came Sunday. After church we spent the day and in the early evening we gave them the dolls that so many in our congregation helped pay for and made the clothes for. The looks on all their faces were priceless. We then had a couple hours to spend with them before leaving.

It was during this couple hours that God allowed me to have another blessing. As I sat on the front steps of Rapha House, Maly (the 10 year old) came over and sat down beside me with her new doll and let me put my arm around her. After about 10 minutes Champei (the 8 year old) came and sat down next to me on the other side with her new doll. I put my arm around her and held them both as they snuggled up to me as close as they could. This is how we spent the next 90 minutes or so. I suddenly realized that they were not about to walk away from something they never get. The love of a father! A father that was not about to hurt or damage them! A father they could trust to hold them tight without expectations of anything! 

It was then I realized how God had orchestrated this time for these three individuals to be blessed beyond belief. When God asks us to come to Him and be healed, promising to forget our past, I knew He was allowing me to love these two precious girls without a thought of their past, a past that they had no control over. When I looked into their eyes I could see past the hurt, into their very souls that at this moment in time were souls of an 8 and 10 year old wanting nothing more than to be loved. Thank you Jesus for the blessings of these beautiful girls, and for giving me the chance to be a blessing to them.  As I prepared to leave for the next phase of our journey I hugged them tightly and gave each of them a kiss on the forehead, telling them I loved them and to be good. I knew at that point, regardless of their pain, that Jesus would be sure to take care of them. I hope to someday see them again, but I know they will always have a chunk of my heart with them………Jack 

Thank you so much for all of your prayers and support–and thank you to everyone who posted on this blog. It was a joy to read everyones thoughts throughout the week. It was truly an amazing experience to be a part of this team and take on this extraordinary adventure to a new land. We were blessed with great weather, good health, and a great guide to help us through the week. I couldn’t have imagined a trip to go as well as it did. Thinking back on it now, I realize how blessed we were and how God was with us the entire time.

Before we left on Sunday, my dad hugged me and said to me, “Just remember, Immanuel.” He asked me if I knew what it meant. I did. “God is with us.” How amazing it is to know that God was behind us the entire time, helping us through the week, inspiring us to do good and to make a difference in people’s lives. There was never a point at which I felt unsafe, for I knew that God was protecting our team.

I encourage everyone to keep up the prayers for the girls at the Rapha House and the children at Kid’s club. If you could see their sweet faces, you would see the joy in their eyes, the hope in their smiles, and you would know that God is protecting them.

God Bless you all

Jessica

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brehtren. Morever whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:28-31

First off – what are the odds that 13 adults can all be reached on a Sunday afternoon and make it to one destination in about two hours?   Virtually nil.   But that is what happened on our very first day.   Our very first flight was canceled (the one from Detroit to Chicago) the day before it was to depart.  Plan B was quickly put into effect (who knew there was a Plan B?) and all of us were contacted and at the church ready to ride in vehicles to Chicago.   We had to make that flight to Seoul or the trip would be in serious jeopardy.   We made it; think God was looking out for us?

In Chicago, many of us listened to John’s advice and stayed up the whole night playing the Great Dalmouti.   By staying up, this would more quickly allow us to acclimate ourselves to Cambodia time.  As miserable as this was (the staying up part), it seemed to work.  It has been much more difficult acclimating myself back to Michigan time.   Staying up that first night allowed us to get to know our teammates much better prior to departing.   Watch out for Tara and Jessica as they seemed to hog the Greater and Lesser Dalmouti seats half the night!

Our first day was very sobering as we visited a couple of genocide museums.  I knew a bit about the Khmer Rouge – but didn’t quite know to what extent they had inflicted torture, suffering, and death on such a large part of the population.   They eliminated most of the educated people (and their families) in the country in the late 1970′s.  No wonder it has been such a very slow recovery for Cambodia.

After a day of thinking about genocide and why Cambodia is in such a mess yet today; it was great to relax in a beautiful pool that evening, doing the backstroke and looking up at the stars and knowing God was watching over us.   I’m not much for swimming generally, but our hotel pool at night was such a relief.

The next morning we were at Kids Club.  Though there was some shelter, it was basically an outside facility.   It took a few minutes for me to follow Greg’s lead and take my shoes off and walk on an outdoor tile to join in the lesson.  I could easily imagine the outdoor tiles being a place where kids did a lot of drooling and other stuff, mixed in with the dirty, dry Cambodian dust.  Ultimately I told myself that if I’m going to make it through the rest of this trip, I’m going to have to drop some of my Western ways.   So, I took my shoes off and joined in on the fun.   I didn’t think much of this thereafter, but that first stocking foot step was difficult – I stood outside the doorway a good little while.

The Kids Club kids were super.   We tried to compare the size of the Jackfruit growing on the tree to the size of Harvey’s head.   Close, but the Jackfruit was larger.

That evening we were back at Kids Club.   The population had quadrupled.  When you are traveling with your own Goliath (Big John), it is hard to pass on doing the story of David and Goliath.   Tara read the story, Theara intrpreted it, and John played his part well as he was struck down by a Cambodian boy playing David.  I didn’t see John on the red carpet a the Oscar’s last night – but he did a good job.

After travel by bus, out next three days were mostly spent with the Rapha House girls.   It was Friday evening and the girls were prepared to perform a number of dances and songs for us.   They were fantastic.   I had two little girls sitting behind me.   Every now and then they would poke me in the shoulder.   I’d turn around and make a funny face at them (easy for me to do) and they would giggle and sit back in their chairs.   The very last song of the night was “Give Thanks” and these two little girls knew all the words, in English, and it was certainly the sweetest singing I had ever heard.  It was then that I knew that Rapha House had to be a special place.   I would later hear of some of the terrible ordeals some of the girls had been through, including the two that were poking me.  For them to now have something to be Giving Thanks for (at the top of their little lungs) is truly a wonder.

My wife, Elaine,  could not believe it, but on Saturday, I got a pedicure.  The girls from the Rapha Freedom Foundation wanted to practice their trades, so most of us either got a manicure, pedicure, or hair cut or colored.   The girl who did my feet deserved combat pay.   Her name was Sopheap.  A very sweet, shy girl – maybe about 16 or so.  I was happy later when we went out for ice cream that (despite working on my feet) she was willing to sit next to me.  She seemed to open up a bit more at desert, and I was later told that she’d not been doing well of late.   Hopefully her laughing at my ugly feet, and later my singing,  gave her some relief!

At a new Rapha House in another town a couple days later we met with some new girls.   There were only about 15 or so of them, so we could almost be one on one with the girls.   There was a girl, maybe not as pretty as the others, that seemed to be staying to herself as frisbees and footballs and bubbles were flying all around.  I asked her if she would want to bounce a super ball, and showed her how.   She indicated she would like to do that.  So, we did.  At times others would join in and we’d bounce it around a triangle.  But, they’d get bored and move on to something else.   But, Jorani and I would continue.   Back and forth and back and forth.    I remembered how much I liked to play catch with my father when I was young.  I guessed that Jorani never had a similar opportunity.  She probably never had much one on one attention at all, ever.   So, we kept bouncing the ball.   One young girl brought me a flower to put behind my ear.  I did.   But, it seemed kind of silly; so after a while I asked Jorani if I could put it behind her ear.   She said yes, and was very still as I awkwardly placed it on her.   Then, we were back to bouncing the ball.  We eventually had to leave.  It was difficult as in that one hour of bouncing a ball, we seemed to have connected – just a bit.    Jorani told me she loved me as I left, and I told her I loved her too.  It was very touching what a little attention can do to these young broken girls.  It was just so hard to believe the terrible cruelties Jorani and the others had been through.

Coming back, it’s been hard to not have the kids on my mind.  Continue praying for the children of Cambodia and for our wisdom in making the best of our resources to help them out more.     Fred

As we said goodbye to the girls of Rapha House they told us “I love you. God bless you. Please come back.” And then they said the words that brought tears to our eyes: “Please don’t forget me.” How could we? Your names and faces are forever written our hearts.

Randy

Beef salad with red ants

Salad Binladen

Dove on fire

Sour morning glory soup with snake head fish

Fried poisean (Bad spelling or bad dish? You be the judge)

Fried appendiox  chicken with pepper (bad spelling…?)

Fried mama (don’t want to know)

- Randy

The grounds are rather unique and have a huge agricultural area.   We saw their fish being fed and learned a bit about growing mushrooms for profit.

After lunch we had the most “Western” meal of the trip.   Burritos with some pretty yummy fruit drinks.   At least mine was pretty yummy.

We then had desert (and some more surprise food) with the girls from the Rapha Freedom Foundation.  These girls are a step away from Rapha, living in a halfway house not too far away and continuing to learn their trades prior to fully leaving the program.    We had an absolutely fantastic time with the girls.

The group of girls that John, Harvey, and myself sat with were a blast.     They asked us to sing to them and we took full advantage of it, singing our favorite TV show tunes such as the Flintstones, Gilligan’s Island, and more!   Harvey knew the words even better than I did, but between us we got through a bunch!   We traded off with singing with the girls back and forth (okay – we probably hogged the floor a little more)  but just had a great time.

Later we went back to Rapha where we participated in devotions and then had the great opportunity of providing gifts of dolls to all the girls.   They were a huge hit and a few of the little girls were just extremely excited.   I later even talked to one of the older girls (age 18) and asked if she had ever had a doll before.   She hadn’t, she was an orphan, and never had had a doll in all her childhood years.   She was very appreciative and thanked us over and over.

We spent the late afternoon playing and talking with the girls.  Though most don’t know much English, they seemed to all know this thumb wrestling game which I hadn’t played in 40 some years or so.  It was very sad and humbling to see the girls for the last time and it was a real emotional roller coaster kind of day for all of us.

It has been a real blessing to be part of this trip so far and I am greatly looking forward to our adventure traveling by boat to our next stop tomorrow.   God bless all of you for keeping us in your prayers.

Fred

For the past day and a half each team member has had a girl approach them and take their hand and ask “Would you be my mother (father, grandmother, grandfather, sister)?” Some have asked : “Do you love me?” How could we not? Chris has often said since our trip last year that the only way she can handle the situation emotionally is to block out the reality of the abuse these girls have suffered. I haven’t figured out how to do that. Last night at the welcome party many of the girls performed traditional Khmer dances for us. As I watched them dance, especially the younger ones (some as young as 6 years old), I could not help but think “How could someone be so evil as to see these tender children as sex objects?” And my heart broke once more over at the hell they have been through.

One of my favorite children is a little ball of energy who speaks excellent English. I was especially impressed by this because when we met her last year she had just arrived from being trafficked in Thailand. I mentioned this to Theara and she said “Oh, she speaks or understands 6 languages.” I asked how such a young girl could from a poor country could know so many languages, and when the question was half-spoken the thought came to me that I didn’t want to hear the answer. As I had feared she said “Her traffickers taught her so she could communicate with the customers.” I’ m not sure that I can talk to her tomorrow without weeping.

Tomorrow we deliver the dolls and with them the love that you share for the girls of Rapha House. Tomorrow night we say goodbye. Pray for us. We will need it. And pray passionately for these precious, beautiful, innocent yet scarred little girls. They need it so much more.

Randy

Yesterday we spent our day at Kid’s Club, which is a ministry run by Theara for children in her backyard. During their time there, they are able to play, share, and learn about God’s word. During our time there, we played with the children, read a Bible story, and helped them make their very own faith bracelets. The children got a huge kick out of our cameras, and they loved having their pictures taken. They were so precious–their smiles could light up an entire room, and once they came up to you to hold your hand and ask for your affection you knew that God was at work in their hearts and minds–that He was keeping them safe and happy in His loving embrace. It was wonderful to share that moment with them.

After we played with the children we walked through Theara’s village. I’m drawing a blank on what to write about this–except that it was in complete poverty. I’m afraid there’s not a better way to put it. It was moving to walk through the village and see first hand how these people were living. They had no water, no toilets, barely any food, and their children ran around half naked in the dirt. When you looked in their eyes you could see the struggles they were going through.

And yet…the children were experiencing joy on so many levels. Every game we played brought a smile to each of their faces. It’s amazing that something so little can make such a huge difference in a person’s life. It’s sad to think that we have so much–a house, running water, food every day, a family, and clean clothes, and yet we complain so much about the smallest things. Seeing this kind of poverty really helped us to understand that we are so blessed with everything that we have. Not only that, but we are called to share those blessings with others. What a wonderful world it would be if we could all share everything we had. What a wonderful world it would be if everyone lived in the footsteps of Jesus. What a wonderful world it would be…

Many people praise us for the work we’re doing, and some others don’t quite understand it.

Greg had a great devotional the other night. He read a story from the book, One Month to Live. The story goes like this: A man is walking on a beach when he notices a bunch of starfish washed ashore. The sun is out, and it’s a very hot day. The man knows the starfish don’t have a chance of surviving in the heat, yet he wishes that he could save them all. He continues his walk and sees a young boy throwing starfish into the sea one by one. The man asks the boy, “Why are you even trying? You will not make a difference, for you cannot save them all. They will die in the sun anyways…”  The young boy looks at the man, throws another starfish into the sea and says, “I just made all the difference for that one.”

What a powerful story…

It’s encouraging to know that even when you cannot save the world, you can make a huge difference just by being in another person’s life. Spending time with the children reminded us that even the smallest of things–a simple hug, a handshake, or a smile, can make the biggest difference.

God Bless.

—Jessica

Tara

Louise:I Love You  –Jack

Ready to get on the plane, God bless, I love you and I’ll blog you when I get there — Heather

Chris and Randy say “Hey”

Mom, Dad, family and friends, I love you all, thanks for all your prayers! Keep them coming! –Jessica

Everyone else says hello!