Caring for Cambodian Kids

One of the saddest parts of my trip to Cambodia is seeing the children. When you travel in a country with so much poverty, your heart really goes out to the kids. Kids who are drugged by their parents to use for begging purposes. The drugs keep the kids more cooperative during a long day of begging, and makes it appear to visitors that the child is sick. The woman in this picture is one of many examples we saw. Kids who live with practically nothing, are mal-nourished, and if they go to school, the parents must pay a bribe to the teacher so they will actually be taught. Kids who might be lucky enough to work in a factory and make $1.50 for a 10 hour shift.



The most horrific examples are the girls who are forced into the sex trade. Some are kidnapped off the streets, others are acutally sold into it by their parents who are desperate to provide for the rest of the family. It is so bad that if you are a male visitor who is travelling without his wife, it is assumed that you are there for sex. The rate of AIDS is one of the highest in Asia.

If you are a parent here in the USA, give thanks that you are able to care for and provide for your children. We are truly blessed! Pray for the children of Cambodia and those who are serving to meet the vast needs of this country. Pray that the people of Cambodia will rise up and say enough is enough when it comes to the neglect and exploitation of children. Pray for the missionaries I had the priviledge of serving that God will use the power of the gospel to transform the hearts of the people.

Blessings,
Dr. Paul

A Tale of Two Homes

One of the things that strikes you when you arrive in Cambodia, besides the incredible heat and humidity, is the depth of the poverty alongside of glimpses of wealth and modern technology. An example which comes to mind is one of the Bible studies I attended with our host missionaries. it was located in the city of Phnom Penh. We pulled up in front of a large home surrounded by a wall, barbed wire, and a locked gate. The Bible study didn't take place there, but in a corrugated aluminum, roof top home of a poor family. the home consisted of a living area with no chairs, a mattress on the floor for the mother to sleep on (behind some curtains), and a small closet for the toilet (a bucket). There is one flourescent light hanging from the roof rafters, and one small window with no glass or screen, just two wooden shutters. Food is cooked in the corner of the room.
The mother of this family lost her husband to cancer last year and is now unemployed. She used to see rice on a street corner until the government ordered all street vendors at that location to be removed. Her oldest daughter now works in a garment factory for 10 hours a day, and earns $1.50 per day. The rest of her siblings go to school, but unless you bride the teacher for about $300 a year, your child is not educated. Needless to say, there is no money to provide an adequate education.
At the end of our study, this dirt poor family offers us some bowls of fruit in appreciation for our visit. They wait until we eat first. It brings a tear to my eye as a wealthy American (by Cambodia standards) eating food from a family who can barely survive. I talk to Greg (our missionary host) about giving them a generous money gift before we leave and he agrees. Then I walk over to the window and I see a large satellite TV dish on the roof of the three story home I described when we first pulled up. Looking down, I notice lots of toys on the second floor balcony, and three cars inthe driveway, two Lexus and a Mercedes. Talk about a tale of two homes! There are hundreds of examples as you travel this country. The needs, spiritual, physical, economic, medical, etc., are vast and deep. It reminds me of Jesus as He ministered in Matthew 9:35ff, "And Jesus went travelling among the cities and villages, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every type of disease and sickness. And seeing the people, he was moved with compassion, for they were distressed, and downcast, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore, beseech the Lord of the harvest to send workers into His harvest."
Pray for the people of Cambodia and those who serve them.
Blessings,
Dr. Paul

Counseling Ministry in Cambodia

Yes, I am back from Cambodia and over my jet lag from 21 hours of travel back to the USA. God blessed the work I was able to do for the World Team missionaries. As you know, I went to provide a marriage enrichment seminar for the couples, and offered counseling sessions for them. In addition to the 3 seminars on marriage, I provided about 19 hours of counseling. One of the issues I touched on in the marriage seminar was the impact of stress on the mission field on a marriage. The next day I was approached by a couple of the missionaries and was asked to do a more indepth seminar on stress and how to reduce its impact on their marriages and families. So I got my brain in gear and put together an imprompto seminar on stress. We met for three hours and it was a priviledge to share some of that I have learned with them. I am a firm believer that God uses prior experiences to prepare you for future ministry opportunities. He certainly confirmed it on this trip.
In future posts I will share more impressions and experiences from this trip to the front lines of ministry in a lad of great material and spritual poverty.
Blessings,
Dr. Paul