We have been honored to work with some amazing ministries in SouthEast Asia, both in Thailand and in Cambodia!  One of the “new kids on the block” is Iris Cambodia, a team of radical Jesus-lovers that are sowing their lives, their passion, their skills and their love into the nation of Cambodia.

Headed up by Jason & Kellie Holbeche, this group currently has 9 full-time workers in Phnom Penh, reaching out to the people on the streets, and learning the language and the culture in this introductory season.  They hope to soon open a rehabilitation center for boys that have been rescued, as the need for placement for young boys is very great.

Our worker on the ground, Andrea Aassen, has been in relationship with this team over the months and loves their passion and their focus and we’re pleased to be working with them, adding our love, support and prayers to their vision.

As a practical prayer point, please agree together with them that their official Cambodian government status as a non-profit foundation goes through, and that they have favor with the various government officials, as this is of huge importance in working with the right officials in this area of trafficking.

Check out the Iris-Cambodia web-site for further details and up-to-date news of happenings with this amazing ministry!

About two months ago, on one of our XP Missions outreaches, the team came across a little girl in a village outside of Poipet.  This little girl was sadly neglected, had cigarette burns on her face and arms, and didn’t even have a proper name, but was known by a horrid nickname.  She was about 8 years old and had Down’s Syndrome, and although this disability can handicap cognitive functioning, this girl was very low on the scale for her ability to effectively communicate due to the severe abuse and neglect.

After further investigation, it was determined that she was being sold for sex to local & foreign men, to provide an “income” for the poverty-stricken mother.  It was a very, very sad case.  Unlike in the USA, the process to remove a child in Cambodia can take many months, even up to a year, when the mother will not sign them over to full-time care.  The child then remains with their caregiver during the investigative process, even though the abuse is blatantly rampant.

This situation broke our hearts and we immediately brought in a social worker that specializes in cases like this one.  Well, this week, our miracle arrived in that in a relatively short time (by Cambodian standards), we now have this precious little girl in our full-time custody and care!  Many, many prayers went up on her behalf and we want to thank you for each one of them, as we know that mountains were moved for this rescue to happen so quickly.

This precious little girl is now in a safe, loving home, is getting treated for the physical abuse, and will be receiving specialized care for the sexual abuse she has received.

Our hearts are so happy and filled with joy over the rescue of this precious one!   We know the Lord has many others out there that are waiting to feel the Father’s love in practical ways – may we all continue to be His arms extended.

Phalla is the result of XP Missions’ ministry in Cambodia.

Many years ago, Phalla was trained in some basic nursing skills.  When the Khmer Rouge took control of Cambodia she, too, was captured, but because she had these basic skills they took her to be their “nurse.”  She traveled from province to province with them, living in the jungle and tending to the wounded during their battles with the government forces.  This is how she ended up in Poipet, Banteay Mean Chey Province.

A little over a year ago while in Poipet, Patricia King met her as she was walking along the street.  Phalla is a single mother; her husband ran off with another woman several years ago and left her and her son to fend for themselves.  During a conversation with Phalla, Patricia offered to train her in some marketable job skills.

Phalla learned to do hair and nails and began working at a Christian-run spa. Though recently the spa closed down and she was jobless again.  But she did have the marketable job skills.  Phalla has been walking along the streets looking for clients.  She says on a good day she can earn up to $5USD.  She uses the money for basic living – food, school fees, and supplies for her 11-year-old son, San Tanoun, in 4^th grade.  However, it’s hot and tiring to walk along the dusty roads of Poipet looking for clients.

Phalla owns land and a small house in Poipet behind the City Hall.  There are a couple restaurants nearby, a home-based sewing business and other government buildings.  Those holding power nearby have threatened her in the past because they want her land, but she knows her rights and stands up to them.

Phalla is a new Christian and was sharing with me a couple weeks ago that she would like to start a small salon at her house.  She feels there are enough potential clients around that she could make a living.  It would also put her at home with her son who, as is Cambodian custom, studies only a half day at public school.  She would need to put fill dirt in front of her house and put up something like a steel-ribbed structure.  She’s prepared to build it one step at a time as she’s been saving money.  I felt the Lord touch me to assist her by giving her $500USD toward the $1,000 project.  This will get the fill dirt in and possibly the frame of the structure up.  I told her we’ll look at the finances next month and see what else I can do.  The money that I’m helping her with comes from churches and individuals who are partnering with us to plant a life-giving church in Poipet.  It’s because of their generosity we can help Phalla and her son on to the next step of their journey.

Phalla’s house is very simple –  what we call a Living Room – with a simple bedroom and kitchen that is unfinished and has dirt floors.  She cooks over coal.  She does have electricity and ceiling fan in the Living Room.  I noticed she had three cats in the house.  Being a cat-lover myself, I asked her if she liked cats.  She said she didn’t particularly like cats, but she decided to raise them (she has seven now) to help keep the rats away.  She said she doesn’t have a clothes closet or wardrobe and she doesn’t want the rats to eat her clothes.

I’m looking for a Children-at-Risk sponsor for Phalla’s son, San Tanoun.  This would be someone who would make a one-year commitment and possibly a commitment through his primary school years, to give $35 per month.  Twenty dollars would go toward groceries, $5 would be put in a saving account for emergencies, $5 would be used for school needs – a uniform, books, supplies, and the rest would cover admin expenses.  If you’re interested in this please contact me.

Thank you again for your faithful support to Christian Fellowship Poipet.

Prayer Needs:

• Next week high school students are out of work.  We have a YWAM Team with us and it will be a great opportunity for outreach.  Pray for a gathering of the harvest – true conversion and being added to the church and discipled.
• Pray for Rorn Tout, Sam Eng, Savuth and his wife, Pisey, and Bunna and his wife, Kim.  They are the workers on the ground.  Pray for discernment, wisdom and leading of the Holy Spirit in their ministry.
• Keep praying for musicians. We have a piano player and it looks like a guitar player coming along.  Pray that God would put together a music team. We’re also trying to form a dance team.  Pray that God would put it together.

- Pastor Chuck McCaul (Christian Fellowship Poipet, Cambodia)

www.cambodiaoutreach.org

International Justice Mission (IJM) is a wonderful organization, started by a lawyer in the USA who realized that in the midst of the horrific injustices happening against trafficked children, women and men, there was an even graver danger – inadequate justice systems, sometimes by ignorance and sometimes through corruption at the highest levels.

IJM’s mandate is to raise up indigenous lawyers, social workers and governmental workers so that once a crime against a person is discovered, the legal system brings the perpetrator to justice.  This then sends a strong message to others involved in the same criminal activity, knowing that they can no longer continue to commit these crimes without impunity.

IJM is currently lobbying the Canadian government for them to make a stronger enforcement of Canada’s extraterritorial laws for sex tourism and human trafficking.  Even though the laws governing Canadians who travel overseas to perform sex acts with children were introduced in 1997, they are asking for an even more robust application of these laws.  If you are a Canadian, you may sign their petition here!

But even if you cannot participate in this current mandate of IJM, please continue to stand in prayer for the work being done by this amazing organization, and it’s many workers – bringing God’s justice to those who cannot defend themselves.  Take a moment to peruse their web-site and learn more about IJM. I promise you, it will be worth your time!

UPCOMING IJM EVENT – THE GLOBAL PRAYER GATHERING

The issue of trafficked women is a very convoluted issue – coercion, manipulation, lies, poverty and desperation make for a challenging mix when ministering to women caught in the sex trade.  Not only do they need to be empowered to get out of the sex trade, they also need sources of employment to provide for them and their families’ needs.

Nightlight International, working out of Bangkok, Thailand, is an amazing ministry that ministers to women caught in the web of the sex trade and provides both practical, hands-on help, as well as spiritual and emotional resources for the women.  One way they do this is through their jewelry-making business, which provides women with viable income once they remove themselves from the sex trade.

Listen to their impassioned plea:

We receive thousands of people who visit our social media sites and “like” our posts and we receive dozens of e-mails from people telling us how passionate they are about combating the sex trade. But we have a great need for many more to take the very tangible step of purchasing a piece of jewelry, committing to throwing a jewelry party, or very simply sharing our jewelry ads.

So I am going to throw out a challenge: Put your money where your “like” is.  We love that you care, but we also would love for you to buy!

Please visit this web-page and share in their “From Like To Love” campaign – it’s such a worthy cause and a very practical way to help fight for those caught in the sex trade!  And if you missed Valentines, no worries, there’s another 14 days left in February to give a gift to someone you love!