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September 2022 Update
Anna Update
Last month I traveled with a team from EMI Cambodia to the northern part of the country to visit several schools we have been helping to construct. EMI Cambodia has been partnering with Samaritan’s Purse to build these schools in rural communities. I captured these two little boys after school let out; they were walking past the new school building they will be using soon!
We had poked our heads into the classroom at the end of class, when one of our Khmer staff asked the kids, “what do you want to be when you grow up?” Most of them answered, “construction worker,” most likely thinking of the work they see happening every day on the new school building. While there is nothing wrong with being a construction worker, our staff wanted to inspire them to think bigger. And that brings us to the other reason we were visiting northern Cambodia. Again in partnership with Samaritan’s Purse, a small team of EMI Cambodia staff attended a regional STEM Fair (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) where over 4,000 high school students attended. At our booth we had demonstrations in structural engineering, virtual reality in 3D rendering, and survey. I really enjoyed watching our Khmer staff, who are already part of the young generation who will lead Cambodia forward, teaching and inspiring the next generation after them.
Sdam Update
Loving your Neighbor Requires Patience
Story from Sdam Say. Written by Anna Seeley.
Names have been changed.
When I think about intentionally loving your neighbor as yourself, I am reminded of a girl my organization has been working with for the last few years. We first met Pisey in one of the communities we work in along the popular river-front area of Phnom Penh. She was about 15 years old and was homeless; living on the street with the rest of her family. A similar organization to ours had been working with Pisey and her family and they had introduced her to a program that would teach her a skill and provide housing for her. However, after only a short time, she ran away from that program and was back at the river side.
This is when our organization found her and began building a relationship with her and her family. Our team regularly visits the river side to meet with the various families that live there. Even though knowing she ran away from the previous training opportunity, our team continued to build a relationship with her and her family. After talking and encouraging Pisey for a few months, she agreed to be placed in a similar program with a different center. Our team made all the phone calls and arrangements, we brought her to the new center, and were excited to see her starting new. At first she seemed to be enjoying her time at the new center. She was learning a skill and making new friends. But then she starting coming in late to work, or not telling people when she would be out, until eventually she left the center completely.
At that time, our team lost track of her for a little while. We searched for her back at the river front, we asked her family and friends, but no one knew where she was. After a few months, our team spotted her again back at the river side, but we only saw her a night. It made us question what would make her only come out at night. When our team found her, we started again to build relationship with her. At first, she didn’t want to talk to us, she was quiet, and ashamed of her story. But slowly she began to open up to our team. She told us of various boyfriends who had been in and out of her life. She had been working at a massage parlor, but was hesitant to tell us about her experience there. It was clear that she was being dragged down by these men into dark places and she didn’t know how to escape.
Our team was so patient with her. We continued to build a steady relationship with her and her family. We kept asking her what her interests were and what would she like to do. Our team heard about a new opportunity at another center where she could live and be discipled while also learning skills in cooking. Pisey was not so interested when we first shared the opportunity, but after we began to explain the program to her she became a little more interested. She agreed to just come for a visit and see the center. After her visit, she became much more interested and agreed to join the program. Our team is currently working through the paperwork and hope to bring her to her new home next month.
Looking back at her story, I see that it has not been easy working with Pisey. She had a relationship with one organization who was helping her, but after she ran away from the first placement, they sort of gave up and referred her to us. And then after running away from her second placement, our team could have been tempted to give up on her. Clearly she didn’t want to be helped. But then I remember the words of Paul, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” (1 Cor. 13:4-6) Our team would not have the patience to love Pisey the way she needs to be loved on our own strength. But we know that when we pray and seek help from the Holy Spirit, He gives us the strength and wisdom to love with the same love as Christ. We continue to pray for Pisey, and we know that God will be faithful to give us the strength to continue to meet her needs.
