Our team of 10 lovely ladies -
Front row from right : Teacher Betty, Auntie Helen, Ps Lindsey, Teacher Lee Lee, Teacher Katherine
Back row from right : Teacher Mabel, Teacher Lucy, Teacher Jasmin, Teacher Esther, Auntie Eva
Wow so many different gifts to sort out!
A big 'Or Goon' (thank you in Khmer) from the children in Cambodia to the many generous and compassionate people in Singapore. There are lots more gifts not in this picture. Auntie Eva and Auntie Helen are making sure the stationery sets are properly packed first. The rest of the gifts like T shirts, watches, chewable vitamins and many more will be packed after this. No more room space to spare.
We are on the upper floor of the Mercy Team International (MTI) HQ in Phnom Penh. Teacher Jasmin is teaching the children at Safe Children Karaoke how to read the words of a song in English. These children are from the nearby slums, they do not know any English yet they are listening very attentively. We teach them many of our Sunshine House action songs and they love them all. One of their favourite is "Absolutely Nothing", especially the actions. The MTI staff love our songs too.
We brought many gifts for them and also sponsored the refreshments for the party that morning. Children here giving thanks to God for the presents and food. Besides our gifts, they were given a bun, a canned drink and a pear each. Unlike most of us here, they did not eat their food immediately. Some of them only drank the canned drink and took small bites of their buns. They wanted to bring the food home !! Amazingly caring children !
The children changed into the new T-shirts we brought for them. Some even held their other gifts for this phototaking. Aren't they adorable? Want to share your blessings and joy with them and the rest of the children in Cambodia? Go for it then !!
These young children live in the slums. Most of them do not attend school. Their parents are too poor to send them to school. All they do each day is to play with friends in the neighbourhood.
For young boys to go around totally naked or half dressed is very common in the slums areas.
Nothing to be shy about. No worries about being bitten by any insects, they seem to be immuned to the insect bites and harsh environment.
We joined the MTI team to one of the slums for first aid. Children and even adults came out of their homes to be treated or have their fingernails cut. Giving first aid to the slums once a week is a project by MTI to build bridges to reach the people in these communities. Most of the folks there are Buddhists.
Besides first aid, we did prayer walk around the area and also ministered to the children through bible stories, songs, games and balloon crafting. The children were excited to meet us. Thank God for this opportunity to bring joy to these little ones. We too have been blessed !
These are children at Kampong Speu Educational Centre. Kg Speu is about 2 hours drive from Phnom Penh.
These young ones were here for kidsxercises as early as 6.45 in the morning. We taught them to exercise with action songs. They enjoyed every minute of the stretching, waving, bending, jumping even twisting.
We too had great time working out with Teacher Katherine as the chief instructor !
More praises to God in the hall. Their enthusiasm simply overwhelmed us. What a blessed sight to see so many children and youth worshipping and praising God in a village in Cambodia! Almost all hands were raised except for 2 young curious little ones in the front row.
God loves them all.
These children are all very hungry for knowledge and very keen to learn. They gave us 100% attention even though we had to speak to them through an interpreter. On hind sight, we should have taken up Khmer a year ago. We can then share and chat with these lovely children freely.
For those planning a trip to Cambodia, we suggest you learn Khmer. You will have fun with these lovely young ones - kids speak the darnest things afterall!!!
Look how these youths bow their heads, close their eyes and pray to God, aren't you touched by what God is doing in the lives of these young ones? God is everywhere and He is there for anyone who calls on His name, even in Kg Speu !
See these little ones, even they know how to pray to God !
God please pour forth your blessings unto these hungry souls, how they long after you !
A plate of plain instant noodles is luxury to these fortunate few whose parents are able to pay the fees to send them here for kindergarten classes. Though it is only a very small sum of about S$ 3 per month, many parents cannot afford to send their children to school.
Many children stood outside this hall waiting for the kindergarten children to finish their food before they were allowed in to join them for our activities. Sight of these children peeping in through the windows was really pathetic. We couldn't help it but to share our biscuits (meant for our breakfast) with them. More children (not in the picture) surrounded Teacher Lucy hoping to get a biscuit from her. How we wished then we had brought more with us.
The lady in black, Sonn is the centre's manager. Because of her love for her people in this village, she gave her land and partnered MTI in building this educational centre to conduct daily kindergarten classes for the young children. On weekends, they have Youth and Sunday services. The other lady, Lina is the centre's teacher. Though she has heard the Gospel many times before, she was not ready to have God in her life. However, when Teacher Jasmin testified of God's love for her and Ps Lindsey shared the Good News with her again that morning, Lina said 'Char' (Yes, in Khmer) without any hesitation. All praises to our Awesome God. When she repeated a simple prayer after Ps Lindsey, tears of joy rolled down our cheeks. Thank God for Lina's new life in Him. We then prayed for their families and other needs including their paddy fields which the people in the village depend on for their livelihood.
Don't be mistaken, we are not playing games, neither are we having a Kit Kat.
This is one of our usual group morning devotions. Despite our tight schedule for the day, we never fail to spend some time with our Lord each morning. We want to be first 'charged' by the Holy Spirit before we start our day.
Have you noticed that there are no fat and chubby children in any of our photos above? Yes, they are all thin, even their cows and chickens are thin too (see how thin this cow is, its ribs and bones can be counted!). Their mosquitoes, on the other hand are big by Singapore standard. If you want to know more about of Cambodian mozzie, please check it out with Teacher Katherine, she'll be delighted to share our mozzie experience with you over chicken rice lunch !
Here we are at Elijah and Grace Sim's home. We spent some time with them in their home the night before we left Phnom Penh. We are touched by their lives, their love for God and the many lost souls in this 'out of comfort' country. May our Heavenly Father continue to bless this couple, the MTI team and multiply their efforts many many folds that more in Cambodia can be reached and delivered from their plight.
Report On Cambodia Mission Trip
Dear Church,
We want to thank God that we could partner with MTI (Mercy Team Int’l) through Sis Grace and her husband, Bro Elijah. God is good and we all are back safely.
Cambodia is a land ready to be possessed for the Lord. It is not a land flowing with milk and honey like Canaan but is a land filled with unsaved people. These people are poor physically, mentally and spiritually.
Physically stunted because they lack nourishment, their 14 or 15 year old youth look like our P5 or P6 children. Most of them are of a small builds including the parents. Some of the little children run around naked. Even their cows are so skinny that you can count their ribs.
Many of them are deprived in education because they are not fortunate like us to be able to study and gain knowledge. Some of them are orphans, street kids, drug addicts, prostitutes and single parents. You can find the poor living in wooden huts by the muddy river and there are many beggars on the streets. One Christian organization has rescued some young girls from prostitution and set up a café known as Jar of Clay to give them some skills and support their livelihood.
They lack the knowledge of the truth of God because they are Buddhists. While we were there, when the word of God was preached, the majority of the people were ready to receive Jesus into their hearts during altar call.
Lets all go in together to possess this land in the Name of Jesus. Are you ready to bring the gospel into Cambodia? If you are ready, our SunShine House teachers will partner with you and we will see the Kingdom of God expanded together. Thanks to our SunShine House teachers for their love and dedication during this mission trip. They have done a tremendous job and are ready to lead any group from Faith Assembly to go forth and share the gospel. To God be the Glory.
Reported by Jasmin Lim
