Cambodia Update-5 July

On Wednesday the team traveled to a rural area to pray along with the World Relief staff as they conducted an HIV/AIDS support group.  Over the past several years Cambodia has had an encouraging down turn in the number of reported new cases of HIV/AIDS.  World Relief conducts advocacy, education, and support groups for those affected.  It was our opportunity to watch the support group in action and take part in praying for the people.  We asked one middle aged woman of the support group, what the best part of living in her neighborhood was, we were humbled by her response when she said, “Life here is always too tough, but it is our home and we love it and we try to do the best we can for our kids.”  We were humbled to hear this woman’s resolve and desire, like any good mother, to do the best for her children. 

Wednesday night each team member had the opportunity to travel and stay the night with a Cambodian (Khmer) World Relief staff member.  It was a great opportunity to do life together with the staff, meet their families, and spend sometime together.  A large part of this trip is building the relationship

between ourselves (Calvary as a church partner) and the staff.  Like any healthy partnership, it takes time and energy in building the type of trust and mutual understanding.  The opportunity we had to meet the families went a long way in helping us understand their lives better.

On Thursday the team spent the morning taking part in a teen anti-trafficking lesson.  Human trafficking continues to be a big problem throughout Cambodia.  World Relief seeks to provide education and awareness to children and teens about some of the things the traffickers do to lure children into slavery.  Along with the education World Relief has helped plant around 1200 house churches.  They mobilize the house churches to be watch dogs in their own communities of common trafficking ploys.