Afternoon with Yejj & Fellowship of Hope...

This afternoon we met with Yejj, an organization providing a spectrum of services that center around using social enterprise to help people and stimulate the local economy. Yejj actually reached out to us a few weeks ago when they heard from another organization that we were coming. They asked if we could help them with their marketing strategy. We said yes, not knowing how or if we’d be of any help, but we trusted that this was a door God had opened, so we went.

We tuk-tuk’ed our way over to Café Yejj, one of their “projects”, a café teaching, supporting, training, and educating men and women from the streets. We only had 30-40minutes to meet since we were running late (had no idea we’d be spending nearly 3 hours with Bloom!) and had a hard stop because another tuk-tuk was scheduled to pick us up to go to Fellowship of Hope’s TLC Centre. We met the founder, got to know each other better, and did not even touch on the marketing piece. Nonetheless, we are excited by what they are doing, and I’m hoping we can find ways to help each other going forward. Another encouraging conversation. Almost everyone we’ve met has been an inspiration and encouragement us as they share their stories… actually His story and their being open to following His leadership and serving Him… almost feels like personal mini-sermons being shared with us with every person we meet! We are so thankful.

loved this "bulletin board" of
toothbrushes made of piping materials!

Sochea and I with the donations.

Fellowship of Hope… an organization I had randomly googled awhile back, and an organization that no one thus far seems to have heard of. Quite surprising considering there seems to be a tight network within the NGO/NPO circle in Cambodia. Our assumption is that it is because Fellowship of Hope was started and is run by local Cambodians, as opposed to foreigners who came in to work with the Cambodians. FoH has a variety of programs and ministries, including Church services and community services. This is the same organization that we met on Sunday afternoon and played soccer with. We’ve been interacting most with San Sara (pastor of Church) and his wife Sochea (oversees the school). They are quite an amazing family (with their adorable 2 year old daughter), having dedicated their lives to serving His people in Cambodia. You can read their story and more about the organization on their website (www.fellowshipofhope.net). But a quick preview from their site – San Sara was born in the Cambodian jungle during Pol Pot's control. His father was an alcoholic and abused his mother. She eventually left home when Sara was 7 years old, promising to return in three days but never came back.  He became responsible for looking after his two sisters, who were 2 years old and 3 months old, making sure they had food to eat even if it meant he didn’t eat himself. He did what work he could and even begged in the marketplace with his sister in his arms to make some money to support them.  He knows how difficult life is for those in Cambodia who live in poverty, and his heart is to see many more people in this nation see that God has a good plan for them, despite the difficulties of their lives. No situation is impossible for God… Sara himself is living proof of that!

New Happy Village

Villagers fish catch for dinner tonight!

Today we visited their TLC Centre where they provide a learning environment for the kids in their community. Next to the TLC Centre is the New Happy Village. The “old” happy village was a slum area next to the river that was torn down and replaced by villa communities. San Sara felt called to do something to help His brothers and sisters… so, he and his amazing wife, the help of the villagers and others, and our amazing God built “New” Happy Village, giving these families a home to live in. Many of the children in those families attend TLC Centre, and FoH is seeking ways to find employment for these families by teaching sewing skills and selling their handicrafts.

 

Room where they are sewing and packing
clothes and bags to produce income for the local villagers.

FoH has several other programs including one for kids affected by HIV. Anyhow we walked through some of the classes, played some basketball with the kids, walked through New Happy Village. The kids at TLC just got a basketball hoop installed (i.e. a sheet of wood with a hoop attached hung on their school ground wall). Jenny suggested to Sochea that drawing a box on the backboard would make it easier for the kids to aim their shot. Before Jenny could finish her explanation, Sochea handed Jenny a permanent marker. I loved her heart – her heart for the children and her community, and even for us. We asked how we could support her in the future and if sending teams would be helpful… she said simply, if people have the heart to help, then come. There is so much people can do as long as they have the heart to help and to love. She demonstrated what that meant when she gave Jenny that marker. So, the bball box went up, and while we are not sure if the angles are right, I think it looks good! Nice job Jenny!

After a long, jam-packed last day in Cambodia, we headed back to the hotel. We went to a local restaurant, where our 2 new friends from ELIC we had met earlier this week joined us. Another Godsend… one of them mobilizes teams for missions and gave some tips on debriefing and processing all that we had seen, heard, and felt. The other is the brother teaching at the university who planted an idea for me to pray about, so this unplanned meeting gave us some time to discuss a few things, definitely on our mind.