What Have We Been Up To?

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Words cannot express all of my experiences here in Cambodia. To say it’s been amazing, stretching, and life changing would be an understatement. In just a short time I feel like my whole world has been flipped upside down and now I can’t even imagine living anywhere else. And how could you? Seeing what we see here: poverty, injustice, pain, abuse, and exploitation… how can you go back to “ life as usual” knowing that you can make a difference just by being here?

I want to share some of the beautiful things that have happened since being here, more than anything I want you to see how God is moving here, and to show you the hoping rising up from the ashes in Cambodia.

Everyday our team goes on either one or two outreaches to slum communities in our area. A “slum” is an illegal community of “squatters” which is essentially a group of people who don’t have anywhere else to go. Most of the people here cannot read or write, many don’t have and cannot afford a birth certificate so they cannot get a job. This results in a group of people who are very at risk. Without a proper job or source of income they have no choice but to choose a very lowly job like collecting garbage and selling it to a recycling company or resort to some type of corruption like prostitution.  This is where a lot of crime, gambling, drinking, and drugs occur and also where traffickers try to take advantage of these families by buying or kidnapping their children. XP Missions feels extremely called to these communities and has a heart to show these people that there is a hope and future found through Jesus Christ. Everything in these slums, from the location to the people who live there, is very different and God has a special plan for each one.

Ward and I have had the opportunity to go on many outreaches and to help in these communities. Every outreach is different, our goals change on each visit. Some outreaches are based on women who are working in prostitution and living in the slums. We will come in, do their hair and paint their fingernails for them, and tell them that they are valuable and loved. It’s all about building long-term relationships with them and sharing the love of God. A lot of outreaches are based around children who are at risk. We come and play games with them, tell them a Bible story, and then have a practical teaching like “good touch bad touch” or even on hygiene. During these times we are also talking to the kids, looking for signs of abuse or exploitation, and building relationships with them.  Kids are very open and it is a wonderful way to find out what is going on in the community and to make sure all of the kids are safe.

On one outreach I was able to go on, we led the children through a few songs, and then taught them the story of Jesus saying “let the children come to me”. We got to tell them about how much Jesus loves children, and that He loves each and every one of them. We also have an opportunity to play games with all the children. They love playing with Ward, they think he is so funny because he is so big and strong. They love to climb all over him and want to swing on his arms. He has a blast with them, and is totally exhausted by the end of outreach!

Little girl Ward was playing with on an outreach.

After games we did a teaching on “good touch bad touch”. This is an important message where the kids learn the difference between appropriate and inappropriate touching, and that they need to tell an adult if they are being touched inappropriately. After this teaching we gave opportunity for the children to share if anyone had been abused in this way. One little girl, about four years old, came forward and shared that she was being inappropriately touched by a boy in the community who was about fourteen or fifteen years old. This may not seem like a big deal, but it was huge that she was willing to step forward and trust us with this information. We were then able to give her some practical tools to tell the boy to stop. In cases like this our team will take notes and a picture of the child, then create a file for them. We will then be able to check in with the child every week at our outreach. By doing this we will compile evidence and in the circumstance where we need to get investigators involved we will be able to show them all of our compiled information. Small victories like this young girls story and essential teachings like our lesson really make a difference, because many people just don’t understand that this is wrong. The young boy in this situation was probably abused in the same way when he was young and is just acting out of his own pain.

Beautiful brave little girl that we ministered to in the slum.

Another amazing project XP Missions has just recently started is Everlasting Love. Everlasting Love is a program that pulls women out of prostitution and gives them a job sewing 100% silk handbags and other products as well. This program has worship and teachings in the mornings and then girls are able to work on the products. By sewing on silk, and making high quality items we are hoping to communicate to them that they are valuable and that we trust them. Currently there are about six women working in the program. It is amazing to see how much they have grown! In addition to coming out of prostitution, some are coming out of drug addiction as well. Through the love of Christ, teaching, counseling, and inner healing we are looking forward to seeing these women completely set free! The Everlasting Love product line will be launched very soon! Be sure you keep checking back for my update so you can buy your very own handbag, clutch wallet, or placemats and coaster set made right here by the wonderful women in our program.

A lot of these women also have children so we have created a day care for them while their mom’s are working in our program.  I have the privilege of working with the children several times a week. All of the children are absolutely beautiful. They greet me with “chombreupsour” when they come in and when they leave. (this is a greeting with a high form of honor accompanied by a bow). They are so filled with joy! I absolutely love playing, singing songs, and laughing with them. There is also a two-month-old baby girl at the center who is absolutely precious (she is actually asleep in my arms as I write this). Her mom shared with our team that she probably would have sold her baby girl into a trafficking ring had it not been for this program. Every time I hold this sweet baby and rock her to sleep I am reminded of the life she might have had and my heart is blessed by the goodness of God that she is safe and in our care everyday.

Our XP Team loving on our precious baby girl in the women's center.

Each day we are reminded of the goodness of God. It’s not until you are surrounded by darkness that you see how bright His light shines. Cambodia is a field ripe for harvest. Everywhere you turn there is an opportunity to share the love of our God with someone who is lost and hurting. Our God is so big, and He deeply cares for the people of Cambodia.

**PRAYER REQUESTS**

There are many other projects in the works and in the heart of XP Missions.

Please be in prayer for us as deadlines approach for many of our projects. We need grace, strength and wisdom to get everything accomplished. Pray for the continued prevention and rescue of children and women in our outreaches. Also please pray for additional long term XP Missions volunteers to help carry out the vision that God has given us, as well as additional Khmer staff to help with projects and translation

Thank you. 

Love Always, 

Hillary Farrior