Live in Phnom Penh!

I've been up since 3am this morning ---I would like to think its the jeg lag but given that we went to sleep at 7pm, I think I have had way more sleep than my body is used to :-). it's almost 6am here and my roommate is asleep so i'm typing this from the bathroom! :-) That's probably TMI (Too much info) for some of you but alas, this is the fun of being flexible on a missions trip...you do the most odd things that you would not dream off doing at home.

Yes we are live in Phnom Penh! We arrived in Phnom Penh with all our 12 pieces of luggage including one electronic piano that we offered to take over for Pastor Sok Em who is overseeing the Tahas Bible Institute. Thank you for all your prayers---God has been so faithful and has given us much favor right from the beginning of this journey. The ticket agent at the Cathay Pacific counter in Toronto only charged us a quarter of the cost that we were quoted to bring the electronic piano with us. Then one of our team mates, Charlene got an extra blessing as she was upgraded to business class for the long flight. We never saw her till we landed in our stopover to Hong Kong---she claimed to have passed through the economy cabins to say hi to us but we know she was just relishing and soaking in her business class experience for all it was worth! The 19 hour flight over seemed rather short as time just flew. I am not sure if it is because I am just getting used to these long haul flights or maybe it was the conversations that I was engrossed in with one of my team members.

Arriving at Phnom Penh’s International Airport---Pochentong around 10:45am on Sat morning, we appear to be the only flight in as all was quiet. I have already noticed a change from last year—now there is a formal line to process your visa application versus the typical mad dash that often ensued to get to the counter. Now it is more orderly although I still haven’t quite figured out why there needs to be 10 people behind the counter to process our visa application. Nonetheless, this is Cambodia and this is how things are done! ;-) One of my concerns passing through the customs was what duty we would be charged for bringing in the electronic piano. I have never had to declare anything in the past trips but I was quickly reminded of a prophetic word spoken over me by a friend recently when she said this trip would be like a ‘first visit’ to Cambodia. So here I was---dealing with one of my ‘firsts’---declaring something for duty. Not knowing what kind of duty we would have to pay and being mindful of a hidden fee (ie. A bribe), on the plane over, I had prayed and ask the Lord to go before us and that the custom officials would be reasonable with the duty. Once again God extended His favour over us as I informed the officials that this electronic piano was for a church and they waved me through without even asking me to pay anything. Thank you Jesus for watching over us in all the details! The hotel where we were staying had sent a van to pick us up but with all that we brought we also had to hire a taxi---another new thing---new taxi cars ---Toyota Camerys painted white with a yellow line highlighting the word ‘taxi’. We head out onto the main road finally here after all the training and packing. I am excited for my 4 team members (Brenda, Genie, Hiroko and Jan) for who this trip is a ‘first’ ever missions experience and a first visit to Cambodia.

The hotel is another first for me but it is a place that is a frequent stay for my other Ratanak colleagues. It is located near the Independence monument and a far cry from the suburb of Tuol Kork where I am used to staying. I have a sense that this hotel will be a key place for future ‘Ratanak teams’ to stay as God is raising up people who want to come and serve over here and who He has connected us with. We are in the heart of the city and so it will be another opportunity to learn about my surroundings and become acquainted with life in the city. We didn’t do much our first day as it took a while for everyone to get unpacked and settled in---what would one expect with 6 females!

Thankfully everyone is feeling good and so we went down to the waterfront using one of my favourite modes of transportation---the tuk tuk. I love bargaining with the tuk-tuk drivers as it gives me the opportunity to negotiate with my limited Khmer. For the price of US$2.00 all 6 of us managed to squeeze into this little motorcycle drawn carriage that strained under the excess body mass that it was transporting. We arrived at our destination -- a familiar jaunt that I have frequented with other international workers—the Kiwi restaurant that looks onto the Tonle Sap river and indulged in some typical Cambodian dishes—Morning glory--a sauted leafy garlic vegatable that grows near the sewage---trust me its really tasty! Then there is Lok Lak—yes its that meat dish with a lime, blackpepper sauce that I can never get enough of. After our meal we headed down for a stroll along the waterfront. It was fun observing my teammates cross the motorcycle, SUV laden street of Sisowat Quay as they made their way through the chaotic traffic of this boulevard. The waterfront is a place that is surrounded with lots of activity. Cambodian families sitting around having picnics enjoying the 'sea breeze', young couples or groups of friends just hanging out, little boys and girls panhandling and selling books on Cambodia. But it also is a place that the sex tourists hang out. I wish I had taken a picture of one of the restaurants we walked by---5 single middle aged white males each at separate tables taking in the scenery. I try not to judge them but its a sight that is so common place here.

Anyway its Sunday morning now and we'll be heading to the Sunway Hotel for the International church service and then it is off to Tuol Sleng or S21. More on that later today.

The Countdown Begins!

We leave late this evening at 11:35pm enroute to Hong Kong before we touch down in Phnom Penh on Sat morning. I'm running on a bit of adrenalin at the moment having averaged around 5 hours a sleep for the past few nights. Last night I was down to 4 hours but am not too worried. The way I see it is that I'm preparing myself for the time change. God has been so gracious each night in sustaining me and giving a deep REM sleep so its all good. These past few days have been a bit crazy as we organize ourselves. Despite the ample luggage allowance of 70 lbs per bag and the ability to carry two bags each we have been redistributing all the items we bought. It's been crazy but at the same time worth the effort because of who we are taking it for.

So what are we bringing? Thanks to some very special seniors at my church as well as a group of high school students that go to Char's school, we have over 300 teddy bears to distribute. It is neat to see young and old get involved and I pray that in the years to come God will continue to raise up a generation of people regardless of age to begin to speak up and be involved in seeking justice for the plight of child sex slaves. We are also bringing 80 plus T-shirts with the Canada logo to distribute to kids and adults at Daughters Cambodia, lipsticks for the caregivers at Newsong, 100 hand made necklaces with a cross to give to my little sisters at Newsong, crafts and game equipment for the VBS, care packages for international workers who we will meet, a paino keyboard for one of our pastor friends, chocolates and assorted goodies. I think Walmart made a killing on us! :-) Char was able to get one of her students to paint a mural on a big bedsheet that reflects the scenery in Cambodia. We hope to put this up at Rahab House as it will be part of our VBS Theme of Kingdom Kids.

As I head out on this trip it seems a bit different than the others and in many ways it is. In a sense it is the next step deeper into a journey and a calling that God has placed on my life so many years ago. The opportunity to partner with former child prositutes and to gain a taste of ministering to children at risk is a God given dream come true. I continue to stand in awe of the Lord's faithfulness and His sovereignty in orchestrating connections and events with people and organizations that have fueled this passion in me. This morning I was able to connect via text message with one of my little sisters in Cambodia. She herself a former sex slave is now a spokesperson for an organization that is involved in reintegrating girls back into society. I am excited to see her again. She has offered to come and help teach the kids at Svay Pak the songs that she knows. In her words's 'I want then to know there is hope'. As she herself is on a journey of discovering new hope, my own prayer is that she will know the Source of that Hope---the One who knows her by name, the One who can put a new song in her own heart, the One who has come to give her a hope and a future!

Definition of Worship

I read this definition from a recent devotion by Ravi Zacharias.

The definition comes from the famed archbishop William Temple: “Worship is the submission of all of our nature to God. It is the quickening of the conscience by his holiness; the nourishment of mind with his truth; the purifying of imagination by his beauty; the opening of the heart to his love; the surrender of will to his purpose--all this gathered up in adoration, the most selfless emotion of which our nature is capable.”

Dear Lord Jesus, take us deeper into the heart of worship that we might worship you in this all encompassing way that William Temple describes---submitting ourselves fully into all of who you are and claim to be. Sanctify us daily through the reading of your Word that our minds might be fully consecreated to you so that every waking moment you are enlarging our divine creativity and expanding our awareness of your beauty in the mundane and in the majestic. Let it be that our hearts may daily receive your love as the Holy Spirit flows in us pouring our your love into the deepest areas of our souls so that we in turn can be Christ's fragrance of love to a hurting world. And make our wills be inclined in complete surrender to your Kingdom purposes so that our entire being may adore you as the lyrics from the song called 'Let Us Adore You' describe!

The heavens declare
The glory of God
And all of the world
Will join the praise
His wonders proclaim
The oceans and skies
Lift up their voice
And all all He has made
Will rise to bless
The King of all kings.

Let us adore Him
Let us adore Him
Jeus Christ is the Lord

Come and behold Him
Bow down before Him
Jesus Christ is the Lord

Eternity's King
Is coming again
Though all of the earth
Will fade away
His truth will remain

Hallelujah Hallelujah
You are worthy of all praise

Cambodia Bound - July 2008

Eight years have passed since my first visit to Cambodia in 2000 and as I prepare for my 7th trip from July 10th to August 2nd, God has brought to mind the same verse He gave me on that initial trip. Philippians 3:10 says “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death. Over the years, as I had the opportunity to visit Cambodia, I have discovered that to share in the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings is to enter into the suffering of this nation. These past 3 years, the Lord has narrowed the focus of what that involves by resurrecting a dream He had placed in my heart some 18 years ago—to be an active participant and advocate in seeking justice for girls who are victims of sexual slavery. To enter into their suffering after all, means allowing our hearts to be broken again and again and again by the atrocities they have endured. This is not a ministry that one would choose, but as Ravi Zacharias once said, unless we understand a person’s pain we will never understand a person’s soul. God indeed has given me such a privilege to be a part of their journey by spending time with them, by mobilizing others to give a voice to their plight, by interceding for their healing, by investing in their future as I partner with organizations who seek to restore dignity to lives that so often have been viewed as disposable. To know Christ and the power of His resurrection in this ministry is to witness how He can breathe new life into lives left for dead; lives that have been traumatized, terrorized and broken at the most sacred levels. Yet in Him and through Him, we have the privilege of seeing them be transformed from a child sex slave to a child of Christ as He redeems them from a life filled with hopelessness, fear, shame and guilt to one filled with hope, love, joy, peace and purpose as they discover their true value and worth in Him.

Joining me for this year’s pilgrimage to Cambodia are 5 others each of whom God has hand picked. Charlene my fellow armour bearer who has participated in 2 previous trips to Cambodia; Hiroko a mother of two daughters, who volunteers with International Justice Mission; Brenda who has served the youth at my church and whom God has given a heart for kids; Janice who attended our Slaying The Giant conference last year and is following God’s promptings to take more tangible action to speak up for child sex slaves and Genie, who had no interest in Cambodia nor missions, until the Holy Spirit touched her when Brian McConaghy, the founder of Ratanak, spoke at her church last fall.

GOING OUTSIDE THE CAMP
So what will we be doing? We have been blessed with a very special opportunity to go into the heart of a community called Svay Pak---a notorious brothel area that in the past has catered to child prostitution. Today much of this illicit trade still exist, but it is hidden in plain sight as the kids do not live at brothels but live with their families and are summoned when their ‘services’ are required in the evening. As a team, we are joining hands with Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) Cambodia, Aim4Asia staff and Cathy De La Cruz an OMF missionary, to conduct a Vacation Bible School (VBS) for two weeks at a community centre called Rahab House ---a former brothel which is now being rented by one of the Ratanak Foundation partners AIM4Asia. This former brothel was highlighted in a Dateline NBC documentary in 2003 called ‘Children For Sale’ and was the very place from which International Justice mission (IJM) rescued 37 young girls. Last year, I visited this building in its sordid state and walked inside these small cubicles where young girls were raped and tortured daily. Today, this very building has been transformed both inside and out as a team visiting from Fairview Presbyterian Church ,Vancouver, recently tore down the cubicles and repainted and renovated the entire property. God is redeeming this property for His purposes ---no longer is it a place of pain where screams would be heard, it has become a place of laughter, a place of joy and a place offering hope to a generation of kids who are always at risk of being sold into the sex trade. This building to me has become ‘holy ground’--- a symbol of God’s presence, a symbol of new life, a symbol of His redemptive purposes---it is a place where God’s light can be found amidst the darkness that pervades a community that desperately needs to be set free from the grip of Satan’s tyranny.

Also joining us in this VBS outreach in Svay Pak are some special young friends from the Newsong Centre that is funded by Ratanak. Some of you may recall that the Newsong Centre is a rehabilitation centre for girls who are rescued from the sex trade. I look forward to partnering with these precious ones who to me are living testimonies that God can do immeasurable more than we can ever ask or imagine. Indeed, they reflect the power of His resurrection and demonstrate by their lives, that we are more than conquerors through Him.

During our weekends and in our 3rd week, we also will be spending time prayer walking brothel areas and ministering to missionaries from a variety of ministries. Specifically, we will be going to some of my familiar jaunts---participating in the monthly birthday party at Place of Rescue AIDS Centre and orphanage run by my dear friend Marie Ens. We will spend time with Pastor Sok & Savy Em who oversee the Tahas Bible Institute located in Kampong Chhnang that seeks to equip and train pastors, and we will re-connect with Kim Bui, a C&MA missionary, who manages New Hope Ministries which provides education to the marginalized Vietnamese community that has a notorious track record for selling their daughters into prostitution. We will also be attending prayer meetings of International Justice Mission(IJM) Cambodia and another organization whose name remains anonymous as it is a short term assessment centre that ministers to young girls who are immediately rescued from brothel raids. Lastly, we will be connecting with Daughters Cambodia one of the newest Ratanak partners. Daughters offers transitional housing, vocational courses in addition to small business schemes all of which provide viable alternatives for girls who want to leave the sex trade. On Easter Sunday, 14 girls were baptized and with each coming week the ministry seems to be growing as more girls discover a new life of freedom, hope and peace outside the brothel. But this ministry doesn’t just limit its work to victims of sexual trafficking, it also seeks to reach out to those whose business is to exploit women and children—the brothel owners. Recently, two brothel owners have started attending church. It is this kind of radical ministry that serves to remind me that just as Jesus went outside the ‘camp’ (Hebrews 13:13) so too He calls us to do the same. John Piper once said, God is calling us to go outside the place of comfort and safety and religious sanctuary to join Jesus in the risky places, the dangerous places, the dirty places. It represents the priority of resisting the incredible inertia of comfort and security—of wanting to spend all our time inside the camp. But what is outside the camp? Strangeness, uncertainties, drug dealers, pimps and prostitutes. When God says to us, "Go outside the camp with my Son to share the abuse he shared," he means, "Let your light so shine before men"—before lost and needy men outside the camp, not just in the ease and comfort of your church and your home. The light should shine in the dark. And it's dark outside the camp.

As we head out to these places that are ‘outside the camp’, places where darkness reigns, we know that apart from God and without His Spirit working in and through us, we will be labouring in vain to shine His light and to be His witnesses that the gospel is truly the hope of the nations, and so we value your prayers for our time in Cambodia. For those of you who would like to journey along with us in prayer on a daily basis, I have enclosed our ministry schedule as well as a link to our blog: http://cambodiamission2008.blogspot.com/ where we hope to provide daily updates while in Cambodia.

Pray that we will have minimal jet lag and that our luggage will arrive safely including a piano keyboard for one of the missionaries.

Pray for the children in Svay Pak who will be attending the VBS that God will prepare their hearts to be receptive to His word and that it will fall on ‘good soil.’

Pray for all whom we are partnering with: AIM4Asia workers, CEF workers, the girls from the Newsong Centre, Cathy De La Cruz and also for each of us on our team that a spirit of unity will pervade all that we do.

Pray for protection over us and our families as we enter into places of darkness that God would surround us, sustain us, keep us healthy and seal of any access points in which the enemy would attack us.

Pray that God’s name would be glorified in all the VBS lessons, the games, the music and the crafts.

For those of you who live in Toronto, our Cambodian friends that run Our Thai restaurant (in Vaughan) is hosting a fundraiser buffet luncheon (Adults: $20, Kids: $10) on Sunday July 6th at 12:30pm. If you would like to attend please RSVP to me by Monday June 30th by email

Reflecting God's Beauty

A few weeks ago I had the wonderful privilege and pleasure to go on a brief holiday to Honolulu, Hawaii. It was a nice break from the hustle and bustle of Toronto life and an opportunity to enjoy the beauty of God’s creation. Hawaii indeed at least the parts I saw felt like heaven on earth. One of the places we visited is the Lyon Arboretum. I had never even heard of the word ‘arboretum’ before but quickly discovered it is a tropical garden. This arboretum that we visited is a rainforest of sorts as it is a 194 acre garden in the scenic Manoa Valley. Visiting this place gave me a whole new perspective on God’s creation. Everywhere we walked and ‘hiked’ we saw a variety of plants, ferns, flowers all reflecting different shapes and forms and colours.

At one point, I just stopped in wonder and began to think, could this be what the Garden of Eden must have been liked? Such beauty, such detail to intricacy, such variety, such vibrancy in the colours of the flowers, such uniqueness in each shape of the ferns and plants…I turned to one of my fellow travellers and we both remarked ‘how could anyone not believe there is a Creator when you see this kind of creation. It was breadth taking.

I returned home and found myself admiring the trees near outside my home…the flower buds were slowly coming out and each day the colours from the flowers on one particular tree got brighter and brighter and the aroma became more prominent. I can’t help but think that we are just like those flowers and plants. God has created each of us so unique, so different in shape, size and colour and yet together we reflect His beauty and glory in a way that paints a wonderful picture of the Master’s hands. Each of us are like flowers, who emanate the aroma of Christ where ever we are and whatever He has called us to do. Through the gifts and talents He has given us, we reflect His beauty to a world that is filled so often with darkness and despair.

In just over 6 weeks, 6 of us will be heading to Cambodia, a place that is all too familiar with darkness, desolation and destruction. Yet even there, God longs to see His glory shine. And so we will head there, trusting Him to lead us on, to be His flowers as He waters us daily through His word and through His Spirit, giving us life that we might offer His light and life to those who have never tasted nor experienced His light. It is my prayer that we will be the fragrance of Christ in each place we go and in the ministry He has called us too. That His scent and His aroma will flow and touch many and in the midst of all the muck and dirt and dust, many will discover the One true God, who is sovereign over all creation and whose aroma is so captivating and beauty so breadth taking that they will bow their hearts and knees before Him to worship Him in all His splendour.

Celebrating A Small Victory - One Stone of Truth

Psalm 103:6 says: The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.

Since the beginning of May many of us both in Canada and the U.S as well as friends in Cambodia have been praying that justice and truth would prevail. As I think of the verse from Psalm 103:6, I praise God and thank Him that He will work justice for all the oppressed. That He is mighty to save and deliver and twart the plans of the enemy. For me personally this morning's news that Micheal J. Pepe was convicted on 7 counts for the atrocities he perpetrated against 7 young victims -- some of them who I had the privilege of personally meeting, I am overwhelmed. I am reminded by one of Ratanak partners that we need to celebrate whatever little victories we have in this battle against the giant of child sex slavery. Today is one of those days when we celebrate and give thanks to God for all He has done in upholding justice. I thank God for the U.S legal system and the laws they have on their books that enables persectution of individuals who committed such lewd acts against the innocent.

I can only imagine how my precious little sisters must feel when they hear about this outcome. My prayer for each of them is that this legal outcome, will somehow be part of the process that God uses to continue to set them free, to empower and embolden them that they have a God who hears their cries, a God who is faithful and just, a God who will not let the sins committed against them go unnoticed, a God who is mighty to save, a God who will repay the years the locust have eaten from them, a God who loves them with an everlasting love, A God who will never forsake them, A God who is their refuge and strength, a God who is their hiding place, a God who protects them and will not sleep and slumber but who watches over their comings and goings, a God who will restore and redeem them, a God who himself died for them and who would rather be abused for them, a God who sets them free, a God who longs to show compassion to them, a God who is tender towards them, a God who has engraved them on the palm of His hands, a God who knows their heart, a God who knows their pain and suffering and who was there watching all the torture that they endured, a God who is their Hope, their Healer, their Savior and the Lover of their Soul. May they know the Lord Jesus Christ and the breadth, depth and height of His love for them and may this truth truly set them free to propel them forward to live for Him in such a way that His name will be glorified and exalted in all they do and say and become! To God be the Glory! Thank you Jesus for the privilege you give to us as we partner with you to see your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. May your name be Hallowed in each of our lives as we walk and reflect your light.


News Relese from the U.S Immigrations & Customs Enforcement:

Ex-Marine convicted of using drugs and force to have sex
LOS ANGELES - Following a three-week trial, a federal jury today convicted on seven felony counts a retired Marine Corps captain who traveled to Cambodia for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with minors.

Michael Joseph Pepe, 54, a resident of Oxnard, faces up to 210 years in federal prison as a result of the guilty verdicts stemming from an investigation led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

During the trial, government prosecutors presented testimony from six of the seven girls who Pepe sexually abused. The girls, who at the time of the abuse were between the ages of 9 and 12, testified that Pepe drugged, bound, beat and raped them. Several victims testified that Pepe required them to give him sexual massages and perform oral sex on him on a daily basis.
In addition to the victims' testimony, prosecutors presented corroborating evidence seized by the Cambodian National Police from Pepe's Phnom Penh residence, including rope and cloth strips used to restrain the victims, Rohypnol and other sedatives, and homemade child pornography.

The prostitute who acted as Pepe's broker testified on videotape about bringing him young victims. Pepe paid the broker and the victims' families for unlimited access to the girls. Pepe is scheduled to be sentenced here Sept. 3 by United States District Judge Dale S. Fischer.
"Predators such as Mr. Pepe should realize that their unspeakable acts will not go unpunished, even if committed in other countries," said United States Attorney Thomas P. O'Brien. "Child exploitation crimes are among the most important cases we prosecute. Wherever the young victims of these crimes are located, they must be protected from people like Mr. Pepe."
"Today's verdict is particularly gratifying and not surprising given the horrendous evidence introduced during this trial about the defendant's sexual exploitation of these vulnerable youths," said Robert Schoch, special agent in charge of the ICE office of investigations in Los Angeles. "This case represented one of the most egregious examples of international sex tourism we have ever investigated and the jury's verdict is a reminder that pedophiles who attempt to evade detection and prosecution by committing sex crimes overseas face serious consequences."
"The Diplomatic Security (DS) maintains an excellent working relationship with ICE and local Cambodian law enforcement personnel who coordinated and collaborated with the DS Regional Security Officer in Phnom Penh about Pepe, thus enabling the capture," said Joe D. Morton, Director of the Diplomatic Security Service. "It's this type of close, worldwide law enforcement liaison that gives the Diplomatic Security the unparalleled ability to assist in locating, pursuing and apprehending predatory criminals."

ICE received substantial assistance in the investigation from the Cambodian National Police and the Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service. Pepe is the fifth person to be prosecuted by the United States Attorney's Office for the Central District of California on child sex tourism charges under the provisions of the PROTECT Act, which took effect five years ago. The PROTECT Act substantially strengthened federal laws against predatory crimes involving children outside the United States by adding new crimes and increasing sentences.

Thank God for Special Armour Bearers

Proverbs 18:24 says: A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Two years ago when God gave me the opportunity to share at my home church about the issue of child sex slavery and our response as followers of Jesus Christ, there in the audience was a husband of two young girls. Subsequent to that sharing, he contacted me and sent me a hand written letter in the mail a week later. God had used my sharing to speak into LD’s heart about the plight of these girls and moreover, he felt led by the Lord to commit to praying for me on a daily basis.

Fast forward two years later and the letters continue to come….some handwritten, some by email but this dear brother has become one of my special armour bearers. He is a man who walks with such humility and servant hood, who seeks not the limelight and prefers to serve behind the scenes. Whenever he speaks, I listen…it reminds me of that T.V commercial ‘when E.F Hutton speaks, everyone listens.’ LD is a man who seeks God and who has been such a tremendous encouragement to me. He has taken the time to write words of encouragement to each of us who are part of the core group that was formed two years ago. He is a man who takes his role seriously as an armour bearer and one who speaks with much wisdom. When we were brainstorming as a group about the title of last September’s conference it was him who gave us the title ‘Slaying The Giant’.

He is a man who quietly and wholeheartedly serves in a steadfast way and who’s wise counsel has served to affirm, encourage and strengthen me when I am feeling weak, tired or weary. Indeed he is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. In his role to stand in the gap and intercede, he and his family have experienced spiritual attacks. I am grateful and thankful to God for people like LD. He is not intimidated by the enemy’s attempts to derail or discourage us but rather he is an example of one who presses on despite the obstacles. The Lord has surrounded me with some amazing intercessors who are all female but to have a male in our group who takes his role seriously and who takes the time to send me words of encouragement is something that humbles me. Some times I do not feel worthy of such blessings but I realize that the Lord longs to give us His best. In this cause against injustice, He certainly has provided beyond what I could ever ask or imagine. He has surrounded me with others who spur me on but who themselves reflect His heart by the way they encourage and challenge us to live fully for Him.

Recently LD sent me two quotes. Each of them reminding me of different aspects of God’s character. One was from Mark Buchanan’s book The Rest of God which really touched my heart as I thought of our little sisters in Cambodia. "Her past was beyond repair, if there was any good thing there to salvage I knew not how. But God showed me she had her future. And it was vast, unbroken, pristine, radiant. It was pure promise: a Glory that would be revealed in her, a Glory that outweighed her present troubles, the Glory of the One who was coming to redeem her and transform her. Her past was a tragedy to lament. But her future was an epic to anticipate; which is simply to say: What will happen matters more than what has happened." This is the vision of Isaiah 61:1-3 that I believe is God’s vision for these little ones. Indeed each and every child who has or was subject to such trauma in their lives may come to that realization that the future before them is one in which God wants to write a new story filled with new hope.


The second quote that LD shared was from Matthew 1. He writes: ‘I have always been fascinated by the recording of Jesus`s family tree. What has always struck me is that there are only 5 woman mentioned. They are Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary. Some were prostitutes, one was an adulterer, one was a widow from a despised race. But God choose these women to be the bloodline of Jesus. This reinforced how special of a place that God must have in his heart for the girls in forced prostitution. As the women in the Bible, some had choices and made poor decisions. But God showed the incredible Grace by having their names recorded in his Book. How much more Grace is He willing to shower upon the little girls all over the world who are in prostitution through no fault of their own.

Thank you Lord for reminding me that your arm is not too short to save. You who are the Hope of the nations is mighty to save and deliver. Thank you for the privilege you give to us to partner with you and with each other to build your kingdom and to shine your light in the most darkest corners of the world. Let it be that we will continue to be the Your voice for the voiceless.

Our Sisters, Our Daughters, Our Children!

These past few weeks I wished I had more hours in a day but then again I remember that God only needed 24 hours so why do I think I need more! There has been so much happening and in all of these wonderful activities it is so easy to focus on the ministry and not on the relationship. Henry Blackaby once said that we need to keep examining the quality of our love relationship with Jesus. I value those wise words for what do we have to offer others if we do not gain our strength, wisdom, energy, love, hope, peace and joy from the One who came to give us life. It is times like this when my plate seems full that I need to abide in the Vine for apart from Him I can do nothing and I labor in vain. So yesterday, my Sabbath day--- I say Sabbath and people think I take the whole day off but what I mean is I protect my Monday evenings so that I can just relax and do whatever I feel like without any agenda. As the weather is getting warmer and the days are longer I have been going walking for 1 hour--- Me, my IPOD and God….it has been a sweet time listening to a sermon and then spending time praying and talking to the Lord about all sorts of things.

I’m dreaming and imaging possibilities with Him because each day is filled with new surprises. I never know what to expect when I check my emails. I feel privileged to be connected with so many different people. Last night I got an email from our newest Ratanak partner Ruth Elliot who runs Daughters Cambodia (www.daughterscambodia.org) I have been reading a newsletter she sent and found myself in tears reading about ‘my sisters’ in Cambodia. This past March, 14 girls were baptized during a special Easter service and joined the family of God. These are my sisters, my daughters, the ones I look forward to seeing and meeting when I go to Cambodia in July. I have not met them as yet, but my heart is knitted with their heart. We share a bond now in Christ. These are the ones for whom Jesus came and who He beckons us to serve and to love. In the world’s eyes, they are viewed as disposable, outcasts, but in God’s eyes, they are not forsaken nor forgotten by Him. They are His treasures, precious ones for whom He came for, for whom He died and for whom He rose again to demonstrate to us that in Him, we can experience new life. Indeed it takes on a whole new meaning when one looks at lives that have been treated worse than animals….spit at, tortured, raped, drugged and beaten…and yet they show me what it means to share in the fellowship of Christ’s suffering. They can identify with Him at a level that I only read about.

As I read their testimonies, I am reminded again about the resilience of the human spirit….where sin increases, grace increases more and our Lord indeed can and is able to restore dignity beyond what we can ever imagine. These sisters continue to be my heroes. They give new meaning to the words ‘more than conquerors.’ Shame, guilt and fear does not have the last word, love does. Love has come down and lifted them up and has bestowed on them a crown of beauty for ashes. I enclosed a couple of their testimonies but if you would like to be on Daughters Cambodia prayer list and learn more about this organization, how you can get involved and what God is doing in and through this amazing ministry please email: daughterscambodia@gmail.com

Below are two stories from young women at Daughters. Their names have been changed to protect their identity but I trust as you read them, that God will fill you with hope that all things are possible with Him!

Sinah’s Story

From my very first day at Daughters, there has been one girl who consistently makes me feel welcomed and accepted. Her name is Sinah, she is a 17 year old beauty with a feisty personality and a fierce confidence. Although her English is limited to the basics like, “Hello” and “How are you?”, she is constantly struggling to communicate with myself and other English speakers that come to the center. Upon meeting Sinah, one might see a normal teenage girl who is well adjusted and light hearted; but as I get to know her better, I find that there is more than meets the eye. Sinah used to work as a sex worker in a bar. One day, her mother fell ill and she had to go to the province to care for her. She spent 15 days nursing her back to health, only to come back to the city and find that they had kicked her out of the brothel. Alone and not knowing what to do, Sinah decided to take her cousin’s advice and check out the NGO called Daughters of Cambodia. When she did, she knew her life would never be the same.

“Everything is better than before,” she tells me with a smile, “It is honest work, I can take care of my mother in the province, and I am free from guilt.” It is here at the center that Sinah has found the true freedom in Christ. “I used to live in the darkness, but now I live in the light.” Although Sinah has found peace and joy in her new life here at Daughters, she finds herself battling Satan’s lies on a daily basis. “I am free and I threw everything from my old life away, but I am still broken hearted,” she whispers quietly. The conversation has shifted and I am beginning to see another side of this precious girl.

She begins to pour out her heart, revealing the tragic reality, that at times the pain is so strong and so intense, her whole body goes numb. “Sometimes when I go numb, I will sew right through my finger and not even notice. I can’t even feel the pain,” Sinah tells me with tears in her eyes. When I look down, I notice she has a brace around her ankle; my heart begins to ache.

And then, she says something that both surprises and humbles me, “But that is how I know God loves me so much. He watches over me and keeps me safe when I cannot do it myself. He has to take care of me.” Sinah’s faith in the Lord is becoming stronger and stronger every day. Although the people in her life do not understand her decision to follow Christ, she will not turn back to her old life.

“Sometimes it feels like I am the enemy of Cambodia. Everyone calls me crazy and a bad Buddhist,” she stares blankly out the window before turning back to say, “So I ask God, “If I know you and it is right- Why do all these people hate me? Is it right?”” Then, after a long pause filled with careful consideration she says, “But I know I’m not crazy, because now I live in the light. I am free with Christ- so I will continue to choose Him. He has led me here and I am thankful.”

As our time together comes to an end, I find myself amazed at the wisdom this young woman possesses. She trusts Jesus with everything she is. She knows that no matter what happens in this life, she will remain a follower of Jesus. “I am thankful for Daughters, because it gave me a new life and told me about God,” Sinah makes her final statement and quietly goes back to work.

Naly’s Story:
After being sold by her parents into a relationship with a Chinese businessman, Naly was forced to leave her home in Cambodia and migrate to China. Her life would never be the same. When she returned from China, her parents tried to sell her once again, but this time to a Korean man. That was when she learned about Daughters of Cambodia. I knew that I had to make money to support my parents, but I didn’t want to go back to that life,” Naly calmly states. She had heard about Daughters through a friend and began working the first day she came to the center.

When she talks, Naly speaks with elegance and poise; always composed, she exudes strength. But when talking about Daughters, her new friends, and Ruth (her boss), she seems to lose that composure that makes her so untouchable. “My life is so much better than before,” she says as her eyes get misty, “I have learned so much, while supporting my family at the same time.”
Naly has a very keen mind and has learned skills quickly, making her a valuable asset to the Daughters businesses. She loves to learn new things and always enjoys sewing, making jewellery, and making art. It was also at the Daughters center that she came to know the Lord for the first time. “I didn’t believe in Jesus when I heard about him at the center, until one night before I went to sleep, I prayed a prayer to him. I said, “God, if you are God, please help me.” Naly had been going through some hardships and was struggling to find comfort in the midst of her sadness. “That night when I went to sleep, I was filled with peace. That was how I knew that Jesus was real.”

As Naly continues to excel in her position here at Daughters, she prays that the Lord will continue to bless the center. She emphasized the importance of having the center, “This NGO is so good, because it gives sex workers a way out of prostitution. It saved my life and I would like to thank all of our donors.”

A Bitter Sweet Moment

This morning I have woken with a bitter sweet taste in my mouth. I had to journey these thoughts to process my own feelings and what is going on within my spirit. This journey to Slay the Giant and end child sex slavery takes me through various paths with many unexpected twists and turns and yet I know that it is He who is charting the course and equipping me and teaching me as I go along with Him.

In many ways, I feel so privileged that God would share His heart with me and I look back at the beginning of this year at the Solemn Assembly at our church when our congregation was repenting about not taking the Great Commission seriously. One of the challenges that we were asked to pray about was investing in the next generation. I found myself drawn to this particular prayer request as God has opened my eyes to see the next generation as my spiritual children. So often my focus has been and continues to be on the spiritual daughters in Cambodia that He has burdened my heart to pray for and to give my life to investing in their restoration and redemption. But God has a funny way of teaching us things close to home. After all, how can we expect to serve Him overseas, if we are not doing the same at home.

Earlier in March, I spoke at a conference here in Toronto and I invited the teenage son of friends of mind to help me. He is gifted in computers and so he was a great help to me in working the powerpoint when I was speaking. In some ways, this young man has become another one of my spiritual sons and so last night it was such a privilege that I could return the favor and help him. God is nurturing his heart to speak up for these who have no voice and last night he was doing a presentation at a youth group. I had given him copies of what I had done and also felt led to go help him run the powerpoint, pray for him, as well as the rest of the youth. I knew he would be showing a movie called Fields of Mudan. This is a movie I often use as part of my presentations because it so accurately displays the terror and trauma that is inflicted on children who are forced in to prostitution and sex slavery. While it is never easy to watch this movie, I know that if people are to really get a glimpse of the pain inflicted by this giant, that we all need to enter into the suffering of these girls. To not do so would be to avoid allowing our hearts to be broken with the things that break God’s heart.

Having said that, a wise friend last fall said to me that when we show the Fields of Mudan movie we need to be mindful of those who themselves have experienced sexual abuse. She reminded me that while this movie is indeed a powerful portrayal of the pain and suffering of child sex slaves, it has the potential of opening up wounds of those in the audience who themselves have been abused and so the importance of offering prayer ministry as part of the presentation is vital And so at each event, I and my armor bearers will pray for God’s protection over hearts and minds of people. I knew it would be just a matter of time when I would have to face this particular issue first hand. Last night, turned out to be such a night. One young teenage girl was visibly and notably broken, shaking uncontrollably and crying out in pain. Her tears were not from physical pain but it came from somewhere deep within her soul; the inner turmoil exposed and visible in all its rawness. At that moment, I just held her in my hands and told her to ‘let it out, let the tears out, let the pain out.’ I am thankful that one of my armor bearers was with me at that time. She reminded her that we were in a safe place. We asked her how we could help her and in the midst of her tears she sobbed ‘stop their pain, stop what is happening to the little girls’-----I believe she was also talking about her own pain. We prayed for her calling out to Jesus knowing that He hears the cries of her hearts, He knows her pain, He knows her suffering, He is close to those who are crushed in spirit, He knows! Jesus, Man of sorrows, well acquainted with grief, who bore our sin and who endured the cross, He knows what it is like to be abused. How I am thankful that we have a Savior in Him who can lift us out of our miry pits and bestow on us a crown of beauty for ashes.

As we continued ministering to this young girl, her mother called on the cell phone and I could hear her voice, filled with anger and rage as she yelled at her daughter to get her (expletive) self outside to the front of the building. Her daughter sobbing on the phone begging her mother to come in and get her because she couldn’t move. She was in some sense paralyzed by the pain deep within her. But her mother did not hear the cries of her daughter’s heart. She had her own agenda and totally disregarded her daughter’s appeal to come. We asked our youth pastor to go and talk to the girl’s mother and explain all that happened in the evening. He did but there was no listening on the mother’s end. She said her daughter was being over dramatic. This image has stayed with me as I drove home last night. How could a mother be so deaf to the cries of her child? I can’t judge but I know what I saw. I saw a young girl in need and desperately asking for help but her mother for whatever reason could not hear the cries of her daughter’s heart. I asked the Lord about this as I was going to bed and I believe He gave me an image of what had happened to this teenager. She may have been a child when she was abused, she may have told her mother about it but her mother dismissed it. The very people who she reached out to ask for help, the ones who love her, dismissed her emotions, her feelings. Her voice silenced until last night, when the memories of her youth were surfaced. It is hard to watch someone be gripped by such pain. I wish I could take it away from her but that is Jesus’s role. I know that God has called us to stand with these. To hold their hand, to let them know that we are a ‘safe person’, to offer His healing words to them, to encourage and build them back up in His love. I am grateful for this special privilege that He has entrusted to us who are in this battle.

This morning, my spirit remains heavy as I continued to pray for this teenager. I know that what God has revealed to her, is part of His journey to bring true and deep healing to her wounds. To set her free, to restore her and repay the years the locusts have eaten from her so that she will never again be shamed. Scripture reminds me that what the Lord has started, He will complete. He doesn’t just open up wounds but He will bind them and heal them with His tender balm. I am praying this for this precious girl. It is not surprising that He would continue to speak to me about all that transpired last night through my quiet time with Him this morning. Psalm 139:1-12 was my meditation and He reminded me that ‘He knows everything about us’---- I am grateful that He knows everything about this teenager. He knows where she had been, what has happened to her. He knows exactly where she needs to be healed. He is familiar with all her ways. He reminded me this morning that He will go before her and follow her and He will place His hand of blessing on her head. I pray indeed that she will experience such deep and permanent freedom and healing from Him in the days and weeks to come.

As I think of her, a song comes to my head that I heard last night. It seems so appropriate. It’s called: He Knows My Name by Tommy Walker. It is my prayer that each child, each person who has ever experienced and endured such violation would encounter this truth in the deepest areas of their soul:

I have a Maker
He formed my heart
Before even time began
My life was in his hands

Chorus
He knows my name
He knows my every thought
He sees each tear that falls
and He hears me when I call

I have a Father
He calls me His own
He’ll never leave me
No matter where I go

Chorus
He knows my name
He knows my every thought
He sees each tear that falls
and He hears me when I call

God is taking me deeper into His heart and the heart of these who are broken at their deepest levels. It is a bitter sweet moment but I am thankful to share in the fellowship of His sufferings (Philippians 3:10) as I share in the sufferings of these whom He brings my way. It is uncanny how this verse that He gave me in 2000 for my first trip to Cambodia has taken on such a huge importance in my life as He leads me forward to slay this giant of child sex slavery.

Easter

Today I received this wonderful quote from Dr. Phyllis Kilbourn in her Easter Newsletter:

“There will never be an act of love so pure or triumph so celebrated as the humility of the cross and the miracle of the empty tomb.”

Father as we are in this season of Lent and Easter is approaching may your act of love on the cross, once again be captured in our hearts that we too would reflect Your love in our acts of service, in what we say and do and in the midst of suffering and hardship, let us remember that you endured the cross for the joy that was set before you. Indeed there can be no crown if there is no cross. May your cross remind us time and time again of the price you paid to set us free from the chains of sin that we might live in your resurrection power! Thank you for the miracle of the empty tomb that reminds us that You have risen and so shall we. As I think of my 'spiritual daugthers' in the far off land of Cambodia, I pray this Easter season they may come to taste and experience the freedom of new life in You---a life in which you lift them up from the miry pit and set them free to live in the strength and in the power of your Spirit who sanctifies and cleanses them from all fear, shame and guilt and makes them a new creation born to worship you in spirit and in truth!

God's Cause

Sovereign God,
Your cause, not my own, engages my heart,
and I appeal to you with greatest freedom
to set up your kingdom in every place where Satan reigns;

Glorify yourself and I shall rejoice,
for to bring honor to your name is my sole desire.
I adore you that you are God
and long that others should know it, feel it and rejoice in it.
O that all people might love and praise you;
that you might have all glory from the intelligent world!
Let sinners be brought to you for your dear name’s sake!
To the eye of reason everything concerning the conversion of others is as dark as midnight,
But you can accomplish great things;
the cause is yours and it is to your glory that people should be saved.

Lord, use me as you will, do with me what you will;
but, O, promote your cause,
let your kingdom come,
let your blessed interest be advanced in this world!

O do bring in great numbers to Jesus!
Let me see that glorious day and give me to grasp for multitudes of souls;
let me be willing to die to that end;
and while I live let me labor for you to the utmost of my strength,
spending time profitably in this work, both in health and in weakness.
It is your cause and kingdom I live for, not my own.

O, answer my request!

Prayer from: The Valley of Vision Prayers

Justice Events in March 2008

Missionfest 2008 – Making A Difference, please see: http://www.missionfest.org/

FRIDAY MARCH 7, 2008
MISSIONFEST MASTER SEMINARS ON JUSTICE

Justice for Children at Risk - Speaker: Faith Goodman Friday March 7, 2:30pm in P. Berton Room This is a panel discussion on justice issues concerning children. Moderator: Lorna Dueck, Listen Up TVRev. John Niles, Senior Minister, St. Andrews United Church, Justice Kenneth Pedlar

Slaying the Giant: Ending Child Sex Slavery - Speaker: Lisa Cheong Friday March 7, 2:30pm in G. Pinsent Room

SATURDAY MARCH 8, 2008

MISSIONFEST MASTER SEMINAR ON JUSTICE

When the Good do Nothing
Speaker: Jamie McIntosh Saturday March 8, 10:30am in Hall D

MISSIONFEST WORKSHOP ON JUSTICE

Putting Feet to Your Hearts Desire
This seminar will explore various avenues in which to become involved in caring for sexually exploited children. Specifically, we will discuss different levels of advocacy, as well as opportunities to participate as a short term intern and long term intern in a host country. Location: A. Waxman Room 1 & 2
Time: 11:00 a.m Speaker: Lisa Cheong (Ratanak Foundation) & James Pond (Transitions Cambodia)

SUNDAY MARCH 9, 2008

SEEK JUSTICE SEMINAR
"What God Thinks About - A Theology of Freedom And How We Respond"
Theology is often talked about in terms of orthodoxy - but, theology is something that we do, not something we just believe. James Pond will be discussing the issue of sex trafficking, his personal journey and response, and how we can respond to a theology that promotes the gospel.
Location: Rexdale Alliance Church, 2459 Islington Ave, Etobicoke ON, M9W 3X9, 416 741 1110 Map: http://www.rexdalealliance.org/index_contact_us.cfm
Speaker: James Pond, Transitions Cambodia (http://www.transitionscambodia.org/)

Please RSVP to Lisa J. Cheong if you plan to attend this seminar at: ljcheong@gmail.com

Glimpses of Fruit

I can't believe how time has flown and its been such a while since I last wrote on my blog. Today is one of those days when I can barely contain myself as I see God is once again on the move and He has been so gracious to reveal glimpses of fruit that He has planted in peoples lives who either attended the Slaying The Giant Conference last September 2007 or the Seek Justice conference in 2006.

One of the prayers that our team prayed was that God would bring His chosen people to these conferences and that He would raise up people to respond and and take action to what they heard. It is no coincidence that as I begin this month of reflection to prepare for the Missionfest seminars on March 7th & 8th that, the Lord would give me the privilege of hearing what He has been doing in the hearts of others. This past weekend, I along with a friend and our youth pastor sat with 5 teens from our church who God has raised up with a heart and burden to do something about the travesty of Child Sex trafficking. We had a wonderful time of praying and sharing and we discussed about a young teen in the U.S by the name of Zach Hunter who wrote a book called Be The Change and who God has raised up as a modern day abolitionist. Zach has spoken to over half a million of people and established a campaign called Loose Change to Loosen Chains In the next few months, we are planning to study Zach's book with the youth and see where the Lord will lead them as we seek to mentor and encourage them to be the modern day William Wilberforces.

This morning when I opened my email, I saw a message from another teenager---an MK who used to attend my church but is now in India with her parents. She attended the Seek Justice conference in 2006 with her mum. I was so touched to hear what God is doing in her life. NR (her initials) emailed to ask for prayer as she is organizing a prayer group among her 'boarding school' friends this coming Thursday so that they can pray for the kids who are in the sex trade. she had emailed not only for prayer but was asking how she would encourage her fellow peers to get involved. I feel so privileged to be able to come along side these youth and in an ironic twist, the same verse that the Lord gave me two years ago from Isaiah 61:1-4--for the young girls who are caught in sex slavery actually applies to these youth. For God has laid on my heart to see these young women be 'a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor' as they are restored and become all whom He has destined them to be and as I think of the youth on this side of the pond who He is raising up as voices for the voiceless, my role is also to encourage them to fulfill their destiny and to see them be as well 'a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor.'

But it is not just youth He is raising up for later this evening, I got another email from two other people who attended the Slaying The Giant conference last September. As a result of what one gal learned at the conference, she is writing her thesis on Sex Trafficking in Cambodia and in May of this year she will be going over to Cambodia for 1 year to be an intern with one of our partner organizations. The other individual is another lady from the Anglican denomination. She called wanting to know how she could get involved. Her phone call was quite timely as I was in the midst of preparing a promotional email for all the justice events (see below) that are happening in March and so she is hoping to promote the events within her parish's newsletter.

All of this to say, that God is raising up a generation of people both young and old to speak up for those who have no voices. How I praise Him for these glimpses of fruit that He has planted and watered.

Happy Birthday Jesus - The God Who Can!

Happy Birthday Jesus! Thank you that you are the gift that keeps on giving. There is no one else or no other gift that we can ever find true satisfaction in. Oh Father will this truth be borne and engraved deep within my soul, my heart and my mind. On this Blessed Day, I am reminded that without you, I do not have life—You are the air I breathe, the wind beneath my wings, the light in my darkness, the Shepherd of my soul, the One who descended down to His creation to lift humanity into the divine life, that we might have and experience life to its fullest. Thank you Jesus. Thank you that you were born and became flesh. Thank you that you are the Source of Hope, the Fountain of life that gives life to dry bones. Thank you that you are our Mighty Fortress and Firm Foundation when every thing around us is moving and shifting, friendships changing, transitions in our midst, you are My shield, My Rock who I can trust in who is unshakeable. Thank you that you being born in a stable demonstrate your heart for the poor, the humble and the oppressed. Thank you that you identify with our weaknesses and as your word says you give strength to the weak, your grace is sufficient for us for in our weaknesses, we are made strong in You.

Lord, who can give us such a life, who can give us such a hope, who can give us meaning in our lives, who can show us the way, who can lift us up when we fall down, who can love us like no other, who can stand with us and who can restore us and redeem us when our lives have fallen short, who can pick us up and give us a second chance, who can forgive us our sins and set us free from the imprisonment of our souls, who can lift us up from our pits of despair and instill fresh joy and hope, who can do for us more than we can imagine, who can sanctify our minds and cleanse our hearts, who can fill us with such a passion for the broken and give us the courage and strength to fight for the injustices of this world, who can spur us on to good works, who can give us a sense and purpose for our life, who can know the deepest and darkest areas of our souls, who can we turn to and find comfort and strength in our time of need and grief, who can heal our emotions, our physical ailments and our spiritual afflictions, who can give us the deep rest that our souls long for, who can save us from the perils of this world, who can give us new appetites for the eternal, who can fill us with wisdom and discernment, who can establish the works of our hands, who can lead us in the path of truth, who can help us to stand firm in the midst of our temptation, who can give us holy desires, who can empower us beyond our human abilities to accomplish much for the kingdom of God, who can make our dreams become a reality because they were His dreams all along, who can give us a vision of the future that produces a passion in us, who can do all these things---only Jesus can. Lord, I am glad that you came, that you are Emmanuel –God with us who not only ‘CAN’ but who IS and was and IS to come. Thank you that you never change for you are the same yesterday as you are today as you will be tomorrow. Thank you that you came as a babe and in your coming you have made “eternity enter into time and time, sanctified is caught up in eternity.”(Thomas Merton)

Seeing Jesus In The Least of These

Jesus is the Hungry-to be fed

Jesus is the Thirsty-to be satiated

Jesus is the Naked-to be clothed

Jesus is the Homeless-to be taken in

Jesus is the Lonely-to be loved

Jesus is the Unwanted-to to wanted

Jesus is the Leper-to wash his wounds

Jesus is the Beggar-to give him a smile

Jesus is the Drunkard-to listen to him

Jesus is the Mental-to protect him

Jesus is the Little One-to embrace him

Jesus is the Blind-to lead him

Jesus is the Dumb-to speak for him

Jesus is the Crippled-to walk with him

Jesus is the Drug Addict-to befriend him

Jesus is the Prostitute-to remove from danger and befriend her

Jesus is the Prisoner-to be visited

Jesus is the Old-to be served

Author Unknown

Testimony of Sharon Cohn - IJM

Testimony of Sharon Cohn, International Justice Mission (IJM)
Before the House Foreign Affairs Committee
Thursday, October 18, 2007

Thank you, Chairman Lantos and Representative Ros-Lehtinen for holding this important hearing on slavery and trafficking, and for inviting me to testify. My name is Sharon Cohn, and I serve as the Senior Vice President of Justice Operations at the International Justice Mission. IJM is a faith-based human rights service organization that exists to protect people from violent forms of injustice by securing rescue and restoration for victims and accountability for perpetrators. I would like to reflect on some of the lessons we have learned from years of casework on behalf of individual victims of slavery and trafficking in seven of our fourteen overseas offices.

If you will permit me, Mr. Chairman, I would like to direct the attention of the Committee to two photographs from Cambodia. The first was taken by in February, 2003 by IJM under-cover investigators. These little girls, who were Vietnamese trafficking victims, were being offered for sex to pedophiles from the West. The other photograph is some of the same children in July 2007 – four years after they were removed from the brothel and provided with intensive health care and mental health services, a home, and loving caregivers.

I would like to use IJM’s experience with the rescue of these little girls to make the following points:

Restoration and After-care: First, as these photos suggest, even the youngest and most grossly exploited children can be reclaimed and restored. IJM’s former clients are happy and healthy students, developing skills that will serve them well through life. Thanks to inspired after-care, these children will be in a good home until they are adults.

Among the many lessons from the field that we have learned is that the sooner children can be removed from sexual exploitation, the more complete will be the recovery of their mental and physical health. It is essential that they be provided with comprehensive, long-term trauma care, shelter, education, and life skills and that they are protected from former pimps and brothel owners who are often eager to secure the recovery of their “property.”

To be sure, the overwhelming majority of trafficking victims are older than the clients depicted in these pictures, however, our experience everywhere we have worked, is that aftercare is a long term resource intensive investment, but that it can be successful. One area we would like to bring to the Committee’s attention that is vital to the recovery and reintegration of trafficking victims is education and sustainable employment for girls once they reach adulthood. We see a need for investments in this area everywhere we work on sex trafficking cases.

In our anti-trafficking work in Cambodia, Thailand, India, and the Philippines, IJM has found that often university-trained social workers lack training in addressing sexual trauma among trafficking victims. (Note: The same can be said with regard to minor victims of rape or sexual violence unrelated to prostitution.) IJM provides this training to our own local staff, but, given the great need for trauma assistance for child and adult victims of sexual violence, we would like to see governments and international donors help local universities incorporate this area of study into social work curricula.

Diplomacy and Political Pressure: IJM’s experience in Cambodia provides a vivid example of the important role that U.S. diplomacy can play in encouraging governments to take action against trafficking. The Government of Cambodia tolerated the sale of young children for many years. International experts credit the deployment of international peacekeepers in Cambodia in the 1990’s with the demand for young children for sexual exploitation. The youngest girls are Vietnamese children trafficked into Cambodia or sold by their families.

IJM investigators identified these and other pre-pubescent girls in Sway Pak in 2002 and appealed without success for official intervention on their behalf. It was not until 2003, after high-level diplomatic efforts by U.S. Ambassador Charles Ray, who invoked the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, that the Cambodian authorities made a decision at the ministerial level to address the issue of child sexual exploitation. In March of that year, General Un Sokunthea assigned 80 police officers to work with IJM. Police intervened in the specific brothels in Sway Pak where these children were for sale. They arrested 13 perpetrators and removed 37 victims under the age of 18, including ten girls under 10 years of age; the youngest was 5.

Clearly, countries differ in their susceptibility to U.S. pressure; however evidence clearly indicates that many victims have benefited from the State Department Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking (G-TIP) review process. When U.S. government officials not only at G-TIP but across the USG, including our embassies, convey American seriousness about the TVPA, trafficking victims benefit.

Limitations Due to Lack of Capacity: In countries with a significant trafficking problem, some degree of official complicity is almost invariably a factor. Indeed, it is hard to imagine how brothel owners, pimps and traffickers could openly violate national laws were not local authorities at least willing to turn a blind eye. But not every infirmity of local law enforcement or judicial process is attributable to corruption. In Cambodia, for example, where IJM has since 2004 trained over 600 Cambodian National Police in the Juvenile Protection and Anti Human Trafficking Unit. We have found them to be eager students – with much to learn. In one training simulation, for example, our training staff observed that offenders were not searched or disarmed and the back door was not secured before participants entered the front. Even such elementary steps to secure their own protection were neglected. With proper training and mentoring, these skills and others necessary to securing victims and apprehending perpetrators were developed.

General Un Sokunthea, the commander of the Juvenile Protection and Anti-Trafficking Unit of the Cambodian National Police visited Washington last month and met with State Department officials. She reported on some of the child protection procedures that the Juvenile Protection and Anti-Trafficking Unit has incorporated into its operations. For example, police in her unit now routinely secure a legal advocate for child victims so as to protect them throughout the process of prosecution of perpetrators. She has instituted private interview rooms for child victims, as well. These are things that we arranged for our clients with the officers we trained; that her unit is now routinely offering such protection to trafficked children is an example of the structural changes that can come from individual casework.

IJM’s experience in training the Cambodian police provides another lesson we have learned about combating the crime of sex trafficking. Cambodia is a country that has a very long way to go before it meets international human rights standards. IJM’s successful collaboration with the Cambodian authorities on child sexual exploitation cases does not exonerate the authorities for a significant pattern of human rights abuses in many areas. Nor does it mean that police malfeasance has ended. It does suggest that is possible to achieve very real gains against trafficking and child sexual exploitation even in such difficult circumstances as Cambodia’s. The elements that contributed are the creation of a separate anti-trafficking force, the leadership that General Un has shown, police training, and the continued interest and pressure of the United States on trafficking.

Effective Law Enforcement Creates Deterrence: Since the 2003 police operation in Sway Pak, IJM has worked with Cambodian police and prosecutors to secure the conviction under Cambodian law of 77 pimps, brothel owners, customers, and traffickers for the sexual exploitation of children. While it is still possible to locate children in the commercial sex industry in Cambodia, there appears to be a significant reduction in their number.

Trafficking is an economic crime. Trafficking enterprises, like other businesses, display their wares in a market, and markets need to ensure that the demand can find the supply. It is not hard to find trafficking victims. Inebriated perverts who want to have sex with children are able to find the victims. IJM investigators are also able to find the victims. So, why can’t the police find the victims? Human trafficking thrives only when and where the local enforcement authorities decide that they will not intervene to stop it. They don’t stop it because they are overworked and understaffed, poorly trained or bribed.

It has been IJM’s experience that the cost incurred to brothel owners and pimps of securing a minor into prostitution is quickly made up by the income generated by offering the victim to many customers, many times. For example, the brothel where these children were located offered them for oral sex for $30 per act. To extrapolate, even if each of the 37 rescued girls had performed sex acts only once a day for the previous year, at $30 an act the perpetrators’ total gross receipts for the year would have been more than $400,000. Per capita income in Cambodia in 2004 was $2,000. A Cambodian policeman’s salary at the time was approximately $43 per month. The economics of sex trafficking and the poverty-level wages of local police illustrate why they are so vulnerable to corruption.

But if even a few traffickers and bar or brothel owners offering minor children to customers are prosecuted and convicted, traffickers must incorporate the potential cost of jail against their future earnings. Increased security and measures to offer trafficking victims to only trusted customers quickly erodes the profits to be made. At a certain point – well before every case has been investigated and prosecuted – the risk of selling minors simply outweighs the benefits.

A recent internal review of operations conducted by International Justice Mission suggests that strong law enforcement has effectively ended the open exploitation of minors in Chiang Mai, Thailand’s commercial sex industry. A comparison of data collected in undercover investigations between 1998 and 2002, with data from a comprehensive July 2006 survey, found that the percentage of minors in the industry has fallen from approximately 10% of all women in prostitution to less than 1%. Only 1 minor was found in July 2006, out of over 428 women in prostitution surveyed.

This represents a radical change in Chiang Mai’s commercial sex industry where finding a minor for commercial sexual exploitation used to be as simple as walking into a brothel and asking for one. Commercial sex operators repeatedly said that they no longer use minors because of stricter law enforcement: the police no longer allowed young girls to work in the brothels. IJM’s anecdotal experience over a seven-year period in Chiang Mai and the anecdotal evidence of its operational survey strongly suggest that law enforcement can indeed have a deterrent effect on the trafficking and exploitation of vulnerable minors.

Vietnamese Villages in Cambodia

One of my friends took us to visit a Vietnamese village located along the Tonle Sap river. The conditions they live in are deplorable as they are stateless with no legal rights. On our recent trip, I had the opportunity to visit one of the nearby villages that is close to Phnom Penh. In seeing first hand the living environments of so many who are poor, I am truly amazed at the resilience of the human spirit to persevere in such conditions. Only God can give someone the ability to have hope and joy in such a challenging environment. Visiting families required us walking along these narrow wooden planks or taking a little boat with the aid of a young Vietnamese family member. Venice this is not, as electrical cords dangle from bamboo sticks that act as 'support' beams' along the wooden path way. The Vietnamese that live along the river banks have to pay a 'docking fee' to the owners whose homes align just infront of the Vietnamese boat houses.

In these muddy waters of the Tonle Sap the kids will bathe and their clothes (if they have any) are washed. One can only wonder how it is people can survive in such difficult circumstances and yet they do.

Meat Anyone!

Okay those of you who know me, know that I am a meat lover so on my recent trip to Cambodia in August, my travelling companion took some interesting shots. Just thought I'd share a couple of protein based photos for fun. Hope you enjoy them. The first photo is pretty self explanatory and the second photo, well these are pigs (in disguise) going to the market!

The Tentacles of The Giant

Today I had lunch with an ex-colleague of mind. He and I typically try and meet every Friday to discuss the bible and how it applies to our lives. God has given me the privilege of sewing into his life when he used to work here and over the past year there has been a quite a transformation as the Holy Spirit has gotten hold of him. He and his wife and kids first visited my church earlier this year but as much as they enjoyed it, they found the distance too much and so they have settled into another church near their home which is part of our denomination. In recent times, he and I have had discussions about the whole issue of child sex trafficking. Initially he found it so difficult to deal with but yet as time has gone by God has given him an appreciation for this very challenging ministry.

A few weeks ago my ex-colleague who I shall called DP went on a business trip to China with a bunch of other businessmen alone with their wives. He was visiting plants of various companies who are listed on our stock exchange here in Canada. In one of the side trips, he was taken by a Chinese executive to another town and found himself in an unexpected environment. It turned out he was escorted to a hotel and led to a specific room and what he relayed to me was not surprising but for the first time it made me realize that the biggest giant is in China. DP described how he sat in hotel room with this other man and there was a knock on the door. In walked 1 man with 4 Chinese women that he figured would be between ages 18 to 20 years old. He was shocked, the man who had led him to this place asked him to choose a girl but he shook his head and said no he wasn’t interested. The executive who apparently was married was not deterred by my friend’s disinterest and chose one of the women and the other 3 left. At that point, my friend figured he would just do some work on email and watch TV since he had to ‘wait’ for the Chinese executive to finish his business. But it wasn’t long before a second knock and the door flung open and in came two men with 4 different girls. The same question was asked of my friend and he said what came to his mind was the face of his youngest son back home and so he refused again. At this point the men who had escorted the girls were quite puzzled but left. A few minutes later, a third knock and yes another 4 set of girls. By now, my friend was beginning to realize that his refusal was starting to create a problem for these men who were slowly getting a bit irritated at DP’s response. DP looked at the girls and as he said they were pretty and the next thought into his mind was ‘disease’ and he thought of his own Asian wife who he was planning to meet later that day and so he flatly refused. By now he was hoping that this would be the end of this saga but that was not the case. Another few minutes passed and another knock on the door and in walked in 4 more girls and their ‘bodyguards’. DP looked at them and caught the eye of one girl who seemed quite smiley and cheerful and then two thoughts came to his mind. First, ‘I wonder whose daughter she is? What would her father do if he was in this situation? Second, he remembered the conversations we had had about child sex trafficking and he thought to himself ‘if Lisa could only see where I was.’ My friend DP refused and at that time, the ‘bodyguards’ were not too happy with him and motioned that he was no longer welcomed to stay in that hotel room but would have to wait downstairs until the his other Chinese executive had finished his ‘business.’ So DP left and waited in the lobby.

As I sat listening to his story, I was proud of this friend---Satan was trying to tempt him and yet each time, God was watching over him and bringing to mind images of his family or thoughts that made him look at this situation not from a ‘man’s perspective but from God’s viewpoint. As DP shared, he said ‘maybe 10 years ago I would have been tempted after all, ‘no one would have known’ but with each knock on that hotel door ‘I began to feel more disgusted at what I was seeing and it became much easier to say ‘no. It would not have mattered if these girls were naked because once I began to see them as someone else’s daughters, this whole situation became even more deplorable. I felt sorry for these girls and it was if I was filled with compassion.’ I thank the Lord for protecting this man and for helping him to see these young women not as some commodity to devour but as human beings who have value and worth if not in their families eyes, but in the eyes of their Creator. As DP shared this story, my eyes were filling with tears and he asked why. God’s heart is breaking and grieving at what is happening in the lives of these young women. I am so grateful that He continues to break my heart for this abomination that is happening so prevalently around this world.

The giant we are dealing with has some huge tentacles. More and more I am hearing stories of this from China. My brother and family were vacationing in China this past August and he told me how the hotels seem to be in collusion with the massage parlors as every morning at 8am they would get a phone call asking if they wanted a ‘massage’ at night. This is not just happening to businessmen but families that are traveling on holiday. Even in Cambodia, money is flowing in from China as these so call ‘wealthy Chinese businessmen’ come buying up property and building new high end hotels and casinos which simply are fronts for high end brothels. As one of our partners in Cambodia said recently ‘this situation changes creates a new paradigm in how we are going to have to minister and rescue the victims of sex trafficking.’

If I needed any reminding that this giant is big and strong and its breadth is spreading, these stories certainly add fuel to this. But just like we seek justice for one child at a time, it is ‘one stone’ at a time and one giant at a time. We do know that this battle is long and hard and it is not without its obstacles; obstacles that seem so hard to overcome from the human eye that it makes more sense to stop and give up but those of us who God has called, have chosen a different path. Like David of old, we refuse to let this ‘uncircumsized giant’ dishonor and degrade the name of the Lord and all that He has created. And so I look to one of my heroes, William Wilberforce and take heart in the words that John Wesley wrote to Wilberforce after his 2nd attempt to pass a bill to abolish the slave trade had been struck down after months of preparation, presentation, etc. Dear Sir:Unless the divine power has raised you up to be as Athanasius contra mundum, I see not how you can go through your glorious enterprise in opposing that execrable villainy which is the scandal of religion, of England, and of human nature. Unless God has raised you up for this very thing, you will be worn out by the opposition of men and devils, But if God be for you, who can be against you? Are all of them together stronger than God? O be not weary of well doing! Go on, in the name of God and in the power of his might, till even American slavery (the vilest that ever saw the sun) shall vanish away before it.... That he who has guided you from youth up may continue to strengthen you in this and all things, is the prayer of, dear [miss], Your affectionate servant,John Wesley

May we all indeed continue to walk not by our might or by our strength but by His power!

My Little Sister

God never ceases to surprise me in how He can transform peoples heart. A couple years ago I met a younger sister in Christ who is 5 years my junior. Some times you meet people and there is that kind of bond or connection that you know something significant is going to come off this friendship but you have no idea what it will be. Such was the encounter I had after having an unexpected dinner with her. For those who know me, these past 10 years I have hung around a lot of Koreans such that my Korean friends are convinced that I am a 'wannabe Korean' but I tell them its only their food I'm interested in :-) Actually it is just one dish---Kalbi and if you have never had it and are a meat lover you MUST try it! Anyway, why do I tell you all of this?

Well my little sister is Korean but her's is a very fascinating story. While she was being shaped in her mother's womb the enemy tried to destroy her but God miraculously preserved her life through a series of interventions. When I first heard her story I got goose pimples up my back because I felt I was sitting before someone who was a miracle from God. The lengths and depths and breadth that He went to protect and preserve her life while she was still being fashioned in her mother's womb made me conclude that He wanted to use her significantly in her generation. But more than that, it demonstrated to me how deeply God must love her that He would literally pull out all the stops to protect her life. Fast forward some 30 something years and here she is a a grown up woman with lots of questions but one who has come out of a 'fog' that seemed to be over her life in her teenage years and early 20s. Now she is a woman after God's own heart...seeking Him and continuously pursuing Him with with such intensity. Last October, I approached her as I felt God laying her on my heart to spend more time intentionally with her and I invited her to come to a weekly bible study that my church was having. We were studying a series by Beth Moore called Believing God. (And if you haven't heard of Beth Moore or done any of her bible studies, I encourge you to do so. That particular study has revolutioned my thinking and God has used it so powerfully in my life). Anyway I digress. My 'sister' who I call GK came and God began to forge a friendship between us. Over this past year, I have seen Him transform her heart and mind and deepen her understanding of who He is. But more than that, her desire to walk blameless before the Lord in all areas of her life has been one of the ways God has used her to challenge me to keep seeking those higher heights in Him.

Over the past few months she offered to be my 'gopher' at the Slaying the Giant conference. In her words 'she just wanted to support me after all I had done in her life' but I laughed at her and said 'GK this is not about me, even though you think you are helping me in this conference, this is about God and He has something for you because He sees your heart and your desire to serve.' Little did either of us know what He had in mind. So as time progressed GK confessed she had no interest in child sex trafficking nor Cambodia. In fact she acknowledged that she was only participating to simply help me and I remember telling her that that was okay since God doesn't call us all to have the same passions but He is more interested in our hearts. So she continued to help despite feeling sick. At times she would say how energized she felt when helping me to prepare the conference survey and reviewing the flow of the service for that day etc. On the conference day she showed up ever so faithfully and did exactly what she said she would do. She became my gopher, doing what ever I asked and making sure I ate, helping out where ever she could. Her servant heart and attitude was a blessing and I will always appreciate her willingness to give of her time despite not feeling well. That day, she showed me Jesus in the flesh 'making herself nothing' in order that others might be blessed and encouraged. She didn't attend any of the seminars or workshops and while I was surprised, I realized later that it was her way of 'protecting her heart' from the suffering of these girls who were sexually exploited.

Well as God would have it, my colleague Brian McConaghy from The Ratanak Foundation was speaking at her church the next day. I was waiting there for her as I had asked her to keep all the conference monies and give it to me on Sunday at her church. Little did I know she was battling the Lord that very morning. In her own words: 'Lord I don't want to go to church this morning, I don't want to hear Brian McConaghy speak, I don't want to hear about Cambodia or child sex trafficking, I want to go to Peoples' church instead.' The response from God was 'GK, it is not for you to decide what you want to hear or not hear or where you want to go.' And so like a reluctant Jonah, she came to her church that morning partly because she had promised to handover the funds from the conference. So she went in to the service and as she listend to Brian, her heart began to warm towards what He was saying. She enjoyed the way he communicated and then with a loud 'bang' the Holy Spirit came over her as Brian began to talk about Nhu and Sung. GK began to cry uncontrollably and shake. God had finally broken down whatever walls she had put up and within minutes she found herself saying to the Lord 'God if you want me to go to Cambodia, I will go.' Now you have to understand, this is a person who doesn't cry easily. In fact she is fairly calm and is not easily rattled but that day, she had a divine encounter that completely transformed her heart and mind. When she told me what had happened, I just laughed because this is the same person I had asked a few months back 'oh you should come with me to Cambodia and she quickly responded with a resounding 'no.' Now, she has done a 180 degree turn and I praise God, not because she is interested in coming to Cambodia but more than that. He has opened her heart to the things that are on His heart and He is beginning to move her from living 'safely' to living 'courageously' for Him. I can't wait to see what vision He lays on her heart for the nation of Cambodia and I count it a privilege to just see all of this happening.

All this to say, on this thanksgiving day, I am thankful to God for these precious friends that He has given me and for this 'little sister' whose servant heart and generosity reflects the very love of God who simply wants to bless us, lift us up and enable us to be all who He intended us to be.