In This Update:
“One Year Anniversary!” AIM Training Center Update VIDEO (above) – Isaac Saur
“Lonely No More.” AIM Rahab’s House Siem Reap – Clayton and Emily Butler
“More Kids Than Classrooms!” AIM School Svay Pak – Jennifer Morgan
“With Them EVERY Step of the Way.” AIM Restoration Center – Kelly Evans
“Lonely No More.” AIM Rahab’s House Siem Reap – Clayton and Emily Butler
Doing outreach to victims of trafficking in Siem Reap, we expected to see a lot of pain. However we had not anticipated the sharp shock of loneliness.
We spent an evening talking with one victim. She’s an orphan with no family connections, education, or job experience. She is selling herself because she feels like she has no other option. Yet, shockingly, she said the worst part of it all was being alone.
Recently, she was very sick with no one to care for her. She offered to pay the brothel security guard to come to her home to take care of her, but he refused. So alone.
Last night, we went to do outreach at the river front. We saw a young woman sitting all by herself. We greeted her and found that she was a deaf mute, that couldn’t read or write. She sat alone on this bench until men would offer her money for sex. We learned from another seller in that area that the previous night two men had raped her and left her there knowing that she couldn’t complain to the police because she couldn’t speak. So alone.
We talked to another orphan girl who was taken in by an adoptive family. Unfortunately, the family tells this young woman to bring back money every day or they will kick her out. She works as a construction worker during the day and sells herself to men at night in fear that she will be kicked out. So alone.
This is why God has called us here to Siem Reap; so that each of these girls knows that they are not alone, they are not second class but they are, in fact, royalty as daughters of a King. God says He will never leave them or forsake them. He is with them always, even to the end of the age.
We have the great privileged of revealing this good news to them through the message of the Gospel and through tangible acts of sharing Christ’s love.
We have developed relationships with all these girls and are showing them that they are not alone.
As I type this, the last girl I mentioned has run away from her abusive family and is sitting downstairs in Rahab’s House Siem Reap. She has 4 staff members fawning over her, serving her rice and soup. Today she is not alone, Christ working through AIM is drawing her out of isolation and into a family with royal bloodlines.
Pray for her, the other two girls we are serving, and all the rest of the young women in Siem Reap, who feel so alone.
“More Kids Than Classrooms!” AIM School Svay Pak – Jennifer Morgan
We currently have 29 staff, with our newest addition of our IT person who started this month. He is already making a huge difference with computer maintenance and training for our staff. Two months ago, we also added a part-time staff member who is helping us to prepare healthier snacks for our students. We praise God for the wonderful people he has brought to our school!
One of our core beliefs is to train up the Cambodian young adults and build greater capacity within this community. One way we do that is through our Teacher in Training Program in which the trainees work and learn alongside the head teachers in hopes that they will be ready to take on a new classroom the following year. This month, we will be interviewing for three new teachers-in-training to start in the summer. Please pray that we are able to find ones with hearts willing to learn and to love and serve this community.
Currently, we have 2 kindergarten and 2 first grade classes, as well as 7 classrooms for English classes. We are at capacity in all of these rooms, and we have a waiting list for kindergarten. We need more rooms to expand English offerings now, and we also will be opening two classes of second grade in the next school year. Please pray that space opens up for us to be able to grow and make room for more students. Every week, we have more children who come to register.
We are looking for long-term western volunteers to come and teach English to our staff, as well as to continue to help us to train and support them. Please pray that God will bring us ones to fill these roles.
Please continue to pray for us and for our staff as we pour ourselves out in service to our students and their families. This work can be challenging at times. Pray for our physical, emotional and spiritually well-being.
“With Them EVERY Step of the Way.” AIM Restoration Center – Kelly Evans
We are excited to have Krista Allgor on board! Over the next year, she will be helping develop our on site English classes and new computer lab that will allow the girls to enrich their education with online math and English curriculum.
We are celebrating Khmer New Year this month (April)! The girls are off school for 2 weeks, so ARC is bustling with traditional Khmer games, treats and lots of dancing! Those that are able are visiting their families in their home provinces.
We have been able to reintegrate a few young women back to their families or into transitional living situations. We are very excited for their progress and readiness to re-enter the community!
Please pray for the girls that are unable to visit their family over Khmer New Year due to safety concerns. Every situation is different and that is hard to understand when they see a lot of other girls getting to come and go during this holiday.
Please pray for the staff that will be on duty over Khmer New Year. May they engage with the girls and enjoy this time of fun and celebration!
Please continue to pray for strength, wisdom, boldness and compassion for all of us as we fight the fight. It can become exhausting and overwhelming.
Please pray for other reintegrations in the near future. Although they are “ready” it can still bring some anxiety. We are with them every step of the way!