I will praise the Lord at all times; my mouth will continually praise Him. Psalm 32:1
PRAISES
-Another baby boy has been born to one of our Agape Restoration Center (ARC) grads, a health boy named Isaac. Mom and baby are doing well!
-We HAVE MET the goal for money needed for the heart surgeries! The Gherebeans are working on the travel details and date for surgeries. We think they will be in Bangkok about 2 weeks. They are so surprised and thankful by the outpour of love and provision for them, and a little terrified by it all. The prayer and financial outpouring is so encouraging and humbling. So many people sacrificing and working so hard to bless these two young ladies and lift our staff up. Praise God and huge thanks to His people.
-The girls in Cambodia and the American 5 are doing well in school. We had a team pouring new ideas into our ARC teachers, which was a great success and really boosted the passion for education and teaching. A member of the team developed a child development plan for the day care at Agape Training Center (ATC), which opened the eyes of the care takers and the young moms. God is blessing and equipping this next generation coming up.
-Team USA working on grants, new fundraising and awareness campaigns.
-Menlo Park Team is doing a great job in The Pak and having fun, they are a great blessing.
-Team Bridgeway is gearing up for their work in Rahab’s House Siem Reap and Svay Pak.
-There is so much awareness on the issue of sex trafficking, more people finding out about our work in Cambodia and God’s plan for the Sacramento area. Pray we do well representing Jesus.
-ATC and the 3 Strands brand : Jesus is doing great things to get the word out, product in stores, sales and more orders being worked up! Glory!
-The Pink Room will be showing in Silicon Valley later in the month at the Third World Film Festival. Showings of Nefarious are bringing awareness and support.
-For great family, friends, staff, Board, supporters, prayer warriors; we are richly blessed.
I have asked the Lord for one thing – this is what I desire! I want to live in the Lord’s house all the days of my life, and contemplate in His temple. Psalm 27 :4
REQUESTS
-For God’s continued blessings of protection, provision, wisdom, endurance, for Christ to be evident in all we do and say.
-For unity in the staff, for God’s wisdom and compassion when struggles arise. WIth the growth of the ministry in Cambodia. Satan likes to throw in some jealousy and diversion/division. Pray our leadership and staff grow in faith, understanding and yield to Christ all things.
-Four girls will be reintegrating soon into the community from ARC. Pray for their transition, good decisions in the future.
-For all the girls and young ladies, to continue to grow in Christ, heal and blossom.
-So many family, friends, supporters are battling cancer, other illnesses, financial trouble, depression. Please pray for God’s peace and healing.
– There are several urgent confidential requests I cannot share but God knows.
I want to share this recent story from Svay Pak.
A Pedophile’s Tale of Woe
He is the typical profile. White male, 50-60’s, overweight, in need of a shave, hygiene update. Unwieldily on the moto. Pulls into Svay Pak. One of our fearless disciples follows him and strikes up a conversation.
Pedophile, “What happened here? Before when I would pull in 5 years ago, the girls would run up to me and the women help me. I would bring a toy from the USA and that is all. No money, no money at all. Now no girls run out. I like a girl under 10 years old. They say they want money. I think the Catholic church down there and maybe this thing here that’s a school (Rahab’s House) ruins the business here. Christians are not so good. All they do is make people feel guilty. They come and ruin the business. This is bad. Before a girl was free, only a toy and I can have her. Then sometimes I would give them a few dollars, but just for a toy! Now they want money. This is bad for the people here. Christians are no good.“
“Hmm”, the disciple says. “The people need money. Maybe now they learn from the church how to protect the children. To provide a good life and future for their children. They go to school so they can have a good future. Protecting the children from harm is good. The church helps people find jobs or start a business.”
“Naw, no, this is not good. This is bad. So different now. Not the same at all.”
The disciple goes on to find out he is from San Francisco. If he wants, he will take his phone number and if he can find a girl he will bring him to his hotel. He will of course not do this but gather information for the anti trafficking organizations. The pedophiles’s phone rings, he chatters, hangs up.
“No, no, not right now, I have to go. “
“Ok you change your mind I can help you.”
This young man will help him right into jail and back to the USA for prosecution if he makes contact again.
The man did not come back to Svay Pak. He just found another place to go where the Light of Christ is not so blindingly bright. God is claiming Svay Pak back. Pray we can keep expanding to all the neighboring alleys, villages, provinces, other countries, the world, so one day all of God’s children are safe from this ancient savagery, so man who is of this earth will terrify no more.