Hello everyone!
We are officially home! Thank you all so much for your prayers and support during our 4 weeks in cambo. It was an amazing time, and your prayers had much to do with that! The adjustment process is always hard, so please keep praying for us. We all know our work isn't done...we get the blessing of sharing with so many what we have seen and heard. Feel free to contact us to ask questions about it all and know that if it takes a little time to hear back, we are probably catching up on sleep :)
Thank you to all the Team Cambodia friends and family. I can't explain just how much I felt God's hand on this trip. I can say that I felt carried through it all.
And to my students in cambo, even though you probably won't see this, thank you for blessing my heart in ways I can't possible express.
Cambodia is a beautiful nation in a process of healing. We were priviledged to be there.
Katie
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Monday, June 14, 2010
The journey home
We just arrived in Phnom Penh, where we'll stay for the night, then tomorrow (Tuesday) morning we head to the airport! Our debrief time in Sihanoukville was relaxing and fruitful, and I'm excited to get home and see so many people who I've missed dearly. See you soon!
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Almost done!
Since it's been a while, I figured I'd write a quick update to let you all know that we're still doing well!
Last week we continued teaching our English classes (and computer classes for Mike), as well as going out to the village every afternoon. It was hard to be finished at the village Friday knowing that we weren't coming back this week, but we're increasingly finding hope for that place in the work that the long-termers are doing here in Cambodia.
Saturday we got to visit a silk production place outside of town called Artisans of Angkor. We got to hold a silk worm and see the process from worm to finished product. It was really cool, and that company is doing a lot of cool things, training women from villages and opening village workshops for them to make high-quality silk goods to make enough money to live well (enough food, security from the costs of sickness, etc.). A big part of changing the realities of trafficking here in Cambodia have to come through both education and economic change.
This week we are working more at the White Doves Center, and teaching our classes. Emily is teaching dance to the woman at the WDC, which has been a great experience. This morning we went for a prayer bike ride with Martin, the director of White Doves, an amazing Norwegian man who has been here for something like 8 years. He showed us various places where prostitution happens in Siem Reap, from a big nightclub to a little alley of shacks. It was good to have visuals of those kinds of places as we pray, and there's a lot of hope for those situations in the work that a number of organizations are doing here in Cambodia, from YWAM to IJM.
Anyway, tomorrow is our last day in Siem Reap, and on Thursday we take a 10-hour bus ride to Sihanoukville for debrief. We're a bit sad to say goodbye to this city, but debrief will be a good time as we start to discuss what our experiences here mean for us. Then we'll be home, one week from today!
-Steven
Last week we continued teaching our English classes (and computer classes for Mike), as well as going out to the village every afternoon. It was hard to be finished at the village Friday knowing that we weren't coming back this week, but we're increasingly finding hope for that place in the work that the long-termers are doing here in Cambodia.
Saturday we got to visit a silk production place outside of town called Artisans of Angkor. We got to hold a silk worm and see the process from worm to finished product. It was really cool, and that company is doing a lot of cool things, training women from villages and opening village workshops for them to make high-quality silk goods to make enough money to live well (enough food, security from the costs of sickness, etc.). A big part of changing the realities of trafficking here in Cambodia have to come through both education and economic change.
This week we are working more at the White Doves Center, and teaching our classes. Emily is teaching dance to the woman at the WDC, which has been a great experience. This morning we went for a prayer bike ride with Martin, the director of White Doves, an amazing Norwegian man who has been here for something like 8 years. He showed us various places where prostitution happens in Siem Reap, from a big nightclub to a little alley of shacks. It was good to have visuals of those kinds of places as we pray, and there's a lot of hope for those situations in the work that a number of organizations are doing here in Cambodia, from YWAM to IJM.
Anyway, tomorrow is our last day in Siem Reap, and on Thursday we take a 10-hour bus ride to Sihanoukville for debrief. We're a bit sad to say goodbye to this city, but debrief will be a good time as we start to discuss what our experiences here mean for us. Then we'll be home, one week from today!
-Steven
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Last full week in Siem Reap
Hi F&F!!
Quick update!
This Saturday, we relaxed by doing laundry, going to the salt pool we went to last weekend and had a good time eating out. Sunday was church at YWAM's base, and then Raffa house ministry. The Raffa house is difficult for all of us as it is so different from White Doves. The former has more structure and all the girls there are taught to be respectful and have good mannerisms. Raffa house is in need of help, but we are often at a loss in how to help them with our brief time here. We are praying that God would send someone to work with them long-term (as is YWAM to work for them).
Monday was typical for us all, but this week we do not do devotions at White Doves. The only interaction we have with them is pretty much when Emily and I teach English in the morning. So, the rest of the team went to the slum-village we visit every afternoon and picked up trash. I remember one of our team members making the comment that even though we have not even made a dent in the tremendous amount of trash, we may have planted a seed. She experienced one little girl who began helping her pick up trash, and was truly touched.
Today we had International Children's day!!
We went to the slum-village we go to every afternoon, but this time, we went in the early morning and had help with our White Dove gals. We had games, activities, and even a traditional Khmer dance performance for all the 
kids. It was a true joy to see their faces and join with them in their excitement.Well that's all for now.
Please pray for us as we start the "down-hill"side of our journey here. One of the team members got the word from God that this week and next week will be the hardest ever as the enemy will try to discourage us so that we feel like we've not had an impact at all here.
Love you all!!
-Michael and the team!
Friday, May 28, 2010
Another weekend is here!
This week went by so quickly for me! We stayed quite busy, with teaching classes, the girls teaching discipleship each day at White Doves (Mike and I even got to share yesterday about how the Bible shows us how men and women can interact with love), and working each day at the village ("slum" as they call it). We saw two girls from this village taken to the hospital, both with infections in the skin on their heads, once we spoke with the parents. It is really disheartening at times to think that the parents didn't really care enough to find a way to take their sick children to the free children's hospital right down the road (maybe 5 minutes by moto, 10 by bike) until we told them they should. But hopefully our help during our short time here will show help things begin to change.
Yesterday was UofN's (University of the Nations, the branch of YWAM that we are working with) first ever big Sports Festival, so we got to help out with that all afternoon. Hundreds of students from our classes showed up to play soccer, basketball, volleyball, badminton, and recreational games like sack races and a water balloon toss. It was a blast, as most Khmer people love to play. We served essentially as "camp counselors," leading color teams in pairs. Some of us got pretty spirited, and we all dressed in our team's color :).
Today we're going swimming, then checking out Angkor Wat right before sunset tonight (it rained last weekend, so we didn't end up going). The weather has been considerably cooler than last year over the last few days! Most days have had a little bit of rain, and once the sun is done the temperature drops down to maybe 80ish. It's been nice to go out and ride our bikes somewhere without getting completely sweaty, though there are definitely still those times.
We've been blessed to make some good friends here, among the likes of Geoff, Jessica, and Grace, all college-aged Americans working here with various ministries. And of course the YWAM staff have been so wonderful and helpful. Only one more full week in Siem Reap, then 3 days of the week after that, then we head back to Phnom Penh and then Sihanoukville! It's going way too quickly.
Yesterday was UofN's (University of the Nations, the branch of YWAM that we are working with) first ever big Sports Festival, so we got to help out with that all afternoon. Hundreds of students from our classes showed up to play soccer, basketball, volleyball, badminton, and recreational games like sack races and a water balloon toss. It was a blast, as most Khmer people love to play. We served essentially as "camp counselors," leading color teams in pairs. Some of us got pretty spirited, and we all dressed in our team's color :).
Today we're going swimming, then checking out Angkor Wat right before sunset tonight (it rained last weekend, so we didn't end up going). The weather has been considerably cooler than last year over the last few days! Most days have had a little bit of rain, and once the sun is done the temperature drops down to maybe 80ish. It's been nice to go out and ride our bikes somewhere without getting completely sweaty, though there are definitely still those times.
We've been blessed to make some good friends here, among the likes of Geoff, Jessica, and Grace, all college-aged Americans working here with various ministries. And of course the YWAM staff have been so wonderful and helpful. Only one more full week in Siem Reap, then 3 days of the week after that, then we head back to Phnom Penh and then Sihanoukville! It's going way too quickly.
Hooray for Saturday!
Hello everyone!
I'm not even sure where to start because it feels like this week was so full of stuff that it all flows together...
Our English classes have been going well--learning how to do lesson plans and adjusting to our students' needs along the way. Kim and I both had breakthrough days on Thursday and "actually felt like teachers" to use her words. The Village (what we have nicknamed the slums) has been a big blessing to us at different times. There are tons of kids who just want our attention and want to be loved...and by tons, I mean it. Their parents are off at work or off playing cards or somewhere unknown, and we get the privilege of stepping in to love on these kids when their parents cannot or aren't interested in doing so. That sounds bad, but we have literally watched parents sit and play cards while their kids run around The Village naked, doing whatever they please. I think most every team member has shared at some time this week that being at The Village had been the highlight of their day.
We've also had an amazing time doing Discipleship Classes at White Doves. Every day a group of one or two of our girls shared on a topic close to their hearts: beauty, purity, healing, friendship, and prayer. This was a great time for us to share what God is doing and has done with us as well as to hear some of the stories of the women at White Doves. Each woman who shared had a beautiful story of what God has done for them, and they encouraged each of us in our own walks with God.
Health-wise, the team is doing well. Kim may have a cold, but she is taking vitamin-C and trying to get rest when possible. Today is our day off, so we'll be taking things slower and probably going to the pool and then visiting Angkor Wat.
Team unity has also been really good! We have been able to have really honest conversations about what we are feeling and experiencing, and I am so thankful for this group. Please keep us in your prayers! We passed our half way point, but I am sure there is still a lot to come this week and next week.
I love you Mom, Dad, Stephen, Matthew, and Daniel! And I'm sorry I missed your bday mom!
love, katie
I'm not even sure where to start because it feels like this week was so full of stuff that it all flows together...
Our English classes have been going well--learning how to do lesson plans and adjusting to our students' needs along the way. Kim and I both had breakthrough days on Thursday and "actually felt like teachers" to use her words. The Village (what we have nicknamed the slums) has been a big blessing to us at different times. There are tons of kids who just want our attention and want to be loved...and by tons, I mean it. Their parents are off at work or off playing cards or somewhere unknown, and we get the privilege of stepping in to love on these kids when their parents cannot or aren't interested in doing so. That sounds bad, but we have literally watched parents sit and play cards while their kids run around The Village naked, doing whatever they please. I think most every team member has shared at some time this week that being at The Village had been the highlight of their day.
We've also had an amazing time doing Discipleship Classes at White Doves. Every day a group of one or two of our girls shared on a topic close to their hearts: beauty, purity, healing, friendship, and prayer. This was a great time for us to share what God is doing and has done with us as well as to hear some of the stories of the women at White Doves. Each woman who shared had a beautiful story of what God has done for them, and they encouraged each of us in our own walks with God.
Health-wise, the team is doing well. Kim may have a cold, but she is taking vitamin-C and trying to get rest when possible. Today is our day off, so we'll be taking things slower and probably going to the pool and then visiting Angkor Wat.
Team unity has also been really good! We have been able to have really honest conversations about what we are feeling and experiencing, and I am so thankful for this group. Please keep us in your prayers! We passed our half way point, but I am sure there is still a lot to come this week and next week.
I love you Mom, Dad, Stephen, Matthew, and Daniel! And I'm sorry I missed your bday mom!
love, katie
Cambo-bo-land
Hello everyone!
People have probably been wondering if I have even made it to Cambodia because this is my first update! I hope you have been able to read some of the other amazing blogs my teammates have posted. Sorry this is going to be long- there is so much I want to tell but for now this is a general overview.
We're two weeks into our Cambodia trip and I definitely know it is long overdue for my update. So far the trip has been a roller coaster. Surprisingly the heat and humidity was the hardest adjustment in staying here. It was such a pestering distraction and was so draining for all of us but we have adjusted alright to it. We are in Siem Reap which is a part of the beautiful country-side of Cambodia. Its very colorful, quiet, and the main town still feels fairly small with outdoor markets and restaurants.
One of the struggles at the beginning of our trip was figuring out what our ministry was going to look like. However, we did sort it out and the past week or so has been so exciting for everyone as we are settling into our ministries. Everyday we get to talk about how much more we are filled with joy at our ministries, loving the people, loving the culture, and learning so much.
Everyday of the week, everyone has one English class that they teach. I teach and elementary English level- so learning basic grammar and conversation as well as increasing vocabulary. All my students are actually about 16 and older and so I have loved getting to know them as friends also. The other day in class we talked about our "dream job"and basically what their aspirations are and I felt so encouraged by hearing about their lives and their hopes.
Everyday, the whole team also spends a few hours in a village (sometimes they call it a slum, but I prefer village) doing activities, songs, crafts, and games and first aid with all the kids. Sometimes we have 60 kids and it is complete chaos and out of control but it has become some of our teams favorite times and stories. They are all really little too-aging a few months to about 9 or 10 years old. A lot of the kids parents do not have any concern for their health, education, or even just at all for them so we pray that by loving them, smiling, encouraging, touching, and playing with them that God would plant seeds of his love and presence into their lives and into the village. We find ourselves praying protection over them because this is the village where many of the girls we work with at White Doves came from. These are the types of places where parents will sell their daughters into prostitution for money, or even just unintentionally, not knowing where their daughters end up.
Which brings me to our other ministry- White Dove (women 18 and up), and Raffa house(girls under 18). These are the safe houses for women and girls brought out of sex trafficking, or intercepted before their parents sold them. We have been doing devotions with those at White Doves everyday, and many of them are also in our English classes. The devo time has been really sweet because they enjoy it, but also have had encouraging words for us, as well, in our stories and walks with the Lord. It has been beautiful to come together as sisters in Christ from different stories, backrounds, and cultures and all are reminded and encouraged in God's grace, healing, and to stay strong in Him as we keep moving forward.
Raffa house has been more of a challenge. It is a new house and so basic structure to the organization is really lacking. We are hoping to have an impact in helping them form a structure and routine for the girls- especially because they are so young. However, we also do devos, activities and games with the girls. We could use prayer for this ministry. The girls are hard to reach, they don't respond to structure, the translation there is really minimal, and they are not as responsive to some things that we are doing. We are pulling our brain power together to try some new things but this has proved as one of the difficulties for our team. I'll keep this blog updated for Raffa house for those who can pray for us in this area.
I apologize for the length and the vagueness of this message, but now that you all hopefully have a general overall of what a week looks like for us I will be able to share my experiences in a better light on this blog.
The heat and weather is not such a distraction as it used to be so thank you for those who were praying for that. The trip and our team feels much much smoother this week, but we could always use prayer! Prayer for our ministries- we are doing at least 3 ministries a day between all the places and it is easy for us to get burnt out sometimes, so prayer for strength and ability to be present and bring God's spirit with us as we are moving from ministry to ministry everyday. The spirit in this country is oppressive and dark. There is heavy Buddhism and idol worship, sex trafficking, and poverty everywhere. We pray that we would literally be shining with God's light and goodness to break holes in the dark blanket over this country. And then prayer for the women, students, and kids that we encounter everyday- that they would come to know God through our love and that He would be invited into their lives.
Thank you all so much for grace in this delayed update and vagueness of the letter but there will be more to come.
Grace and Peace,
Brooke Mazz
People have probably been wondering if I have even made it to Cambodia because this is my first update! I hope you have been able to read some of the other amazing blogs my teammates have posted. Sorry this is going to be long- there is so much I want to tell but for now this is a general overview.
We're two weeks into our Cambodia trip and I definitely know it is long overdue for my update. So far the trip has been a roller coaster. Surprisingly the heat and humidity was the hardest adjustment in staying here. It was such a pestering distraction and was so draining for all of us but we have adjusted alright to it. We are in Siem Reap which is a part of the beautiful country-side of Cambodia. Its very colorful, quiet, and the main town still feels fairly small with outdoor markets and restaurants.
One of the struggles at the beginning of our trip was figuring out what our ministry was going to look like. However, we did sort it out and the past week or so has been so exciting for everyone as we are settling into our ministries. Everyday we get to talk about how much more we are filled with joy at our ministries, loving the people, loving the culture, and learning so much.
Everyday of the week, everyone has one English class that they teach. I teach and elementary English level- so learning basic grammar and conversation as well as increasing vocabulary. All my students are actually about 16 and older and so I have loved getting to know them as friends also. The other day in class we talked about our "dream job"and basically what their aspirations are and I felt so encouraged by hearing about their lives and their hopes.
Everyday, the whole team also spends a few hours in a village (sometimes they call it a slum, but I prefer village) doing activities, songs, crafts, and games and first aid with all the kids. Sometimes we have 60 kids and it is complete chaos and out of control but it has become some of our teams favorite times and stories. They are all really little too-aging a few months to about 9 or 10 years old. A lot of the kids parents do not have any concern for their health, education, or even just at all for them so we pray that by loving them, smiling, encouraging, touching, and playing with them that God would plant seeds of his love and presence into their lives and into the village. We find ourselves praying protection over them because this is the village where many of the girls we work with at White Doves came from. These are the types of places where parents will sell their daughters into prostitution for money, or even just unintentionally, not knowing where their daughters end up.
Which brings me to our other ministry- White Dove (women 18 and up), and Raffa house(girls under 18). These are the safe houses for women and girls brought out of sex trafficking, or intercepted before their parents sold them. We have been doing devotions with those at White Doves everyday, and many of them are also in our English classes. The devo time has been really sweet because they enjoy it, but also have had encouraging words for us, as well, in our stories and walks with the Lord. It has been beautiful to come together as sisters in Christ from different stories, backrounds, and cultures and all are reminded and encouraged in God's grace, healing, and to stay strong in Him as we keep moving forward.
Raffa house has been more of a challenge. It is a new house and so basic structure to the organization is really lacking. We are hoping to have an impact in helping them form a structure and routine for the girls- especially because they are so young. However, we also do devos, activities and games with the girls. We could use prayer for this ministry. The girls are hard to reach, they don't respond to structure, the translation there is really minimal, and they are not as responsive to some things that we are doing. We are pulling our brain power together to try some new things but this has proved as one of the difficulties for our team. I'll keep this blog updated for Raffa house for those who can pray for us in this area.
I apologize for the length and the vagueness of this message, but now that you all hopefully have a general overall of what a week looks like for us I will be able to share my experiences in a better light on this blog.
The heat and weather is not such a distraction as it used to be so thank you for those who were praying for that. The trip and our team feels much much smoother this week, but we could always use prayer! Prayer for our ministries- we are doing at least 3 ministries a day between all the places and it is easy for us to get burnt out sometimes, so prayer for strength and ability to be present and bring God's spirit with us as we are moving from ministry to ministry everyday. The spirit in this country is oppressive and dark. There is heavy Buddhism and idol worship, sex trafficking, and poverty everywhere. We pray that we would literally be shining with God's light and goodness to break holes in the dark blanket over this country. And then prayer for the women, students, and kids that we encounter everyday- that they would come to know God through our love and that He would be invited into their lives.
Thank you all so much for grace in this delayed update and vagueness of the letter but there will be more to come.
Grace and Peace,
Brooke Mazz
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