Does it have to be so hard?
I guess if it were easy it would have been done already, right?
Or does culture and life change as do the needs and solutions need to change.
I'm writing this on the way back to Battambang. We spent over 34 plus hours (39 hours for Board member friend, Bruce Binkly) to get to Poipet, Cambodia. As many of you may remember, Poipet is a funnel for human slavery into Thailand. It is also where the majority of our girls living at Marlene's and Vera's home are from.
It is in this city, the village we first visited is located. It is where we saw no older kids and when asked "where are the kids?" the parents said "we don't know, they just keep disappearing...... "
Well the urgency of us making this non-stop grueling trip, was 3 of our girls did not return from a visit with their families this past Cambodian New Year.
 |
| Bruce sharing it was not a mistake for Mala to come, it will change the destiny of her life |
One was Mala, she is the girl Bruce emailed me a photo of and I felt God showed me that we HAD to do something, when I heard she was one of the missing girls my heart broke as did Bruce's.
Bruce and I felt outrage. We also heard that they might be destined to be sold, "so as to help their families." Or at the least relegated to menial physical labor. If I may be honest? My truth is, "NOT ON MY WATCH!!!"
 |
| Mala is coming home! |
But what can we do. Its to big, to far, to costly, "I can't help them all" right? Well maybe we can't but My God can! He is always looking for the lost and just waiting for someone brave enough (or some may say foolish enough) to step out and trust God. To say, "you bet" rather then "yeah but..." we will fly nearly 40 hours, to find a missing child!
Well I am ecstatic to say Mala is in the car coming back to Marlene's home! When we came to her house unannounced, she saw us and I wish I could put into words the look on her face. Somewhere between shock, amazement and extreme relief, that someone who cared for her drove out to find her. To speak into her life. She quickly came to up to me and hugged me. As we looked into each other's eyes we both began to tear up.
Bruce and I took turns speaking love and encouragement too her, A tag team of sorts. She accepted our offer and yeah God, her mom said it is up to her. Mala packed her bag, found us talking to another of the missing girls mother.
 |
| Mala waiting patiently for her ride home |
Mala waited patiently while we talked to our second girl's mother. A thirty year old mother of 5. Pisay is 12 and the oldest. Her mom looked like she could be the oldest sister. Mom said her husband wanted her home so Pisay could help with the kids.
 |
| Pisay |
I asked mom what would her life been like if she would have had an opportunity like her daughter has. I told her, "clearly you love your children and they love you. You're a good mother but can you dare to dream what her daughters life could be like if she took this opportunity?
 |
| Mom with all 5 of her kids |
She told us the decision was her husbands and I agreed with her. But she suggested us to talk to the mayor of the village and ask her to speak to the husband when he comes home tonight.
She pointed us in the direction of the mayor. We walked over and we met her for the first time. But she already knew of GIBTK and Marlene's home. Her granddaughter lives at our home!!!
 |
| Meeting with the mayor |
We had a great meeting! She agreed to speak to Pisay's father and do her best to convince him to allow her to come back to Marlene's
The third girl was working in Thailand and we have not given up on her. The mayor will try to speak to her parents this afternoon.
This mayor was incredible. Though she was not young she had a very clear understanding of the needs and some innovative ideas in how to meet them. I guess it is easy for me to say that because she felt the best solution was homes like what we do.
I suggested something like a community center in her village that would provide tutoring, computer skills and perhaps some kind of day care but she nodded no and said the environment for the kids is not good here. The parents wont support their education, they will make the kids work or to pick up trash and sell what they can find at the least... They need to be moved into a different environment like Gibtk homes. Where they have a "family" that is supportive and have the opportunities to have their lives transformed.
 |
| Bruce praying with the mayor |
This brought to mind that in many difficult recovery cases an outpatient program is not as successful. Some need to be moved away from the environment they live in and to a safe and encouraging environment to support the life changes needed to transform lives!
Before leaving we prayed with the Mayor for her leadership and for her village. She shared how much she loved listening to Joyce Myers (a well known lady minister)
Hummmmmm
So does it need to be so hard? Or are the answers easy. A simple answer when we hear the call of our Lord. Come! And instead of saying yeah but... We say you bet!
Is God still alive? You Bet He is! Alive and looking for each lost child, he just needs you and me to say you bet, send me, I'll go.
><((((º> BBlessed
Robert Kalatschan
Giving It Back To Kids
