Tuesday morning, we met with Katie Jacboson, a missionary from Minnesota. She focuses on supporting the Christian Clinic as a nurse and has been recently transitioning to discipling several of the young adult Khmer women, with an emphasis on developing next-generation church leaders. Katie shared her powerful testimony of God's grace in saving her from an abusive relationship and substance abuse to serving God full-time in the mission field, starting in the Philippines and now in Cambodia.
After breakfast, we headed to Dahlia Dorm, a home for girls who are recovering from sexual abuse and trafficking and reintegrating back into school and life. The Ambroses started this several years ago in response to a need to help girls with reintegration, with a focus on partnering with the local church. The enduring success of the reintegration efforts is attributed to the transformative and renewing power of the gospel and the discipleship that they've received through the local church in Phnom Penh.
Warning - Graphic Language
We heard two testimonies from Wretch-nah and "Princess". We heard first hand horrific stories of kidnapping and recurring rape and parents selling their children into abuse. In the midst of this darkness, the girls called out to God who answered their prayers, which lead them both to Christian NGOs. From there, they ended up at Dahlia Dorm. Wretch-nah is now post college adult working as a social worker focused on helping the girls in the home recover and succeed(not all stories are successful). Princess is now a senior in high school who has matured in her faith to a point that she's now able thank God for her abuse because in his providence, she's become a child of God. Truly, we've witnessed the gospel as the light in the darkness here in Cambodia.
Next, we headed over to the Christian Clinic. Mark Ambrose partnered with a national doctor to open the clinic nearly 7 years ago. The facilities are fully staffed and resemble a high-functioning hospital. One of the key roles of the clinic is receiving trafficking victims as first-line care and recovery, including evidence collection for prosecution. The clinic services the whole community and is one of four hospitals accredited for residency, focusing on developing both Christian and non-Christian doctors who serve the wider Khmer community.
Mark gave us an in-depth presentation of the extraordinary work they do at the clinic. He encouraged the team with a charge to not be afraid to walk by faith, knowing that when you give your life to God, any risk that you might endure is just temporary and that God would honor that faithfulness. "We just need Christians, just be a Christian!" Mark Ambrose. We spent some time after the heavy day of learning and listening to decompress and share what we're all experiencing.
After a moment of rest, we went back to Khmer Christian Church (KCC) where Solomon led a time of Bible study with the college students and young adults. Sol taught on indwelling sin, its impact in our lives, and how the Christian has power through Christ to overcome it. It was wonderful to see the students furiously taking notes and reading the Word aloud as we studied the Bible together. The time was well attended and afterwards, the LFPC kids taught the Khmer brothers and sisters how to play Nertz. The kids stayed at the church and played until midnight.
Tomorrow we head to the village where Luke and Sokha Smith serve. Please pray for the team as we build new relationships, teach the Word, and play games!
Kommentare