Fire

You make known to me the path of life; 

you will fill me with joy in your presence, 

with eternal pleasures at your right hand. 

Psalm 16:11

Fire
I mentioned in my last post that while we were with the government worker it just so happened that an opportunity popped up that allowed us to sew into our relationship.  I have to take this moment to share with you what happened.
On our way out to speak with Esther's family, the case worker received a call from her office saying that a village near the border area, where some of our border kids live, had a fire break out and three families lost everything and were left completely homeless.  When she hung up the phone she explained to us that she needed to try to find a way to provide food, clothing and some temporary shelter for them.  There were twelve children affected by the fire.  Now it just so happened that before I left for this trip, many of my friends and family members generously gave donations to the mission and I knew instantly that this was one of the things I was supposed to help with.  The case worker was overjoyed when I offered to help the families.  What would it take?  Rice? Clothes?  Supplies to get them on their feet again.  No problem.  God had prepared this in advance!
After speaking with Esther's family we decided to regroup the next day and head out to her village together which left the rest of the evening to deal with the fire.  We went to the marketplace and bargained for one hundred pounds of rice, oil, canned meat and supplies for temporary shelter.  These loaded in the back of the truck, we set out again on the hour drive back to the village.  Kristen and I decided since we had to ride in the back of the truck in the Cambodian heat we would make a bed out of the rice which is by the way the only way to ride in the back of a truck in complete comfort.  We fell fast asleep on our rice bed secure in knowing that we were indeed walking out the path that God had laid  before us.
When we arrived at the village and saw the devastation we were so moved with compassion for these families.  A puddle of black soot and mud was all that was left of three homes.  As we got off the truck and assembled the families and the twelve kids everyone began to point at one little boy about four or five years old.  He did look a bit squirly so their cries of, " He did it" kind of made me laugh a bit.  Of course he did!
We distributed the food and took a quick survey of the kids so that we could buy and bring back clothes for them.  Lots of Girls a few older boys, a newborn baby all with only the clothes on their backs.  Now, it just so happened that before I left ( you see a pattern here)  I had stopped by Old Navy and after telling the story of the kids here in Poipet, the manager gave me a discount to purchase a bunch of clothes for the border kids.  When the twelve border kids morphed into 40 I was bummed that I did not have enough for everybody and wasn't sure what I was going to do.  I hate to give to some and not others.  As I surveyed the kids affected by the fire, I remembered the duffle bag of clothes back in my room.  Clothes for about twelve kids right?  Of course there is.  I thought I had just enough and needed only to run to the market place for a few more little girl clothes...so many girls!
The next morning we pulled up in the village with the clothes, lined up the kiddos and began the distribution.  Imagine our surprise when we discovered that a few of the little girls in dresses were actually little boys!  We laughed so hard and in the end, the little boys were content to receive the clothes we gave them even if they were a tad girlie.  It did just so happen that as I was buying them, I was prompted to get outfits that were a bit more generic.  I was not sure why I was drawn to these at the time but it seems like this is the trip of the just so happens so of course we had just enough not only for the kids but for the parents.
In the end, it was a beautiful way to assist families in need, strengthen a key partnership in this effort to rescue the children and hey, while I was in the village one little boy taught me something called Gangnam Style.  Now you all know this is a worldwide phenomena but I am a bit sheltered and apparently  had to travel to a remote village in Cambodia to get caught up with pop culture!  Anyways, the case worker was thrilled, the families were so appreciative of our help and me, well I got to do what I love to do the most...feed children.

Love from the road,

Julie