Hope

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace

in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit

you may abound in hope.

Romans 15:13

Hope…

Back in the 70s the Khmer Rouge devastated the country of Cambodia.  They killed  the brightest, the educated, the talented, the fathers, the mothers and the the hope of Cambodia.  Today 70 percent of the population of the country is under thirty with almost half of that under the age of 15.  What is left is an entire generation of adults who grew up as orphans.  They do  not understand life outside of the context of survival.  What has essentially happened is that they have not been taught to dream and to hope because all they have known is survival.  This is one of the major stumbling blocks to the prevention of child trafficking.  Hopelessness and survival. A hopeless parent who has not had the opportunity to dream for themselves can be easily persuaded to sell one child to save the others.  Understand the history and you begin to understand the problem.

But things are changing.  In this great darkness, the light of hope is breaking through. 

The past few days I have spent in  villages of abject poverty.  I have bathed filthy children, washed  the feet  of women scarred from disease and taken a thousand pictures of children who LOVE to see their images captured on an iPhone. 

These village visits are  important because the organization I am with is trying to establish safe zones where children are free to grow up without the threat of traffickers.

Last night I was so honored to be a substitute teacher at a weekly English class for these kids.  They have been invited through visits like those I have been speaking of.  The children came with their hair combed and dressed in what looked like their finest.  They are beautiful.  They began lining up an hour early.  It boggled my mind.  This is an hour of school.  Nothing more - but they were sooo excited. 

I took my interpreter and we set out to teach the beginning class which was 24 children ages big to teenie tiny! 

I was supposed to teach them time and wasn't sure how I was going to keep them busy for an entire hour with the teenies and the big kids but, I am always up for a challenge.  It was awesome.  The kids were so hungry to learn and at some point I looked around the table and I could literally see the beautiful faces of hope.

This is the light springing forth in Cambodia.  It is in the dreams of these children.  It is in the hope that is in their hearts as they learn how to say "what time is it?" with a crazy American lady.  Well I can tell you what time it is in  Cambodia..it is kingdom time.

The kingdom of Heaven is like this...It is hope...It is dreaming...It is children who know they where created by a loving FATHER who calls them his own and who has planned a future and a hope for them. 

Oh man...it was a good day!

Love from the road,

Julie