World Relief's Hope Program in Cambodia includes cell church planting and AIDS ministry for children, teens and adults. We spent the first couple of days of the trip seeing the work and ministry of the Hope Program in the different provinces. This was just one day ...
World Relief works through the village cell church and the cell churches typically start through the children's program, with health, hygiene, safety and Bible stories taught through puppet shows and skits.
After learning that fingernails need to be kept short and clean, they line up for nail clipping. We know just enough Khmer language to tell them "Looks good" and "Wash your hands." It's really just good to mingle with the kids.
We also join in teen meetings for girls and another for boys, as they have great teaching and discussions about making good decisions to prevent AIDS and incorporating fun games.
We then make a stop at the village chief's house for this wonderful lunch and then head to the AIDS education meeting with frank discussion about prevention and choices. And a different place for an AIDS support meeting ...
This was the AIDS support meeting. Everyone in the group has AIDS. Yes, So-phet, the smiling 10 year old boy in the front is infected. The baby in the back, and her grandmother who holds her, are both are infected. They only feel free to meet and talk because they are welcomed and support one another through the village church. So-phet was abandoned by his parents (who are also infected). The people of the church care for him and make sure he gets his medicine every day. The young mother of two behind him lost her husband 4 years ago and also care for two other children. We heard heartbreaking stories, and lots of tears were shed - but the tears were mostly of gratitude for a loving God, hope in the support of friends and World Relief, and sadness for those who do not know. Naru, the World Relief worker on the left, travels to 3 different villages every day. And then there was Vanni, who had been coming to the group, but decided that day to place her hope in Jesus Christ. It was difficult to process the immense emotions of joy and pain that were intertwined. But it was definitely the joy that won out.
One last stop to a Hope church. These young people had traveled from different provinces and were spending a few months training to be interns for World Relief. It was great to hear their hearts of worship. The church floods every year during rainy season so the only way to get in was to drive the truck right up to the wall and climb in!
This is Joke van Opstal, the founder and director of the Hope Program. She's the single mother of seven adopted children - smart, funny, passionate, loves the Lord, unstoppable ... and my friend.
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