Aim4Asia

PREVENTION

October 28th, 2008 in Uncategorized

Oct 2008 Supporter Update

When we speak of AIM’s efforts to prevent the sexual trafficking of girls and women our words most often focus in one of two areas. One—Equipping the local Cambodian church as God’s agent to take a stand against the traffickers and abusers. Two—The use of community centers, such as Rahab’s House, to bring transformation to trafficking hotspots like Svay Pak. In the next couple of months we’ll be sharing some stories of God’s work in these areas, but today we’d like to share about another means of prevention.

That means of prevention…the heroic efforts of girls from Agape Restoration Center (ARC), our aftercare center for sexually trafficked and abused girls. Theirs might be the most courageous and sacrificial of all efforts. Their efforts take place as they stand before their abusers and perfect strangers in a courtroom to testify in detail about the abuse they have suffered. The following article from the LA Times is but one example of their efforts both in Cambodia and the US.

DOWNLOAD THE ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE (PDF)

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There is another means of prevention we can all take part in…awareness. We will be forever grateful for each of you and your encouragement and support. Still we’d like to ask even more. We ask that you would passionately and often share stories about what is happening here in Cambodia. You can find many additional stories on the AIM website www.aim4asia.org, under “News.”

“Indifference to evil is more insidious than evil itself; it is more universal, more contagious, more dangerous. A silent justification, it makes possible an evil erupting as an exception becoming the rule and in turn accepted.” Abraham Joshua Heschel

Thank you again for the blessing and encouragement you are to thousands in Cambodia.

In Jesus’ love,

The AIM Team

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Hope at Rahab’s House

September 24th, 2008 in Rahab's House

Like you, Ratanak Foundation is a supporter of AIM that God has used to bless the people of Cambodia and to transforms lives in the midst of the darkness. The unique thing about Ratanak is that they were the first supporters to come on board for our aftercare centers.

This summer a team from Ratanak spent two weeks putting on a VBS/Kids Club at Rahab’s House in Svay Pak. The work was hot and difficult, but God used their talents, gifts and servant’s hearts to accomplish amazing things. Following are excerpts from their report of their experience. Read and enjoy. But before you do, we at AIM want to thank you for your ongoing support. May God bless you as much as you’ve blessed us.

The AIM Team

From the Team Leader

Beauty in Brokenness

What started out as a VBS for 55 kids grew to 165 kids by the end of our two weeks– so many faces, so many smiles, so many longing to be acknowledged, so many to feed, so many desiring to be held or touched, so many names to remember. Where does one begin without feeling overwhelmed? When Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. (Matthew 9:36) To be like Jesus in this environment meant to sow His seeds of love and compassion and to see the one child in the midst of the multitude as we interacted with them through the bible lessons, the songs, the games, the crafts and the lunches we provided. Other times it was walking hand in hand with our little tour guides leading the way, singing in Khmer ‘Thank you, thank you Jesus’ as we meandered our way through the alley ways to the surrounding wooden shacks in the neighbourhood that represent home for so many. The kids would stop and proudly introduce us to their families or advise us who to give the food packets to. In the visible reality, it is hard to see what kind of impact these small gestures have on a community that is suspicious of outsiders and yet the words of Mother Teresa has serve to encourage me: Do not think that love, in order to be genuine, has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired. It is the intensity of love we put into our gestures that makes them something beautiful for God. Intense love does not measure, it just gives.

Christ’s intense love continues to be poured out as our partners at AIM are in the midst of preparing to open a school for the kids at Rahab’s House within the next month. In the meantime, a weekly church service that begun over the past month has seen a steady flow of participation from the local residents and just last week 150 adults attended the service. Through all these ministry efforts in Svay Pak, we have heard that some families are no longer willing to send their daughters when a pimp comes to get them. This is a small ray of light that is shinning in the midst of the darkness. This is the invisible reality in which God is building His kingdom in the most unusual place and the gates of hell will not prevail. Only He can take a former brothel and transform it into a place of worship where His name is exalted! Only He can take a place that was once a place of death and destruction and transform it into a place of life and hope. Only He can chip away and breakdown the ancient walls and gates that have imprisoned this community, so that the King of Glory can enter in, in all His fullness.

From one of the Team Members

A God of Love

In preparing to run a ‘Kid’s Camp’ in Svay Pak with my 5 other team members, I had expected to see abject poverty, unspeakable suffering and thus be thoroughly broken and saddened during my stay in Cambodia. Moreover, I had expected that I would return to Canada with a flaming indignation due to the unjust economic disparity between the two nations of Cambodia and Canada. However, despite knowing of the sex-trafficking of young children in Svay Pak, and despite witnessing the appalling conditions in which these families lived, God showed me that He is wholeheartedly at the forefront of bringing His love, His hope and His healing to hurting people in this community through the ministry of Agape International Missions. By demolishing a brothel in Svay Pak and transforming it into a place of refuge called “Rahab’s House, AIM’s outreach efforts remind me of the radical love that Christ is calling us to demonstrate to those who live in darkness. It is a call to go to the modern day Sodom and Gomorrah’s like Svay Pak so that the light of Christ can truly penetrate the darkness that oppresses a people in need of hope. Rahab’s House is a symbol that God’s love knows no bounds and His love covers over a multitude of sins. After all, it is only God who can take a place meant for evil and human destruction and transform it into a place of new life, where His name is worshipped and glorified and where those who are lost will encounter the One who longs to call them His own. It is only God who knew of the inexperience and inadequacies of our team in leading a VBS in a foreign language, and He demonstrated His love for us by providing two amazing young pastors-in-training from AIM: Ratanak and Joseph, to partner with us in serving the kids in Svay Pak. Their heart for the children in this community and their passion and zeal for Jesus inspired us, as we observed their devotion to prayer and the Word of God. We were blessed by their genuine love for Christ as evident by their boldness in inviting families to come to the weekly church service and we witnessed God’s favor upon them through some of the local restaurant vendors who generously gave them free lunches because they were teaching their children at Rahab’s House.

A God of Hope

During our time in Svay Pak, the Lord gave me a profound affinity for 7 boys who attended the VBS. I had first met these boys on our initial visit to Svay Pak and they were labeled as “unruly” because of the rough ways in which they interacted with other kids. But as God’s love for them slowly blossomed
inside of me, the Lord began to prompt me to reach out to them and not shun them. As I interacted with them, I noticed over time that their rough play—slapping me aggressively on my arms and back, soon dissipated and eventually stopped. Amazingly, they went from being trouble makers to becoming the ones who would help our team clean up after lunch. They became our tour guides as we would meander through the alley ways of Svay Pak and advised us who to give the food packets to in the community. They became our little translators whenever we needed to buy any items from the local vendors. In all these ways and more, it was evident that God’s hand was at work transforming their behavior and attitude as they sought to express their love to us in the simplest of ways.

But the story doesn’t end there, as God continued to open my eyes to the potential He saw in some of these young boys. Near the end of our first week at Rahab’s House, some of our team went for a prayer walk around Svay Pak and a group of children who attended the day camp joined us. As I put my arms around two boys, Howe and Jahn, (who were part of the group of 7 that God had given me a special connection with) another boy named Lahp, whom I didn’t have a relationship with slipped in and took the place of Jahn. I grumbled in my spirit about my disappointment but I instantly heard God say to me: “No, Genie, I have placed these two boys here and this is exactly as I had planned it. I want you to pray specifically for Howe and Lahp.” At that moment, I felt compelled to pray that God would raise up Howe and Lahp to become the leaders within Svay Pak who would be instrumental in bringing about transformation and redemption in that place. I prayed for protection over them and also felt prompted to pray that when temptation came, Howe and Lahp would be able to withstand the pressures and choose to follow after Christ Jesus. Moreover, I had an image of them being respected by the people in Svay Pak and that through them, those who would normally endeavor to bring harm, would instead submit to their authority and leadership and not defy their stand for righteous living.

A day later, the Lord unexpectedly gave me two signs confirming His choice of Howe and Lahp. First, during the morning when the VBS was taking place, one of my teammates pointed out that Howe was sitting at the very front and listening so attentively to the Bible lesson. I thanked God for showing me that He was planting His seeds of truth within Howe. Then at the end of the day, Lahp grabbed my hand and gestured for me to bring my camera. I assumed that he was going to show me his house. Well, did he ever show me a house! He showed me the house of God as he led me to a Catholic church nearby where behind a barred door stood a life-sized statue of Jesus. He first insisted that I take a picture of Jesus, followed by a photo of a cross on the steeple. I then motioned Lahp to pose so I could take a photo of him, however when Laph reviewed this last photo, he gestured for me to retake it as Jesus wasn’t in it!!! At that point I realize that God had already given him a special knowledge and love for Him!

Through these encounters, the Lord was not only confirming to me that He was intimately involved in the lives of these children but He also was revealing to me that He is a God of hope. Jesus was showing me that in the most hopeless places, places where poverty reigns and oppression seems so pervasive, He had not forgotten those whom He created and whom He valued. His Spirit was hovering around these young souls. He had given me a glimpse of His goodness in these boys along with the beauty and the hidden potential that was possible in them. He had shown me that His love is the best apologetic for melting hearts that have endured much hardship and alienation. In these pockets of light in Svay Pak, He reminded me that there is no place too dark in which His light cannot shine. After all, He can and is building His kingdom in the most unexpected places and the gates of hell will not prevail because He is a God of love, intimacy and hope!

Exciting Opportunities

August 29th, 2008 in Uncategorized

KGO Radio

On Sunday, August 31st, Don and Bridget Brewster will be guests on the Brent Walters radio show, God Talk, from 6:45 am to 8:15 am. Listen on KGO radio, AM 810 or live from the web at

http://www.kgoam810.com/showdj.asp?DJID=44494

now we have hope Photo Exhibit and Auction

There is still opportunity to visit the photo exhibit “Now We Have Hope”. Read the rest of this entry »

Mein’s Hope

August 9th, 2008 in Uncategorized


Mein on the day of her rescue from a Siem Reap brothel.

Mein is the oldest child in her family and she felt the burden of her family’s survival was hers to bear. She lived with her family in a Vietnamese community named Svay Pak just outside the capitol city of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Svay Pak was and still is infamous for the sexual trafficking of girls, Read the rest of this entry »

Now We Have Hope

July 18th, 2008 in Uncategorized

Over the past 6 months, God has once again been working and designing on behalf of AIM and Agape Restoration Center. In December, two families donated digital cameras to the girls at ARC. In February, the owner of an art studio and gallery in Sacramento contacted us and wanted to donate the use of her building for any function that would support the ministry. Shortly thereafter, Randy Snook contacted us about the possibility of teaching the girls photography, and we began to see the “picture” God was creating through the generous hearts of all these people. Read the rest of this entry »

Count Your Blessings

June 25th, 2008 in Uncategorized

“When you’re worried and you can’t sleep,
Count your blessings instead of sheep.
And you’ll fall asleep counting your blessings!”

Bing Crosby sang those lyrics in the movie classic “White Christmas.” I’m not sure how theologically sound they are, but as a young child they brought comfort and joy to my heart. Now you might be saying to yourself, “That’s great, but what’s up with Christmas carols in June?”… Blessings!

At times here in Cambodia we can become myopic. Read the rest of this entry »

JUSTICE and TRUTH…the Verdict

May 30th, 2008 in Uncategorized

We are pleased to inform you that on Thursday, May 29th, a federal jury convicted Michael Pepe on seven felony counts, and he now faces a sentence of up to 210 years in a federal prison. The following is a link to an article from I.C.E. (US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement) on the verdict.

http://www.ice.gov/pi/news/newsreleases/articles/080529losangeles.htm

We would like to again, thank each of you for your faithful prayers. The girls are now back at Agape Restoration Center in Cambodia and adjusting quite well, much faster than we anticipated. Your partnership in prayer is making a difference to our heroines and all of our princesses.

God bless,

Your AIM Staff

JUSTICE and TRUTH

May 24th, 2008 in News

Justice…it is the heart of God. He instructed the Israelites in Isaiah 1:17, “learn to do what is right, seek justice, encourage the oppressed, defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.” Christ reprimanded the Pharisees for following the minute details of the law but neglecting “the more important matters of the law – justice, mercy and faithfulness.” (Matthew 23:23) This call to justice has taken us on a very challenging and painful pursuit over the last 4 months, culminating with 5 courageous girls traveling to the United States to face an evil giant in a U.S. Federal Court trial. Read the rest of this entry »

Rahab’s House

March 6th, 2008 in Rahab's House

Now a community center, this former brothel for child sex trafficking in Svey Pak, Phnom Penh, set chained and locked for 5 years after being raided by International Justice Mission (IJM) Read the rest of this entry »

We’re Baaaack!

January 25th, 2008 in News

January 25, 2008

Before I begin to tell you we’ve arrived safely in Phnom Penh, please allow me to digress about our July 2007 trip to Cambodia.

Before leaving we neglected to check our seat assignments. Read the rest of this entry »

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