Choices

Life is a series of choices.  Some choices menial, which merely consist of deciding to buy that white chocolate blueberry scone from Starbucks…again.  But, many choices that we make daily affect our lives in a greater way than adding calories to ones diet….   Worse yet, many choices that we make affect the lives of others as well.

In Cambodia, many parental choices have led the children to Rescue.  Choices, such as gambling, which result in selling off ones own child in order to help pay off gambling debt.  Although sad and shocking to the westerner, this occurrence is more common than one might think.  I don't pretend to know even a quarter of the children's stories here, but this has happened to 3 of the children that I can think of off the top of my head.

The choice of having sex with that hooker…. cheating on one's wife… causing division and death in families as the result of HIV and AIDS.  Children from "well-off" families, turned to collecting garbage in the streets to make some money for the now single mom of 4 children.  Then, having th children watch their mother die from the infection their father had given their mother.

Choosing to have yet another drink…. then to go home and beat your wife, again, and again, and again.  Maybe the abuse has turned to murder.  Allowing your children to see what actions you have chosen to take.  Moulding the images and memories of innocent minds.

These are stories I know to be true of some of the children here…. but I am more than aware that these things happen in North America as well.  Maybe the choices made are not as drastically negative as some of these…. but the choices that are made negatively affect a loved one?  a stranger?  a friend?  This is a question we need to consider and ask ourselves.

In a moment

     It only takes a moment in time for everything in one’s life to change.  

     It only took a moment for me to say, “I will” to my best friend’s proposal, and “I do” in committing to walk by the man of my dreams in all my years to come.  It was a single moment that we decided together to change our lives by traveling and volunteering “for a year”; and, that single decision led to our return to Cambodia.  

     It was through our returning here that we have truly begun to feel our hearts bleed and burn for the children here.  We have begun to long and yearn for deeper relationships in order to have a deeper impact.  And we have started to fall in love with the Khmer culture.

     While living in Haiti, I felt like I was being prepared for Asia, and living long term in an orphanage.  Although we had plans to come to Rescue already, my own ideas of what long term plans in Asia looked like were very different from what our hearts are now telling us.  I had visions of starting our own little orphanage, with a Japanese style garden.  LOL!  Really?

     Since we first came to Rescue, Marie has really shaken our mindset on missions.  From the moment we first set out in August of 2011 until this point in time, our view of missions has changed so much.  In this moment I feel, if it’s not broken, why not use it?  In this case, Rescue is far from broken.  It is a gem, an original design made by God to impact the lives of so many children for the better.  We have been won over by the foundation of Rescue, by Marie, and most importantly, by all the children here.  It is amazing to compare their past life stories to who they are today.  Many people, myself included, couldn’t even fathom what most of these children have lived through at such a young age; yet, it is through this adversity that they have grown, or are growing, into incredibly mature and strong men and woman of God. Living with the youth, especially, has been a great witness and challenge to my own life and walk with God.

     At this time, I can not say with certainty that we know where our immediate future will lead, but I can say we are certainly ready for anything!  We await the next moment of change.