In Search of Sanuk. Children's day in the Slums

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:14-20
A blog to go along with the Video I posted.
In search of Sanuk is a nonprofit organization geared towards not only bringing education to children that cannot afford it but also interaction to children that are in need of it.
Many parents are unable to spend time and invest in their children’s lives because they have to worry about making enough money to put something on the table at least once a day.
This organization, ran by some amazing Godly people Dwight and Nicole, brings English speakers to the slums to teach in fun and interactive ways. We are able to interact and spend time with the children and bring necessities like food and fresh water to the communities as well.
To learn more about the organization check out the video I posted. It gives an opportunity for you to give as well on the website.
This particular community literally straddles a railroad track. They have their houses/huts set up on either side of the tracks. Unfortunately for them, there is NO warning sound when the train is coming and the main way of getting around the village is by walking on the tracks. Many people have died or been seriously injured by the train.
Walls were put up eventually to help people with safety precautions. We saw when we arrived that the walls have been slowly taken down, at least enough for them to be able to see around. When your main way of moving is on the tracks it is hard to have that source taken away completely. And with the walls up it is difficult to see and you are closed in pretty tight.

Saturday we were able to bring fun games, songs, crafts, put money together to sponsor 3 families and give out food supplies to the 3 families most in need. The children got prizes and had a fun day of performances. This was such a wonderful opportunity I am so thankful God provided me with this opportunity to see lights of the world. We are to become more like children in their purity and selflessness. Remember the verses in Matthew:
Matthew 18:3-6 “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. ⁵ And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

Life Lessons and experiences in CAMBODIA

You learn a lot about a Country based on its History.
Not many know about the terrible oppression in South East Asia because in America history curriculum does not touch on Asian history. Many may say I am simply an Asian fanatic with a passion for Asia and that is why I study their history. But I think it is important for all to be aware of things that take place in other areas.
Awareness.
We learn about the Genocide of the Jews which was led by Hitler and the Nazi's but not about the Genocide of the Cambodian people. Both parts of history were devastating BUT the Cambodian Genocide was conducted by one of their very own people. Pol Pot's radical communist ideals and accusations against many he thought to be rebels against his plan, led to Genocide of millions of people. It was the end of the Cambodian Nation as a whole. A map hangs in the Genocide museum in Phnom Penh with an outline of the Country covered in skulls to represent the death of a Country.
Having read the book "Stay Alive my Son" by Yathay, one of the few that escaped and lived in the jungle making his way to the Thai border, inspired me to read more. His story was full of testimonials that will pull on your heart strings. This book encouraged me to read more about the Khmer Rouge and Pol Pat. When going to Cambodia we were able to go to the Genocide Museum (this is the high school he turned into a detention center for extracting "evidence" and names of those rebelling (which no one actually way rebelling for fear of being tortured and killed). After being tortured for so long people started to make up things and in turn were killed anyways.
We also visited the killing fields. Pol Pat and the Khmer Rouge desired for Cambodia to not only be a communist Nation where there were no social classes and no ownership but he wanted them to get rid of ALL modern day ideals even religion and education, books and currencies. He killed all those educated first. He wanted to start at "year zero" and for everyone to live as peasants. He drove everyone out of their homes and into the fields where they worked 12 hours a day with little to no food. The Khmer rouge started to eat not only their portion but also the portion of the people and they began to starve or turn to cannibalism. To Pol Pot more people alive meant more mouths to feed so he told the leaders they only needed a certain number alive to work and start the new Nation so they needed to kill off all the rest. Families’ members watched other family members either starve to death or be taken away to the killing fields. They would have to dig their own graves and then they were hit over the head with something that knocked them into the graves they dug. Most of the time they suffocated.
O my people, plundered by your rulers, enslaved by your creditors! O my people, your leaders deceive you and lead you astray.-Isaiah3:12
Bad leaders of this world that are full of evil will reap what they sow Galatians 6:7

Needless to say, knowing this about the people helped me to better understand their background, the way they went about life and why they act the way they do.
Cambodia is a VERY poverty stricken Country full of lots of sadness and little to no emotion. When passing 2 men that had died on the road from a motorbike accident with blood and insides on the road I was physically sick and could not look but the Cambodian man in the tuktuk with us simply said "they are dead" and moved on with his conversation. They are SO used to death and seeing death they are numb to it.

The need in Cambodia is so great that it was overwhelming for me. One person cannot take on the entire need and I wanted so badly to be able to help everyone one in every situation. I brought toys for street kids that are sick in the hospital, we came together and paid for a month of school for a young student, we donated to the floating village school, gave to street kids the formula they asked for (while being pooped on by a nakey baby) BUT they still needed and wanted and begged for more. I was in a state where God really taught me that one person cannot do it all and then comes the call to the Church and Christian body! This is a task that with one person can be overwhelming and frustrating but with multiple people this need can be met and lives can be saved.
Matthew 10: ²¹ Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
 ²² When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
Remember we are to store our riches in heaven because everything here will parish. I am not saying you have to invest in a ministry out of Cambodia but help somewhere in some way and we all have to remember these verses.

This last picture is the floating school we visited at the floating village. This village is made up people that cannot afford to pay taxes so they were put on the river to live. They cannot live on the land without paying taxes to the government. They built floating huts and a school for the little bit of education they can receive and they are fishermen. We helped as much as we could. This among MANY other things I see makes me not only thankful but hurts my heart. It hurts my heart because we have SO much and they have so little. Can we fix this please?

Other things we did on our journey included seeing the beautiful Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom in Siem Reap. These are too famous temples in Cambodia that were designed to carry on tradition, culture and mythical legends. It was interesting to hear our tour guide tell us all about the pictures that were engraved in the walls that tell a story of their "gods."
The temples were beautiful and the nature was breath taking.
We spend our New Year’s having Cambodian food, watching Cambodian dance and then celebrating in the streets with hundreds of people jumping, dancing and acting craycray:)
We met amazing and beyond sweet Cambodian people. The Cambodian people are the most pitiful but yet are so eager to help and have such a sweet spirit about them.
Some people we met: Our tour guide to Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom who liked to eat bugs as snacks.
We became friends with our sweet hotel receptionist that was in college to learn English. We had the privilege of being able to take him to see the capitol of his own Country for the first time (he has never been able to afford to leave Siem Reap) and he took us out for New Years.
We met a sweet tour guide on the floating village that we had the privilege of helping go to school his next month to learn English as well.
AND I met a new sweet friend named Asuka that backpacked with me and Holly.
I LOVE seeing God work!! Thank you Lord for using me and my friends as vessels. I want to be your hands and I want to be your feet, I will go where you send me!