"Forget about all that [that is, the things God did in the past]. It is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do a brand new thing.
See, I have already begun. Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness for my people to come home.
I will create rivers for them in the desert… Yes, I will make springs in the desert, so that my chosen people can be refreshed. I have made Israel [and Cambodian AIDS orphans] for myself, and they will someday honor me before the whole world."
When the orphanage was just a dream, we stood on the road and responded to that question in Isaiah "Do you not see it?"
It is a village on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. A place for terminal AIDS patients and their families to live. And an orphange for the children who survive their parents.
Surrounded by rice fields and sugar palm trees, there are thatch homes for familes, and cement buildings that include small homes for the orphans, a rec center, a learning center, three baby houses, two granny houses and a home for pregnant factory girls.
What started small has grown so much over the past few years. There are gardens, fish ponds, a chicken coop and a duck pond.
In 2008 we had the choice to either stop taking more children or build more houses. So we built another set of 10 houses for a potential 100 additional children.
Of course the real story of Place of Rescue are the families and the children.
In the AIDS homes both parents have AIDS. Often the father has already died or left his wife so she is raising the children alone.
Kids stay in small group homes, making it a lot easier for their dorm moms to take care of them. As of January 2011 , we have over 250 children in the orphanage and AIDS center.
We now have 3 playgrounds for the children to enjoy.
It's hot hot hot in Cambodia.
The wading pool we built is a luxury for these kids. What joy it brings them to take a dip on a sunny day.
Babies Houses were built to care for babies up to two years of age. When they are two they will be moved to the orphan houses.
This baby House has two bedrooms and a common kitchen/sitting room. Each care giver looks after two babies.
In Cambodia 300,000 young women work in the clothing factories. Far from the watchful eyes of their parents in their home villages they are sometimes seduced, raped or propositioned by their bosses. If they become pregnant they sometimes seek to have an abortion. Place of Rescue is responding to the needs of mother and baby by providing a safe haven where they can stay until the baby is born and where they can receive love and support. When the babies are born the mothers can keep them or leave them here for us to raise.
Presently we have 2 granny houses which are home to 22 destitute grannies and 1 blind woman.
In the fall 2008 we opened our own school for grade 1 to 6. English is part of the curriculum. We welcome volunteer English teachers from Canada or USA if they can stay for three months.
Here the children can read books in Khmer and English, do their homework, work at computers or play educational games. Saturday evenings the older children watch movies here.
We decided to convert some of the fields into a huge garden.
Recovering AIDS patients tend the plants and the children occasionally help them. The delicious fresh organically grown vegetables are shared by all. Our crops include many kinds of leafy vegetables, egg plant, beans, papayas, squash, corn and tomatoes.
We now have 3 fishponds in our village, one of which recently yielded 1500 Kgs of fish.
We are raising chicken,geese and ducks for food.
Rescue has a sewing center where recovering AIDS patients help sew for the children and where mending can be done.
Place of Rescue II is located in Mongkkol Borey, Banteay Meanchey province.One hundred children are being care for here.
House of New Dreams is our dormitory where our young people will live when they are in Grade 12 or university. Presently 7 students live there. Next summer they will be joined by 6 more.
In January 2011 Rescue purchased property to build another orphanage. Place of Rescue III will eventually have 10 orphan houses, each being home for 10 children. As of the end of January 2011 we already have 33 orphans waiting to make Place of Rescue their forever home. Until the houses are ready Rescue is providing them with rice and school supplies while they live with relatives or an elderly grand- mother.
Sometimes I sit on my porch and look at the gorgeous Cambodian sunset.
And I think to myself, "What amazing thing will God do tomorrow?"