Kate's Perspective: Whatever May Pass

         How do you sleep when brothels line your street?  Brothels most likely housing children under the age of twelve. How do you keep from crying as a four year old pulls at your clothes and begs you for money? Better yet, how do you keep from taking her home, clothing her, giving her food, shelter, love.and when you do give her money, others come, the elderly, the babies, the injured, all flock to you, hoping you'll give just a little. How do you even begin to take care of them? Above all else, how do you not completely lose your mind as you see a dozen white men sitting at individual tables across the street from a Cambodian nightclub (brothel)? They come from all over because child sex trafficking is so prevelent in Cambodia and they know that they can get away with it.
           Early on in the training for this missions trip I discovered I have this thing called a God Complex. Meaning, I want to save the world. I've never been in their situation, yet being here causes me to empathize with the Cambodian people to the point that it hurts.  Is there hope in a place as dark as this? Over half the little girls here are sold into slavery. Yet I see the love of a mother as she strokes her child's hair.  Is see joy as the Cambodian people gather in parks and around temples on a Saturday night to line dance to Cambodian  rap music.  I see humor as the girls serving us at lunch laugh hysterically and hold up peace signs as we take selfies with them.  And I see complete and utter chaos when our Tuk-Tuk driver decides to make a u-turn in the middle of the road on a congested street, as motorcycles and cars get so close to us that we can reach out and touch them.  And to be honest, cramming six vehicles side by side on a two lane street is kind of an adrenaline rush. Never will I ever complain about American driving EVER again.
             Tomorrow marks the first official day of our ministry.  We will be venturing out of the big city and into the small village of Svay Pak, globally infamous for its reputation of child sex trafficking. We will be working mostly with the children and staff care, but Justin and Clay will also be ministering through the Lord's Gym to former traffickers and the young men of Svay Pak.  I pray that we may bring joy, love, peace and relief to the childre, if only for a few hours.
             *Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me, let me be singing when the evening comes.*
-Kate