Success At Rapha House

Our motto in our vocational training program at Rapha House is simple: We are successful when the girls that we serve are successful. This does not mean that we do everything for our girls while they sit back and wait to become successful. They know that they must learn a trade and how to present themselves to the public. They know that they must learn to be good employees or how to run a business and how to manage their money. And they know that they must work hard and have a positive attitude. They know that if they do their part, then we will do our part to help them find success.

One way that we help some of our girls is by starting them in business. Recently, we launched two more girls in their own beauty salons. We continue to monitor their progress and give them guidance. We want them to succeed. We’re excited about what the future holds for these girls. And they are, too.

At Rapha House our definition of success is clear: Success means that our girls will become spiritual and free women with reasonable economic and emotional stability. At Rapha House, we work hard to help our girls succeed. But we couldn’t do that without you. You are the key to their success. Your prayers and financial support makes all the difference. And two more young women in Cambodia now realize just how big a difference you’re making. Thank you so much!

The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern. (Proverbs 29:7)

Vocational Training Building Fund Update: To date, we've raised a little over $20,000 towards our $210,000 goal by November. Please help us to secure a permanent facility to train our girls. Donate securely online. Please designate your gift as "building fund."

Four Girls Perish In Karaoke Bar Fire In NorthwestCambodia
Fire destroys building with girls trapped behind a chained door

Fire raged through a karaoke bar consuming the lives of four young women trapped inside. In this part of the world, karaoke bars are often fronts for brothels.

These four young women were prisoners behind a chained door preventing their escape or rescue. Now the charred ruins of this back alley nightclub starkly testify to the horror that took place there. Four lives were lost needlessly early Sunday morning, May 3, 2009.

Probably no western newspaper will pick up the story of the deaths of Hou Leak, 15; Srey Touch, 17; Srey Mao, 19; and Sambath. 22. Their passing is but a footnote to the endless parade of human suffering throughout the world. Things like this happen all the time.

We, however, shouldn’t let their story pass without further reflection. There’s the suggestion of something more sinister in this incident. 

It’s not the cause of the fire that’s suspect. According to police sources, faulty electrical wiring is to blame. Nobody is suggesting that foul play contributed to the cause of the fire. But something about this case is troublesome.

The door to the girls’ room was chained. That chained door is troublesome. Certainly, the chance of the girls’ survival would have been improved had the door not been chained. And no one disputes the fact that the door was chained. Even the newspaper reports that the families might seek compensation from the club owner for his carelessness after they finish burying the remains of their daughters.

Now the club owner might plea his case by saying that he was only doing his part in keeping the girls safe by chaining the door. He might argue that the chains kept intruders out. But the chains did more than keep intruders out. They kept the girls in, and that’s why these four young women perished.

Four girls are dead because they couldn’t escape. In effect, they were prisoners. And word on the street says that’s exactly what they were. There’s a persistent rumor going around that they were part of a sex trafficking ring working out of Phnom Penh. That’s why these girls were held behind a chained door. They couldn’t escape even if they wanted to.

This tragedy is difficult for us at Rapha House. What makes this tragedy difficult for us is that we have a safehouse within a couple miles from where these girls perished. Help was that close. We would have gladly taken them in. We would have cared for them. We would have given them an opportunity for a better life. We would have done everything within our power to help them. But we didn’t know about these four girls.

It’s horrifying to think what the last moments of life was like for these four girls. We don’t want to imagine something as awful as that. But had the night passed without incident, what would life had been like for these four girls if they were part of a sex trafficking ring?

All over the world, young girls are kept behind chained doors only to greet another day of bondage. Help us to reach more girls before its too late for them.

 

Rapha House, P.O. Box 1569, Joplin, MO 64802-1569  •  www.freedomforgirls.org. 

A Way to Help Without Giving More Money

Sometimes the whole human trafficking thing gets to be a little overwhelming. The toll this evil takes on victims is so heavy. And it’s easy to feel like “what’s the use?” We can’t all jump on planes and go off to foreign countries to help out. And even if we could, how much good can we really do in just a couple weeks? So we give to worthy causes like Rapha House. But times are tight, and… Well, we’d like to do more but can’t.

But we can. Let me explain.

Recently, we’ve launched the Victims Impact Project. You can read more about it on our blog.

This is an attempt at open-source activism benefiting victims of trafficking and abuse and their caregivers. Here’s how it works. Anyone wishing to contribute time and talent can join us in a virtual community as we develop tools, resources, programs and services that directly impact victims of trafficking and abuse and their caregivers.

There are plenty of talented persons—you might be one or know one—who can help us develop digital tools and resources in the native languages of victims. Products may include DVDs, web-based videos, podcasts, digital print resources, websites, blogs, and more. We already have four projects in development: 1) We’re creating a grief recovery curriculum to aid those who have suffered trauma and loss. (We’re creating simple animated videos that will be narrated in different languages and delivered via the web, along with support materials.) 2) We’re inviting survivors of abuse to write their own stories and submit them for possible posting on the Victims Impact Project website. (See details on our blog.) 3) We’re seeking to translate, format and distribute electronically for free our “Healing for the Wounded Heart” curriculum in as many languages as possible. And 4) we’re seeking to translate, format and distribute electronically for free our “Healing for the Wounded Heart” devotions in as many languages as possible. Our goal is to continually develop more and more projects that will directly benefit survivors of trafficking and abuse and their caregivers and deliver these programs for free. We call it open-source activism.

Take a moment to check out our blog. Pass the word along to your friends and family who might want to get involved. Request a copy of one of our free resources. And pray for our efforts.

Freely you have received, freely give. (Matthew 10:8)

The Power of Survivors

During my life, I’ve met some truly impressive people. People with superior intellect. People with exceptional talent. And people possessing enormous power and influence. But none have had a greater impact on my life than a group of young women and little girls who have survived trafficking and sexual abuse. Why is that?

Survivors don’t necessarily possess superior intellect or remarkable talent. And certainly they don’t possess enormous power and influence. Or do they?

Survivors possess the power to mobilize us like few can. I didn’t get involved in this cause after hearing a persuasive speech by a passionate and intelligent communicator. Nobody with remarkable talent enlisted my support. It was the power of one survivor’s story that captivated me. She first caught my attention and then my heart. And it’s the remarkable power of survivors that hold me firmly in this ministry’s grasp.

Survivors possess the power to teach us. Recently, I threw out my back. And I spent days moaning and complaining to my wife about how miserable I was. She was very patient and understanding, but I’m sure that she tired of my whining. Every time I visit Rapha House, I’m impressed with how cheerful and loving these girls are, despite what they have experienced. Without words, they are teaching me important lessons about life.

Survivors inspire. For most of my life, I’ve struggled deeply with religious questions, including wondering if tragedy can defeat faith in God. I’ve seen it happen in others. Yet I’ve witnessed something odd at Rapha House: Girls who have found God through horrible tragedy. And that inspires me.

Whether they know it or not, survivors posses incredible real power, even more than what I’ve mentioned. And I am privileged to know and serve them.

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." —2 Corinthians 12:9

The Bridge to Freedom

In a private conversation that I had with an anti-trafficking activist, I was told about a case where the authorities conducted a raid freeing a number of trafficked children and youth. The media in that country seized upon the event as propaganda to reassure the populace that their leaders are combating trafficking. And the international community took note and applauded what happened.

What happened next wasn't anything to celebrate. Once the hoopla died down, the kids were released from the abandoned building where they were being warehoused and turned out to the streets to fend for their selves.

I did not independently verify this story. But it sounds entirely plausible. Many countries lack the infrastructure for long-term human trafficking solutions, so they offer up whatever plays well in the press and with the international community.

When it comes to combating human trafficking, raids aren't the solution. Prosecuting perpetrators isn't the solution. Building shelters isn't the solution. Educating and counseling victims isn't the solution. And providing employment opportunities for survivors so they can start a new life isn't the solution.

There is no one solution. Think about the Golden Gate Bridge. Which section of road spanning the bridge is most important—the beginning, middle or end? Which supporting tower is most important—the first or second? Which cables would you want to do without? Obviously, you need every part of the bridge, if you want to reach the other side safely.

When it comes to helping children at Rapha House, we won't settle for raids, shelters, justice, counseling, education or employment opportunities. We're escorting young lives to safety. We're helping them to reach the other side. We'll cross the bridge with them and take them all the way to freedom. Whatever it takes. We'll stop at nothing short of that.

At Rapha House, we believe in long-term solutions. And we invite you to join us in building a bridge to freedom.

"…say to the captives, 'Come out,' and to those in darkness, 'Be free!' " (Isaiah 49:9)

The Scars Remain

I have to confess that upon my return from my recent trip to Cambodia I was a little depressed. It was not due to any problems that we’re facing with this ministry but rather the nature of our work. Let me explain.

I know a woman whose face was horribly burned in a car wreck. She and her husband were on their way to a Christian retreat when they were t-boned by a car. She was ejected from the vehicle, covered with gasoline, and lit afire as a human torch. By the time her rescuers got to her the damage was done.

I’ve seen photos of her when she was hospitalized. The doctors said that most people with such severe burns do not survive. She did. And though her wounds have healed, the scars remain.

She also has shown me photos of what she looked like before the accident. She was beautiful. She remarks, “It’s as if that girl died in the wreck.” And in a sense, she did.

When I think about the damage done to our girls’ lives, I get discouraged. We cannot restore their innocence. We cannot undo the physical toll abuse has taken on their bodies. We cannot return what they’ve lost. Like my friend, their wounds may heal; but their scars will remain. That bothers me.

God is teaching me something in all this. (I have to confess that I can be a slow and reluctant learner.) He is teaching me something important about His grace, these girls and myself. Even God cannot turn back the clock and have the world the way it once was. There was a time in creation when beauty was unmarred and innocence was not lost. But not anymore. That world exists no longer. We all have been wounded, some more profoundly than others. So we now live in a place where the best that He offers is the grace of redemption and healing. But even then the scars remain.

I have one last confession. I long deeply for a different world. I long for a place of complete restoration. I want to live in a world without scars. And one day, I will. I pray that each of our girls will find their way to that place, too. I want them to know unspoiled beauty—a beauty that no predator or circumstance can steal. But for now, the best that we can do is to help their wounds to heal and free their beauty within, yet the scars remain.

"He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
—Revelation 21:4

"Songkum" and Rapha House

[Editor's note: I wrote this during a recent trip to Cambodia.]

While here in Cambodia, I attended an anti-trafficking conference in Phnom Penh. On the last evening, some from our team went to a riverfront restaurant where two former Rapha girls met us for dinner. The next day, they joined us for the trip back to our shelter so they could spend a few days with their friends at Rapha before returning to Phnom Penh with us.

During the long ride to the shelter, Yan leaned forward from the backseat to ask me a question. Yan speaks a little English, and she said, "Kerry, what is the purpose for living?"

You don't have to be highly educated to ask profound questions. Yan was labor trafficked to Thailand when she was a teenager. And though I don't know all the details of her story, I do know from the bits and pieces that I've heard that she suffered terribly.

Her question caught me a little off-guard, so I decided to buy some time and bounce the question back to her. "First, I want to ask you a question, Yan," I began. "What do you think is the purpose for living?" But she did not tolerate my efforts to stall for time. "No," she replied. "I asked you first. I want you to tell me, and then I will tell you what I think."

So I collected my thoughts and answered her as best as I could. She didn't hesitate a moment to tell me that she disagreed. Then she went on to say what she thought.

The Cambodians have a word for it—songkum. And Yan explained why she thought songkum was the purpose for living. She said that even if a person is blind or is missing a limb (not an uncommon sight in this country with so many unexploded landmines)--if that person has songkum, he or she can keep on living. But without songkum, the person will give up and die. Songkum in Khmer means hope.

I then asked Yan if there ever was a time in her life that she lived without hope. And she quietly said, "Yes." Then I asked her when that changed. And she said, "When I came to Rapha House." She said that's when she began walking with Jesus.

In one respect, Yan is right. Hope is the purpose for living. For without hope, people will give up and never know God's love.

Some may think that we're in the business of helping exploited girls. And some may think our calling is to combat the evil of human trafficking. But in reality, that's not what Rapha House is all about. Rapha House is about songkum. With the help of God and people like you, we bring hope to people who had no hope. And in doing so, we help them to find a reason to live.

"I am the LORD; those who hope in me will not be disappointed." (Isaiah 49:23)