This letter is somewhat bittersweet to be writing. Exactly a year ago I was writing to tell you that I was going back to Ngaamba, an amazing place that had captured my heart. Today it’s because I have been selected for a team to go to Bantey Meanchey, Cambodia ~ July 18-30th. It is so much easier to write a letter when I can clearly express why I’ve been drawn to a trip. Experience is everything. Yet it’s in the unknown that I find that God grows, stretches & allows life changing moments....
The journey of the past 3 years is one I never imagined I would be on yet I can see how God has been working behind the scenes of my plans to lead me down his path. After my first adult mission trip to Romania in 2009 - I really felt drawn to Kenya & Cambodia. Honestly I would have never had those two places on my must travel vacation places but rather for the need in these countries.
This year Cambodia has been on my heart more than ever. Recently I have had the opportunity to volunteer with some local Atlanta organizations involved in fighting human trafficking. It has been eye opening to me. So amazing what goes on around us that we don’t even know about. Adoptions have been banned between U.S. & Cambodia since the early 2000’s. While some stories ended up happy many ended up as another case of human trafficking due to corruption in a broken country & government. This country experience massive devastation in the 1970’s. The Pol Pot Regime murdered 1 to 3 million people. The 70’s - This is within most of our lifetimes or right before. The devastation has impacted everything about their world it’s not something you recover from quickly.
Honestly, unlike returning to Kenya, I have no idea what to expect. I know this is a country in desperate need of encouragement & rebuilding. My church, NorthPoint, partners with a local church that runs 3 orphanages. We have teams going to all three. I’m grateful to be part of a team of returners & newbies like myself. We will be working in an orphanage that is home to 21 children.
Our team is in the beginning stages of preparing for our trip. We are currently praying for the “what” of the trip. How God wants to use us ~ we will be working in the orphanages & spending lots of time with the kids. I have heard amazing stories about these kids & can’t wait to meet them! I’m so looking forward to what God has in store for this trip, this team & these kids this summer.
I know that I won’t always be in a season of life that allows me to travel across the globe. I deeply appreciate all your prayers & support for these life changing trips. I wish each one of you had the opportunity to see these faces in person, hear their stories, have someone you just met grab your hand and not let go. But they know about you. They know that there are people across the world thinking about them, praying for them & giving so others can be there in person. It means more to them than you will ever know - just to be thought of & remembered.
I would love for you to be part of this new journey with me. Our team will have a blog updating our trip which I will send out when it starts. In the meantime if you would keep our team in your prayers as well as the ministry & kids we will be serving.
As always - our team needs to raise at least $24,800.00. It’s only $3,100 per person. Anything over that goes towards supplies & other things for the orphanage. If you would like to donate towards this trip details are below.
Thanks in advance for keeping our team, Cambodia & these kids in your thoughts & prayers!!!!
love~
Maureen
Maureen
Under Trip Information:
Country: Cambodia - Bantey Meanchey
Trip : Bantey Meanchey Orphanage 7/19-29/12
Individual: Maureen Brink (you will have to type that in :) )
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