We traveled by bus to a remote part of the country today. The city we are in is about 5,000 people…it is much different than the large city we came from, yet there are still similarities. On the way, we stopped at a rest stop and I ate a tarantula…yes you heard it right, a huge almost as big as my hand spider! I crunched it up and ate the whole thing…they cook them so the the spider tasted kind of crunchy!! It looks absolutely horrible to eat, but it actually tasted fine. It reminded me of eating a pork rine!!

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Cory showing off the Tarantula spider he is about to eat

 

 

Cory ate a Tarantula and is showing it off in his mouth

 

Once arriving to our new city, we went to a coffee house where Destiny Rescue houses girls who have been freed from sex trafficking and/or abuse from family or friends. I heard story after story of these precious girls being sold into slavery by their own father or mother. In most cases it was the mother who sold them into slavery…at least the stories we heard. There are so many boys being molested and trafficked as well!

Just yesterday Destiny Rescue saved a 12 year old girl back in Phnom Pehn who attends their learning center program. She was being raped by her father and is now being brought to a safe house looked after by Destiny Rescue.

We were told that the girls who are in Destiny Rescue’s care are the ones that have a chance at life and have hope! There are literally thousands and thousands of children being exploited and sold into prostitution on a daily basis!!!

One of the staff members for Destiny Rescue shared her story last night. She went through the program and is now a safe house parent with her husband and newborn baby!!! She had been raped by her step father multiple times and her mother beat her and sold her multiple times into the sex trafficking industry. This young woman tried to come back to her parents house, but her mother sold her again into slavery! Over time, she tried killing herself because she didn’t think there was any hope!!

Destiny Rescue found out about her situation and this broken girl was given a second chance at life. However, the young girl told us last night that she was so scared to come to Destiny Rescue because she thought she was going to be trafficked again by men and women. Once she was there for a couple of weeks, she realized this place was much differnt and for the first time experience the genuine love of God. She eventually became a Christian and God began the healing process in her walk with Him. She understood that God was in the redeeming business and could take her mess and make something beautiful with it!

Now she is married to a great Christian man and they have a beautiful baby! She kept crying because of the memories she recounted, but then it was overshawdowed with tears of joy knowing that God saved her out of this mess!

Last night, I saw this little boy that had been saved. He was found in a black plastic bag somewhere left to die. Some people found him and was given to a Buddhist family next to Destiny Rescue’s coffee shop. I was able to play with him and he just smiled and smiled. My prayer is that he gets to hear that God has not forgotten about him and he has a future and a hope in Jesus Christ.

I want to be a voice on behalf of these children…I want to be a hand of HOPE to the forgotten and beaten down…I want to be a LIGHT that shines brightly for others to follow that points people to Christ!!!

Will you join me in this venture? When we say Yes to God and His plan, He can use us for great good in a world filled with evil!

I am seeing first hand the damaging effects of sin, but I am also seeing a ministry that is actually making a huge impact in the hearts and lives of children and a community!

Isaiah 61:1-3 is my heart cry

“The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is upon me, for the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed.He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the LORD’s favor has come,and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies. To all who mourn in Israel,he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the LORD has planted for his own glory.”