All is Love (Place of Rescue)

I apologize for the delay. Rebecca and I have moved back to our respective places to school or work or whatever it is that we do. I know.. we are still behind on a few posts. But no matter how "busy" we get, Cambodia keeps coming back to me. Since coming home, I just seem to be attending all sorts of sharing nights, women's nights and even a benefit concert - all supporting an AIDS shelter and orphanage called Place of Rescue. It seems to follow me everywhere I go, so I suppose it's finally time to pay it its due hommage.

Like I mentioned in our last post, HIV and AIDS is an epidemic in Cambodia. Since the last post, I've actually learned more about this problem. HIV/AIDS were unfortunately brought via tourists after the genocide and Pol Pot's regime. Not only had Cambodia seen mass murders of the educated forcing a huge generational gap (more info on this in a future post), but soon after the Khmai people were having to face yet another problem of HIV/AIDS. This meant a large number of orphans and elderly people.

Because this is such a problem in Cambodia, I suppose it was only fitting that we were able to visit two AIDS orphanages: Jeevit's House and Place of Rescue.To call Place of Rescue an orphanage is to put it lightly. This NGO located just outside of the capital city of Phnom Penh is a community unto its own. I don't know the exact math, but that's about 250-plus people all living at Rescue. This includes orphans, grannies, families living with AIDS, and single mothers. In one brief tour of Rescue, let's just say it's not hard to fall in love with everyone you meet. Kids wave wildly, grannies smile with blackened teeth, and babies hide behind their house moms in curiosity.


What intrigues me is that each person living at Rescue comes with their own unique and painful story that brought them there, yet they all blend together as a family. One little guy was found at a hospital with his mom. His mother was delusional and claimed that she was going to eat her son. Another group of kids had witnessed their father murder their mother. Some children were abandoned because of AIDS. Despite their situation, the past doesn't matter. Rescue offers them hope, a future, a family (a really big one, at that! They even call director Marie Ens "grandma").

Place of Rescue is something pretty special to me. My old home church has been involved with them and four years ago, my brother had the privilege of visiting. Coincidentally enough, his first visit there at the age of 22 was also my first visit there at the age of 22. I remember him regaling us with stories of how he fell in love with Rescue and of all the kids he was able to meet. One particular girl is Reaksmai. She was 14 when my brother had met her. Her mom had just died of AIDS and she was left alone with an older and younger brother. My brother and Reaksmai would write each other back and forth even after he had come home. He would send her pictures of our family and she would send back pressed flowers. It was awfully cute.


Fast forward four years and I'm at Rescue. Rebecca and I met with an awesome team from Calgary to run an English camp and teach a couple of classes. Each class received one student teacher who was a kid at Rescue. The interesting thing is that out of the 6 student teachers we could have gotten, Reaksmai was ours. It was like the stars aligned and I couldn't help but smile. Over the week, we enjoyed getting to know each and every one of our students. We really grew to love each other as a class. We got an intermediate class of kids ranging from maybe around 10 to 18. I loved how some of the younger kids who were amazing at English would assist the older ones who were having difficulty. I liked watching each child's potential spurt through, whether it was through their artistic abilities, their dancing, or even with how quick they picked up English.


As each day passed, we dreaded our fateful good-bye day, because we also felt like a part of their family and we just didn't want to leave. It amazed me how the concept of family could be found in a sea of 250 people. Not a day passed where I didn't receive hugs, or didn't get a kid holding my hand. To be honest, my heart aches a little bit as I write this just cause I miss them so much. After a week of playing with parachutes, running relay races, talking with kids, learning English, dancing to Michael Jackson's thriller, and learning bible stories, it was time to come to an end. They threw us a Khmai party complete with the kids doing traditional dances for us, teaching us how to dance, and a delicious meal. The night winded down and a heavy feeling overcame the room. It was a flood of emotion and chaos as hugs were being given and tears were flowing.


I am rarely an emotional person. I don't cry in movies (not even in Titanic), during good-byes, during funerals, nothing. But this day held an exception. I hadn't been feeling well that whole day (blame it on a bad piece of pizza). Having spent the majority of the day near a toilet, I heard a knocking on the door. It was our Khmai friend Chanthol telling me it was time to say good-bye. I walked out of the bathroom and immediately became bombarded by hugs. I held my composure as many of my students cried during their goodbyes until I ran into Reaksmai. Her cheeks were already stained with tears. Although I hadn't started crying yet, she began to comfort me. I'll never forget the words she said, "I'm going to miss you. If you ever feel lonely, remember that you have a sister in Cambodia. If you ever feel sad, remember that you have a God that loves you. Don't forget me because I will never forget you." As she said that, she took off her ring and placed it on my finger. My eyes welled and tears formed.

As we took the hour van ride back to our hotel, my mind flooded with thoughts. My good-bye with Reaksmai reminded me that Rescue is a place of love and it shows in each child because the love they received is the love that they give.


For more information on Place of Rescue, visit www.placeofrescue.com ! (Support them - country singer Paul Brand does :P )