Halloween

Halloween hasn't really hit Poipet. I don't have to worry about what to wear if I get invited to a Halloween party.... should I go with something "traditional", find a "Christian" alternative or skip the party altogether? I don't have to respond to kids knocking on the door. Should I give them lollies or a healthy alternative? An apple or a snack size bag of nuts perhaps? Or is this still supporting the celebration of evil? One blog suggests handing out bible tracts along with candy but I'm not sure I could pull it off. Finally, I don't have to decided whether I will eat Halloween sweets or abstain. I read another blog in which Kimberly Daniels writes:

Curses are sent through the tricks and treats of the innocent whether they get it by going door to door or by purchasing it from the local grocery store. The demons cannot tell the difference.

No worries. There is no such thing as Halloween candy for sale at my local market. So.... this year I don't need to have an opinion about whether to celebrate Halloween or become part of the Christian War against it. Phew! One less thing to think about ; )

Pearl Izumi

A few weeks ago I tore an advertisement from a running mag and sent it to a friend. It seems like it has been appreciated by a few other people.... so here are a couple more offerings from Pearl Izumi. (Love the ads but has anyone tried their shoes?!)

this wisdom

I need wisdom like this. I get distracted. I'm like the majority... smart people who sometimes do dumb things. So I need grace to live out the principles I know are true.

Wisdom

Leave your simple ways and you will live;
walk in the way of understanding.
When you walk, your path will be clear and open;
and when you run, you shall not stumble.

I'm writing out directions...
I don't want you ending up in blind alleys,
or wasting time making wrong turns.
Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord
with all your heart and mind
and do no rely on your own understanding.
Roll your works upon the Lord...
so shall your plans be established and succeed.

Don't assume you know it all.
Run to God! Run from evil!

Skilled living gets its start in the Fear-of-GOD,
Insight into life from knowing a Holy God.
...Live wisely and wisdom will permeate your life;
Mock life and like will mock you.

A good leader motivates,
doesn't mislead, doesn't exploit.
Good leaders cultivate honest speech;
they love advisers who tell them the truth.
When God approves of your life,
even your enemies will end up shaking your hand.

Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers,
and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD.
For the Lord shall be your confidence, firm and strong,
and shall keep your foot from being caught...

We plan the way we want to live,
but only God makes us able to live it.

(From Proverbs 3;4;9 & 16 in Amplified, NIV & The Message translations.)

Points for Prayer and Praise

"Pray for more opportunities for Pip to share about Jesus during the English classes she conducts in Cambodia. The students are currently studying a unit about things that have changed the world. Pip was able to talk about Jesus and the way that his life and death has changed the world. Ask that God will open the students’ hearts to hear more about him. "

I don't generally write newsletters with Points For Prayer and Praise.... most times people gotta figure their response. But I know that some people like Prayer Points and that informed prayer is good. I also understand that the point of a point is that it is short. A point doesn't necessarily contain captivating imagery or sentences that play with grammar like a seven-year-old plays with chewing gum. Points are points. Sometimes necessary. Usually boring. At the risk of over-pointing, I want to add a couple more to the above point that was released this week from my org in Australia:

Point Two: [Review Point One...] Yes, Pip talked briefly about Jesus during an English class last week. Yay. Very cool. Thank God.

Point Three: The unit on Things That Change The World will be over in a couple of weeks. Pip is not vaguely hoping that there will be opportunities to talk about Jesus through future lessons on transport, vegetables or how to check into a hotel room. (Actually, this is pretty much what I've been doing for the past year and I'm kinda over it... ) Instead, Pip now takes Tuesdays off and Malis comes in to lead the students and teach them stories about Jesus. (Real lessons. From a book. With exercises and discussion questions.) Attendance on Tuesdays isn't compulsory but this week they all showed up anyway. Malis teaches at the same time in the same classroom. There's just one difference: four days a week I teach English language that I've learned the night before mixed in with whatever relevant madness I can think of to make it stick while on Tuesdays Malis teaches subversive stories that are already sticky. Yay. Very cool. Thanks God.

Pints for Prayer

So today but I accidentally typed this phrase: Pints for prayer and praise. Not a bad idea. (For someone else. I'm in Poipet. Simply passing on a thought.)

TIP Part 2

Thoughts about Trafficking In Persons (TIP) in Poipet, Cambodia.

In Part 1, I wrote about four things that can help us respond to human trafficking as individuals and churches (understand the local context, use language carefully, ask questions & remember God). We need to find ways to relate to children and adults who are at risk of being trafficked. The question is how?

Here are the final three ideas:

5. Cooperate With Others

Not only has God been here since before I arrived in Poipet, but there are also government and non-government organizations that have already been established. There is no need to start another children's home. It's already been done.

Mercy Ministries Foundation (MMF) operates a children’s home and some of those in their care have been victims of trafficking. Cambodian Hope Organization (CHO) offers a temporary shelter for those being brought out of trafficking and exploitation. They offer re-integration programs and work with the government in reconnecting victims to their families. Damnok Toek operates a similar temporary shelter. Don Bosco and Krousar Themy have two separate shelters. Through informal interviews with staff at the above shelters, it is important to note that none of them are full. Why open another centre when the shelters already established are not operating to their capacity?

For men, women and children who have been rescued from slavery, it makes sense to provide a safe place for them away from the border. The Cambodian Women’s Crisis Centre (CWCC) have a safe shelter in another city in Banteay Meanchey Province. Hagar operates two shelters in Phnom Penh for women and children. Why open another safe haven when other groups have already done so?

In Poipet, there is a network of organizations who are working in partnership to reduce the numbers of people who are trafficked across the Thai-Cambodia border. BIG-C (Border Issues Group- Children) has a broad strategy to tackle trafficking through a 5-point plan: prevention, protection, rescue, rehabilitation and reintegration.

Christians don’t always have a reputation for generous cooperation. Critics often point to the division within the church as proof enough that followers of Jesus do better at building their own Kingdoms rather than working together to see the Reality of Jesus. Doesn’t it make more sense for us to show extraordinary generosity as we actively seek to work in partnership with others? Those of us who are schooled in Christian doctrine should understand the truth that there is corruption in every person… and even with that, amazing potential for good.

6. Value The Church

Cambodia’s history of war and violence has affected today’s patterns of human trafficking. Societal structures and respect for elders have been severely undermined. Lack of social capital places children in vulnerable positions without guidance and support.

“Poverty pushes parents to cross the border and work, it pushes parents to push their children to beg or carry umbrellas for tourists, all of which weakens family and community networks and increases vulnerability. Poor parental health, particularly the presence of HIV/AIDs and addictions to alcohol and drugs leave children without family structure and guidance. Many children in the area of Poipet live on their own or in small gangs. In some cases their parents have died, in other cases children can not return home until they have enough money to present to their parents. Such brings increased risk of drug use (a large problem among the youth in Poipet) through which, trust levels within communities are damaged and desperation for money fuels the trafficking problem. Such problems all create and fuel insufficient community networks, levels of trust, collective action, social inclusion and access to information and communication all of which according to the World Bank demonstrate the presence of social capital within a community.” (Jessica Cope)

Research shows social capital is an important factor for sustainable development and prosperous communities. When evident, communities are more inclined to work together on common needs making projects more effective and sustainable through greater inclusion, cohesion, transparency and accountability.

While the Church cannot be defined simply in sociological terms, it can and should develop social capital. The church can provide guidance and support for those who are vulnerable. The church can help people find their identity and dignity as people who have been created by God and deeply loved by God. The church can help people build trusting relationships. The church can share resources amongst members so that those who have more than enough may share with those who are poor (causing rich and poor to rejoice together). Churches don’t need to add complicated programs to their list of activities in order to fulfill this mission. Instead, just keep loving God and loving people. Be faithful to the simple commands of Jesus. Be God's shelter, don't build a shelter. Invest in people, not in another building fund. Value the church, the people of God.

7. Consider Alternative Responses

We need to recognize that there are different options available to us as we seek to respond to the needs of people in our cities. There isn’t one method that is going to reach all people. If we look to find a “standard solution” for healing the sick, for example, we won’t find one in the Scriptures. Jesus used a variety of “techniques” in healing people. Sometimes he healed individuals, at other times he healed crowds of people. Sometimes put his hand on the person, alternatively Jesus spoke over them. Maybe his most infamous technique was to mix his spit with dirt and apply that strange paste on a blind man who wanted to see.

There are many creative ways in which that we can prayerfully, joyfully respond to the poor who live amongst us. It comes down to discerning what it means to love. It isn’t just about service that makes me feel good. It’s about understanding the heart of God, the needs of the community and asking for creative wisdom in how to respond in love.

Conclusion

When there's a young girl alone at night, metres from the International border, digging into a pile of rubbish to find food, I want to respond. When I hear of an 11-year-girl reportedly sold by her parents, I’m moved with a mixture of anger and love. I'm thankful that in recent months I've been able to come home and talk about these issues with my friend/ housemate Jessica Cope. Jess has been doing a research project about trafficking in the Poipet area. Jess does the research. I read her notes after she’s gone to bed. We explore ideas over cups of tea. These notes are an expression of where my thinking is at now.... especially when I hear that another church group wants to open a kids home.

Let’s not open another home for children at risk. Instead, may God help us respond with wisdom, creativity and love to our neighbours who happen to be poor- both in Poipet and in other parts of the world.

sticky cardboard, frenzied screams

I've become the resident rat-catcher. It's not something I'm particularly proud of but it is necessary. My chosen method of murdering these creatures is: sticky glue + several squares of cardboard left overnight on the kitchen floor.

The instructions on the sticky glue tell me:

The sticking of rats takes only a short while, the caught rat will give a frenzy scream, drawing other curious rats into the trap.

Once caught, the rats hair, which is sticking on the sticking plank should be burned....

I'm sure burning is hygienic but I can't bring myself to cremate the living, wriggling things. So I put another piece of cardboard on top of them, hold my breath and smack them with a hammer. Enough said. It's all gross.

Urge Him

Tonight Malis and I went out for dinner. It was a simple meal... a mid-week excuse not to shop, cook and clean up. We ordered a vegetable dish, an omelet and two plates of steamed rice.

As we were eating in the open-front restaurant, a kid came up begging. He said he was hungry. I invited him to eat with us, saying, "Sit down and I will order another plate of rice." He hesitated for a moment. Then he walked away. It wasn't until later that it became clear; he'd walked away from the table hungry.

When we finished, the same boy came up asking for money to buy food. We were standing at the front of the restaurant and the waitress was already clearing our plates. I replied, "Little brother, I'm sorry, I won't give you money. Next time eat with us." Seeing a scrap of omelet leftover, the kid grabbed it and took off before the waitress had time to throw it away. Then I believed he was hungry.

In Luke's gospel, there's a story about a guy who holds a dinner party. He invites the rich but they don't turn up. So he commands his servants to go and invite the poor instead. Luke speaks not just of inviting but actively persuading the poor to come to the feast. "Urge them," says one translation. "Make the people come in." "Constrain them to yield and come." "Drag them in." After reflecting on this tonight, I realise that my efforts to invite this young stranger to share our table were pretty weak. I only asked one. Next time I will ask several times. I'll try to compel him. Hopefully I'll remember that a plate of rice and some basic food is good news for the poor.

TIP Part 1

Thoughts about Trafficking In Persons (TIP) in Poipet, Cambodia.

Introduction

I live in Poipet; a small city on the Cambodian-Thai border. Every day I see children whose lives are vastly different from my childhood experience of growing up in a beachside Sydney suburb. Young boys and girls scrounge piles of rubbish for cans, plastic bottles and other recyclables. Kids wander the streets clasping plastic bags, sniffing glue to get high. I sit at a roadside café having a meeting with a coworker when a young boy wearing nothing but a ragged T-shirt comes up and begs for a bit of money. I read research done by Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) reporting that these same kids are also at risk of being trafficked across the border and forced to work as beggars, house keepers or even for sexual purposes. I’ve lived in Cambodia for almost five years and I've heard enough stories that back up the statistics.

So how do I respond? How to we, as Christians, wrestle with the reality of such confronting needs? God has poured out His love in our hearts through the Holy Spirit and Christ’s love compels us to respond. But before we rush in to "rescue" vulnerable kids by placing them in a Christian-run safe house, it’s worth taking some time to consider the problems in context as well as various ways of responding. I suggest we need to understand the local context, use language carefully, ask questions, remember God, cooperate with others, value the church and consider alternative responses.

1. Understand The Local Context

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) claim that trafficking is inextricably linked to poverty. Banteay Meanchey, even compared with other provinces in Cambodia, is extremely poor. Khmer Rouge fighting continued in Poipet until the mid to late 1990s which has left the city and surrounding areas very unstable. In 1999 Poipet was home to 5 000 people. Yet from the opening of the first casino almost 10 years ago until now, the population has increased to approximately 115 000. Many have come from other parts of Banteay Meanchey and across the country in the hope of finding work. The reality is that hopes of a better life have only been found by few.

2. Use Language Carefully

It's easy to throw around vague jargon in order to rally support for a cause. However, it is important to define out terms and to try to be specific in our language. In Matthew 5, Jesus clarified people’s distorted interpretations of the Old Testament law. Over many generations, the intention of the law had been lost in the interpretation of the law. Jesus took time to clarify muddied thinking. We need to make sure we are clear on our definitions too.

For example, we need to remember that migration isn’t the same as trafficking. According to the United Nations, Trafficking In Persons (TIP) or human trafficking is the “recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, or the abuse of power of a position of vulnerability or of a person having control over another person, for the purposes of exploitation.” Migration may be simply defined as “the movement of people from one place to another” (International Migration Organization). While there is a link between migration and trafficking in persons, it is important to note that they are not the same thing. Poipet is a border town home to 8000- 10 000 who willingly enter Thailand for employment purposes every day.

Also, sexual exploitation and prostitution seem to be common buzz words related to human trafficking. Research shows, however, that there is a greater scope to the problem. Trafficking does not exclusively target women and children; men are also trafficked. Women may be trafficked for domestic service or to labour in the garment industry. Men may be forced to work in construction or fishing industries.

3. Ask Questions

Asking a few simple questions give us a better picture of the current situation locally. Here are three important questions:

Who are the traffickers? It was commonly thought that trafficking existed through high scale and sophisticated agents prowling on the vulnerable and uneducated in rural communities. However a study (by Intervida) in the mid 2000’s showed that i) the trafficker is usually known by the victim and ii) the trafficker is usually a respected community member. One study showed that 38.76% were trafficked by a friend/acquaintance, 28.68% current employer, 16.28% neighbor or village fellow, 8.53% extended family member, 6.2% mother or sister (ECPAT. 2007-2008. ‘NGO joint Statistics: Database Report on Trafficking and Rape in Cambodia’. ECPAT: Phnom Penh).

Who are the victims? Many studies further show the majority of victims consented to be trafficked to escape present situations. From those willing to go with there trafficker, 36.36% stated it was to escape a current situation, 26.45% wanted more money, 23.97% were pressured by another person (ibid.).

Is the problem getting worse? Trafficking in persons is an illegal, undercover and under-reported activity, which means that it is difficult to find reliable, recent reports. Having said that, one NGO in Poipet has seen a dramatic decrease in their reported cases during 2009. Only 4 reported cases of trafficking in women were recorded with their organization during January to June 2009 opposed to 19 cases the previous year.

4. Remember God

A personal discipline that I need to cultivate is to remember that even in the midst of struggles, God is in this place. I think of the story in which God gave Jacob a dream of a stairway reaching to heaven with angels of God ascending and descending on it. God spoke promises over Jacob. (I am with you. I will watch over you. I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you. I will do what I’ve promised.) When he woke up, Jacob was struck with a new understanding of God’s presence in that place. Jacob exclaimed, “Surely God was in this place and I was not aware of it! How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God!”(Genesis 29:15-17).

Even though the Lonely Planet refers to Poipet as the “armpit of Cambodia”, I remember the story of Jacob and exclaim, “Surely God is in this place!” Surely the God of Jacob is the God of Poipet. Surely God has a vision for these people. Surely God has a hope and future for the emerging generations. Surly God is active, moving with strength and justice to rescue the oppressed. There is great need but surely this also means there is great potential to see God at work. For these reasons I can say, “How awesome is this place!”

(Part 2 to come soon...)

Order Restored

The heading of the article in Wednesday's paper read:

Poipet Border Bribes Stopped And Order Restored, Police Say.

It continued... 'One day after the Prime Minister Hun Sen called on officials at the Poipet international checkpoint to stop extorting money from people crossing the border, the problem has been "solved", police claimed yesterday.'

Wow! If only my work was so efficient....