A School Without Walls

On Tuesday, November 8 we visited four different ‘schools on a mat.’ The CHO (Cambodian Hope Organization)-sponsored School on a Mat program is used as a way to educate children in small or remote villages where a traditional school building is either not available or is too far from their homes. Transportation is limited and often walking to a school building is either not feasible or not safe. Without an education, children are often sold and forced into prostitution or other slave labor until they escape, are rescued or are no longer needed- thrown out like trash. We met a little boy this week that was abandoned in a market area. We met another boy who was trafficked and purposely crippled so that he could not walk. The traffickers wanted to use him to beg as a way for the traffickers to make money.

Prior to our trip, the team had a basic idea of what we might expect. I know I had painted a mental picture in my head about what it might be like here in Cambodia. I had no idea just how deep poverty runs in this area. I had no grasp of the environmental conditions- dirt/dust filled air, trash overflowing into the streets, deplorable housing conditions- mainly thatched roof huts or shacks and  dangerous transportation if any transportation at all. We now have a much more vivid perspective of what it may be like to be a child in Cambodia. I know that God has broken my heart so that I may be molded for His purpose.

The outdoor classroom is created on a flat piece of land. A large mat is rolled out on the ground and an easel/whiteboard is used by the teacher. The children sit on the mat while the teacher puts the lessons on a whiteboard. The children are attentive, well disciplined and seem to eagerly enjoy school. When we arrived at each school they were ready to greet us with warm smiles and giggles. They worked hard to pronounce our names in English and they were excited we were there!

As we began speaking with them through our interpreter, we quickly realized how little it took to make them happy. Personally, it was a very humbling experience for me. I am guilty of wanting to buy things for my own children because it brings them joy. The reality is they mainly want us as parents or adult role models to just give them our time and focus. If I were to bring back only one task when returning home, it would be to spend more quality time with my family. I am sure the Lord has many more take-home assignments to help me grow as a Christian!

We had a lot of fun interacting with the kids, their teachers and the neighbors who gathered around to see what we were doing. We introduced ourselves, read a short scripture verse, played games, colored with them, sang songs and shared a special treat with them. Local ice cream vendors (on a cart) stopped by several places and Tad and Susan bought them ice cream. We purchased 85 cups of ice cream at one location and the grand total due was $10 in U.S. dollars. Wow…………..

Some of the activities they enjoyed the most were: duck-duck goose, beach ball toss, freeze dance, jump rope, Frisbee, Twister, singing songs and trading silly bands. They had never seen silly bands before and they liked discovering that each band was a different shape. One group of kids this week had never seen crayons. They did not know what to do with them. When we showed them how to make simple drawings, they were ecstatic!

The longer we stayed, the more people came to see what was going on. Even the little ones- aged 1-3 wanted to be a part of what we were doing. Some of the toddlers would peer at us from behind a tree or nudge their mom or sibling along so they could join in. They were so cute! When a stray beach ball rolled up to one young boy, you would have thought he struck gold! His eyes lit up and he hugged it like a big teddy bear. It was hard to say goodbye to him.

Although the children seemed to have a great time visiting with us, we had an even better time visiting with them. These children have such innocent, sweet spirits. Their smiles and polite bows of appreciation were touching. It was hard leaving each school because we quickly bonded with them and wanted more time to get to know them. The School on a Mat program is meeting such a critical need in the rural communities- education for literacy, Bible scripture, hygiene, HIV/Aids prevention/awareness and to inform them about the issue of Human Trafficking. They are taught what to look for in terms of warning signs and self-protection.

1 Peter 1:3-12 talks about God’s grace in the midst of suffering. We want them to “receive the end result of (their) faith, the salvation of (their) souls.” These children need mercy, grace and protection. They should have a chance to have a happy, fulfilling life. CHO is doing everything they can to make sure this happens. I feel honored to be given an opportunity to be involved in their life-transforming work.

In Cambodia, the average annual pay for a teacher is around $1,200 or $100 per month. The teacher has limited teaching materials and supplies thus relying mainly on verbal communication and teaching from memory. Some of the teachers speak both Khmer and English while others only speak Khmer. Although the Schools on a Mat are immersed within the Buddhist communities they do teach the children about Jesus. We are told that they may freely worship God, but we sense that there is often family pressure to worship Buddha.  Sometimes the Christian teachers and CHO Staff are even threatened or persecuted for their beliefs.  Yet, they are bravely staying the course. All of the children knew who Jesus was and we encouraged them to be strong and courageous, just as the Bible teaches. We hope they stay connected to their School on a Mat and have an opportunity to attend further schooling. We pray for their salvation and to not be confused about their beliefs or pulled toward worshipping false gods.

CHO is doing such great work in Cambodia and it is our hope and prayer that they will continue to grow and receive continuous funding to expand their programs and outreach centers. We are so proud of Pastor Chomno and his staff who spread the gospel and meet the needs of their people.  In addition to the Christian principles they teach, Chomno and his team ‘walk the walk.’ The staff starts each day with devotion and on Sunday they hold church services. Their priorities are in order. Their tireless efforts and concern is inspiring.

Please pray for Pastor Chomno, his family, his staff, the children in need and at risk for trafficking, and the rescued children who are in protective care or are learning vocational skills. The abuse and horrors that are common occurrences are imaginable to us, yet they are reality to them. Pray for a huge change of heart with the perpetrators and abusers. Pray that their hearts would soften, that the evil would be eradicated and they would beg Christ for forgiveness. Pray that needs are met for the CHO team and they would have the desire, energy and ability to continue making a positive impact on these children.

Our goal is to gather the necessary information and needs assessment so that future teams can hit the ground running in CHO’s most needed areas of ministry. To all of our team supporters, we thank you!  We would not be here without your financial help and prayers. Your donation and spiritual investment is helping our team gain first hand knowledge about a huge area of opportunity!