This is a special announcement to all of our friends and supporters: we are opening our first home in Battambang, Cambodia. During my recent trip to Cambodia, Sumitra Faa and I had the opportunity to interview three couples who had shown interest in this position. From the beginning we felt drawn to Sambo and his family. He was amply qualified for the work, and he and his wife were already involved in rescuing children in the city where they lived. We interviewed them twice and presented their names to the board at our recent meeting.
We asked the Board to pray and spoke with Sambo during the meeting, at which time we agreed to move the process ahead. By the grace of God, a donor had provided most of the funds to cover the expenses of running the home for the first year. We still have needs that will have to be covered by future contributions, but felt confident to move ahead with this plan. We are operating with a bare-bone budget but trusting God for the future. Before the end of the year, our plan is to see six new girls who have been victims of physical and/or sexual abuse. They will join Sambo’s family and enjoy a new life where they will no longer be in danger and with time will be able to have the hope of glory.
While in Battambang, Sumitra and I looked at several houses we intended to rent. Most of the houses were far from what we would consider adequate for the work we do with children. But on our last day there, God allowed us to go to a home we really liked and we found the landlords were very open to our work. They even agreed to reduce the rent significantly and by God’s grace Sambo and his family will be moving to that house on or by February 15th. We couldn’t be more happy with this!
Sambo, Sopha, and their daughters Mary (8), Ruth (5), and Katrina (1) have been serving the Lord for several years now. They have started a couple of churches and until recently were operating an English teaching school for youth in their town. During the recent flooding in Cambodia, they took in 8 children whose parents became homeless and were no longer able to pay for their schooling. They love their people and have shown again and again that they are willing to sacrifice in order to help “the least of these.”
Please pray for Sambo and Sopha:
Pray for their move to Battambang;
Pray that their children will adjust well to the new city and schools;
Pray that they will remain healthy;
Pray for the right girls to be brought to the home;
Pray for Sambo and Sopha as they meet people and organizations who are already working with children who are suffering abuse.
Pray that God will provide the necessary support to keep this home running at the optimum level.
As I said above, there will be some extra needs associated with starting this home that are not covered by the budget. If you would like to contribute toward those needs, please send your donation to G.R.O.W. marked “Cambodia, start up” (P. O. Box 1862. Wooster, OH 44691). All your gifts are tax-deductible.
Thank you for your prayers and faithful support or the ministry of G.R.O.W. in SE Asia. We are excited about this new step but also understand that this is a huge step of faith. Please continue to pray that God will move ahead of us and that we will continue to put Him at the center of everything we do.
Pastor Ivanildo C. Trindade
G.R.O.W. President, on behalf of the G.R.O.W. Board
