WARM BLANKETS ORPHAN CARE FIELD REPORT

“Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,

for you judge the peoples with equity

and guide the nations upon earth.”

(Psalm 67:4)

My name is David Jones, and I am one of the new faces at Warm Blankets. Having recently returned from my first trip to Cambodia, I am both excited and amazed at what God is doing there. The purpose of this field report is to share some of that excitement with you.

I.  Orphan Homes

The Warm Blankets team arrived in Cambodia on February 8. Over the course of the next 72 hours, the five of us traveled all over the country, visiting ten different orphan homes and absorbing the realities of life there. It was a moving experience, to say the least.

We met children whose parents had died from AIDS, landmines, civil unrest, or some other tragic circumstance. It was heartbreaking to see these orphans so hungry for fatherly attention, and yet it was at the same time a great delight to see the fervency of their Christian faith. As I played with them, I found my heart growing attached. I wanted to wrap them in my arms and take them home with me.

Some of the most precious times were those spent in worship. It was a blessing to visit each new home and sing with children there, their faces radiant and their hands raised to the Lord, pouring out their hearts to him in their own language. It was hard to imagine that just one or two years ago, they were hardened, living on the streets and struggling to survive. It shows what a difference Christ can make in the lives of those who are surrendered to him.

II.  The Dump

Where do these kids come from? To get a better understanding of the plight of orphans, we paid a visit to the garbage dump outside the capital city of Phnom Penh. There we found hundreds of men, women and children dressed in rags, sifting through the trash to find something useful or edible. It was hard to bear, not just because the smell was overpowering, but to see the glee with which these desperate people would greet each new garbage truck. It was life at its rawest, most basic level.

A few of our orphans accompanied us to the dump, and they took the initiative to invite the other children there to church. The following Sunday, a truck was dispatched, and some 40 dump kids showed up! Our orphans had prepared a special Bible lesson on the parable of the Lost Sheep, and about 25 of the dump kids professed Jesus Christ as Lord. It was incredible to see these orphans reaching out and ministering to their own generation.

Please pray that God will grant us the privilege of rescuing more kids from places like the dump, and getting them into homes where they can receive loving care, food, clothing, medical treatment, education and, most importantly, the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

III.  The Slums

The team also visited the slums in Phnom Penh. This is a large area alongside the river that is filled with squatters, refugees and other displaced people. They live in little shanties and bamboo huts, while trying to find work in the city.

As we walked through, a number of children began to follow us. We took some pictures and played some games with them, talking with their parents as we went along.  By the time we got back to our truck, we were surrounded by a two dozen dirty, smiling kids.  They all wanted a chance to touch the foreigners.

Although poor, the people seemed happy and honored to have visitors from the outside. I thought about Jesus’ concern for the poor, and how much more open they are to receive the Gospel than those who do not see their need for a savior.

IV.  The Streets of Phnom Penh

Some of our orphans lived for awhile on the streets. Craig Muller asked one girl what it was like before she came to the orphan home. She hung her head for a few moments, and then finally muttered something before running off. The pastor who was there translated what she had said: “I was scared all the time.”

One night Craig and I went out on the streets of Phnom Penh and started talking with a group of street kids. It was 1 am, and three girls were carrying babies and asking for handouts. After talking with them for some time, we learned that they were orphans, and that they had been in orphanages before but had run back to the streets to make money. The babies were not even related—they had actually been rented in order to play on the sympathy of foreigners. Sadly, the odds are high that these girls will wind up in the sex trade within a year or two.

We asked the girls if they had ever heard of Jesus Christ, and they said no. We showed them compassion, praying that God would deliver them from the snare of the evil one. Pray that the Lord will enable us to get more of these kids off the streets.

V.  The Ocean Excursion

Our trip was not all depressing. Far from it! On Thursday, February 13, we took over 500 orphans on a retreat to the ocean. This was a major undertaking, and we praise the Lord that it all went smoothly.

After some initial reluctance (most of the kids had never seen so much water before), the orphans were soon splashing and frolicking in the beautiful blue-green water of the Gulf of Thailand. Keep in mind that most of them have never had the opportunity to be so carefree—their childhoods have been largely stripped from them. It was a blessing and a privilege to be able to give them an old-fashioned day at the beach.

But we were not there for just sun and surf. At the end of the day, 384 of them lined up on the beach to publicly testify of their faith in Christ. They then stepped into the water to be baptized. It was a joyous event—the highlight of the trip!

VI.  The Pastors’ Conference

Near the end of our trip, we took part in the Third Annual Pastors’ Conference. A total of 550 church leaders were in attendance. This is amazing, because last year there were only 200 pastors! The church in Cambodia has been experiencing explosive growth.

Please pray for these leaders as they move forward to reach their own people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They hope to have a thousand pastors by next year’s conference!

VII.  Conclusion

We thank the Lord for his goodness to us on this trip. We saw some things that broke our hearts, and yet we also saw the Holy Spirit grow the church in ways reminiscent of the book of Acts. Our hearts were united with our Cambodian brothers and sisters as we worshiped the same Lord and learned from the same Scriptures.

The ministry of Warm Blankets is growing. Five new orphan homes/churches have been dedicated since we left Cambodia. Pray that we will find individuals and churches here in the States that will partner with us to provide for the needs of these precious little saints. In fact, we would ask you to prayerfully consider supporting us in this work.

Most of all, pray that Christ will be glorified in the land of Cambodia!

David W. Jones

For more information, visit www.warmblankets.org