Dear Friends,

The LORD watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, ...  (Psalm 146:5-9 NIV)

I returned from Cambodia just a few days ago. The kids and the caregivers continue to grow in abilities, strength, and resolve. Villages are being transformed. As an example, in one of the schools where our home family kids attend, in each of four different grade levels, one of our kids is the top child in the class. It seems that the longer a home is in existence the better it gets. The relationships between the caregivers, church volunteers, and the pastoral staff is so loving now that one can feel the warmth and hope of Christ as you walk into the homes. 

We continue to slowly shift some of our staff execution to Cambodia. Randy Kist is spending the next few months there with Ly Heng as they train Nationals to perform some of the Warm Blankets staff functions. The new database system is now being tested in the field. One of the older kids is learning imaging as well. I actually watched as our new resident medical technician saved the life of one of the pastors. This generation of orphans is becoming its own community. Instead of a generation in crisis it seems like the boys and girls in the homes almost have an advantage over kids in traditional Cambodian family structure. 

Hundreds of thousands of people have been saved through the orphans, caregivers, pastors, staff and YOU. The Lord is favoring and blessing this mission. He has given me the privilege to serve with other disciples who are dedicated to serving orphans and widows. With them and through them, I have experienced some of the most joyful times of my life and yet some of the most shocking and painful as well.

Here are a few highlights and pictures from this months trip:

I was able to visit with some of the local teachers this trip. The situation is such that the teachers are asking our kids for money if the kids want any individual help with things like homework. I found out that most of the teachers have not been paid in months and in some cases not at all.  Sou Olbrich tells me she is already giving the kids money to give to their teachers. It could add up to $80 dollars per month per home. It seems like a bargain for 50 kids, but it is going to drive up monthly costs, especially if we have to do it at all 40 homes. The elections in February might change some of this, but it could get worse just as easily.
Here are some pictures of a typical school.
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On a better note, we were able to rescue two woman that were relatives of one of our caregivers. They had left their village a few weeks ago to try to get food for their kids. Through a series of desperate events they ended up a this place of last resort. They were then unable to break free. We took them to Ted and Sou's new facility, got them cleaned up, and put them on antibiotics. Eventually, Sou put together a "grub stake" of items they could use to open a roadside stand. With God's help they will be able to turn a profit as they build a business to survive in their village. We arranged transportation for them, and they are now back with their children. These pictures were taken last Wednesday at the site where this happened. They are not for the faint at heart:
 

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I've already discussed this situation with our partners at World Orphans. They are committing to once again provide us with help on the brick and mortar side to give us a chance to execute a rescue mission here. As always, the first step is to secure some land. Ted feels that the land prices where we would have to go are higher than the 5 to 7K we usually pay. If we can raise about $9000 for the land we can rescue many of these kids. The orphan rescue process may be a bit more dangerous in this situation, but it can be done. 

If your circle of influence includes someone you think might want to help finance this rescue, and play a part in the Church Home, please don't hesitate to forward a link to this report with an invitation to get involved. We have video footage and many more images if presentation materials are needed. We can no longer use the food and shelter reserves to buy land so that is where the emergency funding is needed.

Deadly Fires
There have been a number of you who have asked about the fires reported on CNN. Here are the "cliff" notes from the papers in Cambodia and from people in our church that were affected by it. There are about 40,000 people displaced. There seems to be a pervasive opinion that the fires were set by either government land seekers or developers. There were two fires in the last few weeks. A third was being set when people saw the arsonists and chased them off. This has affected some of our church people and I've gotten into detail about that before so I won't repeat myself here. It has not directly affected any of the children in our homes. In fact, the kids in one of our homes have been raising money to help the displaced families.  Much of the slum along the river is still there, but I don't suspect is will be there much longer.

Most of the victims of the fires were herded onto trucks and relocated to an area 17K out of town in the middle of a rice field. There is no work, commerce, bathrooms, medical, etc. etc. etc. There is desperation everywhere in the refugee camp. I've read that each family is getting 400 dollars and a small plot of land. Everyone I talked to in the camp said they were getting 50,000 reil ( $12.00 US) each, a blanket, a tarp, 25k of rice and a sleeping mat. I was also told that an NGO would be passing out mosquito netting. Warm Blankets and Foursquare COP have participated in the relieve resources. 

The first pictures will be of the fires. The next will be of the burned area, followed by the refugee relocation camp.

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Pastor Peter (Head Pastor for all of the FMI Churches in Cambodia) and I talked about the opportunity to build one and maybe two homes to serve the camp. A church might be established in a bamboo hut or through a cell group. Children could be fed, clothed and schooled while a home is being built. The total cost of a Church Home in this type of situation averages 30+ thousand dollars. The land portion is always the starting point. This will be a good project for a church, company, small group or a group of extended family members.  I'd be willing to raise the cost of the building, staffing, rescue operations, etc. if someone or group would commit to the $1500 a month to feed and maintain the ongoing home family. In fact a $500 a month commitment would get us started because we would gradually fill the home. It would be wonderful if we could get a group that would come and visit once or twice a year. That means so much to the Church Home family.

One of our big reasons for going this trip was to join in what was the very first Christmas celebration for many of these new Christians. Of course some of the kids have known Christ for a couple of years now, but for many Christmas is a new experience. Hinn Ministries not only helped with a gift, Pastor Mike Thomforde came along as a host. A big goal was to give the kids a sense of the body of believers they belong to. We wanted to show them that other kids like them are being raised as leaders in a family structure that thrives in a local church.

I want to paint a picture for you. Try to picture 200 kids worshiping at the Buddhist temples at Angkor. What a scene. The tourists were in awe. The kids had hundreds of pictures taken of them. It was cool. Now try to imagine what it would be like for you if this was your FIRST stay in a hotel, FIRST plane ride, FIRST look at a TV,  FIRST telephone, FIRST bed, etc. We found a hotel that allowed us to put five kids plus one staff in a room. None of the kids had ever been in a swimming pool before. I wish we had thought to tell them that you are supposed to wear swim suits - before we told them it was okay to go into the pool. There were wet clothes hanging every where in the hotel all day. 

While they were at Angkor Wat they sang the song, "Cambodia will be Saved" on the steps of the great temple. Our main celebration was at the Church Home in Siem Reap. There the kids entertained us with traditional dance and worship they had  been practicing for months. And one last picture, 200 orphans at an all-you-can-eat smorgasbord lunch. You'd have to be there!

This was a time neither they or I will ever forget. We are not trying to extract the kids from their culture or to make them economically dependent on such luxuries. They all live very simply but in health and an atmosphere of love and care in the Church Orphan/Homes YOU make possible. We are preparing them for the leadership of their country. Some of these kids came from the dumps of Cambodia. The contrast is striking. Warm Blankets was able to participate in this celebration because of the support of a few donors who have a sense of God's almighty plan for his kingdom in Cambodia. God works through generations. He raises up countries. It is through this generations of Orphans that the leadership of the country will nurture His Kingdom on earth in this war torn, AIDS anguished, landmine treacherous land.

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Victories for prayer 
*  New resources from Foursquare Churches and FS Missions could be our key to growth in care next year. 
*  Ted filed 10 new apps for land this past week. (That means 10 new homes!!) 
*  Jan Sandalow has grown the Warm Blankets Prayer Corps into a spiritual force. If you want to pray for a whole home, let me know and I'll put her in touch with you. 
*  Ground has been broken on the training center. I have pictures of the land, the new road, etc if anyone wants to see them. (Thanks Dave Magee in Hong Kong and Church) 
*  Randy and Eric have turned on the new relational database. It works. 

If you, your church, small group or Orphan Rescue Team would like to have copies of some of the video footage, we can make one for you. We are moving the Warm Blankets office in January, so we could use your prayers.

Thank you all for joining us at Warm Blankets as we respond to the only place in the Bible where God tells us what "pure religion" is:
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. ( James 1:27)

Your contributions, prayers and involvement are changing lives on a daily basis. This mission is unique to the world. Its success is grounded in its Biblical model. Please call me if you would like join us on one of the scheduled mission trips for 2002. 

Thanks for allowing me to serve,
Craig Muller

Craig Muller craig.muller@warmblankets.org
Warm Blankets Orphan Care International
629 S Middleton
Palatine, IL 60067
847-922-1174