Issue-27-Dec-2017

Kampong Cham Alumni

In October, Ryan Beattie lead a team from the three ESC Seattle church partners Cambodia to interact with DOVE Onyx students and Leadership Program alumni. The team traveled to K. Cham to join a gathering of DOVE alumni on Oct 21st. Mr. Chan Thea, who studied DOVE Diamond Program Level I (DP1) in 2010 and Diamond Program Level II (DP2) in 2013, was one of those who shared his story: 

“I used to hesitate to join in this Leadership program and other training, since I didn’t like interacting or communicating with strangers. But after I took part in DP1, I was interested in leading and organizing programs in my church. I also started to like going on trips and working with people. I remember the first time I stood up in front of about 60 people in Stung Treng province to teach a DP lesson as fieldwork. I was nervous and shaky. I was given two hours to facilitate the topic, but I ended up finishing it in just less than an hour! I never thought I could do it, but I did it and I loved it. DP1 was the basis of my faith in Christ.

Then I continued to join in DP2 in 2013. I loved the class and all the people I met in the DP2 course. I loved every single lesson, fieldwork, group meeting and all the elements in the course. But I didn’t think I understood it well or remembered it well. After a few years or so, I struggled a lot in life, both in my own family and my workplace. I recognized that how I dealt with those problems was based on my experience in DP2. I passed every struggle with patience and faith and maturity.

I always think to myself that I thank GOD so much for getting me ready for those life crises by attending DP1 and DP2. I can’t imagine, if I said no when I was informed about this course, how my life would’ve turned out. I’m grateful that I met and became friends with many great people in DP and my life is better with them now. Since then, I’ve never missed a meeting.

Instead of feeling bad that Ms. Sarady is calling for training, I’d feel disappointed and angry if she didn’t call me when DOVE has any program. I pray that DOVE will be able to develop another level of Onyx, so we can join and continue to grow.”

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(DP = Diamond Program)

Soccer Training

Soccer training is such a wonderful gift from God for 2017. YESIC’s students had an opportunity to improve their soccer skills. Greg Preston is a coach, who offered to train these students freely every Sunday morning.

The training is held from 8 AM to 9 AM at DOVE’s soccer field, Light Field 2. All the students are supposed to be there on time, if possible before 8 AM. 

There are 10 students, all boys, who attend the training regularly. They’re very delighted to train under the sunshine with the coach. They now can see some improvement after joining the training.

The students are giving thanks to the Coach because of the spirit he has in training them, he has really put in great effort. They promise that they will work hard to be good players.

YESIC is my worm place!

Hello! My name’s Lern Ravin. I’m 16 years old. I don’t come from a rich background. In a family of three siblings, I am the firstborn. I live with my grandmother in Phnom Penh because I am studying at a high school in the city. My family lives in Koh Kong province. I always feel all alone without them. Luckily, I got to know about the Drop-In Center. I always come to play every day with my friends. I am very thankful for the one who introduced me here. Before I came to know about the Center, I was spending my time worthlessly. I regret this.

I have learned a lot from YESIC center. After studying for the whole year, I have really improved my English language and I can now speak it better. I also have learned one more language, Thai. I love the Thai language very much. Moreover, I have finished studying the Typing class and Word computer program successfully. I started knowing how to play sports and some new games that I had never played before. I like playing ping-pong and soccer with my friends. During my free time, it’s my hobby to play UNO and Dutch Blitz. These card games work the brain!

I am now attending the Leadership Club. This club has really defined a new life for me. I have learned about societal issues and everyday life lessons. I have found out about my dream and I have encouraged myself not to give up. I now love my family very much, despite of its background. I also have good friendships with my teachers and friends. I love them as my family. I should remember them for the rest of my life.

I am very thankful for my teachers and friends who have been with me in all the situations, both good and bad. They've always been there for me.

Phnom Penh Drop-In Center (YESIC)

ESC Seattle team 

On October 19th, the DOVE Phnom Penh Drop-In Center (YESIC) was privileged to have visitors from the church partners in Seattle, WA, USA. There were six people total. The partners wanted to understand DOVE’s core values and activities, since they support DOVE. Thida, the Drop-In Center Coordinator, shared about the Drop-in Center for students, who come here daily after their Cambodian school classes and on weekends. Drop-In Center activities include: soccer training, English, Thai language, Chinese language, computer, Leadership Club, other sports, and music. 

The team had a chance to interact with students by playing table tennis or UNO or playing guitar together. They also joined the elementary Level B English class which is held from 5:30 to 6pm every weekday. This was a great time for students in this class since they had another chance to practice their English. Using an online vocabulary game, students had to guess the name of an animal when others acted it out. We also had the vocabulary challenge were the students had to come up with their own vocabularies and their friends had to guess them! This was really interesting. The DOVE staff and volunteers were also invited to have lunch with the team on October 24th.

Wearing A Helmet

Last year, I went with a team to visit Tong Neak, my home village in Prey Veng. In the past, I usually suggested to take the short-cut road. It was a bumpy road. But now the road is much improved and we went across the longest bridge in Cambodia, the 2.2km Tsubasa, on the Mekong River. The Japanese government funded it. No need to take the ferry as in the past! “Where is my bumpy road?” Ray Durr asked. We all laughed in the van, which was driven by Phanna, our long-time driver for when we have short-term teams. Cambodia has two problems. One, there are not enough good roads, and now that we have some good roads, we face another problem of road accidents.

There are 19 students in Onyx Phnom Penh program this year, including Ms. Chhun Thida. Thida, 24 years old, is a dorm leader and an English teacher with a Cambodian Christian organization that empowers garment workers. One Saturday in May, students were headed home after Onyx class. On street 271 near the Phnom Penh Sport Club, there was a crowd of people stopped on the street. Mr. Ren Trea, 25 years old and another of the Onyx students, spotted a scooter lying in the middle of the street. “What happened?” he asked the bystanders. They replied, “There was an accident and the owner of the scooter is in severe condition and she was taken to a hospital already.” It looked similar to Thida’s scooter, he thought. But then he told himself, there must be 2 million scooters in Cambodia that look like hers. However, on the way home, he didn’t feel peace in his heart, so he stopped on the side of the road and called her, but no one answered. He kept trying to call, and at last it was answered. It was her sister, who said, “My sister forgot her phone at home.” He told her, “I saw an accident and the scooter looked like Thida’s scooter.”

If on that day Thida didn’t forget her phone at home, there would have been no answer, because she was unconscious after the accident. But the good thing was that her family managed to check the scooter and know that it was hers. Then they checked in the nearby hospital and found her there. The hospital hadn’t started treating her yet, because there was no one to pay and authorize treatment. If Thida hadn’t been wearing a helmet, she would have died.

This story reminds me about two passages in the Bible. First, in Eph.6:16-17: “In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Second, Ruth the Moabite, came to glean in Boaz’s field. Ruth was a newcomer to the land, she did not know which field to glean, but God brought her to Boaz. In Thida’s case, the helmet saved her life. And if Trea hadn’t seen the accident and Thida hadn’t left her phone at home, nobody would have known where she was.

God takes care of us. Every breath and step we take, he is there with us. Praise God that Thida came back to join Onyx class in mid-June, after being unconscious 3 days and spending a total of 3 weeks in the hospital. 

ALONGSIDERS CAMBODIA

Praise the Lord that Alongsiders has been growing very fast and there are about 754 pairs of Alongsiders and little brothers and sisters in Cambodia. And here is a short note from one of the Alongsiders in Kandal province: (Ms. Roeun Chanry). Roeun Chanry is 17 years old and she is in grade 12 this year. This is her last year at high school. She is a Sunday teacher at her church. Last year, she prayed and thought that she wanted to do something more to help her church community to grow and become more influential in the community but she didn’t know exactly what she could to do to mobilize her church to positive action besides teach Sunday school. 

One Saturday evening, after church devotions, Chanary was sitting next to her friend and she got a call from a youth leader (Phearom) in Phnom Penh who told her that this Sunday he will have a good news to share her youth group at church. The man said, “I have invited a great movement, called Alongsiders, to come share with your youth because I really want to see our youth growing and helping the community. I believe that this movement can equip our youth to grow and can transform our community.”

“After I (Chanary) heard them present the vision of Alongsiders, my heart was moved and I prayed and prayed about whom I could help in my community. I saw many children in my community who needed someone to take care of them and encourage them. I prayed for about 2 weeks, and found someone named Miss Kanha who I felt love for, and want to walk alongside. Miss Kanha, who is 7 years old, comes from a family that is very poor, and Kanha is oldest sister in her family, so she is responsible for a lot of housework and also has to take care for her little sister, too. Her burden is heavy for a seven year old, and that’s why I want to walk alongside her and want to help my little sister as much as possible.

When I went to visit Chanry and other Alongsiders at her church, Chanry told me; “I pray and hope that though this movement my little sister and other little brothers and sisters in my community will be transformed. I believe this will happen because I have a very good relationship with my little sister since I started to become her Alongsider.” Miss Kanha is confident now to share her life story to me because of our close relationship. 

“I pray that my little sister Miss Kanha will go to school next year and I am committed to help her with homework and teach her English one or two times a week. I also bring her to the church with me on Sunday,” Chanary reported.

The Celebration this year it was wonderful as a few things were different from last years. Because we had a special message from teacher Joel, a meaningful skit, and especially some students who climbed up on the stage to share and show their love to teachers, friends, siblings and family. This was amazing. Now they definitely changed their minds toward their prevailing idea of love, which was mainly infatuation between boyfriends and girlfriends. This year was excellent. Furthermore, we celebrated with the students that won first place in each English Class for academic excellence. We finished the day dancing all together.

Drop-In Center (YESIC)

Phearon Chrek is 16 years old and lives in Boeng Tumpon. He’s been a student for two years a YES IC. “It was a good time for me. I understood the meaning of Valentine’s Day, so it was a great day for me and for all the students. We learned about love: how to share it with each other and also with our family. We played some fun games, sang songs and we danced. At the end we shared a meal together. We learned different kinds of love: Love for God, Parents, Partner, Teacher and friends. It was also really surprising for me to experience forgiveness during this celebration. While I was sitting with my friends, there was a little boy who appeared on the stage and shared his love to everyone and at the end he called my name out. That boy was my little brother. Then my teacher, Mr.Virak, called me to the stage and allowed me to respond in kind to my brother. It was a very touching, heartfelt moment for me because I never thought something like this would happen to me. I said, ‘Thank you’ to my brother for everything that he did for me and said, ‘Sorry’ to him as well, for what I did wrong to him. Normally we don’t really talk and share things together but this made my day the best day. We cried and forgave each another and we promised to love each other always. I am thankful for all my friends and teachers, for the love that they have been giving to me and the relationship that we have, and the lessons that they taught me. I love all my friends.”

A Note from the Director of Dove

Dear Friends, 

Thank you for taking the time to read what God has done to bless our ministry. Despite the financial challenges, and the challenge of moving our training from Kampong Cham to Prey Veng, and many other obstacles, DOVE’s programs finished well this last year. This report highlights some DOVE’s activities for the first quarter of the year with the ONYX program in 3 locations, and one pilot project in Prey Veng. Our Drop in Center excelled in impact in the lives of teenagers beyond our expectation through the language classes and our leadership club. Please pray with us that this year’s Commune Elections and the next year’s National Elections will be fruitful and peaceful, and that God will give us the strength and wisdom to handle all challenges that come our way as we seek to assist in the transformation of lives of young people.

Thank you very much for being so faithful in supporting DOVE.

Pastor Uon Seila, Director of DOVE