Open Arms Cambodia

newsletter

Hi folks we hope you are all well and can you believe it’s only ten weeks to Christmas.

ON A PERSONAL NOTE

Grahame and I have been back two weeks now after having a good long break and we will be coming home again two days before Christmas.

We feel it’s time for us to be able to spend a little more time in Australia. for the last thirteen years we have tried to do nine months here in Cambodia and three months home but next year we would like to do six months in Cambodia and six months home.

Grahame is seventy in January I can’t believe it he looks like a boy to me anyway it’s time for a lot of relaxation for us.

The team are amazing I know I always say that but truly they are and I mean the whole team not just our kids , we gets endless compliments on their behavior when we are not there and it’s so good.

We are hoping in the next couple of years to be able to give it over to them after all that’s the right way isn’t it.

FAMILY 

Jenna and Chiva start Uni easily this week isn’t that exciting that will be five of the original children to get a university education not bad is it.

As some you would already know Grahame and I arrived back to give Sreynait a surprise 21st. Birthday Party and it was certainly a surprise the poor kid looked overwhelmed all night, but a great time was had by one and all.

RESTAURANT AND TEA ROOM.

Suzy the young girl who started with me 7 years ago had to resign for family matters it was sad to lose her but we have told there is an open door for her if she ever needs it.

The girls all panicked at first but Sreynait has certainly filled the gap her cooking skills have escalated she never stops studying and trying new recipes. She is so very passionate and has a very good way about herself she is also an excellent team leader so consequently she has a happy team.

The change has also enabled us to be able to pay small wages as we train; a young lady who has HIV and is illiterate has started and is going so well she’s started to cook on her own.

The catering side of the business had grown rapidly with weekly functions now and just this week we stated to supply to a small hospital it’s not big but it’s a start, last month they actually did profit not a lot but profit all the same. So it’s onward and upward.

SALON AND TRAINING CENTER

The salon is a very good business and helps support Open Arms the team are just wonderful they treat everybody so very well. Sreyna constantly trains her team

We are training around twenty girls and we know they are getting a high quality education.

Just today we had a meeting with a Japanese organization that wants to work through World Vision to help with the training if they like us ( and why wouldn’t they ) they will sponsor girls donate products to us they will also come a couple of times a year and help train the students. We are also looking into another organization coming on board to train customer care and marketing.

Early November a team of hairdressers will come from Texas USA for a week to help with the training this is their fourth visit and we are finding it very helpful they are an excellent group of people.

ALABASTER

Again the Cambodian staff get all the credit they are doing a sterling job, the women still come daily but the good news is five women have now left the sex industry and are working normal jobs, they all say the same thing that they have felt love and care and they just don’t want to do this anymore praise God for that.

The kids space is an absolutely joy the kids have settled down so much , they do worship first up then they pray for each other then it’s onto work which is English classes , life style and hygiene and lots and lots of fun cooking , craft , they do daily exercise you have to see it to believe it . Jenna and Chiva are the teachers and they take it very seriously I noticed the little shoes go all in a line and the kids know how to tidy up its very cute.

COMMUNITY CARE

The elderly couple that we found on the park bench are flourishing they are fresh and happy grammars illnesses are down to a dull roar and she says she feel so well we have created a job for grandpa just so they have come of their own money Open Arms supports rent food and all household needs. They have a boy who lives with them we are not sure who he is really but he’s fifteen and doing nothing so he will start school next week.  OPEN ARMS IS LOOKING FOR A SPONSOR FOR THESE FOLKS THE SUPPORT IS $160 USD A MONTH.

The single mum who we have also housed is doing well she is working in the restaurant AND her son goes to day care. Another western lady is helping her to learn how to budget so again it a nice result.

Open Arms continues to support the grandma who lives near Alabaster and will pay for the nine kids uniforms and school books , what an honor this  is to be able to help these lovely folks.

MENS MINISTRY

Men’s  ministry will start on Friday night , there are a group of make sex workers who come to church in the park they have been asking for a long time to come to Alabaster  for a bath , it’s was beautiful to watch them yesterday Grahame is such a kind and gentle man it was like he was their dad already.

Today the girls will go and buy DARK BLUE towels , jeans , shirts and toiletries for men then on Friday at 5.00 we will pick them up from the park and take them to Alabaster the plan is this ,showers then a barbecue on the roof with us women in the council ling room praying,  please join us in prayer  for this group they are lovely boys when you say we are going to pray they immediately hold hands and close their eyes it just touched our hearts we so want them with good jobs and reunited with their families.

Anyway folks that are a long newsletter I hope you have enjoyed reading it.

Thank you once again for your love prayers and support.

Grahame, Sandra and the Open Arms family.

BLESS YOUR HEART TUESDAY!

Alabaster Kids Space and New Sleeping Room

Alabaster House

Open Arms board made the decision to close the salon at Alabaster as the need for a safe place for the children became the priority and we just couldn’t find another suitable place so we stripped the salon and set up the new kids space the new space it will be opened daily, the children will not only play but be taught English , hygiene, safety, and lots of other things but they were the most impressed that they will be cooking once a week we are setting up a little kitchen area for them.

With the salon and the craft room gone we have been able to set up another sleeping room for the ladies , we have made a mini salon on the roof and organized a rooftop eating place where we can do night meetings in the red light district we will provide meals as well. We have rented two new rooms for people from the red light district and a single mum in trouble and also organized new projects that will generate cash for the Alabaster ladies.

The meetings in the park are going so well with as many men as women coming weekly now, we had some of the ladies to Open Arms for afternoon tea and pampering and it was a delight and sad as well, we continuously offer a way out for these folks but they are afraid and i understand that , we have medically supporting some people they get terrible illnesses and of course they don’t care for themselves properly.

We had some of the ladies from the park come to Open Arms last week to have hair dos and afternoon tea it was an absolutely wonderful time we believe that we  built stronger relationships with them, one of the ladies came to graduation we dressed her up she looked gorgeous I noticed that at one time she had a little western girl cuddled up on her knee it made me sad as most of these women just can’t get jobs and they leave  their children to find work and end up on he  streets it’s to sad anyway  she had a good time but cried when it was time to go so please folks pray that she will make a decision to get trained in a skill so she can get employment .

Folks we really need more continuous monthly support ,all your donations now go to the Alabaster Area and the Training Center the businesses are totally self-sufficient and they also support Alabaster in some areas.

Bless you all for your prayers, love, and support

Graduation 2015

Beauty School Graduation 2015

It was a truly wonderful night at Open Arms graduation 2015 as usual the  Open Arms team worked tirelessly with Grahame and I we are so very proud of them. the place looked great the food amazing the dances beautiful and the graduates were so very excited.

Twenty six girls graduated and most are already working, the standard of training is really a credit to the Khmer staff they continue to upgrade their own skill level to provide the best possible training the students and the standard is very high.

Mission Trip to Australia

Well as promised here are some photos of the girls trip.

It was a busy crazy but wonderful time everywhere we went the girls shared their life’s with such humility and grace and giving Glory to God.

We were and are very humbled by this time with them and so very grateful that God has allowed us to walk this journey blessings Folks