Open Arms Cambodia

Hi folks we hope that your all going well it’s a long newsletter but it’s been a long time since I sent one..

It has been a whirlwind since Grahame and I got back to Phnom Penh but we always enjoy a challenge .

The family home has shifted after nine years by doing that we have halved the cafe space and relocated Rehoboth to two new but much smaller areas one is above the salon and one at Alabaster they are small rooms but still a nice space to pray in.

You can well imagine what we had collected with the closing of tearoom and the homestay but there is always a great need so we had no problem blessings many people . The new place is half the price of the one we left and is very safe and clean and perfect for the young ones ,we felt they needed a new and safe envoirenemnt as Grahame and I aren’t here as often as we used to be.

Gow the young girl from the Alabaster area is doing so well she is no longer hard to handle she’s so kind and generous and she just smiled the whole time we were moving and by gee the girls all worked hard, Gow is going to be an excellent hairdresser she’s being trained now and Sreyna tells us she is the best trainee that she has ever had .

The cafe will be halved in size and will only take one person to look after it but we will continue with the catering as it is becoming very profitable . The salon just keeps on doing well and so does the training the team have just finished training another six girls they will train 24 this year so it is going well.

Alabaster Children.

These kids are truly going wonderfully they are learning so much in every way , they go to school everyday there marks are good they are getting well mannered and kind to each other they are more quiet and gentle now except when they get excited when a team comes and gives them face painting thanks girls they loved it and when they pray it just touches all our hearts .

Jenna continues to teach them good lifestyle ,English and Computer and of course lots of fun activities , we are hoping next year that one of our team members will teach them dance now that will be cute .

The Children with the most needs have just received uniforms , school books back packs and shoes it was a very exciting time for , Open Arms continues to supplement food and supplies for the most needy in the community and also lunches for before school .

The team were successful in getting three beautiful children into foster care as there mum died on the streets from HIV, these wonderful girls took these kids into our home and looked after them until the right place could be found they dressed them beautiful and sent them off with such excellence their little bags packed so beautifully pop and I did nothing they did it all.

Alabaster Community

We went to visit the village chiefs home yesterday as she is not well and it always hits us the real poverty that some of these guys live in , we are going to start to believe for better housing for them even some repairs and a paint job please pray with us as we step forward into this as really the need is great there little homes would make you cry.

Alabaster Ladies

The women continue to be loved and care by our committed team of women they are going as well as they can be with their current situations , there are as many children as women these days and many babies the team are busy teaching mothering as well as all the other things they do.

We are very excited to tell you all that Mercy Medical and American group of doctors over here will start a monthly clinic in Alabaster starting on 15 th November they have trained an excellent team of Cambodian doctors and they will not only do medical checks but give some teachings on women’s issues , HIV and STDs they will also see people from the community.

Open Arms will now be networking with other organisations to try to get these women drug free and trained and back into good lifestyle , we will provide financial packages that will allow the women to be able to go to teen challenge for the twelve months required and have a little cash of their own , we will also provide a little cash as they train and look after them until they get their first months salary they actually can’t commit to work as they have no money to sustain them until they get paid , we will pay rent , food essentials and just a small amount of cash each week but once they get their wages we will withdraw support and just be encouragement for them until they are on their feet again please support us in Kramer or finances to help these beautiful women.

The key reason that we decided to downscale Open Arms was to give more time for red light district so from next week more of the team will be working over there four days and five nights a week we are hoping that by being there more we can meet more needs.

Sweet Aroma Cafe has been out on hold until Open Arms government standing has been changed and updated but we will go ahead early next year wow can it be November already.

Well folks I hope you enjoyed reading our news thanks you for your love prayers and support .

Grahame , Sandra and Open Arms Family.