Ten Girls

Well, I can't believe it is already November! We are expecting the dresses to arrive at the end of this month and I am starting to get a little nervous. We have so many expectations... will the dresses sell? Will they be as beautiful as the samples we approved in September? As I think about these things I am reminded that these concerns are the least of my worries when I compare them to the human lives that are changing because of this endeavor.

Ten girls. Soon, ten girls will be living together in a home with real walls and a roof. Ten girls will be eating yummy meals everyday. Ten girls will have a yard to run, dance and play. Ten girls will have a private bathroom to bathe and care for themselves. Ten girls will have a safe and clean bed to sleep in. Ten girls will be laughing, working and sharing life together. Ten girls will no longer have to worry or fear the night.

Today, my heart is full of hope and prayers for one of our daughters that did not come back after the weekend. We don't have all the details as to why. Chris will be traveling to Cambodia after Thanksgiving. He will meet with the family and try to contact her. Please pray for her safe return.

Give more, keep less,

Nicole

Starting v. Staying

Have you ever "picked something up" only to put it right back down when you found out how difficult it was actually going to be? You know, the time you wanted to pick up the guitar (for me it was the banjo), or learn to crochet a scarf, or finally become a runner. What about the time you started writing that book or a song? Well, that was how this project started. So much enthusiasm we could have run a small country with the power and strength we felt.

With no less enthusiasm we began this trip. Shortly we found out it would take more than that. Just like the music lessons and the hobbies, it would take years of commitment and alot of mistakes before any real results would ever be seen.

We had only 5 days on the ground in Cambodia this time. Our primary task was to see the 20 samples that Mr. Hay and the young ladies had put together since July. Since they were working only off a pencil sketch and a brief description from Nicole we knew there would be some aspects we would want to change. However, we didn't expect what we saw the first day. Frustration set in when we saw only 17 samples were done and only 1 was what we actually envisioned. "Lost in translation" suddenly became the catch phrase of the week. Apparently, terms like sweetheart neckline, ruching, corset back, ruffles and spaghetti strap aren't universal. Part of us understood that and laughed. What must Mr. Hay have thought when we said we wanted a spaghetti strap on the eggplant dress? Did he think we were chefs all of the sudden? And why were we surprised that all 20 samples weren't complete. Every foreign traveler and missionary knows no one but Americans operate inside the confines of time frames. Either way, we went home that day exhausted and discouraged wondering how this would end and if we should throw in the towel now.



Unlike the guitar and running shoes that gradually collect dust we decided to stick with it. We reevaluated everything we had done wrong and everything that we could do to change things in the future. We decided the mission behind this whole project made it worth the trials and hard work. We spent the next 4 days in the market and at Mr. Hay's working through all the samples one by one and changing every little detail. In the market we found the shiniest beadwork and the most stunning fabric. We were determined to be proud of this line and to work out every kink.



And it worked! On the last day 2 hours before we left for the airport we saw the new samples. They were gorgeous. Mr. Hay and all the girls were smiling and giddy. They all said they were happy to learn how to make dresses like "the rest of the world." Mr. Hay said everyone was excited because they were happy to see different types of dresses from traditional Cambodian styles. And so were we! We can't wait to show everyone these amazing gowns.

On the way home Nicole and I thought about what this was going to take. Weeks of travel, alot of money and even more plain hard work. Seeing the girls this week reminds us why we are doing this. Having a mission behind a project doesn't make it less difficult, but it does make it more rewarding.

Today's Newspaper

We are overwhelmed today with excitement to see the Daughters project written about in the paper. We are even more ecstatic that they also did a write up on sex trafficking and are bringing awareness to this problem. Throughout this project we have been humbled and are grateful for the response we have received from the friends and the general public. We are moved by the outpouring of love, support and compassion that people express for these young women and this global issue. Thanks again!
http://www.ss-times.com/2010/08/26/global-daughters-program-connects-two-countries-to-prepare-girls-to-be-self-sufficient-one-stitch-at-a-time/

Dessert Vision and Fundraising Evening 8/18 6:30

Friends,

As much as we have tried to write on this blog and keep people informed there is only so much that can be written out in a paragraph or two. We really want to share the pictures, stories, future vision and needs of this project face to face. We have set up a night at our church, Common Ground, to have coffee and dessert together and fill in all the blanks for you.

Where: Common Ground Christian Church (basement)
4550 N. Illinois Street Indianapolis, IN 46208 (corner of 46th and Illinois)
When: Wed. August 18th 6:30 p.m. (sharing will begin at 7)
Why: to share with you the exciting and complete story of Daughters and it's future

Please RSVP so we can plan accordingly, andraeac@yahoo.com Or if you have any questions feel free to can contact me.

We are always overwhelmed by the support, encouragement and hope we find in each of you. Thank you for taking this journey with us.

Is there anything I, we, they can do?

There are alot of things 5 people can do. They can form a team and play just about any sport, I've seen 5 people move an entire house in just a few hours, they can start a band or even a burger joint (well, 5 Guys anyway). But I learned in the last few weeks what 5 people can't do. As much as we loved our time in Cambodia and all of us were so thankful for all the opportunities we were given we realized above all else that we couldn't do it alone. We were going to need community to make this project work. Community in Phnom Penh and in the US. You.

Encouragement, sadness, despair and excitement are among all of the feelings people have expressed in the emails we have received. Friends asked how they could help or what they could do. So here we are. There are many opportunities to participate in this project. Especially as it gets off the ground. We really want to partner with people that are concerned with the issue of trafficking and are moved passionately to act. There is so much fundraising based on emotion, heart strings, guilt and fear. The end result of that is boredom by the partners and movement to another issue that they feel more guilty or sad about later. We want to avoid that. We are surrounded by a community of people that want to be radical and sacrificial, want to participate in change and desire to personally be transformed as they contribute to the world. Is that you, is that your community, is that your church? If the answer is yes, please read further.

Two couples have already offered to begin sponsoring the girls. A house church (or small group) has taken on the rent of the home in Cambodia ($330/month). So what else is there? Here are a few of the other needs:

1. Sponsorship for all 10 girls (weekly stipend, training, food, education, counseling, weekend activities etc.)
2. Sponsorship for the house mom - $300/month She will be our life line in some ways. Taking them to and from Mr. Hi's shop, caring for them, feeding them, teaching them.
3. We will need to purchase a van for the home. This is approximately $8,000-$10,000.
4. Home "furnishings"- refrigerator, kitchen supplies, plates, cups, bathroom renovations, towels etc.
5. Training equipment- sewing machines, tables, chairs
6. Awareness funds- website and marketing materials to get the word out.
7. And so many misc. things that can't even be counted for like paying off contracts

(The sale of the dresses will pay for most of our transportation back and forth as well as the fabric and materials for the gowns)

You can give once or you can participate monthly. If you want more information you can email me at andraeac@yahoo.com We encourage small groups and communities to do this together and are happy to share with everyone what the vision is. Also, if you are creative and have fundraising ideas please let us know. If you are interested in giving for the project this is how:

Center for Global Impact (checks payable to CGI)
7358 Kita Dr.
Indianapolis, IN 46259

or you can donate online at www.centerforglobalimpact.org
(put Daughters in comment- there will be a drop box soon for it- unrestricted gift is ok for now w/ comment)

Thank you again for caring about these children.

Blessings

Work...

We've been back for two days and I have to say that my body clock isn't quite right just yet. I woke up at 3:30am and couldn't sleep, so I did what anyone else would do in this situation - I watched a documentary. Actually, I finished watching a documentary that I started a couple of nights ago. It's called Food,Inc. and it chronicles the sad state that the food industry is in as a result of convoluted corporate and government issues. They showed the harsh treatment, not only of the technologically engineered plants and animals that we eat every day, but also of the workers who carry out the harvesting, slaughtering, and preparing of the food before it hits the supermarket. Scary stuff to say the least.

After the documentary, I went to the grocery store and did my best to shop in a way that matched the conviction I felt after watching Food, Inc. I don't know why, but doing these two things broke my heart all over again, thousands of miles away from the poverty and trafficking issues we've been walking through during the last 2 weeks. This world is so very broken, and the earth seems to be this disgusting place where people have become just as much of a resource as anything that we draw out of the ground. Once the fields and wells are sucked dry, we move onto the next one. Once the people are used up, we cast them aside and look for the next ones to help us achieve...well, whatever it is we're trying so hard to achieve.

After Jesus fed the five thousand and walked on water, the group of people followed Him from one side of the Sea of Galilee to the other. He knows the people have come for another miracle, for another meal. They want to use Him up, because He appears to be such a valuable resource. But He cautions them not to work for temporary resources that spoil, but for things that endure eternally. Then they ask Him, "ok, then, how do we do the work of God?" To which Jesus replies, "The work of God is this: to believe in the One He sent." (John 5-6)

Sometimes, it's hard work to believe. It's hard to believe that the Chief Shepherd is leading us to a better land where sex trafficking will be no more, where poverty will cease and people will treat each other the way we were intended to. Today we work hard to believe that God is changing things for the better. We work hard to believe that He cares, even though the outlook seems bleak at times. Today is a day where the work of believing seems a little harder than usual. Please continue to work with us as we continue believing that God is changing the lives of at least 2 girls and their families today.

Home

Well, we are home now. U.S.A- home of dinner plates the size of platters fast food joints, drugstores. With a bank and gas station on every corner.

I am sure all four of us are struggling to process the things we experienced in Cambodia. My heart is full of prayers for the people we left- the two girls that want to be in the program, our new Cambodian friends, and Chris Alexander, as he is still there for two more weeks.

Home. This is such an elusive thing. It can be just as much a feeling as it is a place. Of course, our true homes are not here. We are called to be "other- worldly'. This is fairly easy when you have seen what God is doing in other places. The problem is when you "see" you have choices to make. So these are the things we are left to process... how will our lives be different here, in the land of freedom and opportunity? In many ways the struggles are greater here. So many temptations to spend your time and money on; so many distractions.

SO- I am sitting this morning with sketches and swatches trying to fathom how God can use this thing to save little girls. Fortunate for us, we serve a Mighty God and His name is Redeemer. He redeemed me, he longs to redeem those girls and he is always in the process of redeeming humanity, all of it. This is His very best work and He is an artist when He does it.

Your prayer is needed,

Nicole