Unconditional Love

So my husband flew away last Sunday night to Cambodia.  When I wrote the last post I had intended it to be an introduction to his trip, but I got carried away with the story! As you could imagine, with us meeting while helping to build an orphanage, orphan care is very close to our heart.  After we were married we spent another year in the Philippines working at the orphanage.  I remember taking that first little baby home with me in the afternoons to feed him and give his caretaker a little break.

Now our church has started a brand new children’s home in Cambodia.  You may remember hearing about it in this post.  Michael is spending the next two weeks with our Pastor in Cambodia helping to get things all set up.  Its an amazing opportunity and I’m totally jealous.  I asked him to take over my blog and tell us all about his trip and the children’s home there.  I hope you enjoy his stories - Plus now he won’t get in trouble when he gets home and describes his whole two weeks as, “good”.  Here's his first post....

Unconditional love. What does that mean? Let me try to get you to use your imagination. Imagine you lived just outside a massive garbage dump and for the first ten years of your life all you know is going into that dump everyday just so you can find some tin to sell so you can get some money to buy some food to eat. Now imagine if you didn't know if your mom was going to try and sell you today to someone because she can't afford to feed you or herself.

That doesn't really sound like it has anything to do with unconditional love does it? But let me continue.

Imagine a man that knows what it's like to not know what breakfast is. A man who’s mother would tell him to go to sleep right after supper because he told her he was still hungry and she didn't have any more food to feed him or his seven siblings. A man that lost his father at age 12 to tongue cancer. Because there were no doctors in your country because they have all been killed by the government. This man is where the unconditional love starts. His name is Sophanora San. He started by getting some children to come to church on Sunday morning and he would give them a shower, clothes and food. Now there are 16 children living in his house. With two more coming on Friday. Luckily he has a 20 room house.

The children. I can't really say all their names. I wish I could. I wish I could ask them all their stories and find out how they ended up at the Harvesters Baptist Children's Home Cambodia. I'm sure it would break my heart to hear those stories. Unconditional love. These children give it without any thought. It was so amazing to arrive at the airport and have 16 kids, who have no idea who you are, come and give you some of the best hugs. Unconditional love. When they sneak out into the terrace and peek in the window so they can see if you are awake. (As I am writing this)

Their lives have been changed by unconditional love. They get three meals a day, as much as they can eat. No more searching through garbage. No more wondering if they will be sold. Only lots and lots of love. Instead they get to go swimming in a hotel pool, and get to go to restaurants that they had probably never knew existed.

Unconditional love. Life changing love.