Morning Star Children's Centre

On Thursday I went with Kerry Norman to the Morning Star Children's centre. Kerry has been a volunteer at this Centre in Cambodia for 2 years now. The centre is set up in one of the very poor parts of Phnom Penh as place for the children to come when they are not at school. Children in Cambodia only go to school half a day. The government alternate morning and afternoon classes each month so they can accommodate the population of school aged kids. And that's only the ones that can afford to go. Teachers wages are very very minimal, so most kids have to pay something like 50c per day to the teacher, to attend. Here, at the centre, they do craft, sing songs, learn English and learn about Jesus. It helps keep them off the street and out of harms way, while enhancing there education and future prospects.

During the morning I was invited to accompany a young Khmer man, who is also a christian volunteer at the centre, along a railway track to a little village where he teaches English twice per day.

These are sight from that walk, just to show you the community that they live in.

There were a number of these trolley things covered in pipies. They are collected out of the river or lake each day and left to dry out a bit. Some have added spices to them. Then people (mostly ladies or children) walk the streets, pushing the cart trying to sell them. They are a very popular food for the Khmer Nationals. This is one way the families here make a living.

This is the lake that one of the villages is built beside. The government are gradually filling it in with sand to build on. If you look closely you can see the sand on the far bank. A large part of Phnom Penh is built on filled in lakes. I wonder if that is partly why during the wet season many areas flood as the foundations are already saturated. I don't know what will become of these peoples source of income when that happens.


This is the young man that I went with to this particular village. He faithfully goes there every morning and afternoon to teach English to these children. He had to go to the Village Chief and get permission before he could do this. Then find a house that would accommodate him. The village chief said yes, because he was trying to help the children. He asked me to teach some of the lesson which of course I happily did. It is great for them to hear and practise with a native English speaking person. The dedication of the Christian nationals is just amazing. Most of them are very poor themselves, but so faithful.

When we returned to the centre we joined a prayer and worship time with the young Khmer staff. I was asked to share a testimony. So I shared the words that God had given me when I first got to the country. That He is sending an army of reinforcements to Cambodia, to stand alongside, encourage and work with the faithful Khmer Christian soldiers that are already doing a mighty job. Amen. the longer I am here the more evidence I see of that happening.

Please keep praying for me. I love and appreciate you all. Love and Blessings to you, Lane.