Morning Star Center

Today I followed Tigor to the Morning Star Center, along with one of our other teammates, Jessica, who will be there everyday. This center is situated in the middle of a slum area which, like so many others, was moved by the government to the outskirts of the city. This neighborhood lines the railroad tracks and sits beside a lake---or what was a lake. It has since been mostly filled in with garbage and sand to help set a foundation for a building complex that will go up there. Also in an attempt to free up more land, much of the slum area "mysteriously" caught fire leaving countless families without homes and children, who used to come to he center, still missing.

(view from Morning Star-notice what's left of the lake behind the homes)

Despite their circumstances, children and teens flock to Morning Star when not in school, often traveling on their own from distances up to an hour away. This place is just a small building started by a woman who had a vision to raise up youth that want to grow in their faith and become leaders. Kids come to have a safe place to hangout with friends, learn to sing and play keyboard and guitar, study, work on computer skills, It is amazing to see not only how musically talented the teens are, but also the way in which they lead the younger children in the worship band they have started.

While helping to teach computer, I had a glimpse of some of the difficult home lives of the children. For example, we were practicing using Word and listing out hobbies of each of their family members. One of the girls, next to father, typed "drinks beer" and couldn't come up with anything else because according to her that's all he does. We heard similar stories when practicing English with the teens in the afternoon. Yet in spite of everything, all of these kids have such cheerful countenances and astonishing faith and maturity!!

(After "Anne" finished her computer assignment, she still wanted to practice typing and so asked if she could interview me. It was great for both of us because she'd ask "Where are you from?" "How many brothers and sisters do you have?" and I'd have a chance to answer in Khmer while she graciously corrected me and typed my answer in English. But then she started to ask me questions that stunned me such as "What is your experience with God?" and "What advice do you have for others to grow in their faith?" Clearly I couldn't answer these in Khmer.)