Safehouse Update Part 2 - Meet With MOSA

Yesterday was an important day for In His Steps: ministry leaders met with officials from the Cambodian Ministry of Social Affairs (MOSA) to discuss the building project and the future of our safehouse. Although our plans have already been approved, it's required to have the actual site and progress observed by MOSA workers. It's great to see the local government holding organizations to accountability! Corruption is a big problem even among many NGO's, and we want the community to know that we keep our word.

Meeting with MOSA allowed us to share with them our vision for the safehouse in greater clarity and explain the heart behind what we are doing in Saang. You could tell that many of those who attended the meeting were surprised by our views on how to break the cycle of trafficking. A common approach to dealing with at-risk children is to segregate them from the community in orphanages, but at In His Steps we believe it is important to work with whole families whenever possible. 

The safehouse will not just be a home for orphans, but a place of refuge for any at-risk child. While nurturing and caring for each one, we will also work to break the cycle of abuse within the home through building relationships with their families and modeling ways to change. Education alone is not enough: hearts and minds need healing to bring this about. Advocating for healthy families is both intervention and prevention!

As we explained more about our vision for the safehouse, the MOSA workers shared that what we were saying closely mirrors many of the underlying goals of the Ministry of Social Affairs! It's encouraging to hear that we are on the right track and have the blessing of local authorities. By collaborating with MOSA, we have an excellent opportunity to model change and raise standards within Cambodia.

Children are the key to influencing culture, and we are so blessed to have the opportunity to reach this and future generations with the love of God. Please pray with us that the safehouse would be place where his presence is felt and healing can begin. 

News in August

Greetings everyone! These past few weeks have marked some important steps forward for both Sak Saum and our work in Saang, so we would like to share the news with you.

For the last few months, we have been going through the process of applying to the Cambodian Ministry of Social Affairs for a three-year approval of our Loaves and Fish and Foundation Center ministries. We are very happy to have received this approval this past Thursday! Although we already have permission to work in the Saang District, the three-year agreement is a great blessing to us. It will allow us to expand ministry and reach more people in Kandal Province. It makes it easier for international and national staff to receive visas for travel. And it also establishes Sarith (our national director) and other Cambodian staff as leaders and forerunners of future ministry.

We had been told that it was very difficult for NGO’s to be approved, and that the process would take much longer. Instead, with little hassle and no long wait, God answered our prayers and our application was accepted! While we were meeting with the Cambodian Secretary of State for the signing ceremony, he had nothing but positive and encouraging things to say about our ministry. In fact, the ceremony was filmed and aired during a government news program on TV that evening!

Clearly, God is moving in amazing ways here. New doors have also been opening for Sak Saum in the areas of marketing products and supporting the girls. Opportunities that we could never have orchestrated on our own have seemingly fallen into our laps! We know that in reality they are falling from heaven. God is enlarging our reach in so many areas and we believe this is a result of submitting to authority and letting God work in his ways instead of ours. 

We are excited to see so many signs of God’s favor and confirmation of the goals we have been working towards. We appreciate your prayers that he would continue to bless In His Steps and the people we reach here in Cambodia.

In Christ,

IHSI