overwhelmed by restoration and beauty

despite taking two ambien sleeping pills, i'm wide awake at 4:30am. jetlag is probably to blame. although there are plenty of other things on my mind that may be the real reason my mind and body wont rest.

i'm home from cambodia now, but the last day there was an absolutely unforgettable experience. i mentioned in previous posts about the girls in the recovery homes run by the Somaly Mam foundation. Eric was able to arrange 4 vans and 1 truck to pick us all up at 4:30 in the morning to take us to the Angkor Wat temple ruins. to be able to go on a little trip like this was a HUGE treat for these girls, and they were definitely excited. but what sent them over the top was that Scott Harrison (founder of Charity: water) offered to take all their photos - professional style, with the temple in the background. so the girls got dressed up in their best clothes for the occasion. we arrived while it was still totally dark outside. there were about 60 girls, plus a couple of leaders and our group of 5. we had one headlamp between us all, so we tried using lights off our cell phones and cameras. as a group we stumbled in the dark, helping each other out. there was a really fun energy, an excitement to be going on an adventure like this. you could already hear the giggles, laughter and joking coming from the girls.

we made our way into an interior section of the temple grounds and waited for the sun to rise. everyone was still having fun, but it also seemed like the beauty and significance of the moment started to settle in as the skies grew lighter and we began to see each other and the stone structures around us.

as soon as the light was good enough, we lined up the girls to get their photos taken. Scott did a great job as the photographer. what an amazing gift for these women. they are so precious, brave, beautiful and resilient - yet, too often they feel the exact opposite. it seems it would be easy to think the worst of yourself after being brutalized they way they have. all of the pictures will be returned to them, and only them. it will be such a prized possession for them, a snapshot of a happy moment, a moment when they felt like a beautiful child again.

there was so much joy in the air that morning. it was a joy and a freedom and happiness that i can't really describe. i can only say that is was one of the most stunningly beautiful things i have ever felt or witnessed. is there anything more beautiful in this world than to see a brilliant light come out of darkness? to see something as gorgeous as a lotus flower grow out of an ugly swamp. to see that which was broken and deeply damaged become whole again. i know of no greater beauty in this life. i am overwhelmed by gratitude to have witnessed just a minuscule part of this healing process over the past week. i am deeply changed because of it. my mind is filled to to point that it doesn't rest, thinking of ways i can continue to be a part of such beautiful transformation. because clearer than anything else in life - it reminds me of the work Jesus has been doing in my heart. taking the broken and the dark and making it whole and light. wherever that work is going on, especially in its most intense form, i want to be there - as a witness and as a participator.

I am including some photos here, mostly because i want to try and convey to you how precious these girls are, and show what darkness and evil could ever treat them so horribly. but mostly, i hope that through these images you too will also be filled with the same joy, courage, resilience and love that these girls showed to me. please be respectful and wise in sharing any of these photos, as these girls are still in a intense recovery process, and in some cases still in hiding.

This video is of the line-up waiting to get their picture taken by Scott...

please consider giving a donation to the Somaly Mam Foundation so that they can continue this beautiful work: https://www.somaly.org/

Cambodia trip part 2

the days have been so incredibly full, its impossible to try and capture all that has gone on. i'm learning a lot of great stuff that i think will really help healing waters int'l serve even more people with safe water. in the process, we have spent a ton of time with some of the most precious and friendly children you could ever meet. here are a few photos from the past few days...

kids at a public school in Phnom Penh. we played tag and goofed around with hundreds of students here for at least an hour.

a precious and fearless little girl who hugged me as soon as i stepped out of the van at the community center site near the city dump in Phnom Penh, one of the poorest neighborhoods in the country. the amazing organization that works there is called Cambodian Children's Fund

These monks were living on the grounds of a pagoda next to a school we were assessing for a future project install. throw an orange robe on me and i could almost fit in!

there is something very healthy and healing about being around children

these are the water projects that ACR installs and we think have great potential within the work HWI does.

but over the past 3 days there has been something that has, on a personal level, overshadowed everything else. after water project site visits all day, we have spent a couple hours in the early evenings visiting with the girls in the Somaly Mam foundation's rescue homes. these girls have been sold into sex slavery, brutalized and been forced to endure things beyond my capacity to even comprehend or imagine. i read somaly's book before coming here, and it absolute wrecked me. at one point i was so overwhelmed by it all that i couldn't stop crying.

but being able to spend time with these girls here in cambodia has truly been one of the most significant experiences of my life. the fact that they openly accept me, that they laugh and express joy - it has filled me with so much hope. i am inspired beyond words at the capacity of the spirit our Creator gave us to survive and heal, of the power of love and redemption. we spent two afternoons at the same center and at the end of our time there the girls were calling me their brother and expressing such a genuine love and gratitude - that it truly has deeply and profoundly affected and changed me. i still don't understand all that is going on in my heart and mind after this experience, nor do i have the right words to express it. today we were at a different center and will be with the girls for two more days and i just cant stop thinking what an absolute pure gift it is to spend even just a few short hours with them and be considered their brother.

cambodia trip day 1&2

greetings from phnom penh, cambodia. its been a wild ride so far, and i'm sure there's plenty more adventures to come over the next several days. i'm here representing healing waters int'l and the main purpose is to learn more about the water purification system and operational model that A Child's Right uses. we believe what they do has great potential in helping us serve more people with safe water. and an added bonus to this trip is that Scott and Viktoria Harrison of Charity: water are here too. A Child's Right (ACR) installs water purification systems in orphanages, children's rescue homes and other institutions that care for children. what ACR has accomplished over the past 3 years is truly impressive (especially considering their founder, Eric, has done most of it alone). they currently provide safe drinking water to over 250,000 children. Over the past few years Charity: water has done amazing things to raise awareness and money for water projects around the world. also on this trip is Stephen Jones (who up until last week work for Living Water Int'l) who is quickly becoming a great friend. i truly feel honored to be around such good people doing great work. i'll share some stories of the first few days through the following photos...

this pic was taken as we were crossing the mekong river (for the 3rd time that day). upon arriving in cambodia after 24 hours of air travel, we immediately jumped in a van and drove 3 hours out to the east. we got to the river and had to board a ferry across to get to the school and orphanage that ACR is evaluating for a future water project.

Eric Stowe, director and founder of ACR, taking a photo of me on the back of a motorbike as we speed down a little highway. so at this point, we've traveled on planes, vans, ferries and now motorbikes, what's next?!?!

at dinner that night, eric talked stephen and i into eating some of the local cuisine. yes, it is a tarantula. video coming soon, but here are a few snapshots.

how was it? well, it actually wasn't that bad. it was fried so it was very crunchy kindof with a smoky flavor, almost with a beef jerky feel to it. not sure i would do it again, but quite an experience!!

eric standing by a swamp that is the water source for a school for deaf and blind children. you can see the beautiful pink lotus flowers growing in that muck. eric told me that in Buddhism the symbolism of the lotus flower is a reminder that something so beautiful can grow out of something dirty, murky, contaminated. i can only hope the same is true for the beautiful children i see here in orphanages and on the streets. especially the ones we will visit tomorrow that have been rescued out of sex slavery. i truly believe that something beautiful can grow out of all of that filth.

stephen hangin' with some kids at a school with over 2,000 children that will soon be getting safe drinking water through an ACR project.

just two of the hundreds of lotus flowers that i saw today.

and now to end on a lighter note - another cambodian cuisine experience. i was told that this chili pineapple margarita was a must-have. who am i to turn it down?

hopefully i'll have time to continue sharing photos and stories, so check back in soon.

haiti relief work

i've been slow to blog about the crisis in Haiti. maybe because it has felt so overwhelming. and also because we've been so busy around the office working on our response. you can read what healing waters is doing here. basically its a two phase approach - 1) providing bottled water from our network of water projects in the dominican republic and 2) installing water systems at Compassion International sites in Haiti. the first phase is already slowing down due to the increased availability of bottled water in Haiti. but we have plenty to do on the second stage still. i met with some brilliant engineers from Colorado School of Mines yesterday to get their input on the design of the water project. the meeting looked something like this...

actually, nothing like that. we met at starbucks over a few pieces of paper and chicken scratching notes. but i did leave the meeting feeling very grateful to have such smart friends who care about helping in this way. it's still a bit too early to share what our design looks like, but i think it will be very effective at providing safe water both for the immediate and long term need. i feel honored to be a part in a small way. i'll try and send updates as we move along in the process.

ending modern slavery

today is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. that may not mean a lot to you, but it does for me. there are two main reasons - its a hugely important issue that i'm very passionate about, and it also relates to an amazing opportunity i get to experience next month.

there are an estimated 27 million people who are slaves today and need our help to get free. 27 million! -that is more than double the amount of slaves taken from Africa during the entire trans-atlantic slave trade era. 20 million of these are considered bonded laborers, which are basically slaves that work nearly their entire lives to pay off small debts. but the slavery that really rips my heart out is child sex slavery. its something that's always tugged on my heart (how could it not!) but that was rekindled last year when i saw the documentary call and response (trailer below). it may not be the most comprehensive documentary on the issue, but its very compelling and definitely worth watching (and the improv performance of "redemption song" by Matisyahu at the end of the film is unforgettable)

there are 2.2 million children that are sold into sex slavery every year. i believe this is the darkest and most evil thing going on in our world today. but it is also something that is within our power to stop. there are many great organizations working to end modern day slavery. in february i am incredibly fortunate to have a rare opportunity to meet one of the heroes of this movement and see the work first hand.

i was invited by Eric Stowe, the founder/director of A Child's Right to go on a trip with him to Cambodia. Eric has been a huge help to HWI, especially in showing us a new filtration technology that they use. This is not only a great opportunity to learn from ACR and how they launch water projects, but also Scott Harrison of charity: water is going on the trip and it will be great to get to know him and learn more on the excellent work CW is funding around the world. so, there is a ton of value here for HWI, but on top of all that, on a personal level, i'm out-of-my-mind excited to meet Somaly Mam and visit one of the rescue homes that her foundation operates. check out a sneak peek of what that will look like in the video below.

i dont think any more words are necessary here. obviously modern day slavery (and especially child sex slavery) is a hugely important issue and deserves all the attention it gets today (and every day). i am overwhelmed by gratitude for the work of people like Somaly Mam and the thousands of others who have joined this 21st century abolitionist movement. if you are passionate about this too and want to do something about it, here are some ideas to get you started. so like i said, no more words, but i leave you with these videos...

a child's right with Somaly Mam from a child's right on Vimeo.

if you have a human trafficking cause that you support or another inspiring story you'd like to share - please post it in the comments here.

tocayo

its late. its been a long couple of days. but i can't go to bed tonight without sharing some words and images of the past couple days on this mexico trip. it started like this...

then we had a little excursion into mexico city on our layover. no photo evidence to share here except for this feeble attempt to try and capture the incredible sight of flying over "el D.F." at night...

so we landed in tuxtla and unfortunately i'm the only one who got a good night's sleep (thanks tylenol pm!). next morning we visited our local office and staff and a water project...

(I love how this project is located right next to the tortilla shop.)

and then off to Acala, the little town where we are inaugurating a new project on friday. that's when i met him - mi tocayo. in spanish you call somebody tocayo when they have the same name as you. The priest of the catholic church in Acala is named Aaron and he called me tocayo all day. i really can't describe how special this town of Acala is. this little mexican village that seemed trapped in time was something out of a storybook. the catholic church where we installed the water project (in the center of town, of course) was built in the year 1610. the streets are narrow and the houses are simple and colorful. the poverty is disturbing and the river that flows through town peaceful.

and at lunch we had shots of tequila with Father Aaron. no joke.

mi tocayo is a passionate, full of life, lover of the people of Acala and the God he shows them through word and deed. i can only hope to share more than just his name.

Padre Aaron

Don't quite know what to say about this one. Can anyone come up with a creative caption for this photo?

walking down to "el pozito" - the water supply for Acala

Boy watching men load up water to sell in town

Acala's current source of drinking water. it pretty much goes without saying, but in case you're wondering - no, its not safe to drink.

HWI water project in Acala

The ruins of the old Acala church

new project, old town

here are some photos from our most recent project launch in the dominican republic last weekend. the town's name is "pueblo viejo" and for those of you who don't remember anything from high school spanish - that means "old town". dont have much time to write about this project, but i also dont think its necessary, the pictures tell the story. enjoy!