Last summer, Melanie Stoll began her quest to go on an 11-month trek with The World Race, a missionary organization based in Atlanta. After earning the more than $17,000 she needed to provide for travel, lodging and food, this North Carolina transplant left Wyoming and the U.S. on an adventure. This column is taken from Stoll’s blog at melaniestoll.theworldrace.org, where Stoll also posts photos. This is Part 7 of an ongoing series chronicling Stoll’s travels.
My team and I have officially been in Cambodia almost 2 weeks! Our schedule is pretty full and we stay busy.
The ministry we are partnering with this month is called LightBridge International, based out of Denver, Colorado! Light Bridge focuses on establishing schools, initiating clean water habits, and teaching about body hygiene.
We also work along with Landmine Design, who work to ensure that women have a safe job and are able to provide and care for their families. They do this through the making of paper beads for jewelry. The ultimate goal, though, is to disciple the women through Bible studies, worship, and a Christian community!
Here’s a little run down on what we have been up to: We teach a lot of English at a variety of locations; we go to children’s church on Sundays; and we hang out with and disciple women who make paper beads for jewelry. This is a job saving them from working in the rice fields of Thailand. It gives them the opportunity to stay home and provide a better income for their family than $6 a day.
Some days we remove lice from the kids’ hair. The shampooing method is only a temporary relief to kill the active lice. We don’t have enough hours to spend on every child to remove all the eggs.
There is so much to be done for these people, and I am continually blessed by our ministry hosts for the passion they have in teaching the Khmer people a more healthy lifestyle, as well as sharing the Gospel.
If you are interested in sponsoring a child or would just like more information on what LightBridge is about, visit them at: www.lightbridgeonline.org.
If you would like to know more about the jewelry side of ministry, visit this link — www.landminedesign.org — to read some stories about these courageous women who risked their lives every day to provide for their families. While you’re there, check out the beautiful jewelry that is for sale.
