FCOP Update -- June 2006

Dear Friends and Family,

All of a sudden the cheap labor, and anything goes, ‘wild west’ capitalism, (if you have money) in Cambodia, has been discovered by the Chinese. The fact is, you cannot hire a bricklayer in Cambodia. The price of bricks has doubled since January. You can stand on any street corner, in any sizeable town in Cambodia, and see new construction virtually anywhere you look. Factories are popping up all over the country, and recruiters are actually traveling the countryside trying to lure young people, especially young women, into the garment factories. This kind of activity was unthinkable, even one year ago, when a young girl from the countryside would have to pay six months wages, in advance, just to get the privilege of being hired for a 60 hour per week job. (Recruiters prefer the girls because they are more docile, and easier to control, than the young men. Girls don’t go on strike in Cambodia.) Now, recruiters are paying hiring bonuses! What has happened? It is hard to believe, but there is actually a labor shortage in China, with its 1.2 billion people. China has become more sophisticated, bureaucratic, and some rule of law has come into play. Factory owners are even being held liable for negligent injuries. Not yet so in Cambodia. Cambodian worker’s comprehension insurance goes like this, “You get hurt; you’re fired! Stupid!” Many times I have heard the expression that, “Cambodia is like the China of 25 years ago, but with the internet.” It is nice to know, with 3500 orphans who will be entering the job market in the next 18 years, that unemployment is no longer the major concern. The frightening thing is that the window of spiritual hunger is being replaced by dawning materialism. We must push on before it closes.

Hey! All’s well that ends well! And May ended well! It’s just the first half that was a little rough!

It’s been more than a month since my surgeries, I’m still sore, which makes me a little ornery, Spud (my dog) is getting fat and cocky (he killed two more rats last night), and there are spider webs growing on the soapbox. Soooo, “Here Spuddy! Just hold still while I hook up your leash. OK? Yeehaa! Giddyup!  Put your back into it you lazy mutt!” Screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeecccccccch. “. “Good dog! Now, since my leaping days are behind me, at least until these wounds heal, kneel down and pretend you are a foot stool. And quit growling, bad dog! Relax! I lost eight pounds! Atta’ boy, made it!”

I’ve come to a conclusion; Faith looks a lot like desperation. We burn through about $80,000 US per month keeping kids alive, and have no guaranteed income. May did not start out well. First of all, I was in the hospital (If I was a cat I’d be running on credit – my 9 lives were used up some time ago), and then our monthly funds rolled in. The total was around $38,000 US, about half what we need. I’m thinking, “I guess we’ll sure have to water the soup this month!” Just in case something got missed, I called Craig Muller at Warm Blankets, “You got anything left in the cookie jar?”’ His answer was quick, pleasant, but none-the-less discouraging, “No, we’re scrapping bottom.” I hung up the phone, and went to see Sou, “Pay out ½ rations to every home. Tell them that this may be all we have. We’ll supplement them with the food we raise, that which we’ve received from donors, and we’ll run the rice mill overtime. Maybe we can do some trading? Better get all the kids to pray!”

What we’d experienced was a convergence of bad luck, or, more likely, the devil’s mucking up the works. Last year, I managed to offend a long term donor, by undiplomatically stating that, “I don’t see kicking down brothel doors as a valid Christian ministry”. (Can you imagine that? Me? Offensive? Perish the thought!) That cost us support for about 7 homes, but we scrambled, and got them covered, and to the donor’s credit, they gave us plenty of notice. The director of another major donor organization made a “career change”, and alas! They were a one donor driven support group. After this donor’s friend, the former director, switched careers, the donor pulled his marbles out of the game.  Scratch another seven homes. Then a wonderful brother, who supports 10-12 homes, decided after heart surgery, at his doctor’s advice, to sell his business. The problem is; you don’t sell a three-billion dollar business like you’d sell a house. The Security Exchange Commission gets involved, political pressure from unscrupulous business rivals gum up the works, and all of a sudden, assets are frozen, and a multi-millionaire has trouble buying groceries. Scratch support for another dozen homes for several months. (This really is a devilish attack against a man of God, I won’t mention his name, but please stop reading for a moment, and pray for a release of this bondage) Not all the news was bad, we’ve been picking up new support at the rate of three to four new sponsors per month, but we’ve also been opening new homes, so “Comfortably bleak” seems an appropriate description of my demeanor during the first half of May.

In a way, this is not unusual. (That’s why I said ‘comfortably’.) Every month has its challenges. We’ve always been under pressure, but this time the pinch was extreme. About three days after we started to pray, I got an email from a church in West Virginia, “Some people in our church want to donate a large gift ($36,500) toward an orphan home in Cambodia”. I asked if we could dip into that to stay the storm, and they readily agreed. A couple of days later a group of growers (vineyards and fruit) and dairy men (several thousand cow herds) from central California, that I’d met over a year ago, through Gleanings for the Hungry, sent $15,000 out of the blue. Then, a 40’ container of nutritious food arrived. I was traveling to the International Church Convention, and decided to stop and see my friend Robby Booth (He was serving his last Sunday as an interim pastor for a church in the Los Angeles area) He graciously put me on the platform. $8000 was raised along with a pledge to sponsor a home. I went to meet with the growers and dairymen, they didn’t even take an offering and raised another $6000, and spoke of trying for $10,000 per month. (That wouldn’t hurt!) I stopped to thank the WV church, and more help came in. Warm Blankets brought us a couple of new donors. Now, I’m back in Cambodia, the bills are paid, and we are getting ready for the next round. So, what’s that got to do with faith?

The truth is, I do live in a state of continual desperation, but if this doesn’t sound like a total contradiction, I am not in panic. I have grown used to this, in fact I am grateful for it, because it drives me into the arms of God. You see, I actually expect God to show up. I am so desperate to be desperate, that I’d be desperate to be desperate, if I wasn’t desperate. Another conclusion; Living by faith is not fun! I find myself so far out over my head that if I quit paddling I’d hit the Titanic before I touched bottom, but honestly, I believe, if God has asked you to do something, you’re probably in over your head, or you really aren’t living by faith, because, if you can do it alone, you don’t really need God. We actually finished May with a couple of dollars left. PTL! Here comes June! Almost eight years and we haven’t missed a meal yet. I believe that Hudson Taylor said, “God’s work, done God’s way, will not lack God’s provision.” The trick is figuring out what He wants you to do, and how He wants it done. Don’t expect everyone to like it!  Enough of this! Back Spud!

Church growth continues, especially in the northeast, Peter and several supervisors returned from Mondalkiri and Rattanakiri Provinces greatly encouraged by the new churches started. We just received permission to apply for 10 more church homes. I know it seems crazy, but, “Never say whoa in the pull!” Right?

http://www.missionreports.com/kralia_dedication

Life Pacific University has a team here (pictures next month). Ryan Taggart, our soon to depart medical director, and our two, full time, Cambodian doctors finished a vitamin assessment.

http://www.missionreports.com/vitamin_assessment

Our Cambodian dental workers stay busy! http://www.missionreports.com/dental_ratanakiri_may_2006

Hannah Joy, our youngest daughter, graduated from The International School of Phnom Penh with her International Bachelorate Degree. This fall she will begin as a freshman at Biola University in California (thank God for some generous grants) to begin her studies to become a physical therapist. http://www.missionreports.com/hannah_graduate

And yes!! It is beginning to rain; rice is being planted in some areas! It’s my favorite time of year!

God bless you all. May you have a wonderful June!

The ex-patriot specks on a God sized Cambodian church.
Ted, Sou and Hannah Olbrich,
Anna Blake and Ryan Taggart