A Word From Rapha House, Cambodia...
Stephanie Garman Freed, Rapha House U.S.A. Director

Dear Christian Friends,
It has been said that children who have been severely abused forget how to play.  They forget how to be a child.  The girls at Rapha House certainly fall into the category of severely abused children.

Recently, a partner church, Indian Creek Christian Church in Indianapolis, Indiana, decided to sponsor a swim party for the Rapha House girls.  A new pair of shorts and a new T- shirt was provided for each girl to swim in, and beach balls and water wiongs were introduced for the first time.

I stood in the searing heat and watched the girls play and scream with laughter.  It sounded like heaven to me.  I watched two sisters, who were sold and rescued together from the same brothel, have a very long and loud splash fight.  I watched as four of the littlest girls linked arms again and again and fell laughing into the shallowest end of the pool.  This is what healing sounds like.  It sounds like the laughter of children.

There was a time, in the not so distant past, when there was no laughter in the lives of these girls.  Today, they have a safe place to live.  For the little ones, it is an opportunity to have the childhood which Satan tried to rob them of.  For the older girls, it is an opportunity to plan for their futures.  For all of them, it is an opportunity to know Christ who is their only hope.  I cannot thank you enough for making this possible for the Rapha House girls.  Thank you for meeting their physical needs, and for allowing them to remember how to play.

Blessings to you!
Stephanie G. Freed