Is Casual Sex Worth It?

I write about sex. More specifically how causal sex is hurting our generation. How do I know? Because it hurt me. But even more, now that I speak and write and lead people through sexual healing, I've discovered that it hasn't just hurt me...but all of us. I help people find healing from their past sexual wounds, whether from abuse, trauma or their own choices, as in casual sex.

I found the discussion in this CNN article, "Is Sex Worth It?" very interesting. And I'd love to hear what you think? Has casual sex hurt you? If you had casual sex, do you regret it? Was it worth it? What would you advise a young person now?

You can click on the link Is Casual Sex Worth It? to read the article.

Blessings, Barb

TO CAMBODIA WITH LOVE

This is the email we received from Sophy, assistant to the Director of AIM after we left for the airport. This is a sample of the amazing, humble Christians working hard in Cambodia for God, but also how our service blessed them.

Dear Bayside Team;

It has been a wonderful blessing to be able to serve God with you. For the past two weeks, I have seen your eagerness to serve, to love and to be with us. It is so true that each of you was investing something else apart from material, time and your context back home. Each of you was a part of our Cambodian Heaven Community. By now, each of us may have already realized that you have stolen our heart, and your departure has left us a vision and a hope to make that heaven realm become even more realistic and sustainable.

Culturally, we have been raised with intimidations to help others, to use our ability for the benefit of others, to fix what have been broken and to heal the wounds and sicknesses we have put on ourselves. While individualism and the pursuit for merely worldly comfort is binding us, your team presence has helped us to see how we can untie it. The joy of being together as a community is what we lack or do not have and your presence let us tasted that, and it was good!

Some significant things I have heard, which we are proud of and appreciate include:

Kid’s Club ministry, “the team has been very patient in working with the children; they loved each kids equally; we had a great team work with them”

Computer Ministry, “the computer lessons were very clear and we were given full attention”

The Lord’s Gym, “each man and boy who came to the Lord’s gym felt loved and the joy of learning and the excitement in the competitions have been overwhelming”

The music ministry, “we were given full attention; the trainer was very patient with us; and, we have learned a lot”

The community, “the smiles and a sense that we actually have people that want to care for us”

On behalf of AIM, I would like to say, “Or Kun (thank you)” to each of you for providing a space for us to serve together with you and to show my people how much Jesus loves and wants for Svay Park community. I believe we have also stolen your heart too, and hopefully we will see you all again. We will remember you!

Abundant Blessings,

Servant Sophy & Rahab’s House

Cambodia Day Nine and Ten!

We've had a couple of very busy days here in Phnom Penh which is why I haven't had a chance to post an update. I've been enjoying the opportunity to teach trauma to the teachers in Svay Pak and the staff at the Hard Places Boy's home. Its been amazing to see God touch the hearts of the staff. As I teach them about trauma so they can help their students, God is using what I'm teaching to help them heal from their own trauma.

As a team we're starting to feel better from all our stomach issues as we adjust to the food here. We can't believe we just have two more days here in Cambodia. Monday we had dinner with Moses and Samantha, the original founders of AIM. Moses runs the church planting arm of AIM, and to date has planted over 1000 churches. Yes, you read correctly, 1000! He is the Billy Graham of Cambodia, and a modern Moses, leading his people to the Lord and the promised land. Before the Pol Pot regime in the 70s, Moses was high up in the military and government. He barely escaped with his life as the military and government people were first on Pol Pot's hit list. He came to America and was educated and then returned to Cambodia just 8 years ago and in that time has planted these 1000 churches.

Because of his contacts in government, Moses invited the Secretary of State, the Minister of Parliament, and the LT. Governor Adviser to the Ministry of the Interior to dinner with us. The Secretary of State expressed his appreciation to us for our love of the Cambodia children and our continued efforts to assist in helping rescue girls from the sex slave trade.

Thankyou for your prayers. This week we've had so much opportunity to bless the families at the Brick Factories with mosquito nets, shoes, school uniforms and school supplies, as well as toothbrushes and toothpaste. Pray that these families will begin to trust Pastor Chantha and want to come to church to hear more about Jesus.

love and blessings,
Barb

Cambodia Day Eight

Today is Sunday July 3rd. We were up early and heading out to Svay Pak for church by 7am. This week three of us shared a short message with the people, and AJ had his music students play a song while we sang with them. It was a great service. All three of us talked about how we were a big family. And regardless of our address, or where in the world we lived, if we knew Jesus we were all part of the same family.

After church, we ordered in pizza, hamburgers and cokes for approximately 75 of us. The Cambodian staff, our team, and a team from Michigan here working at the Hard Places boy's home. The Cambodian's loved the pizza and hamburgers, although for us, it didn't taste quite like home. Our little lunch turned into a huge party with singing, games and dancing. It was an amazing celebration of the fun, unity and spirit we have in Christ together.

Its been a busy week followed by two full days of weekend. We're up early again and back to Svay Pak to work tomorrow. We're tired, and many are not feeling 100%. Please pray for renewed energy and passion this week, our last 5 days in Cambodia.

The triad arrived last night and it was great to see them finally here. For those who don't know, the triad is two girls and a guy from Bayside who are moving to Cambodia to work with Agape for a year. One girl, Jayme is Roma's (my co-leader) daughter. The two girls, Jayme and Kaitlin are here for the second time, but this is Isaac's first time to Cambodia. They all have an adjustment to make, so please keep them in your prayers. We'll have them with us this week in Svay Pak.

Well, its been a long day and I'm ready to get some rest. God's blessings to you, and thank you for your continued prayers.

Barb

Cambodia Day Seven

Its Saturday night here and we're just getting home from a busy day. Today we went to the Agape Restoration Center and put on a Fourth of July party for the 60 girls who've been rescued from sex-trafficking. 60 girls who've experienced the horror and evil of sex-trafficking, but are in the process of being transformed by the love and healing of Jesus. It never ceases to amaze me that these bright, smiley, joyful girls have been through so much. Its a testimony of what love can do, especially the love of Jesus.

It was a day of music, dancing, pizza, games, crafts, cake and gifts. The girls sang, danced, laughed...but most importantly, felt treasured, loved and beautiful as we lavished on them.

Then we were lavished on at Bloom Cafe...a professional bakery where the girls from Agape learn the skills and creativity of professional cake decorating. The girls have made cakes for the highest officials in the government, including the King and the Prime Minister's daughter.

Our next visit of the day took us to Hard Places Boy's Home where we toured this new facility that will be a center of hope, healing and freedom for sexually exploited boys. We learned today that the little boys who scour the streets looking for customers to sell their basket of books to, have to meet a quota every day for their parents or pimps. If they don't make the quota, they are required to sell themselves for sex through the night. That heartbreaking truth compelled me to over-pay for a bracelet from one of these lads--a small, young one, in hopes that for this one, his quota would be met, at least for tonight.

Tomorrow is Sunday, and we will leave for the 3 hour church service at the early hour of 7pm to arrive by the 7:30 start time. We'll be sharing in the service and singing for them. Afterwards we're putting on another lunch party for the staff at Rahab's House. Along with our team and the team from Hard Places, and Rahab's staff, we will be sharing lunch with 75 of our Cambodian and American brothers and sisters. Pizza, hamburgers and coke is on the menu...which the Cambodian's are very excited about. One of the girls at Rahab's house told me that she'd only had pizza one time in her life, and she's 28 years old.

Thankyou for your prayers. We have several sick with stomach issues due to the different food here. Please pray for strength and health as we prepare to start another busy week at Rahab's house.

Thank you...God's blessings on all of you at home!

barb

Cambodia Day Six

It's rainy season here in Cambodia right now. We've had some tropical rain and thunderstorms here the last few days. Its really refreshing and I love letting the rain cool me off. Today I had a moto ride home in the rain. Pretty amazing! And scary!

I have a new job starting today in the afternoons. I'll be teaching trauma education to another mission group called Hard Places. I met the Director of this group two years ago on my first trip to Cambodia. She is the counselor who helped start the kids club program in Svay Pak. She then went on to become the head counselor at Agape's Restoration Center. But her dream has been to open a boys home to reach the sexually-exploited boys in Cambodia. Well her dream came true this past month with the opening of a new boy's home. She asked me to come and teach her staff trauma education, and help them learn some healing techniques for the boys. As well, educate them on how to help the boys with their on-going trauma. So every afternoon I'll be heading back into Phnom Penh from Svay Pak to spend two hours training her staff, and equipping them to help these children heal from their trauma.

My class had 16 people in it. It included four Khmer staff, plus two American staff as well as several American college students on a work mission trip. In addition we had a woman who works with some of the girls from the Agape Restoration Center. Also next week, I'll be teaching this trauma curriculum to the teachers in Svay Pak in the mornings. I'm really excited about this opportunity and ask you to pray for me that God will anoint my words, and give me wisdom and discernment as I teach them.

Its Friday night here and our team is feeling tired and drained. Please pray for renewed strength and rest this weekend. We have a busy weekend putting on a fourth of July party for the girls at the restoration center...these are the girls who've been rescued and live at the home for exploited girls.

Happy Birthday America! We celebrate with you on the other side of the world!
Love and blessings,
Barb