Welcome Home Baby Bope
Welcome Home Baby Bope
Yesterday we met Bope, a beautiful little seven year old girl. She is bright and sweet, timid and soft spoken yet very courageous.
When the big white Rescue van pulled into her village and total strangers got out and asked her if she wanted to go with us to Place of Rescue Orphanage she answered without hesitation, “I want to go.”
What would make a little girl of seven give such an answer? When she was about two Bope’s mother left her, never to return. Bope lived with her Grandmother and a few other relatives in her village. Her father went to seek his fortune on the border between Cambodia and Thailand. Once in a long while he would return for a visit. Bope and her 84 yr. old grandmother lived in extreme poverty. There was never enough to eat but kind neighbours would often help out. Then the grandmother died.
Now see how God moved His might hand to rescue Bope.
Sokhan, director of Rescue, met a woman at her local market. “There is a little orphan girl in a village near Pursat who is living in poverty.” she said. Sokhan wanted to check out this information but Pursat is a long way from Phnom Penh. It would take about 5 hours to drive there. But…. Emma Emgard, a member of the Canadian board of Place of Rescue is visittng Cambodia with her brother and niece and we were already planning to take them to visit Rescue II which would take us right through Pursat town.
On the way we called the commune leader to arrange a meeting. He told us Bope had an uncle who was not willing for us to take her. Normally this might have ended the contact but somehow we felt we should still check it out. When we arrived we soon knew why we had felt compelled to come. There stood the uncle. At 11 a.m. he was already drunk. His hair was long and disheveled and he looked like this was his perpetual state. He refused to let his niece go because every night she shared his bed. “She’s all I’ve got.” he said. From the bottom of our hearts we knew we needed to get this child out of that bed!! If she has not already been sexually abused it would likely be just a matter of time. The commune leader, the other villagers and a couple of relatives all urged him to let her go but he kept refusing. He insisted we had to wait until the child’s father returned and gave permission for her to go. We promised that when the father returned we would pay for him to come to Place of Rescue and if he wants to take her back we would allow it. Still in his drunken state he kept refusing and saying the same things over and over.. We had talked for quite some time and were at an impasse.
While the Cambodian staff continued the conversation I went to Emma. “Come with me.” I urged and Emma and I stood together under the shade of a nearby tree. We clasped hands and cried out to the Lord Jesus who has all authority in Heaven and earth. Together we claimed deliverance for this vulnerable little girl. After we had prayed we returned to the group and immediately I was thrilled to see a couple of the uncle’s buddies put their arms around his shoulders and gently lead him away. “Take her.” said the others and we joyfully put our precious possession in the van and drove away.
Bope showed no sadness at leaving all she has ever known. During the long drive to Mongkol Borey and then to Siem Reap, during the time in the hotel there, during the 8 hour trip to Place of Rescue, she never once indicated homesickness or mentioned that she wanted to return. She regarded all her new experiences and new places with wide eyes and loved the good food she ate in restaurants along the way, especially the rambutans we bought at a roadside stand.
Now safe home at Place of Rescue everything is new. She has a new “Mom” and new friends. Caring women at Maple Creek Alliance church in Canada didn’t know that one of the beautiful dollies they dressed up or us would be for this child. Bope got her new school clothes today and tomorrow she will join the other kids in grade one. Maybe tomorrow she will even learn to write her name – that special name that we will enter in our record book here at Place of Rescue: Bope Bowk. Welcome home Baby Bope
“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly: defend the rights of the poor and needy.” Prov.31:8
