Bubbling Over

IMG_4621There’s nothing we love more than seeing the smiles and giggles of the precious girls in our Culinary Training Center program. Chef Ryana sent us these photos of the girls whipping up some bubble tea, a hot new menu item of the Red Chili menu!

At the Red Chili Mexican Grill in Battambang, these girls are not living in fear of tomorrow. They aren’t worried about where their next meal will come from, how they will ever find a legitimate and healthy way to earn a living, or what their future holds anymore. They’ve been empowered and encouraged to use their gifts, and the darkness is being chased away.

Thanks for being a part of these smiles!

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Pchum Ben

One of the annual Buddhist traditions in Cambodia is called Pchum Ben, or “Ancestor’s Day.” As Cambodia prepares to enter into Pchum Ben, we would like to ask that you cover this time in prayer in the coming days.

Pchum Ben is thought to be a period when the ghosts of deceased ancestors are in close proximity with the Cambodian people. This highly spiritual festival is filled with intensity, as the living offer food offerings for deceased relatives at the temples. Tradition states that the gates of hell are opened during these days and spirits come forth to receive the food before returning to their suffering. It’s also believed that relatives who are in purgatory or reincarnated can receive food offerings as well. These days are spiritually heavy and often center around the exchange of karma, and our hope is that the truth of Jesus can outshine this darkness and weight.

Would you join us in the coming week and pray for protection of the girls in our CGI programs? The Imprint students are currently learning about the life of Jesus in their Bible studies, and the contrast of this message with what they will see in Cambodia during this time is sure to be stark. Many will face pressure from family member to make food offerings at the temples. Please pray that the girls in our programs, our staff in Cambodia and everyone in the country would feel the presence of a God who is sovereign over life and death.

Courtesy of Wallpho.com

Courtesy of Wallpho.com

Help Us Reach Our Fund-A-Need Goal!

thermometerWe extended an invitation at Saturday’s gala to help CGI fund current and important needs. Our greatest need right now is for additional staffing in Cambodia. While programs like byTavi, Imprint, cgiKids and the Culinary Training Center are the avenues we use to fight poverty and human trafficking, it is truly all about PEOPLE. We want to invest in Cambodian staff (social workers, teachers, mentors, support staff, etc) who can be equipped and empowered to serve their fellow Cambodians! And as a result, more Cambodians will hear about and experience the love of Jesus, women will gain skills that enable them to provide for their families in healthy ways and trafficking will no longer be the future of more young girls.

Will you help us continue our work of advancing the Kingdom of God in the Kingdom of Cambodia?

Our goal is $30,000.

Currently, we have raised $13,971 and we still hope to reach our goal in the next week! This is a great time to give to our ministry because every dollar given is matched, doubling your investment. We have the potential to invest $60,000 into the futures of at-risk women! Can you help us reach our goal?

Give online THIS WEEK and maximize your gifts!

2014 Gala

We want to thank each of you from the bottom of our hearts for all you do to support the mission of CGI. This year’s fundraising gala was amazing and inspiring, and we LOVED sharing the latest from Cambodia with you on this special night. In case you missed it….here’s a peek at the video that was shown at the gala.

Take a look and see how God is working mightily to bring light into the darkness in the Kingdom of Cambodia.