I've had the privilege these past few weeks in Cambodia to be able to volunteer at Jeevit's House (Jeevit is the Khmer word for life). Jeevit's house works with children at risk here in Battambang and the surrounding area, focusing on families who are affected by HIV/Aids. They work to keep families together, instead of separating children from their parents in order to provide them with what the parents often can not. They provide much needed resources such as medicine, school supplies, hygiene classes, educational programs, and support for the families that they work with.
Jeevits house believes in giving dignity and value to all those who come through their doors. The mornings that I spend at Jeevits house I sweat from the incredible heat, play with children who have tattered clothes, dirty feet and hands, and who love to crawl on my lap and be held or hugged. I encounter children who are more than precious in Gods eyes, and who light up the world with bright eyes and the most beautiful smiles I've ever seen!
As I've worked with these children over the past few weeks, I hope that the small role that I've played in Jeevits house shows them more of the love they deserve. I believe that we're all called to serve, that the most valuable gift that we could give to anyone is love, and that everyone deserves to be loved. I believe that the love that speaks the loudest is selfless love to those who often don't experience it elsewhere.
