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DAY 6 – Monday we visited a women’s shelter on our way to Pursat. Opened in 1999 by Transform Asia (http://www.transformasia.us), the shelter rescues women from the sex trade, prostitution and abuse. Most girls arrive between the ages of 13-17.
In addition to protection, free room and board, the women receive an education and are taught new trades like cosmetology, sewing, gardening, housekeeping, etc.
“Women learn to trust again. They’ve been manipulated and used all their life,” said Transform Asia founder Setan Lee.
The women’s center employs a full-time guard to protect the rescued girls from criminals who want to recapture them. When thugs come by, the guard first tries to scare them away by firing shots in the air. If that doesn’t work, he’s instructed to shoot at their feet. So far one thug learned the hard way and caught a bullet in his Achilles.
Spending time with these precious young ladies was a blessing. Realizing how much they have been through at such a young age bewildered and saddened me. As I’ve mentioned in earlier posts, girls as young as 5 are sold into the sex trade. Some of these children are forced see between 15-20 men a day.
Thank God the girls we met on Monday were rescued and are healing. In addition to holding a medical clinic for the girls, our mission team donated 2 tons of rice to the shelter. You can see pictures on my facebook page.

COOL GOD STORY - Today (Monday) as we’re driving to Pursat we pulled over to the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. The vans unloaded and we walked up this massive, undeveloped land. Setan told us TransformAsia will soon break ground on a university project that is 30 years in the making…
In 1979, while he was in a Thai refugee camp (after his miraculous escape from Cambodia), God told Setan that he would “build my university.” Setan replied by telling God he has no life, no job, no family, no money, etc. He was literally laying on the ground under a tarp in a refugee camp after escaping the killing fields. He can’t go back to Cambodia or they’d “slit my throat.”
30 years later, God’s vision is about to be realized. TransformAsia received $90k to buy land for the university. They settled on a spot and were negotiating with the landlord, but once the landlord found out what they had in mind, he kept raising the price. Setan and the TransformAsia board knew they were in trouble because they only had $90k and the landlord was asking for nearly a million. Setan prayed to God and asked for help. A short time later the Prince of Cambodia, who heard what TransformAsia was trying to do, contacted Setan and told about a better piece of land for $90k. Unlike the more expensive property, the new land was at a higher elevation and would not be threatened by flood.
The purchased the 65 acre land that we were walking on and will soon break ground on the first building. But the story gets better. While drilling for water, Setan learned that his land is sitting on a tremendous amount of rock, possibly marble! God’s University, which will be the first Christian University in South East Asia, could receive a massive donation! Please keep TransformAsia in your prayers.

PICTURES ARE HERE http://picasaweb.google.com/RyanGunnCambodia/CambodiaMissionTrip#slideshow/5363125676758614818

Thanks for reading.