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Global News December 2022
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Bags made with JusticeJust Bags produced by Village Works in Cambodia In the spirit of collaboration, we are thrilled to work with Village Works this year in producing the bags that hold our curated Christmas gifts for Just Bags. Our designer, Ana Velazquez, put her creative talents together to design a simple but elegant bag. After zoom calls and many WhatsApp messages, a prototype was created. From there, the Village Works team ceased all other projects and focused on creating 200 bags for our Just Bags project. When we visited the factory, our team was impressed not only by the quality of their work and the energy in the room, but were so encouraged to hear their vision and experience the loving culture that is behind every product made. Village Works is just one of a few fair trade certified enterprises in Cambodia. Anak, Village Work’s Director, who is a Cambodian Christian female entrepreneur who empowers community-based artisans, scaled her business considerably a few years ago while she was selling her products outside of the S-21 (Genocide Museum). Being surrounded by disabled people begging for their daily bread from tourists, Anak asked the community if they considered a different career option. Their response was yes, with a caveat who would hire people with disabilities like us? Anak responded with a follow-up question, if I train you in making bags and accessories, would you work with us? The answer was a resounding yes, and the rest is history. When most companies in Cambodia closed their doors during the pandemic because the tourism market evaporated, Anak creatively was able to reach out to construction companies for free recycled materials, from which she mobilized her team to create pandemic safety equipment for construction workers. This allowed her to keep all her 50 employees hold meaningful work while providing an essential service. It is the just thing to do, to purchase products from companies that care for their employees while making quality products. A JUST BAG is a Christmas bag filled with ethically sourced, carefully curated, and lovingly created handmade/fair trade products created with our refugee/newcomer community. Click here for more info and pre-order your Just Bag(s) now - pick up starting December 11. Picture above is the Village Works team with Tenth Justice Journey Team in November 2022. For more infomation visit:
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Much To Be Thankful ForNewcomers Experience a Canadian Thanksgiving at Denman Island This past Thanksgiving weekend, members of the Tenth refugee community were invited to stay with friends at Denman Island, where they enjoyed a relaxing weekend at a farm overlooking the ocean. Names have been changed for the sake of confidentiality. We gathered for the Thanksgiving meal, 30 people stretched out along the long tables, sitting snugly shoulder to shoulder, with a feast of Canadian-Afghan food laid out before us—the usually turkey, stuffing and sweet potatoes, but also spicy eggplant, pomegranate salad, chai. After we had eaten till we could eat no more, each of us shared something we were grateful for. Every story was profound and heartfelt. Nasima stood to speak. A few hours earlier she had proudly served heaping pots of steamed clams she had dug up from the beach, dripping with garlic butter and delicious. She was grateful for the new friends she had made on the weekend. For the hosts who had opened their doors to strangers. For the freedom to ride a bike on the quiet roads, and in the darkness safely walk a forest trail to gaze at the millions of bright stars above. A year earlier she had been a captive in her own house. The Taliban had taken over her beloved country, and in the blink of an eye she lost the value of her hard-earned degrees, her prestigious career, even the ability to walk alone in the market. She moved from house to house to avoid detection, every day wondering if this would be the day a knock on the door would mean imprisonment, rape or death. Her evacuation was highly risky, nearly impossible in fact, and only by a series of miracles she escaped a country that had descended into hopelessness, despair, and deep darkness. And now she was here, surrounded by friends, speaking from a full heart. Her face glowed in the candlelight, her eyes bright with laughter. She had been welcomed into a place of freedom. For her, light had broken through her darkness. There was indeed, much to be thankful for. By Mim Wickett, Refugee Support Coordinator If you are interested in walking alongside newcomers in Canada, check this out, and tell us what you think. For more infomation visit:
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JUST BAGSWhat is inside? Simple & elegant bag designed by Kuero and crafted by Village works ($20) Handmade soy candle made by Tenth volunteers and newcomers ($15) Handmade leather bracelet made by Kuero with the help of our newcomers ($15) 3 handmade natural soaps from Adult & Teen Challenge - an organization for local women in recovery ($21) Spray mist made by our volunteer/newcomer community ($7) Fair trade coffee from Nicaragua – Café Sito ($17) Fair trade tea from Kenya - JusTea ($12) Scenic fridge magnet from Cambodia ($5) NOTE: retail price in brackets. Total value is $112 per bag Just Bags are $80 each or 2 bags for $150, $75 each for purchases of 2 or more. JUST BAGS are available for purchase and can be picked up on December 11th and December 18th at our Mount Pleasant, East Van and West Side sites. Revenues from this project support the work Tenth does with refugees and Cambodia. You can also pay by cash and credit card on December 11 or 18. For more infomation visit:
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Freedom from ShameShalom Valley Leaders Retreat in Cambodia After weeks of anticipation, the Leadership Retreat at Shalom Valley finally got underway. Around breakfast before people arrived Phearom shared his story of his mother casting him away because due to being a twin he was considered a curse. He then lived with an aunt and uncle who treated him as a slave. After becoming very ill his doctors thought he had died and his aunt and uncle were not even willing to pay for his funeral. On the way to his cremation the doctors noticed his hand twitch and realized he was not dead. He was completely forsaken and searching for love and God gave him love when nobody else would. Now he works as the director of a camp and speaks into the lives of many, many youth. In the afternoon Pastor Ken shared about shame and being our true selves. He shared that God wanted to be close to Adam and Eve and so he clothed them and covered their shame. God wants that same intimacy with us, he doesn't want us to be ashamed. We moved away from this session with lightness - knowing that we can give up the things we use to cover our shame because God doesn't need us to cover our shame, he already knows us! Shalom Valley (Alongsiders camp that has been built in partnership with Tenth) has preserved a bomb crater as a sacred reminder of the history of this country, out of the bomb crater a beautiful tree is growing. Together we sat in this bomb crater and prayed for Ukraine, full of sorrow at the thought of more people experiencing the pain that many Cambodians have experienced. The afternoon and evening were spent fellowshipping with our fellow believers. Many of the leaders here are women leading in a context where women are often expected to be very quiet. We will likely have more to share today but for now our hearts are heavy for the burdens many of these leaders carry and inspired by the strength with which they persevere. Patrick, Tenth's Global Pastor, led a Justice Journey to Cambodia in November 2022 with support from Elyce from Hungry for Life. The Journey started with a Leadership Retreat at Alongsiders adventure camp at Kep called Shalom Valley. Picture is of the bomb crater talk at Shalom Valley Other recent Cambodia Posts
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Cambodia Catch-up and PrayTuesday, December 20, 2022 at 7pm Catch-up and pray with Cambodia! Be part of our next Cambodia update and prayer time on Zoom. For more infomation visit:
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First Thing5 Prayer Items
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PSDid you know.....? Did you know the only way we can financially support all our global partners in Cambodia and around the world is by you giving to one of our mission funds? The general fund does not participate in giving to global missions or refugee support. For more infomation visit:
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Get involved with God's global mission at Tenth
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