A team from Fairview went to Cambodia in May 2008 to reconstruct Rahab's House. They worked with a well respected NGO to renovate what was once a "child brothel" into a school/ministry centre. This building was one of the brothels raided in 2003 by International Justice Mission as seen on the NBC Dateline Special on child prostitution in Cambodia.
Listen to the Field Team's Preliminary Reports we presented in Fairview on May 25, 2008.
In March of 2003, International Justice Mission (IJM), rescued some 40 girls from brothels in Cambodia. Their investigations showed that there were children as young as 5 years old who were daily sexually abused and used by Western pedophiles. A Dateline NBC Special and the book Terrify No More by Gary Haugen of IJM brought this horror to the world’s attention.
In response to this the Ratanak Foundation working with AIM4ASIA, founded the NewSong project as a safe rehab facility to help these rescued girls to heal and re-enter society when they are ready. The NewSong project has become a model for others working to help these girls. It has also expanded into other projects including Rahab’s House.
NewSong has leased a former brothel in one of the most notorious brothel (child prostitution) districts in Cambodia. It is setting it up as a school and ministry centre. NewSong has funding in place for this work but they’ve been waiting for the money to gut the interior of the building and to construct the centre and classrooms.
This is where Fairview entered the picture. A team of 10 from our church did the physical work to renovate Rahab’s House that this work may move forward.
Richard Knowler, Paul Dylla, Martin Baxter, Jeff Wilson, Kelvin van Eyk
Kit Schindell, Tim McCarthy, Toph Marshall, Grant Wilson, Barb Jones
The team recorded their daily progress on their Daily Diary.
Vacation Bible School at Rahab's House - A team of six went from Toronto to Rahab's House, July 10th to August 2nd, 2008, to run a Vacation Bible School. Read their Daily Diary
The Ratanak Foundation's Fall 2008 newsletter tells the story of Rahab's House from crime scene to ministry centre and school: Ratanak Newsletter
More work in Cambodia: A young Canadian nurse is currently working to help those affected by the sex trade in Camobodia. Read her story here.
To read more about Rahab's House please refer to the AIM 4 ASIA website.
The following video was featured on the television show 100 Huntley Street on Friday, Dec. 18, 2009 and tells the story of Fairview's involvement at Rahab's House.
For more information, please refer to the Missions section below or visit the 100 Huntley Street website by clicking here.
The Sanctuary 2010
Fairview again partnered with Ratanak Foundation to bring light and God's love to the darkness of Svay Pak in Cambodia. In 2008 Fairview renovated a former child brothel into a community centre/school/church, known as Rahab's House, to be used by the people of Svay Pak. in 2010 Fairview is working with Ratanak and joining 4 members of St. John's Vancouver and 2 members of Noble Park Baptist Church, Melbourne, to do the finishing work on a building now known as The Sanctuary in Svay Pak. Much of the ministry of Rahab's House has outgrown that building and will move to the Sanctuary.
This was the first of two teams working in Svay Pak.
