Invisible Problems

It`s crazy how you can grow up in a society where information is available at your fingertips...and yet, important things, like sex slaves and child soldiers, manage to escape our notice.

Last year, I went to Cambodia and had the privilege of meeting young women who were former sex slaves.   I had the opportunity to meet them, and learn how their lives have changed. They were changed because they got help from people who care, by getting fair trade jobs, and having resources available to them for rehabilitation and  reintegration into their society. Knowing a fraction of their past and what they`ve been through, and seeing them now, smiling and sharing how God is working in their lives, is truly incredible.

Before I went to Cambodia, I didn`t even know that this problem existed. I came home, thinking, how did I not know of this sooner??

I came home and started researching. My findings were completely disheartening: There are millions of girls who are tricked into and forced to be sex slaves.

I found out that many girls come from the Ukraine or Moldova (which is where I`m from), and are then sent to countries all over the world.

Moldova is the poorest country in Europe. People are desperate for work. When someone comes along and offers you a good-paying job as a waitress in Greece, for example, you jump at the chance. Little do you know, that instead, you will be forced into a life you never wanted: the life of a sex slave.

This just break my heart. To think about what those girls go through on a daily basis...
I`m from Moldova, and I think, if I wasn`t in Canada, could this have been my life as well? Being tricked into that life, with no hope of an escape? 

But there is hope. You can make a difference, just by being aware that there even is a problem.

Here are some sites you can look at for more info:

http://www.thea21campaign.org/

http://www.daughtersofcambodia.org/

I write these things, so that people are not only aware of the problem, but are abhorred by what is going on presently in their world, and are willing to stand up, and demand a change. Write to your politicians, give out flyers, or just tell your friends. DO something. LEARN more about it.  

I hope that with this, the invisible problems in this world will become visible to you.

``Stop doing wrong, learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow`` -Isaiah 1:16-17

``Is this not the kind of fasting I have chosen:

to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter --
when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will becomes like the noonday. The LORD will guide you always`` -Isaiah 58:6-7,9-11

Mason Jars+Tissue Paper Flowers

When I'm on Pinterest, I see so many cool ideas. I saw how someone used tissue paper to cover a mason jar and put a little tea light candle in it, and it created such a soft beautiful glow. I also saw someone make these big tissue paper flowers, that they hung from the ceiling. It looked beautiful! I had my birthday party coming up in February, and decided to give these two crafts a try. I had my helper (my two-year-old nephew) with me! ;)

It was really easy to make and I really like how they turned out! :) (It didn't take a lot of time either!)

Things you'll need:

• jars
• tissue paper
• liquid glue
• scissors
• string/ribbon

Directions for the Jars:

1. I started by finding two jars.
2. I then washed them with some soap and warm water. 
3. I dried them. 
4. I then found some tissue paper, and cut them up in to squares. 
5. I then prepared the glue..I did this by combining white liquid glue with some warm water, and mixed it with a paintbrush.
6. Then, you dip your paintbrush into the glue, put it on the jar, and put the tissue paper square right on top. You can put some extra glue on top of it if you'd like. 

It's as easy as that! :)

Get all your supplies ready! (I thought it might get messy and used a craft-safe tablecloth)

Mix the water+glue

Put the glue on the jar, and put the tissue paper on top...It's so easy a 2 yr old can do it..without looking! ;)

I left them to dry

I think they look pretty cute!

Directions for the Tissue Paper Flowers:

1. You get a few sheets of tissue paper + put them in a pile
2. Next, fold them accordion style (like you would for a paper hand-held fan)
3. Next, you fold it in half, and tie a string/ribbon in the middle around the crease and twist
4. Take your scissors and cut the two ends, making them rounded (this will help it look more like a flower petal)
5. Separate the sheets, pulling them apart, and voila! you have yourself a tissue paper flower! super easy!! :)

Instead of using these two crafts separately (which you most certainly can!), I just put them together..

I think they turned out pretty cute! I just used them as centerpieces for the dessert table...Let me know what you think! :)

Florida 2011/2012

I went to Florida at the end of December 2011 and beginning of 2012 (we did spend New Years there)..with my mom, sister, and brother-in-law...We were mainly at Clearwater, but we did take one day and go to Siesta Beach as well...It was beautiful and very relaxing :)

at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co... it was really cool how they decorated the place!

me and my mom chose the same thing -we're so alike sometimes! :)

my sister ordered seafood, and it came in the neatest way!!

we rented this bike for an hour, and cruised around town. It was really windy that day, but it was so much fun!! we had such a great time on this bike. So many laughs, and it was a great way to get exercise and explore the town.

fresh calamari... mmm!! so good!

one of the days, it was Clearwater beach day..there were so many festivities - street performers, vendors, bands+cheerleaders...it was lots of fun!

at Siesta Beach

Dominican 2011

In February 2011, me and some of my family went to Punta Cana in the Dominican. I LOVED it!! It looks like something out of a dream. My pictures don't do it justice. We had a lovely vacation :)

My dad + my nephew.. so cute!!

Floriida April 2011

I went to Florida with my friend in April 2011, and it was so much fun!

 We stayed with my friend's brother and wife - they were so sweet to make us such a lovely breakfast! :)

We met some nice fellas down in Florida ;)

there were lots of cute little shops

does this look familiar?

after church!

I'm clearly not ready!

and again..hehe!

I've always liked to collect rocks/shells from the ocean...but I didn't take these..So pretty, though!

out and about

beautiful sunset at Venice beach...we even saw some dolphins!!

CAMBODJYA 2011

Sue Sedai! (that's hello in Khmer!)


In June 16 to July 11, 2011, I went on the most amazing trip to Cambodia!
I went to teach Arts+Crafts and Bible at an International school for a summer school program in the mornings. In the afternoons, we did an outreach to the community kids who can't afford to go to the school, where we taught ESL, played soccer, swam in the pool, and just hung out with the most precious kids! Amazingly, after we left, the after-school outreach program really took off, and now it's a regular thing!
I had such an incredible experience! I met so many amazing people, and I am so blessed to have gone.
I am so thankful to everyone who's supported me, both with prayers and/or financially. THANKYOU!


If you want to know more about why I went to Cambodia and also my updates to people while I was there, here's a link to my original website for the trip:


http://www.annawestasia.blogspot.ca/   Check it out!  Enjoy! :)

This is me at the airport- still in Canada!

This is the really cool gate in Taipai, Taiwan, where we had to wait for a transfer to get to Cambodia (so cool!!)

This here is called a tuk-tuk. It's a motorcyle (or 'moto'), with a carriage behind. When I first landed in Cambodia, I saw a tuk-tuk and I knew I wanted to ride one! Fortunately for me, it was our main mode of transportation =D

This was my first glimpse of Phnom Penh - an elephant on the road! :D

This is me in front of the school :)

such cuties!! :)

Reader's Theatre

afternoon community outreach

afternoon community outreach- some of the boys i taught ESL to - love these boys!! =D

having fun! playing games :)

so precious!

our team put on a "carnival" in the gym (i was doing face painting)

                                

we also had a chance to tour the province a bit - how beautiful! 

harvesting..driving through the province

I got to take a boat tour in Siem Reap and see the Floating Village -such an eye-opening experience!

we got to visit the Angor Wat one weekend - this is what's on the Cambodian flag! :)

the trees were HUGE! 

look at how tiny I am compared to the enormous tree!

love this picture of everyone after we finished the tour! :)

the night market in Siem Reap was so cool!

At the night market in Siem Reap - loved it!!

at the night market in Siem Reap - it was amazing!! I had to buy some tea for my family back home! :)

This has got to be one of my favourite pictures from the whole trip! :)

My first time playing ball hockey was not in Canada, but in Cambodia! :) We had so much fun!!

Here, we visited Reaksa at the community centre. Amazing man+family!

me and my teammate - some how we matched a lot! :)

for a girl's birthday, we took a boat ride- it was awesome!

 this is how I boarded the boat! =D

me and Sam!

in Phnom Penh -  here's a look of the street

For our last two days, we went to the Gulf of Thailand! It was beautiful and the water was so warm! :D

 

My first time dipping my feet into the Gulf of Thailand- amazing!!

For the whole trip, I ate traditional food from Cambodia..for my last day, I opted out for some Canadian food- seafood pizza!

My last view of Cambodia :( The river!

Hope you enjoyed the glimpse into my trip. It was absolutely amazing!! I am so blessed!!