Thoughts from the field from current intern, Alex Halsey:
I’ve had the privilege of working with Perlito and Rose Gatmen, the Directors at a Freedom’s Promise program in Cambodia, for the past two and a half years. Throughout my time of serving with them, I’ve seen consistency and unconditional love in a way that I had never seen before.
Perlito and Rose walk in humility and are faithful in all that the Lord has asked them to do. They respond to every situation with love, and their heart for protecting vulnerable children reflects that of the Lord’s. Because of the consistency in the way they love and serve, I have seen children flourish and the educational center nearly double in size. Children feel confident that they are heard, that they are seen, and that they are loved. And trust me, are they ever loved.
One of my primary roles at the center is facilitating sports ministry, which is typically soccer. We recently had a new boy, Saro, that came and started playing soccer in the afternoons. Saro is from a village a few kilometers away and comes from a Buddhist family. As he started playing soccer more and more, he also started attending youth church services and supplementary English classes. Eventually, he gave his life to Christ!
Now, he is a sponsored student, is studying at one of the best private schools in the city, is a light to his family, and is very involved in youth group and Bible studies. This is why we do what we do. This is why every single person, partner and ministry is important. We do it for the Saro’s of Cambodia. The boys that need opportunity. The girls that need hope. The children that need freedom. The people that need Jesus. And it is such a privilege to get to partner with what the Lord is doing.
I didn’t understand how important partnership was until I started working with Freedom’s Promise and the Gatmens. Every single person who has donated, visited, volunteered, and prayed has contributed tremendously to the prevention work that the Lord is doing at this center. We cannot do it without each other, and each person has a specific and crucial role to play. I used to struggle with seeing how I was making a difference because it felt like the problems were too overwhelming, but the Lord has been consistently reminding me how much He loves the one, and how He will pursue that one. Every soul matters to Him, so every soul matters to me.
