Happy Mother's Day!

Our families play a significant role in shaping who we are as people. Particularly when we are younger, they have the ability to encourage or discourage, be a place of healing or an agent of hurt, help us blossom into who God made us to be or squelch the work He is doing. We find families to be extremely important here too. Many of the Sak Saum girls come from homes where their parents didn't know how to nurture and protect their children. And so the girls experienced abuse and exploitation instead of love and safety. In order to help turn the cycle of human trafficking and bring lasting healing to Cambodia, we believe the entire family must be involved.

Srey Ning's grandmother is a perfect example. Srey Ning is one of the Sak Saum girls. Her family was frequently pressuring her for money, leaving little help for her husband and son. Recently, though, Sak Saum was able to set Srey Ning's grandmother and aunt up with a small sewing project. A church in Colorado contacted us asking if they could introduce Sak Saum to their congregation by giving a necklace to each of their mothers. Of course we loved that idea! And it seemed like a great opportunity for Srey Ning's family to be included in the project. They found purpose and financial security; Srey Ning experienced peace of mind and a deeper hope for her own family's future. As you can see from the pictures below, they quite enjoyed it! What an incredible richness to celebrate family and mothers in this way.

This Mother's Day also marked Sak Saum's second annual Mother's Day apron sale. Our retro aprons are so much fun! We thought they would make a great gift for mothers who want to feel trendy in their kitchens. Thanks to all of you who participated in this advocacy effort to make it a success.

So, we want to say thank you and Happy Mother's Day to all the incredible mothers, grandmothers and soon-to-be new mommies connected to Sak Saum. We celebrate you!

Click on each picture to view a larger version.

 Srey Ning's grandmother, her aunt with a niece, and a close-up of the work.

 Each necklace takes quite a bit of time -- how beautiful are these hands!

 Srey Ning's son and his cousin experiencing a bonding moment...

 The ladies work on a platform right outside their home.

 The final product: brightly colored, cotton beaded necklaces.

 And the beautiful ladies once again...

 And finally, a few of our retro aprons for you to see.

Stay tuned next week for a look at some of our coming fall colors!