Description
About 20 years ago, Esther moved to one of the most troubled areas in rural Cambodia. By bringing God’s love and the whole gospel to Barai, she has been instrumental in changing the trajectory of the people there through her gifts, talents, and acumen as an entrepreneur. She opened an “experience real Cambodian life” hostel that has been popular with the backpacking crowd. She opened a restaurant that serves local fare. She is also deeply involved with a fair trade business that designs, manufactures, and sells backpacks, purses, and other fashion accessories. Through her work in providing job training and employment to the people in these villages, and in helping to care for the spiritual needs of the community by raising up a group of local pastors, God has used her incarnational ministry to meet the felt needs of the people in tangible ways. Crime has decreased. Alcoholism has declined. Trafficking has been diminished. And the people and children there have more hope. Over the past 5 years, she has also started a school (see Wisdom Nest School) that helps children (K-12) who-- because of poverty, where they live, or corruption-- would never have had access to a quality education, to receive excellent schooling which can fundamentally shift the prospects for the future of so many. Many students receive this at no cost to their families.