A Diamond in the Rough

Whether you meet MareYar (pronounced Mar-ree-yar) at her home, at school or singing songs at a church service you would immediately notice her smile, infectious laugh and kind eyes.  As you get to know her, you would see how she's a healthy part of a functioning family, a good student, and a great helper.  These are all great things to highlight in a typical, healthy child's upbringing.  The beginning of MareYar's story, however, is anything but typical or healthy.

MareYar doesn't have the luxury of remembering her birth parents. Perhaps her parents giving up on her as a baby came from an extreme situation and felt like they had nowhere to turn.  Or, perhaps they were part of the statistics in the Thai-Cambodia border town where MareYar was found, where prostitution is rampant and a child is bad for business and seen as a burden not worth caring for. Whatever took place before she was found is old history now. She was discarded as a young baby in a heap of garbage and covered up, only to be discovered by a Cambodian passing by, hearing her crying as she lie in the heap of trash, discarded and alone.

The Cambodian man that found her felt compelled enough to bring this little precious bundle of life to a local government office. That local government office brought her to the provincial capital Social Affairs office and they, in turn, took her to the best place they knew she would be cared for, an FCOP church home in the area.  Since that moment of entering into the church home, a new start began in MareYar's life, and it's the only one she remembers. The pastor and his wife have raised MareYar as one of their own children.  She calls them Dad and Mom and feels as much a part of their family as their own biological children.

For all intents and purposes, MareYar is thriving as a child growing up with value and purpose.  She's 10 years old now, is doing great in school, and most of all, is treasured and cared for. Every morning she is sent off to school and received back with open arms by pastors, or rather, parents that will be there every day letting her know she's loved, she's accepted and that it will never change.

In the midst of a truly tragic situation and a heap of trash emerged a "diamond in the rough." MareYar, a gift from God.