If you have never heard of golf, you would never know the vast variety of opportunities in an actual golf resort. Putting aside just playing a round or two, consider all the people needed to keep the resort beautiful, clean, golf-able, and running smoothly.

Groundskeeper. Golf pro. Chef or cook or other restaurant worker. Salesperson, stock taker, office worker, or receptionist.

Our Youth Group recently heard about these things when they were invited to spend some time with the amazing friends of Heartprint at the Angkor Golf Resort in Siem Reap. Not to mention getting to zip around in a golf cart tour and hit some balls on the driving range while you talked about them.

We were there at the invitation of David Baron, the resort’s General Manager, whose recent silent auction raised an astonishing US $4050 for our Nutrition Program. Will you join us in a big Heartprint hug for David in thanks to him and his team? Our Nutrition Program is essential to the growing bodies and minds of our young ones. Thank you, thank you!

This isn’t the first time the good people at this Nick Faldo-designed course have gone out of their way to help us with our programs. Last year, they also held a silent auction after a tournament, with the proceeds coming to us. We were able to build two new houses!

(This year, it is exciting to note that one of our own contributed some of her beautiful watercolors, inspired by the resort, to the auction to help pay for her own education expenses.)

Jobs were not the only things they learned about. As they toured in their long line of golf carts, they were told about the game's rules and the club’s efforts in recycling and reusing organic waste to help enhance the environment. Actually, maybe there are career options in those areas, as well!

Career options. As the kids in our Community Centre have gotten older, we spend more and more time finding potential career avenues for them. We always counsel members of our Youth Group regarding job applications, interviews, and follow-through. Still, we know quite a few who aspire to more than a job; they want what they now see others have attained: a career.

Currently, one of our stellar interns is working with our Outreach Coordinator to develop career pathways for some young people. As time goes by, these will translate into individual life plans for our youth.

These plans are about more than getting the interview right or not making errors in an application. They are about working with each individual to help them define for themselves not only their strengths but their passions. How can they combine them to identify a career journey that will be financially and spiritually rewarding? What will meet their physical needs and make them happiest? What should they study to make this happen? Where should they study it? What support do they need? How will they hold themselves accountable? Timelines?

These and more will become individual plans for each of our youths. This is exciting because better futures are one of the main things we work for in our Community Centre.

Another bit of career news: You are probably familiar with the training programs at Haven and may recall how excited we are each year to have some of our young people accepted into the program. Well, three more have just graduated! The hospitality industry sky is the limit for them now as they begin their own career journey! All three already have positions in top-notch Siem Reap hotels - two in internships and one in a full-time job. We have no doubt the interns will soon segue into new, permanent roles in their field. They are well on their journey and we will continue to cheer them on!

Finally, still on careers and brighter futures, we have proposed a funding proposal to open our small salon and beauty training centre for the mums in our community. This is a spin-off of last month's Hair Aid program at the Community Centre. We will combine the salon and training centre with a coffee nook, bookstore, the fair trade shop that allows our mums to sell the goods that they make - and who knows what else as time goes by!

When the women finish their training, they can start their own small business (we already provide skills training in the Community Centre) or rent a chair inside our salon.

Stay tuned for this! We are super excited about it.

And a reminder that this is now Silent September. Wendy is going to be staying quiet again this month. Will you support her? Or try it yourself with support from friends and family?

Brighter Futures