09/04/2026
Some of what your dollars are doing…
Hope, after their home is gone
40 more homes with clean water
A Special Bike for a Special Boy
Wheelchairs – Mobility, Dignity and… Sheer Delight
To see the Rescue Task Force August newsletter with proper picture placement, and more pictures, please visit our website home page: rescuetaskforce.org
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August, 2026
Dear Donors, Friends and Supporters in so many ways,
It is simply impossible to write and explain about every single thing that we do… so many small, one-time projects that are … Your Hand, to RTF’s Hands, to Their Hands…
Your giving touches many, many, many lives and hearts, as you care for the widows and ‘Feed my sheep’.
Enjoy this newsletter and give yourself a big hug for what you do!!!
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Cambodia - Fire
There is no such thing as fire insurance out here in rural Cambodia -
but there are family, friends and community… and RTF.
Photo by neighbor
An entire family, in a little village just up the road from Gary and Na’s home, were away visiting relatives in a nearby town. Something went wrong, their home caught fire and it burned to the ground.
Among the ashes. NOTHING was left.
Mother and son. She works in a local factory – six days a week for about $300 a month ($10/day) to support the family.
Community Mayor delivering Our Province Red Cross kitchen supplies and sleeping mats. brought some emergency
food.
Cash - Your Hand to RTF’s Hand to Their Hands
Rice harvest time is coming soon, and then right behind that, re-planting.
But all of their farm equipment is gone.
Rice fields getting close to harvest
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Water Filters…
Our host this month was the House of Love Church in Takao province. Many of the young people in the following pictures are dorm students, home for the weekend. The church provides dormitories for rural girls and boys attending the University of Phnom Penh, about 3 hours away by motorbike.
Christy, helping the children practice the English alphabet.
Prior to filter distribution Gary and his cousin Christy, a long-time donor, and friend Jim, touring Asia, stopped by Cambodia for a few days - and stayed a few weeks, had fun with some sweet kids of the church’s primary school.
“We bring you greetings from your many friends and churches in the USA who send this gift of clean, safe water…”
Thanking the Lord, Thanking You, and Blessing the filters
You put the dirty water in the top and safe, clean water comes out the bottom. The porous clay filter collects particulates and colloidal silver kills bugs, bacteria and germs in contact as the water passes through.
“Tomorrow… no more having to buy or boil your drinking water!!!”
Villagers heading home with your gift of clean, safe water…
A few house calls…
There are six people in Mrs. Lon Sengley’s home.
They eke out a living growing vegetables as share-croppers.
As we were leaving Christy gave Lon a very nice cash gift for some much-needed home repairs.
Mrs. Pvoy Phab is 63 and there are 4 people in the home.
They sell vegetables in the local market place – earning about $1.50 per day from their labor.
Clean water, and A Very Happy Lady!!!!
There are six people in Mrs. Sol Leang’s home. They are vegetable farmers.
During the rainy season she collects water in a cistern that then has to be boiled. During the dry season they have to buy their water.
NO MORE! No more boiling. No more buying. Just relief!!
There are twelve children and adults in the home. The adult children work in factories to support the family and gramma, Mrs. Sok Neun, cares for the children while the parents are at work.
They get their water from a well, year-round, but the water has to be boiled…
. . but not anymore! And see the resulting smiles 😊
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A Special Bike for a special boy…
While Na was coordinating our wheelchair project, the village leader asked if we could maybe also provide a bike to a new arrival in the village?
Panya Reep is ten years old. His mother recently died and his father, extremely incapacitated by a stroke, and is cared for in another village by older children.
He is a new arrival here and now lives with his grandmother.
Panya is in fourth grade and wants to be teacher, but needed a bike to get to school. You are helping to fulfill his dreams.
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More Cambodia Wheelchairs;
We often work with Pastor Heng and his wife, of the Assembly of God Church up in Kandal province. The pastor’s wife has been out canvassing and found some very deserving folks in need of wheelchairs…
RTF on the way….
Mrs. Chhe Rem is 63 years old. Eight years ago, she was in a traffic accident on her motorbike and spinal injuries left her unable to walk
She and her daughter sell cut flowers in the village central market
This is her first ever wheelchair!!! Thank You RTF!!!
Lifting to a new life…
She has been bed-bound for 8 years!!! That is why the big smile!!!!
Now that she can get around Gary teases with her about driving the wheelchair to Phnom Penh (the Capital) – about four hours away by car.
Mr. Bun Chin, 66, suffered a spinal injury one year ago – and now has cancer.
Chin’s wife Tears of joy. “Thank You!!!”
51-year-old Sun Sak suffers birth defects and lives with his sister. As with so many, this is their first ever wheelchair. Sak’s sister is so happy that now he can get around –
And this is a big help with toilet and bathing chores.
The sister and Sun gave us batches of fresh bananas from their tree. Mmmmm.
Another Very Happy lady…
Mrs. Sam Sem 73 has spinal nerve damage and cannot walk.
The family sells cut flowers (jasmine) in the market for home decorations and ceremonies.
Mrs. Sem arranges flowers for Gary – and you!!
Blessings to you and RTF.
“Now I can go out and family do not have to carry me…”
Bodet takes Mrs. Sem for a test drive and explains the her and family about turning backwards to go over bumps and rough spots.
(Pastor HENG and his wife on Gary’s right.)
THANK YOU!!
The team, exhausted and exhilarated… Heading home – to prep for the next mission…
Next letter…
Report from Steven about a little buy we are helping inside Burma who lost his legs in a bombing.
More Pediatric Dental Care,
And Wheelchairs
And Water Filters
And ???
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Thank You for using Rescue Task Force as your Ambassador
to these and so many hurting hearts, and lives.
Every Donation is Important – And very much needed.
God Bless you richly for caring and for sharing your hard-earned dollars that make the work of RTF Possible over these many years… 38!!! years!!!
Yours In Service,
Gary Steven
Larry, Bob, Bodet, Andrea and the RTF Team(s)
Gary: cell (951) 595-1525 Messages Steven: (610) 642-3100
Direct Dial - Cambodia: 011 855 8787-5968
[email protected] [email protected]
Rescue Task Force
27636 Ynez Road L-7 #357
Temecula, CA 92591 Phone (messages): (951) 595-1525
www.rescuetaskforce.org
PS Your spirit of giving can continue for many years by simply remembering RTF when you write or next update your will. (Tax ID # / EIN 27-3504467)
And, when you do so, please let us know how you would like RTF to recognize you and your gift.