Traditional Cambodian celebration

It was raining at Kennywood, but the young dancers glowed with joy as they presented a traditional Cambodian celebration of the rice harvest -- and then changed from silken tunics to T-shirts for a hip-hop hymn.

"We have traveled a long way from Cambodia, just to tell you that Jesus loves you and wants to bring hope to America too!" shouted Somalay -- who uses one name -- wife of the pastor who oversees these 20 orphans. Now 46, she was made an orphan under the genocide of Pol Pot. She works with a Christian charity in Oakmont, the South East Asia Prayer Center. At the invitation of the Cambodian government, the center is working to reform Cambodian schools, which the Khmer Rouge eradicated in the 1970s. The center, which is outspokenly Christian, does extensive social projects in Asia, such as partnering with Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh to provide life-saving heart surgery for children in Tibet.

The monthlong New Hope Tour of the United States includes 20 orphans between the ages of 7 and 22, plus the daughter of the Rev. Sinai and Somolay, and five Cambodian adults. Their goal is to enlist more sponsors for orphans at $30 per month. It also raises the profile of their schools project.