We had just found out our ministry for the upcoming month in Cambodia and we were all so excited to go serve alongside our ministry. My teammates seemed more excited about this month than all the rest. We waited in anticipation to arrive and start working with the women.
Once we arrived it was beautiful meeting all of the women and children, getting to know them a little bit and just having the opportunity to love on the children. That first evening the women told us that they all pray together at night before they go to bed and asked if we would like to join them. Of course we would love to! So my team and I sat down with everyone in a lobby area with four rooms connected to it. Shortly after we sat down, one woman, Rotk, motioned to my teammates Laura and Christina to come look at something in one of the rooms. I didn’t think twice about it, until they immediately came out.
I will never forget the looks on their faces, especially Christina’s. Christina had this look of terror and shock. I knew in that moment my teammates lives were changed forever. Laura then leaned over to me and said, “there is a naked woman, chained in that room.” These words rung in my ears so loudly and my heart literally stopped. I knew that I had to see what was behind that door, so I could understand what my teammates were going through and to help them process through what they had just seen.
Laura asked me if I wanted to go inside. I replied, “Yes, but I’m scared.” She then lead me inside the room and there stood a woman, naked and chained at the ankle. as I quickly took in the situation it seemed like a scene from a movie. Imagine an L-shaped room, all tile, no furniture, not even a mat or pillow to sleep with, only one window, no glass just bars to prevent escape. I stood there for a while just looking at her face, she was beautiful and young, younger than me. The woman barely acknowledged our presence and when I asked what her name was, she responded with my same question and ramblings that were not directed towards us but towards the empty room. One of the other women then told me here name was Moam.
We left the room and hurried back to our room to process what we had just seen.
My teammates hearts were so beautiful in hearing them express how completely broken they were after seeing Moam. Their need to take action to change her situation was so powerful. God laid it so heavily on our hearts to pray over Moam because we knew there was a deep spiritual battle going on within side her and possibly mental illness. We united in prayer in a way that I have never done before. The presence of God was so strong! I reminded my teammates that we carry the Spirt of God within us, where ever we go God also goes. He has given us the authority on earth to perform miracles in His name, and we need to walk in that with confidence! We huddled together and began to pray again for the Spirit to continue to fill us up and for our fear to be replaced with faith because “with God all things are possible,” and “if God is for us, then who can be against us?”
The Lord did such a mighty work within us and seven mighty women walked out of that room, filled with the presence of the Lord, to do battle in the spiritual realm. By the power of Jesus we wanted to break the bonds that satan had upon Moam, and we wanted a miracle, a miracle healing from mental illness.
We entered Moam’s room again and stood barefoot on the urine covered floor. I can’t imagine how overwhelming and scary it must have been for Moam to be so vulnerable in front of us. Still naked, and only having a sarong to cover herself, sitting in a corner with her knees tucked towards her chest, while seven women prayed all at once towards her and another woman shining a light in her face. My team and I prayed over her for about thirty minutes. We told her that she was beautiful and that Jesus loved her. Sometimes it seemed like she understood, then other times she went into this state of delirium blank stares not really seeing anyone in the room.
We didn’t get the miracle that we wanted, but I do know that the Lord worked in a mighty, mighty way that night. First, He did an amazing work within my team. This was the FIRST night we had been all together as a team! The unity that He created within us was so strong, and He pushed us towards Him like never before. Second, I know that God did break spiritual bonds Moam was subject to through our prayer. Maybe, she had never heard the name of Jesus before that night. She definitely knew Him after that.
When my team felt like it was time to go, I felt such heartache. We were going back to our room where were had something to sleep on, she had nothing. I felt guilty leaving her. Then Claire suggested to sing Moam a song before we left. The two of us went back in and crouched down in front of her and sang Sanctuary. It was a beautiful moment. She stopped her random babbling and began to listen, it seemed to bring her peace.
That night laid the ground work for a beautiful relationship between us and Moam and it opened doors for great opportunity to show the love of Jesus throughout the week. This has been the most emotionally exhausting week and the most eye-opening week to the injustices of this world. But praise Jesus that the story does not end here! I will be writing about the amazing experiences and also the very sad experiences we had this week and how God’s glory shown through it all.
