Things I am still looking forward to (without expectations):
Leaving Southeast Asia from my favorite country in the world- Thailand! Yes!
Three months in Africa and a month in India
Debrief in a month and a half… translation: squad leaders come visit!!!!
Riding an elephant somewhere
These were the things I was thinking about as we arrived at the prison/drug rehab yesterday afternoon. On our way to the “classroom” we always pass the same things- the priestess standing on the curb at the entrance, various armed guards, trash everywhere and the two 24-48 hour holding cells for the people who have just been busted. When I walked past the cells and looked in I expected the usual, to be met with some aggressive guys, or, more likely, for no one to pay any attention to me. But as I looked through the bars this day I was met with a shock- there was a group of women inside- and as I looked at each of their faces and smiled I suddenly hit a brick wall. Not literally, although that wouldn’t be surprising, but I found myself physically unable to take another step.
It was just like in Thailand on our first night walking down the streets, I made eye contact with a girl and I couldn’t go any further. My heart started beating faster and I could just feel God’s presence so thick and I knew I had to speak to her… But this time I couldn't, I had to go.
After a few breaths I took a few quick steps and caught up with my group down the hall. During our hour Dustin and Shaun taught the guys a new song about Jesus and spoke to them about grace while Jessica and I attempted to unravel giant knots of thread. When the men were done with the lesson we realized we didn’t have enough time to make bracelets so the guys went outside to play volleyball for 15 minutes. I asked Jessica and our ministry contact if they would go back up front with me so I could talk to that woman during our extra time.
When we got back she was the only one left in her cell- perfect. With our contact translating I asked her name and age and about her situation. Her name is Cone. She is 19. She is 8 months pregnant. She just got busted for dealing drugs. My translator’s eyes got wide when he shared this last bit- apparently that is a really big deal here and she is going to be in serious trouble and serve some serious time. I started to share my life with her and that is when she began to really open up.
I told her I used to sell and use drugs and the only reason I was never caught was because I was out of town when my friends got busted. Then I shared the rest of my testimony with her. Afterwards she asked me this crazy question- "poot pasa thai mai dai kah"? (do you speak Thai?) I was so shocked she repeated it in Cambodian and my translator asked me the question in English. I then began speaking to her in my incredibly limited Thai. She was trying to tell me things she couldn’t say out loud in her language and her situation. She tried to explain how she was feeling and open up and trust me but I could only understand bits and pieces.
Afterwards I asked if she wanted to know more about the Jesus I spoke of in my testimony and her eyes lit up and she said yes. I spent about 10 minutes on the other side of the bars trying to communicate through my Philippino translator into the Cambodian language the most important story this woman would ever hear. I gave her the big picture in very simple terms. We asked her at the end if she understood and she said only about 30%. Then I broke it down for her in two sentences: God is real and He created everything in the world and He created you. He loves you very deeply and sent Jesus to save you, so that you could have a relationship with Him and feel His love and have joy.
She said she wanted to know Jesus and hear more about Him. She said that even though she didn’t understand everything we said she had felt something when I was talking. My translator was lost for the word for what she was feeling but I think it was Hope. She said that was the first time she had ever heard the name of Jesus.
Now she is somewhere in the Cambodian system, being charged as a drug dealer, about to give birth to a child who will be taken from her, and I will never see her again. But what I told her was true and that makes all the difference. It gives hope to her dark situation. God is real and He did create her and he does love her and want a relationship with her. Yesterday was the first time she heard the story of Jesus and about the God who adores her… but it won’t be the last.
It was just like in Thailand on our first night walking down the streets, I made eye contact with a girl and I couldn’t go any further. My heart started beating faster and I could just feel God’s presence so thick and I knew I had to speak to her… But this time I couldn't, I had to go.
After a few breaths I took a few quick steps and caught up with my group down the hall. During our hour Dustin and Shaun taught the guys a new song about Jesus and spoke to them about grace while Jessica and I attempted to unravel giant knots of thread. When the men were done with the lesson we realized we didn’t have enough time to make bracelets so the guys went outside to play volleyball for 15 minutes. I asked Jessica and our ministry contact if they would go back up front with me so I could talk to that woman during our extra time.
When we got back she was the only one left in her cell- perfect. With our contact translating I asked her name and age and about her situation. Her name is Cone. She is 19. She is 8 months pregnant. She just got busted for dealing drugs. My translator’s eyes got wide when he shared this last bit- apparently that is a really big deal here and she is going to be in serious trouble and serve some serious time. I started to share my life with her and that is when she began to really open up.
I told her I used to sell and use drugs and the only reason I was never caught was because I was out of town when my friends got busted. Then I shared the rest of my testimony with her. Afterwards she asked me this crazy question- "poot pasa thai mai dai kah"? (do you speak Thai?) I was so shocked she repeated it in Cambodian and my translator asked me the question in English. I then began speaking to her in my incredibly limited Thai. She was trying to tell me things she couldn’t say out loud in her language and her situation. She tried to explain how she was feeling and open up and trust me but I could only understand bits and pieces.
Afterwards I asked if she wanted to know more about the Jesus I spoke of in my testimony and her eyes lit up and she said yes. I spent about 10 minutes on the other side of the bars trying to communicate through my Philippino translator into the Cambodian language the most important story this woman would ever hear. I gave her the big picture in very simple terms. We asked her at the end if she understood and she said only about 30%. Then I broke it down for her in two sentences: God is real and He created everything in the world and He created you. He loves you very deeply and sent Jesus to save you, so that you could have a relationship with Him and feel His love and have joy.
She said she wanted to know Jesus and hear more about Him. She said that even though she didn’t understand everything we said she had felt something when I was talking. My translator was lost for the word for what she was feeling but I think it was Hope. She said that was the first time she had ever heard the name of Jesus.
Now she is somewhere in the Cambodian system, being charged as a drug dealer, about to give birth to a child who will be taken from her, and I will never see her again. But what I told her was true and that makes all the difference. It gives hope to her dark situation. God is real and He did create her and he does love her and want a relationship with her. Yesterday was the first time she heard the story of Jesus and about the God who adores her… but it won’t be the last.
I know God works in big ways but I am still taken aback by it sometimes. I kept looking around me as I was talking because, well, how comfortable would you feel standing in the middle of a Cambodian prison surrounded by addicts and armed guards talking about your involvement with drugs? And people were definitely listening. That was the cool part. Everyone around us was silent as I shared my testimony and the Gospel. The four men who gathered behind me and the men in the cell next door- all of them were there to listen to my every word. My intention was to show this one girl the love of God. His intention was to share it with her and 10 other men. God is huge. God is working. I am honored to be His daughter and His messenger.
