It has been one week since our team landed in Phnom Penh Cambodia.  I spent ten days here back in July with a team from Steps of Justice, and I can say it is great to be back.  Although Thailand and Cambodia are neighboring countries with somewhat similar cultures, this time it really hit me how drastic the differences are between the two and how the Khmer Rouge was a massive set back for the country on all avenues. On our third day in Cambodia, I had the opportunity to revisit S21, aka. Tuol Sleng Prison and the Killing fields. Two places that mark the tragic past of what the nation has had to overcome.  It was only thirty years ago that they suffered a massive genocide, instigated by the infamous Khmer Rouge and its leader Pol Pot. A nation stricken by poverty, they are still trying to move forward and keep up with the modern age.  S21 used to be a high school, a place of education, inspiration, and hope.  In 1979 it was turned into the Tuol Sleng Prison, where the brutality was so at large that out of the fourteen thousand prisoners who went through S21 only seven survived.
You walk room to room, hearing stories of those who lost their lives, and few from those who escaped. The atmosphere is heavy as you walk through the 3x7 foot cells, see the black and white pictures of victims, face after face. It' s hard stuff, it isn't easy, but it is an event in history that should never be forgotten.

Growing up in the United States, I never heard anything about the Khmer Rouge, and the only genocide I learned about was in Rwanda. So how could something so serious slip by?  I think it is vital as a world population that we do not turn a blind eye to what is happening, whether it be in our own backyard or a whole ocean away.  We need to start looking at the human race as a whole, and educate ourselves about our pasts so that we do not repeat what should have never happened in the first place.  Going to these places gave me a greater understanding of Cambodia as a whole and an even greater love for the people. Every person I see over sixty, amazes me and I long to hear the stories of their lives during that time and now.  It is incredible to see a people who have absolutely no reason to be joyful, hospitable, or open being the most earnest, friendly, servant hearted people I have ever met. They are beautiful each one of them, and they all have their very own story, whether they are survivors of the Khmer Rouge or if they are part of the new generation, each one is valuable and each has a voice that they can use to bring change to this world.

I really wonder how many times do we have to learn before we take action before it is to late, use our voices to take a stand and to speak out against what is wrong?  We are called to uphold the law, to do justice, yet if we let whole nations be under attack, how much more are we letting slip by in our own backyards?  Are we letting things slide because we fear what *may* happen if we speak the truth?.
Being in Cambodia and visiting the museums reminded me that in this day in age there is no room for apathy.  God did not call us to preach the good news, defend the orphan, or plead the case of the widow when we feel like it.  He did not say "If it is convenient" set the captives free.  No, He said "Do justice, love mercy, walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8) and there are 2,000 more scriptures that say the same.  We as the body of Christ must pursue Justice.  No ifs, ands, or buts.  Just like the Great Commission is not the great suggestion,  justice is something we are signing up for when we ask Jesus to be Lord of our lives.  Ken Wystma says in his book "Pursuing Justice": We are never closer to God than when we are pursuing justice by serving others.  
We may ask where was the world when 1.7 million Cambodians lost their lives?  But I also want to pose the question, where was the Church?  God has given us a voice and a choice to use it for good or for evil.  We were not called to sit back and watch our planet unravel, but we need to be actively asking God, what can we do?  What is our part?  How can we see an end to human trafficking?  How can we set up a successful integration plan for the refugees into our country?  How can I serve my community or local homeless shelter? In a way I feel like I went on a tangent, but then again these are the thoughts that came up when I learn about Cambodia's history.  So  let's challenge each other and ask the hard questions, what are we doing or not doing that is making an impact on this world?

We are about to start our second week here and I can't wait for God to grow my heart for this nation even more, learn more of the language (It is SO difficult), and get to know more of these beautiful Khmer people.

Hope has a name. It keeps us refrained from the lies in our head, making us think that we are dead. but were not, we are alive, we are just consumed by the darkness as we try to hide, but we must open our eyes and see the truth about who we were created to be.  Deep down in the core of it is the knowing of our identity.  To be set free, is to be free indeed. The living hope, is given by a man named Jesus.  His love is the sweetest, better than life itself, it will cause you to melt all the coldness in your heart.  You see He gave His life, He died on the cross, He suffered way more than what was enough for one man to bare.  Nobody stopped it, nobody cared.  Nobody dared to step between Jesus and the ones who hated Him the most.  So He endured, He wore the crown of thorns and took the beatings in order for us not to be forsaken.  He bore our sins on the cross, so in this life we live we would not be counted as lost but found.  When He breathed His last, many thought that it was the end, but the truth stood firm like the prophesies said, that man Jesus rose again.  And just a man He was not, but a savior who came to abolish evil for us all.  He bridged the gap between us and God, the Bible speaks the truth, He isn't a fraud.  He healed the sick, rose the dead from the grave, He lived a perfect life yet it was His life that He gave.  For us. For you. For Me.  He hung, nailed to the tree in order that we would have a chance at eternity, a relationship with him, and love that would conquer every sin.  Jesus loves you. He loves you.  He is the living hope, a fire that never dies. He is the alpha, omega, beginning, and end.  It is your heart in which He wants to mend.  To take away your shame and guilt,  to wipe away your tears. When all the walls are closing around you, He is the one who breaks in,  When you look around, all you see is black, you can't hear a sound, the pressure is so heavy, it's almost as if you are going to drown.  But there He is in all His magnified glory, shining brighter than the sun.  In Him there is no darkness, no imperfection can be found.  He rescues us from the pit of the ocean and sets our feet on solid ground.  He is our good good Father and we are his beloved.  That's who He is and that's who we are.  This hope has a named, His name is Jesus Christ.  He is the one who paid the price, gave everything so that we may have eternal life.

1 Peter 1:3-12

"3All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, 4and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay.5And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.

6So be truly glad.^b There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while.7These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

8You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. 9The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.

10This salvation was something even the prophets wanted to know more about when they prophesied about this gracious salvation prepared for you. 11They wondered what time or situation the Spirit of Christ within them was talking about when he told them in advance about Christ’s suffering and his great glory afterward.

12They were told that their messages were not for themselves, but for you. And now this Good News has been announced to you by those who preached in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these things happen."

There is a joke that we are on "Thai time"  and that things happen usually thirty minutes to an hour after they are suppose to.  Well my blog has immersed itself into the Thai culture and is also on Thai time.  *cough, cough*  I swear guys, one of these days there is going to be breakthrough and I will be posting regularly. But until then,  I hope you will be able to bear with my blogs sense of spontaneity.

Thailand.  It has a beauty all of it's own.  I could visit it time after time and still find new surprises.  I love that the houses are painted with vibrant colors so bright it makes your eyes hurt,  the fact that their word for "eat" is literally translated "eat rice", and that when you say "no spicy" you will most of the time be served a dish that'll bring tears to your eyes and sweat to your brow.  I love their sense of family, the respect they show their elders, and the way they will give a guest everything even if they have next to nothing.

There is a beauty in every nation, but something about Thailand draws me back again  and again, each time I find myself falling more in love with a place that is so foreign from my own.

These past three weeks have been wonderful, challenging, eye opening, life altering, perspective changing.  Outreach is something that is impossible to describe in one sentence, let alone one word.  There are so many impressions, emotions, experiences, and for the first weeks it seems like every thing you do is new.  But there is something so beautiful about it too.

The first two weeks we spent in Pattaya, Thailand.  There we got to work with children from the slums, teach English to the women from the bars, and also go on "bar outreach" where we get to sit down and talk with the women, ask them about their lives, hear their stories, and build relationships.  We got to hand out roses with notes of encouragement, pray for some of the girls and share the gospel with them!

We then headed up North to a village close to Korat.  There we stayed in the house of a woman named Pi Soi.  She is one of the leaders from Tamar center and is a part of counselling the girls who come out of the bars.  She blessed our team so much by cooking for us and bringing us into her family.  Every day we worked practically around her house, digging water trenches, pulling up weeds, and fighting off fire ants (and scorpions, spiders, and geckos! eek! ;)  Through out the week her neighbors would come up to her and ask her why all of these "farang" (foreigners) were here, let alone working for free.  Those questions gave Pi Soi the opportunity to share the gospel with her non-Christian neighbors.  God really spoke to our team that we would be the ones planting the seeds, and on our last night we literally planting tree's who would bear fruit in 2-3 years.

We also got to go on a spontaneous prayer walk around a temple close by.  Our eight year old team member, Kate, felt like we were suppose to go to the temple and tell the people about Jesus!   Her Dad wanted to show her what it meant to walk in simple obedience to God and so a bunch of us went! I even got to use my gospel bead bracelet to share about Jesus with one of the guys there who worked at the gift shop.  He listened intently and at the end asked us to repeat what the colored beads meant so that he could remember!! We really have faith that God wants to use him as a man of peace in his village and that he will remember the gospel and share it with his family, kids, and neighbors!

We are in a new village now, even further north!  It is called Chiayaphum.  We are staying at Tamar Center and have had a great week so far.  Our first day of ministry we saw five of our Thai brothers and sisters accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior (!!!)  We have also gotten to teach English in a school, pray for many sick elders, and help practically on a sugar cane and potato farm!

It is so incredible to be in this place and experience God's heart for the Thai people!  They are so hospitable and kind hearted!

God is continuing to teach me new and sometimes challenging lessons every day.  Almost every moment I feel that God is speaking, showing me new things or giving me a different perspective.  I continue to be reliant on His grace, wisdom, and love.  I am so humbled in many moments when I remember and realize that I am nothing without Jesus.  He is the one who equips, builds, prepares, leads, guides.  He is the reason why our team is doing what we are doing.  He is the one we want to receive the glory.  None of this is to make our names known, or to feel like a saint.  It is all because of God who sent His one and only son to die on the cross for the sins of the world.  It is because this is what Jesus calls us as Christ's body to do, "Go and make disciples of all nations".

What a blessing it is to walk in simple obedience to Jesus.  So we will keep doing what we are doing, giving Him the room and waiting expectantly for the power of God to move.

He wants to restore, redeem, rebuild and I am so thankful that I get to be a part of that :)