Van Ride and Prison

Wow. So much to share, so many thoughts, so many stories already... We've finally arrived in Battambang and i want to share a little about our trip and our first morning here. After a 6 hour van-ride, 1 broken-down van, hundreds of potholes, and beautiful people to observe out the window, we made it to our hotel and have just completed our 1st outreach.

I couldn't help but ponder and ask God many questions about life as i observed so much poverty, purposelessness, and yet such beauty and simplicity. Thankfulness is something you will always here from people who return from a mission trip..that definitely has been an overwhelming feeling I've had since landing on this soil. Yes, i'm thankful for my home, air condition, road rules, and bug-free bathtubs, but what i'm forever thankful for is that I know THE God of the universe, who loves me unconditionally and gives me purpose. The God who paid a price for me to be able to have true LIFE and hope. What a mystery it is that He uses us to bring Him glory and do His work on the earth. How thankful I am that He brings me along on this process of sharing His love and hope... such a privilege.

I'm also thankful that we got to do a prison outreach this a.m. We went with an organization called "Prison Fellowship Cambodia." They are an organization that strives to bring people to relationship with Jesus Christ while equipping them to impact their society. They work with prisons to help educate and rehabilitate the prisoners and are still in the beginning stages of developing relationships with the prisons here. I love it.

So, a group of about 15 of us (from the Go Global Team) were able to go into the prison and share the love of Christ by giving them gifts, smiling, praying, and buying some of their paintings ($2 per painting) to support their education. Tom, who works with Joyce Meyer Ministries in Australia, shared the Gospel with them and then we stood in front while they lined up to receive gifts. There were hundreds of men and about 45 women (and 2 children). The common reasons they all were in prison were breaking contracts (debt) and drugs (youth). The women most likely were in prison for human trafficking (for example: selling their children for work). Broke my heart. In such a poor country, it's hard to blame them for not being able to pay back debts, furthermore, many of the women don't know that they have any other solutions for supporting their family than selling a child for work. I'm not condoling any of these actions, but it is heartbreaking.

We prayed over that place and believed God to save and rescue them from the prison of life without Him. I believe we sowed some seeds today in their hearts and took some significant steps for Prison Fellowship Cambodia to have a solid relationship with this prison in Battambang. The people from PFC were so thankful that we were willing to come to help them jumpstart this ministry here, but we were so thankful to be a part. I love that we serve a God of justice, who fights for those who have suffered and calls us to be a part of bringing freedom to the captives. Just like Isaiah 61 says, "The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upone me, because the Lord has appointed me to announce the good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to announce the captives will be released and the prisoners will be freed." Thank you Jesus for LIFE and HOPE!

Kassie Fowler