Sunday, July 13, 2008

Lisa - How Long O'Lord?

Yesterday morning in my quiet time I was meditating on Habbukuk 1:2-4 --- 'How long O'Lord must I call for help but you do not listen or cry out to you 'violence' but you do not save? Why do you tolerate wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife and conflict abounds. Therefore the law is paralyzed and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous so that justice is perverted.


These verses seem so fitting as we visited the Tuol Sleng museum on Sunday. As I looked at the photos of the many faces that were incarcerated and tortured in this place, I could not help but wonder how many of them must have cried out in anguish to God. How many of them saw that the law was paralyzed and felt hemmed in because the wicked hemmed in the righteous.


Today these verses taken on a new meaning for me as I think of the young girls who are held against their will in brothels in Cambodia. How many of them must be crying out 'how long O' Lord.' Indeed it seems that for them the strife and conflict abounds and for those who are seeking justice on their behalf the law is paralyzed and justice seems perverted. Yet what gives me hope is the opportunity to visit places like the New Song centre. Yesterday we dropped by to have lunch with them and handout handmade necklaces with a cross. It has been 3 years since the centre has opened up and I remembered my first visit in 2005 when only 16 girls were there. Today they are 47 girls living there and each time as I have had the opportunity to come and visit, I am just so thankful for this oasis as I look at the smiling faces of the youthful residents. It was such a joy seeing a special little sister who I’ll called Nih---she’s actually 17 now and is studying English and math. But I remember the first time I saw her those 3 years ago, we sat on swings and she began to share her dream of wanting to be a pilot. Today that dream is still alive and I look forward to seeing how the Lord will transform that dream into a reality in her life. When she caught sight of me as we entered into the eating area, I felt so blessed as she ran up to give me a big hug. It was as if we were long lost friends and in some ways we are. It is my prayer and hope that the Lord will continue to nurture this friendship regardless of the distance of our countries.


We spent some time helping the girls make balloon animals although some of the girls found it more fun to burst the balloon. In the end, the staff at Newsong along with the girls took the team on a tour of the building. Some of the girls proudly escorted some of the team members into their rooms showing them pictures and the stuffed animals they had collected. For me, just walking through the bedrooms of the girls gives me such joy as I observe all the bright colours of their bedsheets and the pictures they had drawn that hung on the wall. For here in this place, restoration of a childhood stolen was slowly being redeemed. Teenage girls were finally being able to just be free to laugh and play and do silly things.

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