Global Renewal’s Blog

“…the Kingdom of God really looks like one smiling child at a time until nations are full of people who are passionate lovers of God.” Heidi Baker

Josiah, Ruthie, Megan, and Timothy

Many of you have been asking for an update on Tete—now referred to as Ruthie. When we arrived at the center on Tuesday, she ran, wrapped her sweet arms around me, and hugged me affectionately—it was moving. Ruthie looks healthier and is always happy. We’ve discovered more of her sad past though—it seems that for years, her mother chained her to a post and left her in her own refuse—drugged with sleeping pills to keep Ruthie quiet. The chain marks are still evident on her tender neck. It’s hard to imagine now—her insistent smile, her bright eyes, quick obedience, and almost palpable love belong to someone else—someone privileged enough to have be given a daily meal, bathed with loving hands, and dressed at least in underclothes…Ruthie was given none of this. Only a chain, scathing looks, curses, and abuse. But, she loves…

On the practical side, she needs dental work, a speech therapist, and special education. Ruthie doesn’t know of her needs—she only knows she’s in a place where no one dare hurt her again—a place where she dances and everyone applauds—a place where she’s the princess. Imagine being the only child in a house with 20 adult Bible students We just hope she doesn’t get too spoiled! So, it’s time to give Ruthie a home…and find more Ruthies. The safe-house project is on!

Anna & Tete

“Welcome to Cambodia!” accompanied by the traditional bow, was the greeting I got from every student, parent and guest as I stepped into the spacious yellow brick 4-story building, GR’s regional headquarters and the home of Cambodia Training Center in Phnom Penh.  This was graduation weekend, so the house was bustling with newcomers moving in, students running errands, Center coordinators trying to keep everyone on schedule, and Tete (remember her from a prior blog post?) mingling in-between everyone looking for one of her numerous “Ma’s”.

It's 5 am!

This was my first visit to the Center, which puts kids in their early 20’s through a year-long Bible/Evangelism/Church Planting/Skills/English curriculum, at the completion of which they’re assigned to a service location or ministry in accordance with their vision and calling.  It quickly became obvious that when Liney and David had described the program as “intense,” they truly meant it—5 AM prayer and a full class/study schedule are strictly adhered to, every student has rotating cooking/cleaning/shopping duties, and the first street witnessing opportunities are generally presented as early as a month or two into training.

Trully and Esther, who run the Center don’t cut the students any slack either—the fans in the boys’ dorm kept breaking for some reason, so when fan #4 got brought in, the boys promptly disassembled it in the hopes of using it as a guide to fix one of the 3 broken ones.  As typically occurs in such circumstances, the ultimate result was a broken 4th fan.  After getting thoroughly scolded for poor stewardship, Trully’s verdict was no more fans for boys. “If you feel hot at night, just ask God to send a breeze,” she instructed.  For a little over a year now, the boys have been relying on the Lord for cool nights.

In conjunction with my initial administrative duties, I got some visibility into the ministry coverage the Center provides in the area.  There are currently 24 Home Groups under the oversight of the Center and its students.  About half of them are in Phnom Penh, and the other half are in the nearby provinces. Cambodia has in the recent few months been prophetically named the Place of Harvest, which is quite supportable by the degree of activity surrounding the Home Groups.

Village waiting to be changed

In a couple of provinces, the Chiefs have already invited the students to minister to the villages neighboring those currently visited, however there are only so many hours in a day…  The Center’s game plan is to identify leaders in the existing Home Groups, individually disciple them, and send them out to their neighbors to continue spreading the News of God’s love.  Another strategy being implemented this summer in Timuy province is starting a school for children, who remain largely unattended during the day as the parents are look for work.  By serving the families this way, the students hope to develop relationships with their parents and eventually start meeting in Home Groups.

The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few…

Anna

Anna Verbytska is Global Renewal’s newest face in Asia. She represents us in Singapore and is an immense asset to the administrative team in our centers. Anna also likes to eat bugs…a delicacy in Cambodia…Yes, she really did!

After

Before

Today, sometime before daybreak, our 5 year old, Megan, climbed into our bed and held me-with both arms. She fell asleep that way, and I had no intention of escaping her clutches-in fact, I relished it. But my mind couldn’t really focus on the moment. You see, yesterday, our team in Cambodia adopted a little girl about the same age as our daughter. Her name is Tete. Last month while in Cambodia, we taught a local village on preventing human trafficking-it’s a village known for selling its children. That’s where we met this jewel.

Tete...Love at first sight

She was referred to as the “village idiot” because, mentally, she’s a bit slow. We noticed that the other villagers were rough with her. Upon further inquiry, we were informed that her caregiver (her grandmother) had sold Tete’s mother to be a sex slave-she died six months ago. Tete’s father is dying of AIDS. We couldn’t leave her there. So as of last night, Tete belongs to you and me.

The first thing our team did was shave her hair—it was lice-infested. That’s when we noticed the scars from beatings on her head and bruises on her body. Tete needs diapers too-she doesn’t know how to use a toilet. After all that, she was taken to a doctor. He confirmed that she is not HIV positive (thank God) but has been raped. While the doctor was examining her, she screamed and cried. What was she remembering? Was she sold to the highest bidder like many other young girls? Or was she just used and abused since her life held no value to the villagers? My heart aches when I think of what she may have endured. Our prayer is that she will be healed, body soul, and spirit, by the love of Jesus. He loves Tete.

SAFE

So while I bask in a warm embrace and whiff strawberry-scented hair….I look forward to holding Tete and telling her how special she is; wiping her tears away; praying with her….But, there are many more Tetes…we can’t forget that. Human trafficking is real. Children are being scarred in more ways than we can imagine.  When we say there are 27 million victims of trafficking, we’re talking about the population of Australia …Insurmountable? No. With God, you and I will make a difference…just let the children come.

So finally, after a gestation period rivaled only by whales and elephants…                Global Renewal is LIVE!

We would be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge the blood, sweat and tears of the many who made this happen:

Web designer summa cum laude: Shibu George (and his dear wife, Joyce, who gladly sacrificed her husband on the altar of bytes and bits).

James Mathews and Lance Abraham who smithed our words and steered our paths and made us rich–two cents at a time…(as you can tell, they didn’t get to edit this)…

Sunil Samuel …our patient project manager…

James Chacko whose culinary delights brought in the means to begin this journey (remember the Website Bake Sale???),

Steve John who designed a logo beyond our expectations,

Ed Parker and Charles Moozhi who can tell stories without words through their photos and video,

and everyone who worked and waited …THANK YOU!

www.globalrenewal.org

Some months ago, we learned a new song at church:

I’D RATHER BE A KEEPER OF THE DOOR

AND KNOW THE POWER OF YOUR PRESENCE LORD

TO BE ABLE TO GAIN ENTRANCE

RIGHT INTO YOUR HOLY PRESENCE

I’D RATHER BE A KEEPER OF THE DOOR

ONE THING I ASK 
AND I WOULD SEEK

TO DRINK THE WATERS FROM YOUR LIVING WELL

MY HEART AND FLESH
 CRY OUT OH GOD

TO KNOW YOU IN THE PLACE YOUR GLORY DWELLS

I WOULD LET THE DOOR SWING WIDE 
INVITING EVERYONE TO ENTER IN

SHINE THE LIGHT AND SHOW THE WAY (Song by Josh Dufrene, David Binion)

That song brought a whole new meaning to the Scripture found in Psalm 84: I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. I had always taken that to mean “I’d rather take the lowly role of being a doorman in God’s house…” or  “If I can just stand at the threshold of His house…” Humble, but that’s not what it entails.

In John 10, Jesus declares: “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.” If Jesus is the Door, and we are the Keepers-what does that mean? It means if we don’t open the door for people, they will never enter in…

2 Kings 22 shows us that the keepers of the door were ranked right behind the high priest and the priests. They kept watch at the doors. They made sure nothing unclean entered in. Doorkeepers collected money for the temple and threw out anything idolatrous.

In I Samuel, we read that Eli sat at the door of the temple-it was there that he observed Hannah praying. But we read of Samuel, Hannah’s offspring, that he woke up in the morning and opened the doors of the temple. As you progress in ministry, you may come across some Eli’s: they’re sitting-they let others open the doors; they will die sitting-sometimes falling backward.

But we must open the Door. Open them every chance you get. Take advantage of every opportunity to take people beyond the veil. Bring them to the door. May we never get too big to remember that our highest calling is to stand at that door and when the Shepherd’s voice comes, open it so that His sheep can enter in and find pasture.

Twenty-four years ago, I left home with a Bible and a toothbrush…to become a doorkeeper. That job has taken me to Central America, the Caribbean, Papua New Guinea, Southeast Asia, the projects of NY, the streets of NJ, the homes of the lost and forgotten, the affluent and broken, the huts of former cannibals and the playgrounds of fatherless children.

We are Keepers of the Door–Guardians of His presence, Custodians of His courts, Curators of His majesty. We hold such power in our hands today-never exploit it, lord it, or abuse it. Hold that handle with sacred honor and unsullied purity.

After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. Keep your eyes focused there, on that open Door and may His kingdom come, may His will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
 
Let’s go forth, grip that handle,  swing it wide, and bid them enter…Let’s go, they’re waiting.

In December of 1865, the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States officially abolished and prohibited slavery and involuntary servitude.   An incredible day in the history of our country …and a great example for the world.   But the history books lulled me to sleep.   I have always thought of slavery to be something in the past.   Something distant.

I was wrong.

A couple of months ago while in Cambodia, I realized that what I thought to be a terrible chapter in world history closed had simply gone …underground.

And we are.

You can help young, native missionaries to spread the Gospel of peace and the good news of prevention—so another life can escape the snare.

We work with existing anti- trafficking organizations to ensure that a haven is created in the safe houses through spiritual warfare and intense intercession. Finally, we seek to identify and enable those on the road to rehabilitation with all the tools they need to come back to safety…back to LIFE.

Human trafficking is the 2nd largest organized crime in the world.   Estimates have between 2 and 4 million women and children were trafficked as slaves …since just January of last year. Twice as many people are enslaved right now than there ever was during the transatlantic slave trade.

I recall the famous words of Robert Kennedy – ” Each time a man (or woman) stands for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against an injustice …he sends a tiny ripple of hope ….and those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.”

We’re determined to close the chapter on this piece of History …once and for all.   “With God nothing shall be impossible…” Every time you decide to make a difference, you represent a ripple of hope that forms a mighty current of change.

Together, let’s Stop the Stain.

www.globalrenewal.org