What a day?

Marty's Daily Diary #1

It is now 6:15pm PP time. I slept for 5 hours on the flight to Taipei. So that means I have had a day of 45 hours with only 5 hours sleep. So, I am not sure that these thoughts will be very coherent.

I watched Rambo 4 on the plane. It was the story of a group of Christians who went in to the Burma to help the people and they got kidnapped amidst a huge amount of brutality. Rambo had warned them previously that THEY would never be able to change anything. "There is nothing we can do" is Rambo's view on life, despite the fact he seemingly 'saves' the day by killing all the bad guys. The story has little, if any redemption, in it.

Then I reached in to my bag and started to read "Terrify No More:" (my 2nd time through) IJM's story of the raid that rescued the girls from the brothel that once was Rahab's House.
Gary Haugen states the 4 aims of IJM :-

1. Free victims
2. Prosecute the perpetrators
3. Provide safe after care for those rescued, and
4. transform communities so that injustice isn't acceptable any more.

That's it - that's what Rahab's House is all about, and it is totally the opposite of what Rambo proclaimed. God is about the work of redeeming this land I am now in and from our perspective this is happening via through the faithful actions of the IJM and ARC folks over these past several years. I had never thought of it like that before. Converting this evil house into a place for ministry is all about beginning the work of redeeming Svay Pak and beyond.

I am profoundly humbled and privileged that I am a small and insignificant part of this. Tomorrow is a huge day for me. Tomorrow I will come face to face with a buidling that in the past has been nothing more than pure evil. Tomorrow the physical (and I believe the spiritual as well) transformation begins.

God, give me the strength to do your will in Svay Pak.

Blessings to you all, and thanks for your continued prayers.

Marty