Healing Has Begun

Telling the Parable of the Prodigal Son with Collaged Cards

After saying goodbye to my terrific, stellar, big, big hearted team, I am staying on for another week in Poipet, Cambodia. Today, I was helping in the "New Bloom" part of the ministry. (I felt rather wilted from the heat!) However, before I share that story, I want to try to share about a few things that happened during last week.

I was part of a team that hosted/taught at/ made art at a pastors' conference. I worked with the pastors wives, and I helped them tell their stories through making story ropes. They also learned how to share the gospel using their hand made, collaged tags. (See Story Tags tab on this blog.)

I shared the parable Jesus told about the two sons a man had, one older, one younger - the Prodigal son. Could the women identify with either the younger or older brother, I asked.

The making of the story ropes proved to be a great bridge for sharing stories. It seemed a bit awkward at first, but as we gathered in small groups with translators, each woman's story unfolded as she held her story rope and touched the different pieces of fabric tied along the main strip.

As the women shared their stories, in small groups and with multiple translators, the horrors of the Khimer Rouge began coming out. Most had been little during the Killing Fields. Several remembered the loss of their father. One was separated from both parents at birth. There were many tears. 

As the women shared, we stopped, spoke truth into each situation and prayed. The story ropes were a bridge to get the stories out. All were amazed and encouraged as prayer and truth were spoken into each story.

Hopefully, healing has begun.

A mother making a story rope.