Our GREAT God (& John Castledine)

When we first got here, Ruth, told us about John Castledine. She said again and again, “he’s an amazing man.” And without a doubt, that he is simply amazing and so much more.

Saturday at 4:30am we woke up and got ready for our ferry to go across the river to go see this amazing church to go see the amazing man, John. We were late, which isn’t new, but thankfully we didn’t miss our ferry and we were off.

Upon arriving on shore, we met the man. He had grey hair and looked like a John…um yea… that’s right. He had grey hair. We were in the middle of traffic so introductions we a simple “hello” but that was good enough for us. We went through town and I personally liked it a lot better than the part of Phnom Penh that we have been living at. It was a lot quieter here and I’d say it was more peaceful to some extent. Anywho, soon enough we arrived at the training center called, Sovanapoom Care. It looked like a fortress with its walls high and the door that kept all the bad things out. As we entered the center, there were two rows of elderly people outside with loud music coming from the inside. We got there right in time to see the last 30 minutes of their outreach. Inside the center were about a hundred little children; some were there with their mothers. The room was packed and up where the stage was were the children who lived or came to the center on a regular basis. They were leading worship and it was an amazing sight to see. We found out later the elderly remained outside because the service had been moved upstairs making it hard for them to climb up. I thought it was genius considering the children sang so loudly anyway.

John later had us go outside. It was a regular, it seemed, that he gave away noodles to those who came by. Considering food is hard to come by among those who are in poverty, anything is a blessing. John handed out two packs of noodles to the elderly as they left and had us help hand out one pack the massive amount of women and children who came down from the stairs. I have plenty of pictures and I can’t wait to show you!

When all the visitors had cleared, John invited us into the office and got right on with it. He started to tell us how it all started and we sat in awe… no…I mean we were IN AWE of what God had done in his life. John and Tessie Castledine came to Cambodia about 10 years ago. But before those 10 years God had turn John’s whole life around. You see, John was a major alcoholic and an abuser. Never did he think that he could ever change his ways… but what can I say, we serve an amazing God who can turn even the hardest of all hearts around. John said that the day he gave his life to God he had been on fire for God and until this day he is still on fire for God… I believe it.

It all started when made it loud and clear that John and his wife needed to go to Cambodia. Unsurprisingly, he did just that. From the start, people told John it was a waste of time to work with poor people and that he shouldn’t go. He retorted and said that Jesus worked with poor people all his life and if it was good enough for the Lord then it was good enough for him *I thought, “AMEN to that!”* With nothing but twenty dollars to his name he and his wife went to Cambodia. When they had first gotten there people were dying left and right of starvation and diseases. I believe their passion grew when John encountered a woman who was ready to drown her child because her baby was sick and she couldn’t take care of it. John saw her and stopped her asking her for the baby if she didn’t want it and sure enough she gave over her baby and left. Not to long after, the baby the grew to love and called their own died in their arms. Tessie took it hard as any mother would and remained heart broken for her child. When John was walking the street and saw a little boy no older than 5 years old caring for his one year old brother, he couldn’t turn away and took them home with him. Obviously, Tessie wanted nothing to do with them and asked him to take them back. John said he would take them back and of course they’ll die on the street soon enough. This was just the thing to change Tessie’s mind and they kept them both and raised them as their own. Since that day children have been brought to them and the family has grown from two children to over seventy now.

Most of the children who come have lost one or both parents, which is why most people consider it an orphanage, and other children have been given to them due to their cruel living environments. Many of those children were abused by their parents who were druggies, alcoholics and gamblers. Instead of feeding their starving children they spent every last cent on themselves. These children were either handed to the Castledine by the government or by relatives or neighbors who witnessed the children’s living circumstances. The Sovanapoom Care is a place where babies whose mothers had no milk or money to feed them, children dying of starvation and disease, young teenagers at risk of trafficking and adults with nowhere left to turn have found it to be an oasis of life in often desperate situations.

Some of the stories that continue to ring in my mind as John went on and on about the MANY MANY amazing things God has done since they had gotten to Cambodia are the stories about Jeremiah and Samson. Jeremiah was the boy I had mentioned earlier who was 5 years old when he had to take care of his one year old brother all by himself. His name wasn’t always Jeremiah but you see, this young boy took that name upon himself claiming the God has called him to be a prophet. John doesn’t doubt that God has placed this one his heart and within John’s own heart he knows that one day it will be Jeremiah who will take over him when he dies. He learns quickly and is a gifted musician. He welcomes those who have come in after him and looks out for them as well.

Samson is my personal favorite. He was at the footsteps of the center with aids and a hole in his throat but he was still breathing and alive. Everyone in Samson’s family had died and he was the only one left. He lived and ate with the dogs and knew nothing beyond that. John commented that Samson received his name because to grow without love requires one to have great strength *not to mention the huge hole in his neck that should have killed him…but it didn’t* Samson at six years of age and in his boldness would go around the town and to the docks proclaiming, “I HAVE AIDS BUT JESUS IS GOING TO HEAL ME AND I WILL BE HEALED!” and sure enough, his faith in the Lord healed him. These two are just some of the few AMAZINGLY RADICAL stories that John told us. The rest you’ll have to hear for yourself because they way unbelievably awesome.

John knows that God has called him to raise up a generation for his kingdom right where he is in Cambodia. God continues to give him visions and John continues to be obedient. An orphanage or not, John calls it a training center where building character is their main focus. Again, those who come MUST have a heart to learn. It’s a Christian-based center but nothing is shoved down their throats. Once the children are there they just can’t deny the One who had led them there and they worship—they really worship. As a matter of fact, the church service is led by the children. Children as young as 3 sing at the top of their lungs and they raise their hand up high as they sing their praises, which I assure you, reaches the heavens with a blast! John had also mentioned that when a new child is brought to their doorsteps he asks the children if they are willing to let them come in. letting new children come in means having less food and less floor space for the night. But each time they say, “yes” because they’ve all been there too—they’ve been without a home, they’ve been without food, they’ve been without hope. These children are amazing and it breaks our hearts to know that we will never be able to fathom the pain they had gone through. But we are thankful, truly thankful that there are obedient followers of our AMAZING GOD who chooses to say “YES!” when they are called and they live out their callings to the fullest measure.

I know this is about the longest thing you’ve read since your textbooks this summer if you got through it all but there are so much more I wish I could say but I must stop now. Our amazing tuktuk driver waits outside patiently for us and I must say my hands are getting tired. ;-P but before I leave I ask you to pray and REALLY PRAY because they need you. The center lives and feeds by donations and there aren’t any regulars so you know how that goes. Pay check to pay check and it is a close call everytime. John has also been given a vision to build a school building four stories high to give these children a chance and to empower them to become more than anyone has ever expected of them to become. John is raising up a generation who is hungry and thirsts for God but there is only him, his wife, and his sister, along with the temporary volunteers who come from time to time. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PRAY FOR THEM! IT IS AMAZING WHAT GOD IS DOING HERE… NOW THAT YOU KNOW…WHAT WILL YOU DO?! GET DOWN ON YOUR KNEES AND PRAY. *well, you can give and ask God if he is going to send you here too if you want! I’m sure they’d appreciate it loads

Oh! And you can go check them out at: www.sovanapoomcare.com..


We miss you and love you our lovely loves! See you in about 2 weeks.. pray for us too!!!!

inChrist,
pakou