Cambodia!! and blog info

Hello! World Race has been trying to figure out what platform to use for blogs and so everything has been up in the air about we are using, but we just got information that we will continue to be using this one! Praise God! So sorry for all the confusion and delayed updates. This blog was written the first few weeks in Cambodia, and we are currently in week 7!

Cambodia 

A land the Lord’s heart breaks for, a land the Lord loves.

After 5 (ish) days of travel, my squad finally landed in Cambodia. And after three days in Phnom Penh, the nation’s capital, we are finally in Siem Reap, where my team will be for the next two and a half months. 

Immediately upon arrival at our hostel in Phnom Penh we felt the heaviness and realness of this country’s history and spiritual bondage. Cambodia went through a genocide from 1975-1979 where the Khmer rouge forced most people back to the fields because they wanted everyone to be on the same economic level. They killed and tortured the teachers, doctors or anyone with more knowledge. This not only hurt the country then but is still hurting it because of the major setbacks in education, trust and even self worth. There is so much to this genocide the more you look into it, the more you heart breaks for the people. Its referred to as a genocide and a civil war. The things they did to people was so inhuman neither my heart or mind can fathom why people would do this to other people. In Phnom Penh we got the chance to explore the city, get to know the people and prepare our hearts for the ministry we would be doing. Not far out of the city is the Killing Fields and a prison that the Khmer rouge used to kill and torture over 2 million people, with only 12 survivors. Some of the people on my squad went on a tour of them, some didn’t. Either way, you felt the pain from the genocide, even decades after the Khmer rouge lost their power. 

Because the city of Phnom Penh was built around a hindu and turned buddhist temple, that is most of the Khmer people’s faith and less people are accepting of christianity. In these temples and outside most businesses and houses are spirit houses that are supposed to hold a protective spirit (per the buddhist faith, which in Cambodia is also a mix with hinduism.) Except, any spirit that is not of the Lord our God, is not a protective spirit. My friends that visited the temple told me that they felt so uneasy walking into the temple and around. They said they could feel the presence of spirits, but not the one that brings joy and peace. This bleeds into the city, and the country as a whole. 

I didn’t do much of the “touristy” things in the city partly because it was a lot to take in and partly because some of my friends and I got the opportunity to love on some kids and a family that lived on the street outside our hostel. My friend, Ella, wanted to bring the mom of a two month old baby some food and water and that opened up conversation with two other women. As we sat with them and played with their kids and talked we learned more about the culture, what they think about christianity and buddhism. They didn’t understand why christians from the United States had a good life and they didn’t. We got to explain that just because you believe in Jesus doesn’t mean you will have a “good life” (according to the world’s standards.) We went back the next day and sat with them and played with the kids more.  

After Phnom Penh, we took a five hour road trip by bus to Siem Reap. We had two days of information and meetings and then two days of rest and team time. We started ministry last week, which for my team is working with a church here called Victory. It was planted by Victory church in the Philippines and still run by one of their pastors. On Tuesdays we go to the village they are partnered with and go from house to house introducing ourselves, playing with the kids and participating in a bible study. Every day of the week looks different for us, on Wednesdays we prayer walk the city and then teach English at night at a school. Thursdays we will be going to Southeast Asia university and doing campus ministry and teaching classes. On Fridays we visit the people that go to church clean and prepare for Sunday. And then on Sunday we put on church for the village and then in the city. 

Our God is big and kind and working even when we don’t feel it or see it. This is something I’m having to remind myself when we don’t see an abundance of fruit yet. The Lord is not in a hurry and loves the Khmer people more than I do, and I am so thankful for what he has, is and will do here. Today as we walked around the city we prayed for joy and a stirring in people’s hearts and the Lord gave me an image of soil being prepared. I saw soil being tilled and renewed and I know that’s what we’re here to do, prepare the soil. Whether that be praying, connecting people to the church, teaching English or cleaning the church, we are preparing for the harvest and the harvest is His!

Please be praying for relationships to be made and workers for Victory church and feel free to reach out with any questions or comments!