This month we are
supposed to be serving in Cambodia. As
it took us eight hours to cross the Thai border, the sign stated we were
entering Cambodia. However, the ministry
we are serving at feels much more like a distant land from a fictional movie
than a Southeast Asian country. Due to
the genocide that took place during the late 1970s around half of the Cambodian
population is under 20 years old. This
statistic was read to us at our cultural briefing and most of us chuckled at
the absurdity of the statement, little did we know how true the statement has
proven to be.
We are living in a
village about 30 miles outside of the capital city Phnom Penh. The village we are told is on an island
surrounded by rice fields. Our first
night we are invited into a New Year’s Eve church service. We are told that most of the church will be
present. Along with international
protocol the service naturally starts late, but as the people begin to drift in
we notice only kids and teenagers present.
As everyone is now in the church there are around 40 people and the
oldest Cambodian is a 28 year old named Phillip. I certainly felt like Robin Williams
wondering around wanting to ask where all the adults are. Once I finally stopped being curious, the
worship band began to play. I am not one
who usually partakes in jumping up and down worship services, but the emotion
of the children and the freedom suddenly felt in the church as the band began
to play I just lost it. We were all
jumping up and down praising Jesus for being the Way and the Truth and the
Life. There was an amazing amount of
freedom that could be sensed and felt in the church. Asian teenagers who are told to be subdued
with their emotions and never be loud were showing their joy and screaming. Jesus is alive and his name is being praised
here in Cambodia.
So we get to the Sunday
service and a few adults show up, probably 5 in all. The adults are completely outnumbered by the
kids, there are at least 100 children at the Sunday service. Phillip’s brother who is likely in his 20s
gives a sermon. The worship was a little
more subdued. But we have come to learn
that although the adults have remained either Buddhist or secular, at least for
our village, the children are coming to know Jesus in droves. Our small village which to me doesn’t seem
like it has more than 1,000 people in it have over 100 children who
passionately love Jesus. It really is
almost a utopian place representing the land that Peter Pan lived in with no
worries. The children are very committed
to getting educated. On our first night
everyone introduced themselves and took great pride in what level of school
they are studying. Many of the students
were home from the university and everyone wanted to hear about their studies. The country which was once almost completely
taken out by the dictator Pol Pot is slowly recovering by raising up a
generation of committed Christ followers.
Of course, there is a need for discipleship and wise teaching from
elders. The pastor of our children’s
church is in his 40s. But I cannot say
any more about the church than the fact that freedom certainly reigns. It’s almost as if the church is located in
another world, maybe we’ve just seen a glimpse of heaven here in what can best
be described as Neverland.
