This month, our team has spent each weekend exploring the city and country. Weekend #1, we ventured into the Royal Palace and wandered as much of the grounds as allowed (it is still an operational facility). Weekend #3 we spent in Siemreap and at Angkor Wat, a six hour bus ride from Phnom Penh (more on this in another blog).
But I should tell you about weekend #2.
It was an intense cultural lesson in the recent history of Cambodia.
We went to one of the Killing Fields and then to Tuol Sleng a school commandeered and turned into a prison that is within walking distance from our hostel.
It was difficult. It was an overwhelming picture of a lot of reasonless violence carried out in a very short period of time.
At Tuol Sleng, row after row of pictures of the men, women and children tortured captured my attention. It was almost too much to see, but these haunting photos are the only message they have left to present to their country and to outsiders like me. And I know little of how to sympathize a nation who has lived through that kind of terror.
It has been 30 years since the Khmer Rouge was overthrown and cast out. At the Killing Fields, clothing and bones are still being unearthed as people walk the paths and weather erodes the earth.
As the clothes come up, they are moved to one of several cases. Or put under the case.
The bones are moved into the stupa, a memorial on the grounds.
I found that I just wanted to be quiet, but no matter how softly I walked or how much I contained my breathing, sounds seemed to echo and reverberate all around me. This one song played over and over in my head. I thought I would leave you with that.
Dry Bones
my soul cries out
my soul cries out for you
these bones cry out
these dry bones cry for you
to live and move
only You
can raise the dead
lift my head up
Jesus, You’re the one who saves us
Constantly creates us into something new
Jesus You’re the one who finds us
Surely our Messiah will make all things new
