Awake again. This has become all too common for me during our stay in Siem Reap. Sleeplessness has been an unwelcome companion all month.
Most of the time I lay in bed tossing and turning with thoughts racing through my head. Nothing in particular, just random and mostly useless chatter. Other times, it is the biting mosquitoes and flies, or the feeling of crawling insects – real or imagined – that keep me awake.
Tonight it is all of the above. On top of that, my ears are tuned into the sounds of the pagoda down the street. There is a festival of sorts going on. It began last weekend I believe.
The streets have filled with people, and the monks have come out in masses. They gather at the many temples around town to offer their sacrifices and chants to appease their gods.
On the surface, and in the daylight, it is easy to observe all of this as a simple cultural event. It seems harmless enough when you allow your mind to be passive. But there is an acute awareness in your spirit that something a little bigger and darker is taking place.
I noticed that all of the dogs in town have gone completely mad. One starts barking, and then they all join in. The sound moves like a wave across town as one dog after another adds it’s own howl to the eerie chorus.
I hear this even now, echoing in the night beside the endless chanting and drums. It is a little harder to dismiss in the still of the night. It’s down right creepy. I can feel the cloak of darkness, and it’s almost suffocating.
I believe in faith that an angelic army is surrounding this house and protecting us, but I can’t help but feel as though we are also surrounded by peering eyes and glaring hatred.
I don’t know a lot of details about these celebrations. I have been told it is something like the Day Of The Dead festivals celebrated in Latin cultures. It is a time when people call upon the dead and offer sacrifices to appease them and gain their favor. Of course, the reality of all this is that they are calling out demonic forces all over town. Maybe even around the country.
Sadly, many of the participants probably have no idea what it is they are doing. To them it is just tradition, a part of their culture they learned as children. Others may know they are calling on demons, but they are likely blinded to the real danger or the darkness of that power.
Because of Angkor Wat and the other temples here, Siem Reap is the spiritual center for Buddhism in all of Asia. It is like the Mecca of Islam. What happens here affects the entire region.
That is one of the reasons why it is so important to bring the gospel to this city. It is also the reason why the gospel is met with so much resistance. Our host, Fhonkie, has stated repeatedly how hard it is to get missionaries to stay here long term because of the oppression.
It has been hard for them to even get a strong Christian fellowship started that can provide the support and encouragement people need in this environment. The International church we attended here is a good start, but even there, the attendance is in a constant state of transition.
The presence of evil is very heavy here. I can feel the weight of it. At school tonight, the sky even seemed darker than usual. There were no dark stormy clouds overhead, but it seemed as though the daylight was some how dimmed. This festival lasts for 15 days, so it has only begun, and it is already almost overwhelming.
Instead of lying in bed tonight trying to fight sleeplessness, I chose to get up and pray and write. I can hear a little stirring now and then, but I’m not sure if it is other restless teammates, or the lizards and mice that roam around freely in the night. I coughed a little, but got no response. I guess it’s probably just some of our nocturnal visitors.
The rest of the January racers are coming in to Siem Reap tomorrow for debrief. They have no idea what they are walking into, so we are praying a covering over them in Jesus name; to arrive safely without delay. I pray for unity that we will stand together, united in Christ’s blood – victorious.
May God’s kingdom come to Siem Reap and radiate throughout all of Asia. May Jesus’ blood, through the prayers of the saints, defeat the strongholds of evil here. Let this city be flooded with Christian missionaries and Khmer Christians to reclaim this territory. May their fellowship be strong so they are able to encourage one another and keep each other from falling. Amen.
