so fellow partners, followers, alongsiders in this World Race journey/ adventure with our Lord Jesus Christ. We are going to be preparing our hearts and minds for this trip by preparing through PRAYER!!! Every couple weeks I will introduce you to a new country and or people group with whom I will be working with, discipling, ministering to while I prayerfully walk around the world next year! I will giving you the demographics/ politics/ economics of each place/ people group and then some prayer needs for you and I to be faithfully praying over together!! EXCITED?! I AM! I THINK IT WILL BE AN ADVENTURE!!!
We will be starting with CAMBODIA!!
Bullet points for the week (like that Brad and steph?! 😉 ):
- Geography: 181,035sq.km. Fertile, forest-covered state of SW Indo-China on the Mekong River.
- Population: estimated to be 13,250,035 by 2010 (+1.67% Ann.Gr.) Capital: Phnom Penh 950,000.
- Peoples: Mon-Khmer: 86.5% and is comprised of 10 people groups the largest is Khmer: 83.3% and various Tribal peoples: 3.2%; Malay: 3.8% and Other groups: 9.7% including Vietnamese, Chinese, Lao and Thai.
- Languages: Literacy: 65%; Official language: Khmer; All languages: 17; Languages with Scripture: 2 have the full Bible; 1 NT; 1 portion of the Bible; and 1 has a work in progress (scripture translation).
- Economy: Rich agricultural potential but last 25 years of war and genocide has impoverished most of the population. Major economic activities are: receiving international aid (the largest per capita receiver nation in the world) and industries such as pornography, prostitution, sex-trafficking, and drugs. Public debt: 66% GNP.
- Recent Politics: Victim of Vietnam war opened the door for the extreme Marxist Khmer Rouge take-over in 1975, which turned into one of the most savage slaughters in the 20th Century. Almost all former military personnel, civil servants, educated or wealthy people and their families were killed, and the nation turned into a vast labour camp. Approximately 2 million people were killed in this genocide. Although in 1978 the Vietnamese army ousted the Khmer Rouge, civil war raged between the four remaining, contending armies with superpower support until 1991. International efforts to bring democracy with elections in 1993 and 1998 were expensive and manipulated by leader Hun Sen whose agenda was to entrench his personal power base, and crush opposition. Nevertheless, there has been no more warfare since 1998.
- Religion: Buddhism has been the national religion since 15th Century. Khmer Rouge sought to eradicate all religions. As a result 90% of all Buddhist monks and most Christians perished. It has only been since 1990 that Christians have been able to worship openly. The breakdown of major religions in Cambodia are as follows: Buddhist: 82.57%; Chinese Folk Religions: 4.69%; Traditional Ethnic (ancestor worship/ animism): 4.35%; Muslim: 3.90%; non-religious: 2.92%; Christian: 1.19%.
- PRAYER NEEDS:
1. Spiritual Darkness to be lifted: seen in multiple spirit shrines that litter the countryside, towns and cities; strong opposition of Buddhism to any ideological rival; moral collapse; thriving sex industry where 1/3 of all prostitutes (estimated 50,000) are children; highest rate of child abandonment in SE Asia; HIV is spreading rapidly with 180,000 known to be infected in 1999 and 3,500 children born with HIV each year. PRAY FOR THE LIGHT OF THE GOSPEL TO SHINE INTO THIS DARK CULTURE.
2. Pray for the rebuilding after the genocide of the Khmer Rouge: Many deep emotional and physical scars are left. Pray for justice; for those seeking to remove landmines; strength for those caring for the maimed and healing for those who are maimed; and a government that seeks the good of all.3. The Cambodian Church: Freedom from gov’t manipulation and interference; for young people and children to be raised and trained as effective disciples of Christ; for Christian families to be raised up; for a vision to reach the lost among their own peoples.
4. The State of the Gospel: that Bible and Christian literature would continue to be translated and distributed throughout Cambodia; that the Jesus video would continue to reap a GREAT harvest as it is being used in Khmer, Vietnamese, and Chinese; that there would be more freedom given to the Christian radio stations in order that they are able to broadcast for longer than a mere 6 hours a week.5. The Less Reached: The Buddhist majority; The Cham: almost entirely Muslim- about 60% deeply involved in spirit worship. They have increased rapidly in numbers and there are few Christians or churches among them! The tribal peoples: Only among the Mnong have significant numbers come to Christ. Small but growing churches are among the Tampuan, Krung, Kravet, and Jarai- pray for an adequate survey of need and the calling of pioneers to reach them.
**All information gathered from Operation World: 21st Edition by Patrick Johnstone and Jason Mandryk.
for a recent story concerning the state of sex trafficking in Cambodia.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING ME IN PRAYING FOR CAMBODIA THESE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS!!
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Along the Road from katie rowland on Vimeo.
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