Right now it’s called Cambodia, but this place has been changing their name with every new government established for a while. It’s been Khmer, Kampuchia, The People’s Republic of Kampuchia, etc. and now is called The Kingdom of Cambodia. This place has the highest deforestation rate in the world, and is home to one of the 7 Wonders of the World: Angkor Wat.1
This place is just FULL of customs from waving people over with your palm down, because palm up is offensive, to not leaving your chopsticks in the bowl (also offensive), to not coming in contact with a monk even by handing him something. A woman must place it on a floor or table where a monk can go get it himself or she must hand it to him with a special “receiving cloth.” Oh. You also can’t point your feet at anyone while sitting down. You know, like the direction your toes point when sitting crisscross-applesauce? Nope. You sit on your knees with your toes tucked under you. You never show the bottom of your feet to anyone. Heaven forbid you point your toes at the statue of Buddha in the house. Big no no.2
CAMBODIA
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Geography: After our adventure in Thailand we hop next door to Cambodia. Laos and Vietnam share a little face time with the rest of the country, but in addition to rivers, Cambodia also has access to the sea. There are some mountains around the edges, especially bordering Thailand, but most of the country is plains and rivers. Cambodia is home to the largest lake and the longest river in Southeast Asia, that river being the 10th largest in the world. It grows up to four times its size during monsoon season.4 Fortunately we will just barely miss it!
Size and Climate: Cambodia is a little smaller than Oklahoma. According to the CIA World Factbook, there is “little temperature variation” between the monsoon season and the dry season. I’ve heard racers say this was the hottest 30 days of their lives. This will be crazy.
Language and People: Khmer is the official language, and nearly 100% of the country speaks it. Of the 15 million people that live there, 97% are Buddhist, 2% are Muslim, and .4% are Christian. Point four percent.
Check this population pyramid out:
Over half of their population is under 15. Cambodia is also in the top 20 countries in the world where children 5 and under are underweight, and they are in the top 50 for highest infant and maternal death rates. Poverty is a huge deal here. GDP per capita plummets to $3,300 – or less than $10 a day – with 20% of the population below the poverty line. Cambodia has the lowest unemployment rate in the world, but most of the jobs are informal and not regulated. They are predominantly an agriculture-based society and child labor is huge… over 40% of children under 14 are working in fields or selling candy on the street corner.
Why I’m Excited: In the beginning when I was first choosing which route of countries I wanted to go on, for some reason Cambodia jumped out at me. Maybe it was this picture they used on the website 
Maybe it was all the pictures of little kids I kept seeing. Maybe it’s the idea of slum ministry or getting to love on little children that truly have nothing, yet in every picture I see there is nothing but pure joy on their faces. Look at this girl. Just look at her.
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I can’t really tell you what is drawing my heart to this place. This is the country where they eat larva, tarantulas, fertilized duck eggs, scorpion, water bugs, silkworms and flying ants. (I’m praying now that I’ll be able to keep these things down, if offered.) I’m a princess when it comes to the heat. I’m scared of getting another parasite or getting lice or – worst case – being hungry! Then I remember this isn’t about me, and I can’t truly love and throw myself into making a difference in the lives of these people I’m going to love on if I’m too concerned about how hot/tired/gross I feel. Please join with me in praying for selflessness and abandonment into the arms of Jesus and loving with all I have in me.
I have until tomorrow to raise $3500 to meet my first financial deadline. Please consider giving a tax-deductible gift to help me go. If I meet my next financial deadline I will eat one of these nasty things and make sure I have photo/video documentation for everyone who helped me get there. Seriously this could be the best $5 you ever spend.
Click the SUPPORT ME button tat the top of this page to help send me to Cambodia. I get to love on people and eat a spider. While you laugh at me. Thank you for helping me make a difference.
1 – http://www.travelingeast.com/asia/cambodia/ten-interesting-facts-about-cambodia/
2 – http://www.lonelyplanet.com/cambodia/travel-tips-and-articles/74933
3 – https://www.ansovatravel.com/Cambodia/Map-Introduction.html
4 – http://www.asianinfo.org/asianinfo/cambodia/pro-geography.htm
5 – http://victoriapierce.theworldrace.org/index.asp?filename=a-lifechanging-month
6 – All other information from the CIA World Factbook for Cambodia
