My time in Cambodia was so full that it has been hard to condense it into blog form …but here it is!
Phnom Penh
Our squad started out the month with a few days in Phnom Pen. During our short stay, we were able to visit the Tuol Sleng (S-21) Genocide Museum and learn about one of the most influential events in Cambodia’s recent history. Click here for more information.
Exploring the prison was a heavy experience. There were many mugshots of prisoners who had been wrongfully imprisoned and tortured. Looking into their eyes, I could see that they had experienced the brokenness of this world on levels that I could only imagine.
I will never be able to fully understand the depth of darkness that Christ willingly confronted on my behalf, but walking through S-21 definitely allowed me to grasp the severity of His sacrifice and love in a new way.
Sihanoukville
Every once in a while, Adventures in Missions (AIM) will send a team into a city to find out what the Lord is doing and how AIM can possibly support that work in the future. They call it an “Unsung Heroes” month. Last month, our team was assigned to an “Unsung Heroes” month in the city of Sihanoukville, Cambodia.
God blessed us with countless different relationships and encounters through out the month, but there were three ministries that we got to spend significant amounts of time with and we can’t wait to see what He has planned for these ministries in the future!
The Iris Ministries base in Sihanoukville runs a cafe (Cafe Awaken) which is used to offer employment, job training, and discipleship to local women. To say we felt super welcomed and connected to the team would be an understatement. The Sauder family, Bre, and the girls working at the cafe, felt like family from the moment we met. Definitely hard to say goodbye!
Sihanoukville is full of “karaoke bars” where you can rent private rooms and women (a mixture of voluntary and involuntary employees). One night, we joined the Iris team in renting a room and ten women. During our time, we goofed around to a few 90’s classics, sang some worship, bought the girls soda, shared testimonies, and prayed over them. How much did it cost to rent each girl? One dollar per hour.
Life International School (LIS)
Sihanoukville, on the coast of the Gulf of Thailand, is full of beautiful beaches, nearby islands, and delicious restaurants. However, it is also has a dark night life, red light districts, and rampant corruption. Life International School, a Christian school, sits in the middle of the city shining much needed spiritual light into local families. Though we were only able to minister alongside LIS for a few days before their winter break, our bonds ran deep.
Our team got to lead multiple Christmas assemblies and missions sessions. Some of us helped with P.E., some helped with reading time in the library, and my team mate Esther and I got serve in one of the first grade class rooms. By the time our students took the stage for their Christmas performance at the end of the week I felt like a proud mom waving and cheering loudly.
We are already jealous of the teams who will get to support and love on the teachers/students at Life International School in the future!
Schools in Sihanoukville run morning and afternoon sessions. Classrooms can have as many as 60 students for every one teacher and classes are taught in lecture format only. For students in the slums, these factors are coupled with the additional strains of cyclical poverty at home (i.e. regular truancy, poor nutrition, lack of parental investment in education). Their chances of reaching academic proficiency and having professional opportunities in the future are slim.
Stronghold Cambodia offers supplemental education to ninety-two children and their families. Children that attend school in the afternoons come to Stronghold in the mornings and vice versa. Every child is served one nutritious lunch, as well as taught English, Khemer (the local language) and Math. Stronghold staff also runs a parent ministry with goals of empowering local mentors from within the parent group.
The founder of Stronghold, a local Cambodian, began attending free English classes offered by missionaries as a child and eventually came to know the Lord through that ministry. Stronghold staff recognises that strong academic proficiency opens up a myriad of employment opportunities, but their ultimate objective is to introduce each child and family to the freedom of Christ.
The Stronghold staff is an amazing, uncompromising group of ministers. Can’t wait for future teams to bring a fresh breath of encouragement and support to this all star group!
Siem Reap
Before heading out of the country, I spent a few days regrouping and debriefing with the rest of the squad in Siem Reap. Though time was limited, I was able to visit Angkor Wat (one of the seven wonders of the world), watch “Rogue One”, and make some new friends.?
Couldn’t have asked for a better way to wrap up 2016!
Thank you for joining with me on this adventure.
Love you!
