The things I saw in Cambodia- A 3-part series
Part One (THE KILLING FIELDS)
Cambodia has really been one of those months that challenges a person in ways that can’t imagine.
We have no host this month and walked into the month with a beautiful blank slate. Knowing that while we have a budget to adhere to… ultimately, we could go anywhere in the country and do anything with our days.
Originally my team was going to head up towards Siem Reap. But after the first two days in Phnom Penh, we decided collectively to stay here for most of the month as we had already made some good relationships.
On the first Sunday, we all attended a church walking distance from our hostel. It was in English and they had a coffee hour after the service to get to know one another! We met some amazing people there!
I met a woman who runs a school in the slums with her husband. I have spent a lot of time this month getting to know her, and I am so happy to have made friends with such a beautiful soul. Check out my next blog for what it looked like to work with her this month.
One of my friends traveled around South East Asia a few years ago and of all the places he saw… the Killing Fields in Cambodia remained among one of the most impactful places he recommended.
I knew when we got to Phnom Penh that it would be a top priority for me. As soon as it became clear we were staying in the city I made plans to head down to the Killing Fields (they are just south of the city ). Of my 7 teammates, 3 of them decided to come with me. We took the long tuk-tuk ride and it was a fantastic way to get a glimpse of the city.
As we arrived we got the audio tour headsets and headed to the museum to where they were showing a short introductory movie clip. It was a sobering depiction. All the laughing and joking that had been with us on the ride over was quickly overtaken by a dark cloud. We walked to the beginning spot on the audio tour and decided to pray over the area but also over our own hearts and minds as we learned about crimes against humanity that I wish only existed in nightmares.
From then on, the 4 of us went through the memorial at different paces. As I walked listening to history, facing the reality of the terrible genocide and the many mass graves in front of me. One of the markers allows you to walk along a small path in a wooded area. It was fenced in, with rice fields lying beyond the fence. I listened to the stories, those that survived but lost children, those forced to be child soldiers, those still traumatized by what they saw. I sat and let my eyes well up. 30 years ago. The political leader responsible for the ideologies of the Khmer Rouge genocide didn’t die until 1998… of heart failure. I wrestled with my feelings on the whole thing.
As I walked back and forth I noticed a man with crutches begging at the back fence. I smiled but indicated I didn’t have anything for him at that time. I continued walking to a bench nearby to finish listening to the stories before I moved on to the next marker. I watched tourist after tourist (some locals) pass by the fence without so much as a second glimpse. I guesstimate the man’s age to be late 40’s, possibly early 50’s. Meaning as a local… he was around during this genocide. I have no way of knowing what that meant for him.
I walked over to him and checked for understanding. No English, so no way to hear his story. I asked using hand signals if I could pray, he nodded. I gave what I could at the time. And moved to the next marker. The next few following got increasing more difficult to comprehend. The first marker was the garment fragments from the excavation sites, including blindfolds and gags for the many that never saw it coming. Then the site where only women were thrown… very few clothes were discovered as many of the women were naked when their bodies were tossed in the pit.
Then finally the Killing Tree and the grave beside it. If you saw my Instagram post… this is where the children and infants were killed. I won’t go into any more detail. But as the audio finished… I paused at the site. I sat down for a few minutes before moving on to the next. As I sat, I saw people from ALL over the world walk up to this spot… to learn what it was and be overcome with horror. Countless eyes welled up. Some cried unashamedly. Couples, singles, young, old, American, European, Asian, it didn’t matter. This was a human reaction.
While there is nothing to negate the horror of the genocide there was something beautiful in the way everyone was affected. A message of hope in the memorial that we won’t forget these people. And that humanity mourns them…
I continue to pray for the country as it struggles to heal from the deep poverty that ensued as well as the many broken people haunted by the past.
But I am so grateful for the lessons, the history, and the deeper understanding that I have gained from the Cambodian people and their culture.
