Day 9-10

We spent the night in Siem Reap and began the day by visiting a small Methodist church and school. The pastor, Rev. Lun Sophy, had preached the bonfire sermon at youth camp and we were excited to see his home church. Some 70 students from the neighborhood go to school in two tiny classrooms here. The church school supplements the half-day of public education the children receive and includes lessons in English and Khmer. Some of the students attend in the morning, some in the afternoon, and some are adults who come at night to learn English. The pastor’s wife is one of three teachers. The cost of attending school is $25/month, but no one pays the full amount. Half of the students are even too poor to pay anything. Somehow among the daily miracles here, they always collect the approximately $300 needed every month for the school and the church expenses. The church is in a room above the school.

A Buddhist temple lies directly across the street. The Cambodian government has recently passed a law that Christian churches can not exist within 2 km of Buddhist temples. They also have required churches to register with the government, to pay a $50 fee, and to license their schools. This small Siem Reap church has applied for a license but is too close to the temple and too small to meet school licensing requirements. In the meantime, they continue to operate but must look for alternative locations. An additional challenge is that new temples are built constantly making it difficult to find new locations outside the 2 km required distance.

Next, we traveled next to church property on the outskirts of town, affectionately called “the farm”. A pastor and his family live here and run a school, a church, a woodworking shop, and a small farm. There are hopeful plans to make this property into a Methodist retreat center. The school children were still here when we arrived, so we sang songs and played games with them. Our time together was joyous, but too brief. The children here are so beautiful and loving!

We returned to Phnom Pehn and ate a last meal together. The LA Tech team is staying another 20 days working with Asian Hope, another organization working to educate Cambodian children. Please keep them in your prayers!

After five plane rides, some 20 hours flying time, 15 hours of layovers, and half of our luggage missing, we arrived home at midnight Wednesday night/Thursday morning.

God is working in powerful ways in Cambodia and we were so blessed to participate in the mission there even for a brief while. Thank you for your prayers and encouragement!!

p.s Sorry for the delay in our completion of the blog. Our internet in Louisiana was out due to severe weather—I guess it is a problem everywhere.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

Day 8: (5-31) Siem Reap

Today we flew to Siem Reap in Northern Cambodia to visit the temple region. Although there are some 140 temples, Angkor Wat is a source of national pride; it is the largest religious building in the world and is featured on everything national including the flag. Many of the youth at camp asked if we had seen it yet.

Day 7: (5:30)

We woke up this morning for a church service at the Methodist Church for the dumpsite workers. The church has been there 10-15 years, but the Methodist pastor has been appointed there for two years. Some 30 adults usually worship in their open air pavilion on Sunday mornings. Approximately 50 children attend in the afternoon. The pastor who has a wife and two young daughters lives at the site. There is also a school for children 3-8 with 33 students currently enrolled. The lunch they receive at school is their substantial meal of the day. The pastor started a community soccer program, which has improved neighborhood relations and increased church participation by giving the surrounding community a sense of ownership and pride in the church.

The worship service lasted 2 hours and included praise music with English and Khmer (the Cambodian language) up on a screen, an introduction of our team, a report from the three youth that the church sponsored for our camp, a song which we performed for them, several testimonies including Becca from our team, Scripture reading, a sermon, announcements, a regular offering and a special soccer league offering. Luckily, we had one of our GBGM missionaries along to translate everything.

We had lunch at Hagar, a restaurant begun by an Australian man who rescues at risk women and children and teaches them the restaurant business, so they are employed in a safe and legitimate environment. The food and service there was excellent and a welcome relief from the communal camp food.

We went to the acutal dumpsite associated with this church to run a VBS for the children at the school there. There were only 60 children instead of the usual 300 because it was Sunday.

We divided them into four teams and rotated them through a music session, a Bible story lesson/drama, a craft session, and a games session. God in his goodness provided a nice breeze. We walked a short way into the actual dump following this time with the children.

The government recently stopped dumping garbage there. Some people were able to move to the new dumpsite, and some of the workers take public transportation to the new dumpsite to sift through it, but the transport costs money, cutting down on their very meager earnings. However, many people still live there in ramshackle houses and sift through the garbage looking for anything they can sell. Since there is no new trash being added, these people have to dig through hills of old garbage with picks.

As we were leaving, we saw two 12-year-old girls in a fly-infested dumpster digging for recyclables. In fact one of our team Kevin had talked to one of the girls while we were working at the school. Kevin had asked this girl why she wasn’t playing at the school and she had replied that she had to work for food for her family. For this girl education is not an option, there are no other options; she must dig in trash so she and her family can survive. This really polarized our outlook on the rest of the kids we had met at the school. The church has sponsors paying a mere $5 a month to allow the kids at this school to afford uniforms, books, and teachers. Public school is not even available to these children. Those who have been provided with transportation to other schools have been ostracized by the other students. Without this dumpsite mission school, all those smiling, and even clean in comparison, faces would have been in that dumpster or out in the mountains of trash. Yet, as we left even the kids who were digging in trash and not in school gave us smiles and high fives. I know that God is at work in their lives even in their suffering and poverty, because of the love that outpours from that school into the surrounding community.

We took a short visit to another part of town to visit an orphanage. Recently, the government has been constructing several new and nicer buildings for the orphanage, replacing the brick and wooden huts. The children enjoyed interacting with us—having their picture taken and seeing themselves on the small screen, usually with smiles and giggles. They loved having the tall guys lift them high in the air and giving them high-fives. They performed music for us and demonstrated their local dancing between moving horizontal bamboo poles. Several of our youth then joined in and danced. They proudly told us “Good-bye” and followed us out with waves and smiles.

-Diane and Seth

Day 6: (5-29)

We woke up to say goodbye to the youth as they left on their buses. Then we took a 4 hour bus ride to Phnom Pehn. Comparatively, some of the youth in northern Cambodia had 12 hour ride home.

Everyone was craving anything without rice to eat. So we got lunch at “Lucky Burger” which is kind of like McDonalds. I have never wanted chicken nuggets so bad.

Afterwards, we toured the Killing Fields and the memorial “Choeung Ed Genocidal Center.” Then, we went to the Tuol Sleng Museum, which was the main prison for torturing prisoners before sending them to be executed at the Killing Fields.

It was staggering to hear about the Genocide that went on during Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. America’s willful ignorance during the 70’s reminds all of us that we can’t just allow genocide continue as it still does today in other countries.

“The Lord reigns forever he has established his throne for judgment. He will judge the world in righteousness; he will govern the peoples with justice. The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name will trust in you, for you Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.”

This verse reminds me that we are free from fear and persecution because the Lord is a refuge in this life and the eternal. In fact, our mission for this world becomes almost more urgent in the face of genocide and oppression. So too, we must be a force for God righteousness and justice in this world.

Our evening meal was at Steve’s Steakhouse (American, Greek, and local); Steve is an American who has been living here and serving the Cambodian people for 13 years. Besides the restaurant, he runs a k-12 school for Cambodian children.

im catching up with the blog we have been so busy and internet has been patchy

Day 5: (5-28)

We began again at 5:30 a.m. with small group prayer. These early mornings are a challenge for our college students that they have met with great hearts. The exercise this morning was a series of group games that helped us to bond even more with the Cambodian youth as we ran and laughed and sweated (!) with them.

After morning singing and prayers, Rev. Peter Siegfried from Switzerland preached a message from Romans 8. Peter is in Cambodia to teach and prepare several local pastors for their ordination at the Methodist Bible School. This is Peter’s 14th mission to Cambodia. He encouraged the youth to remember that nothing can separate them from God’s love. He also charged them to be the “lemon grass” in their communities—the ingredient that adds good flavor to the Cambodian cuisine. We completed rotation through the small groups and broke for lunch. The afternoon began with more singing and praise. During the more rowdy songs, we “launched” the last of our t-shirts. Several of our churches donated t-shirts with various youth retreat, choir tour, and church logos. We threw them into the crowd, Mardi Gras bead style, and the kids liked to catch and wear them.

Following the singing, the youth completed their leadership elections and the VIM team took a brief excursion into the market at Sihanouck. It was very hot and there were many people begging for money. It is hard to tell them no, but if you give one of them something, you are swarmed by many others who will not leave you alone. Unfortunately, none of us have enough money to fix all the ills here.

The evening worship began again with singing followed by Holy Communion served by the pastors. I was beginning to feel frustrated by the language barrier because not all of the service, prayers, or music of this service was translated. Then I recalled that Jesus, while on Earth, did not speak a language that I would understand and yet his message and his love have transcended all barriers. When Rev. Peter offered me the cup at Holy Communion, he called me by name and suddenly I felt all my frustration and fatigue lift away. God knows, calls, and loves each of us by name—Hallelujah! The service finished with more lively singing and much dancing. These youth have so much joy and energy! We finally left for a team meeting and bed, but they kept on well into the night.

“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39

-Diane

Day 4: (5-27)

Today started with another hearty round of dancercise, followed by breakfast. For breakfast we have been getting an “American breakfast” which consists of eggs, French fries, and toast. Everyone else eats the typical fried-rice or noodles, and the mystery soup that accompanies every other meal at the youth camp. Even though we have a breakfast option, some of our group are eating rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Even though I am not a fan of rice, I have had to eat some of it. The hospitality of the Cambodian people is amazing; they are constantly trying to serve us at meals. They pile foods on our plates, especially rice. You can tell some of them are not used to all the food that is offered at the youth camp. These youth just consume copious amounts of food. To elaborate the point, one guy I sat next to today whose name sounds somewhat like “Yo,” ate about five cups of rice not including the other three dishes we had on out table. Other foods we have had include: squid, pork, chicken bones with a touch of meat, soups, full boney head on fish, noodles, vegetables, fruit and what they call “cheese” in English but it is really some kind of fish substance (I expect it has fish liver to say the least.)

For this food experience we will have to live by faith as it says:
“So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?”(Matthew 6:31)
The tech crew led some morning worship songs, and Josh R. and Melissa from LA tech gave the Bible study devotional on the “Good Samaritan.” It was both inspiring and funny as Josh Y. played a donkey in the skit and one of the Cambodia youth rode on his back.

The second half of the morning included rotation through two more small group sessions. The youth spent the afternoon in administrative meetings, electing their local and district leaders.

Tonight was very special. They had a campfire where they symbolically burnt away their failings. One of the Cambodian pastors preached, reminding them that nothing can separate them from the Love of Christ. Then they had a faith walk where they had to walk past the fire, through a field of obstacles, up stairs, over a drainage ditch, and in a door all while blindfolded. Our team was there to help them through this maze. Their local pastors were waiting at the end reciting the story of the prodigal son returning home, praying for the youth, and encouraging them to go forth and share the gospel when they returned home.

We found this experience very symbolic as we foreigners can only help the Cambodian people so much. Eventually, the local pastor and the youth leaders will be their source of guidance and support.

This night was extremely emotional for everyone because the youth here truly let go of their emotions and poured themselves out freely. The majority of the youth were weeping with joy as they shouted their prayers.

This experience displayed Psalms 62:8, “Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.”

Cambodia, by Seth Reich

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Day 3 (5-25)

Today was a great day.  It started with everyone waking up for 5:30 a.m. prayer time in small groups.  (The wakeup call is “Fur Elise” played on a megaphone.)  Then we joined the Cambodian youth for 6:00 a.m. group exercise, which is really a combination of jumping around and dancing.  The schedule for today was similar to yesterday.  After breakfast, we gathered for worship and singing.  Diane gave the Bible lesson about Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch. In this short story, God used two unexpected men to carry the gospel to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth.

The youth attended small group sessions again; they attend two a day, eventually rotating through eight sessions.  Topics include reading the Bible, Christian witnessing, sexual purity, courtship and marriage, job opportunities, HIV/Aids, thinking for success, and setting goals for life.

After lunch, we went back to the beach where the youth played games and frolicked in the sea.  One of the games involved a relay race to fill buckets with mouthfuls of seawater—we just watched this one!  The beach time has also been an opportunity for the kids to approach us individually to practice their English and ask us questions.  They are interested in how old we are, how many brothers, sisters, children we have, whether or not they are Christians….  Most of them come from large families, 6, 8, 12 children.  Some families are all Christians, these are usually the pastor’s families.  Many are the minority in a Buddhist family.  It is encouraging for them to be here at camp where so many Christians are gathered in one place to worship and fellowship.  Basically the entire country is represented with one or two youth selected from each of the approximately 150 Methodist congregations across the land.

One of the best things about today was the breaking down of barriers between our team and the Cambodian youth.  After teaching them and hanging out with them for these last few days, they want to try their English out on us, make friends with us, and learn about us.

We danced with the youth during evening worship and it is amazing how energetically they praise the Lord.  In America, most worship is calm with people singing along with the praise band or choir.  Sometimes Americans put energy into their songs by swaying or holding up their hands.  The Cambodians always are jumping around, dancing with their friends, shouting, and just screaming when words were not enough.

One of the Cambodian pastors preached and told us we were special like boats, donkeys, and clay pots.  These were all very important in the Biblical world as well as in Cambodian life.  They serve many purposes, are essential to life, and were used by God in special ways in the Bible.  It is a great and glorious thing to be a special donkey for God!

“We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all surpassing power is from God and not for us.” (2 Cor 4:7)

Day 2 (5-24): First full day of camp

Today was the first full day of the camp.  Due to a misunderstanding the few of us that were already here had to come up with small group talks for the lessons that the LA tech students were going to teach.  With God’s help the small groups came together successfully and we all learned about flexibility in mission work.  In the afternoon the LA tech group arrived, and we all went to the beach with the Cambodian youth.

Aside: The term youth in Cambodia is very relative age term; it ranges from 15-25.

At the beach the youth played games and had fun in the water.  It was a great time to celebrate with fellow Christians and just have fun.  For some of the youth this trip was the first time they had ever seen the coast and a beach.  For most of us, it was the first time in the Indian Ocean; the water is very warm, the sand very fine, and the beach is full of little ladies selling barbequed squid, bracelets, and sea shell art.

The evening service was filled with songs, ecstatic prayer, and rejoicing in Khmer, the Cambodian’s language.  They shared some of their native dance with us and we heard about the work and amazing experiences of one of the youth leaders.  Some of our crew, however, was suffering from jet lag and running out of energy.  We all slept very well despite a storm and the electricity coming off and on.

Often in times like this one, I wonder to myself if I am really “doing” anything here.  For me personally I am a build a house kind of mission guy.  Building a house is tangible.  It is straightforward and you can see tangible results.  Yet, I have come to

realize that this is my pride coming through.

The kingdom of God needs many different types of service and on this mission we are here to glorify God, love on the Cambodian people, and empower the future local church leaders who will be here years after we leave.

“For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose.” (Phil 2:13)

So when I feel tired or that I could be doing more elsewhere, I remember that God has willed me here to work for his plan, “for such a time as this”.  This verse reminds me that we are here for God’s glory, which is a good purpose that God can use to do His will!

-Seth

PS. the wireless is down but we have now found wired internet that will work

Day 1 (5-23):Phnom Penh and Cambodian youth camp

We arrived in Phnom Penh last night.  This morning I took a brief walk in the city by our hotel.  One thing that stuck out to me was the Buddhist Monks in their orange robes all around the city.  Although Cambodia is an open country, the national religion is Buddhism.  Yet, we came here to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ and work with the Methodist Church.

In the afternoon we drove to Sihanoukville, which is on the southern coast of Cambodia, and where will be working with the Christian youth camp.  I was reminded of a verse from Psalms:

“The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad!”  (Ps. 97:1)

Since we are spreading the Good New on the coast, this verse seemed to fit perfectly.   The verse says let the earth rejoice and it reminded me that Jesus is truly good news for which there is rejoicing and joy. The Lord offers something that Buddhism is missing.  As Christians we are free from sin and allowed to live in the glory of the Most Glorious.

The Lord reigns and by His will we are here to share that good news and to fellowship with the believers here in Cambodia.

ps we just got internet so Im posting this late