I knew very little about Cambodia before going there. In high school I studied the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge, and the murderous devastation they had wreaked on their own people. I knew nothing of the land, food, religion, and people there now.
Phnom Pehn (the capital) has been a city rebuilt and beautiful. An Assemblies of God Bible School training future pastors and discipling young people is there as well as many devoted missionaries.
95% of Cambodians practice Buddhism, and the spiritual stronghold there is as staggering as in other places in the Buddhist world such as Thailand, Myanmar, and Sri-Lanka. There is a numbness and hopelessness of the soul that weighs in the air, and my heart screams to share to good news of life, love and joy in Jesus! I feel as if the heart of God must break for the Buddhist world. I have been learning so much from everything that has been shared by the Change The Map initiative, and I encourage you to do the same. Educate yourself on Buddhism, the Buddhist world and pray with us to Change The Map! (you can visit www.changethemap.net to learn more.
The purpose in my visit to Cambodia was for an orphanage that Asia’s Little Ones has been involved with helping. Interestingly in Cambodia, for many years it was a closed country to foreigners and missionaries. When it reopened, there were so many orphans and education was so low and in demand that opening/running orphanages and schools were the only visas missionaries could get to return to the country. The kids at the orphanage were amazing young people. Full of hopes and dreams, and incredibly smart and talented. As I spent time playing with the little ones, swimming with the older ones, eating, worshiping, and praying with the kids the house mothers, and staff my heart was so drawn to this place and this ministry I even asked the Lord if one day He might call us to Cambodia?
A picture is worth a thousand words, so here are some photos of the kids. Please pray for them! To give to the orphanage in Cambodia click below.
As a newborn
this little boy was found discarded on the beach dirty, naked, and barely alive. Someone found him and took him to a nearby hospital, who called the orphanage and said, “Please take this baby, there is nothing we can do for him. He will most likely die.” It was a long and difficult road for this little boy, but with patience and prayer, the love of Jesus has a healing touch. Today he is a healthy little boy full of hope, and joy, and mischief! The enemy tried to snuff his life out from the beginning, but God has big purpose for this young man and he knows it!