CAMBODIA - A LAND IN NEED

A mere twenty-five years ago, the Khmer Rouge (Communist Party) took over the entire country of Cambodia, uprooting the entire population, clearing out the cities, setting up work details, and separating families. Many hard stories come out of these days. Then in 1979 the Vietnamese routed the Khmer Rouge and freed the people. The country is setting itself "back to normal" in recent years. Family members are locating one another, and going on with life. Yet the clouds of uncertainty and unsettledness remain.

At first, Cambodia looks and feels a great deal like Hawaii. There are coconut, mango, jack fruit trees, and hibiscus of many colors. Everything is green, but with dirt roads even in most of the capital city of Phnom Penh. The weather is hotter and more humid than Hawaii. There are all kinds of people there, from various Asians to Europeans of all kinds. The country is basically flat, with many mountains up in the north and western part. From the air the delta of the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers is clearly seen.

Traffic consists of a few bicycles, many pedicabs, millions of motor bikes (called moto by local residents), fewer cars, and many local-type buses which seats up to 15 crowded people each on planks over a flatbed trailer-type body. Ox-carts powered by mopeds carry heavy loads. Even bicycles and motor bikes carry three times their load limit. We saw an older lady riding atop her load of gunnysacks filled with peanuts riding a rickshaw to market.

The paved newest streets in the city could accommodate 2-lanes of traffic each way, yet the double stripe down the middle does not keep people on the right side of the road. Vehicles dart here and there constantly. It seems the ones which do not stop, are the ones with the right of way. A honking horn means someone is claiming the right of way, and you had better yield. A few traffic lights in the city control traffic flow well. Uniformed policemen standing on the corner let you know there is "no left turn" there, even though the signs are hard to find.

Crowded markets are reminiscent of China or Mexico, with almost overlapping booths, overflowing with products from all over the world. The food markets could be booths set up on the city sidewalks or on the dirt shoulder of streets. You can find local grown fruits and vegetables, as well as imported ones. The meat market reminded us of China town here in Honolulu, with all the smells and sights normal to such.

Yet there are a couple of small "super-markets" with imported foods from around the world. If you want something, you can find it. Just keep looking. It was interesting to see familiar brands of canned and packaged foods with other languages written on them. It is all there. Most prices are reasonable, also.

The Cambodian people are good looking, small of stature with dark complexion. They are friendly and seem to appreciate tourists. Those who work in offices are very well dressed, even as they ride to and from work on a moto.

While talking to the young college students about their futures, we learned that many are expecting to have to teach school as their occupation within the government. This involves another two years in teachers’ school in order to qualify as teachers. There is a great need for teachers now. Elementary and middle school students only attend half a day now, because of lack of space and teachers. Very few jobs are available in the private sector now.

The poor people live in tiny dark crowded hovels often with thatched roofs and wooden plank floors. The houses out in the countryside are up on stilts. They cook outdoors under the house, and sleep up inside the house. The richer people live in the cities and have well guarded two or three story homes of brick or cement. Each yard is surrounded with a high wrought iron fence, often with barbed wire coiled along the top. Each nice home has a 24-hour guard who opens the gates as needed for family or visitors. Often there is a watch dog on duty also.

Food is easily purchased right on the sidewalks of the city under cloth awnings which protect from the sun. Small carts on wheels are seen everywhere, selling a variety of foods, from fresh fruits and vegetables to cooked dishes. Short loaves of French bread are readily available, stacked high on carts. Restaurants are available with European foods as well as local varieties. There do not seem to be any "fast food" places yet, but there are equivalents with choices of pizza and burgers.

"Missionaries" go to Cambodia under many different names. Non-government organizations (NGOs) are allowed to function freely. However, missionaries come using many different occupations, and witness for Christ personally and individually. Some of these are: English teachers in the universities, Guest House operators, public health workers, doctors, and water purification experts.

The Way of Truth Student Center is operated by the CSI and is a place where students from the nearby universities can come to learn or practice their English and to learn about the Bible and Christianity. It is a place where students are welcome, with games and reading materials available. Recently two computers were purchased so students could develop computer skills. More may be added later on, as needed. An inexpensive, affordable lunch is available five days a week at the center. About 30 or 40 students come daily. On Friday afternoon a two-hour student-run worship and fellowship hour attracts new students also.

The military hospital is run by the government. The buildings are old and deteriorating and facilities have much to be desired. A new American doctor is opening a family clinic on the hospital grounds later this summer, charging a minimum fee. His facilities are newly painted and renovated.

One missionary rented a nice large house outside of town. He has developed an inexpensive method to purify water, using a filter system and infrared light ray. For twenty-four US dollars he can set it up for an entire school or a whole village to have clean water. This is a much-needed ministry in the country, as well as in the city.

A sound studio has been set up on the same property (as Water purification project). Videos using hand puppets are being made to educate the people against littering, to boil their water, to brush their teeth, and Aids education. Local talent is being used on the sound track.

The first weekend we flew up to Siem Reap to "play tourist" besides some other mission related matters. We visited Angkor Wat, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, a small government orphanage, and the floating villages of the Cambodians and the Vietnamese in the Great Lake of Tonle Sap.

There are at lease nineteen orphanages run by the government. The Christians want these orphans to be adopted into Christian families. A small food allowance helps the families with the added expenses.

We visited one orphanage one Sunday morning. The orphans as well as other children of the neighborhood were being taught ethnic dances when we arrived. Afterwards we observed a Sunday School hour for the orphan children. There were about 47 children with four adults to care for them. Children ranged in age from 2 ½ months to about twelve years of age. Three of them were tiny babies, who seemed to be sick. The children sat on mats spread on the floor and were very attentive to the creation story as told by the missionary wife. Paper, crayons and scissors were distributed for the children to use to illustrate the six days of creation on as many posters. The session ended with our passing out fruits and candies to the children.

After about a 45-minute ride over a dirt road filled with a myriad of potholes, we came to the inlet where many small boats were packed together. We walked along a plank walkway at water level, then climbed up onto the first boat. We walked precariously from deck to deck until we came to our boat. This was a very long slim outboard motor boat, outfitted for tourists. About six or eight regular chairs were placed under the roofed area with a small aisle down the middle. The boatman was assisted by a young teenage boy who sat at the bow and called out directions, etc. It must have taken us at least 30 or 40 minutes to get our boat free from the others docked together in the crowded inlet before we were free to actually start the motor. We shared the center channel with other boats returning to dock. When we came out onto the large lake, we could barely see the other shore. It seemed as if we were out on a smooth endless ocean. Then, in the distance, we saw the floating village. Small makeshift boats of every variety were anchored here and there. We even saw the Police station (a boat) and the Fire station (another boat). As we motored past, we could look right into the homes and see the people sitting on their mats doing whatever. Some "homes" had large fenced-in areas where the fishermen were raising fish. We stopped at the "tourist" boat, and got out. Many curios were for sale. A large snake was a photo attraction, when the tiny girl of about 6, hung it around her neck. Two monkeys were tethered on the attached boat. We walked a shaky plank to get a closer look at the pelicans and some other water fowls there. Bathroom facilities were a small room with just a hole in the floor over the water. After returning to dock we had the same bumpy ride back to the hotel and rushed to the airport, where the plane was being held up for us. Whew, we made it!!

Our first weekend, we flew up to Siem Reap, about a 45 minute flight north of Phnom Penh. Sunday morning we drove over a pothole filled dirt road out into the country for about an hour to visit a house church in Krabey Real, which met on the second floor of a home on stilts. About thirteen adults and three pre-school aged children attended the service of song, scripture reading, and testimony before the pastor brought the sermon. We arrived late and had to leave before it was over, but could sense the joy of these Christians in worship together. Hongly gave his testimony and Betty led in singing "This Is The Day That The Lord Has Made". They sang in Khmer and we sang in English. The congregation was accepting and friendly to us.

At present four journeymen are working in Phnom Penh. The two girls are teaching English at one of the Universities. One man is teaching Computer at the university and the other man is physical therapist at the Military Hospital. In their off hours all four teach English or Bible study classes at the Way of Truth Student Center.

A new young doctor has just come to Phnom Penh this year. He was injured in a jeep accident in Desert Storm and now is confined to a wheel chair. It was after he was paralyzed from the waist down that he felt the call to medical missions. He completed his medical degree and answered the call to Thailand, where he worked about two years. This spring he was in Cambodia laying the groundwork to open a family clinic on the Military Hospital grounds. Renovation and painting of the building are almost complete for the opening of the clinic this summer. A nominal fee will be charged for services in the clinic.

Rick and Sharron Allen operate the Guesthouse for foreigners visiting in Cambodia, or those who are looking for their own houses to rent. There are fifteen rentable rooms, each with its own bathroom and air conditioner. There are two living/parlor areas, one on each floor. The third floor has an open, partially covered patio, a large room with a dining table, which could be used as a conference room, and the business office. The entire building is surrounded by a high picket-topped wrought iron fence to discourage thieves. Night and day guards also watch the place and open the gate when visitors arrive. Sharon does a lot of the cooking, southern style. She has one helper in the kitchen, and two others who do the laundry and cleaning of rooms and common areas. At 7:00 each morning, either Rick or Sharron leads in a devotional and prayer time, using God Calling. The entire atmosphere is one of home, and a relaxed place to stay.

God is working in Cambodia. People are curious to hear about Jesus and Christianity. The young people are eager to learn and are accepting Jesus Christ as Savior. There is hope. Keep them in your prayers.