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From the “Lonely Planet”

Cambodia promises a rollercoaster of emotions and experiences to the intrepid traveller. Your heart will race at Angkor Wat, one of the world’s greatest achievements, only to haltingly derail when faced with the impact of humankind’s darkest moments. After two decades of war and isolation, only now is Cambodia truly starting to recover from the Khmer Rouge’s genocidal 1975-79 rule. 

Cambodia is a fertile land along the Mekong River in southwest Indo-China. Its wise and able people once ruled what is now Vietnam, Laos and Thailand from its capital at Angkor Wat. Its rich culture borrowed from the Chinese, as well as India. However, the terrible genocide perpetrated by the Khmer Rouge from 1975-1979 nearly destroyed Cambodia. During their regime three million people were forced into the countryside as slave labor. Currency was abolished; religion was eradicated; education was suspended; medicine was forbidden; and people who could read were often massacred all in the name of Marxist social reform. Starvation led to the deaths of over one million people.

 

Today Cambodia still struggles to recover from the decimation of its best and brightest. Although relics of ethnic religions such as ancestor worship and spirit worship remain, 94% of the people are Buddhist, seeking the path to nirvana through gaining merit in this life.Christian missionary work is permitted in this needy land, and many agencies are here seeking to mend the ravages of war and poverty, and bringing spiritual light to this dark land. Trans World Radio is one of those agencies, broadcasting in the Khmer language a message of hope and renewal. I am priveleged to be a small part of that effort in preparing messages that are practical and life changing.

 

My plans are finalized to visit Cambodia and meet the team members of Project Hannah -Women of Hope http://www.twr.org/give/projects/project_hannah who produce weekly radio broadcasts that are broken into two segments. There are “Lessons for Life” which advises women about health and family matters and “Lessons for the Soul” which offers true hope for inner peace and joy. I am so excited to finally be able to share in this work. I am also very grateful to be included in this morning service at West London Alliance, our home church in Canada. http://www.wlachurch.org Both Steve and I thank you for your ongoing prayer support for our ministry here in Asia. God bless.