For the past month, I have been buried in work for a country that I love, Cambodia, trying to assist the team of dedicated men and women working to change lives in that needy country. They are just a great group of young men and women, with a passion for rebuilding their war-torn country, who write, produce, and distribute for broadcast very specialized programs to meet the needs of their target audience. 

“Happy Children’s Garden” is a weekly radio program aimed at the 32% of the population who are under 15, mostly living in poor rural villages with little hope of a quality education or health care or even a nutritious diet.

“It’s Yours” seeks to bring a new way of thinking to youth, roughly half of the population,  who have  grown up in poverty, exposed to drugs, pornography, per-marital intimacy, gangs and violence in ways most adults have never experienced.  These young people are the hope for the future of Cambodia.

“Women of Hope,” the radio broadcast of Project Hannah, meets the needs of women who face constant problems related to poverty, poor health care, poor nutrition, high maternal mortality, HIV/AIDS, illiteracy, domestic violence and sexual abuse. I am currently working with the TWR team there on the writing of a proposal for external government funding of a new HIV/AIDS program. My goal is to have a draft proposal in their hands by the end of this week.

The Church and Leadership Development team seeks to equip pastors and lay leaders who have no formal Bible education to enable them to mature in Biblical understanding.  “The Word Today” and “Through the Bible” have been translated and are offered both on radio and through CD Listener Centers throughout the country.  Pastors are also provided with Bibles, hymnbooks  and other teaching resources as the funds are available.

Cambodia is a nation of oral learners with many people who either cannot read at all, read poorly or read well but do not have access to decent reading material.   The goal of the Orality Team is to meet the needs of those who need to “hear” the Word.  They are currently researching a weekly radio program in magazine format using story telling, songs, testimonies, discussions and poems which the Cambodians love so much.  They distribute radios and other media devices like MegaVoice and Saber Units for areas where radio is not an option, as funds allow.

Each of these programs has a complete follow-up strategy that involves phone calls, letters, text messages, village visits, listener groups, prayer calendars, seminars and outreach programs in orphanages and rescue centers.  They work in partnership with many other organizations to provide referrals for help and protection for listeners when they come across needs that are beyond their scope.

Everytime I look at this group of young people, and understand the enormity of the work that they are doing, I stand in awe of what God can do through a small group of passionate and committed individuals. It is my great privilege to stand with them in that work, and I ask for your continued prayers that God’s work would be done through me as well.

If you want to read a brief and challenging summary of the last thirty years of Cambodian history, read our son’s latest post at http://www.jonandnic.com/topics/news/hadda-be-played-on-a-jukebox