(Sunday) As we flew into Phnom Penh, we looked out our windows to see a vast expanse of tropical green, cut across by large brown rivers. Concentrated in pockets were rice fields etched into the ground, and buildings with rust and brightly blue covered roofs. And when we landed, a surge of excitement and sense of gravity hit me: We are in Cambodia.
After settling in the Comfort Star Hotel (purportedly one of the many hotels that is friendly to prostitution) we visited Tuol Sleng, a school that was converted into one of the many prisons that Pol Pot setup to detain, interrogate, and torture those under his regime. 20,000 people were kept and killed here. It was chilling to see the rooms, the metal bed frames on which men and women were tied to, and the playground that was turned into a torture machine. It was all too easy to imagine. We walked into one room that displayed the mug shots of all those who were processed at Tuol Sleng, and it was so many, I struggled to keep myself from simply being desensitized to the faces. Other photos showed the grotesque scene that was discovered after the fall of the Khmer Rouge.
We also visited the Choeung Ek Genocidal Center - a name fittingly cold for one of the 300 killing fields, or mass extermination sites and graves scattered throughout Cambodia. Despite seeing strips of clothing, bones, and teeth not only in glass presentation cases, but also sticking out from beneath the dirt walk path, it was hard to fathom the calculated and massive cruelty.
Some of us walked away wondering how such a massive holocaust could have been allowed. Others of us felt ashamed at how little we knew about such a recent massacre - and how complicit our country had been in recognizing Pol Pot's regime. I left having hard questions about Cambodia has been and is seeking to move forward. Is there a movement to seek justice? forgiveness? reconciliation? Or was the horror so great that many have tried to leave the past silent and untouched in the past? What does it even mean that Cambodia is moving forward? I struggle to wrap my mind around not only what happened, but also what is happening now - trying to let Cambodia's past and present speak for itself rather than trying to fit it into categories that are convenient for me.
That was yesterday.
Today, we made the 6 hour drive to Battambang where we will be spending the bulk of our week. We met with one of the apostolic leaders of Vision for Cambodia. One of the pastors, Pastor Timothy, was the man who led the only top Khmer Rouge leader to Christ; he has since been the only man in the entire Pol Pot regime to confess to his crimes and continues strong in his faith, even as he is in prison. One of the other pastors began in the local prison; she began by discipling one new Christian in the prison - and now 2/3 of the hundreds of prisoners have now come to Christ.
Tomorrow (Tuesday), we will be ministering in the prison. I will be preaching and sharing about why we are in Cambodia. We will be handing out care packages as well. We will also be spending time with one of the local village churches, worshiping, preaching, leading kids ministry, and visiting people's homes.
Please pray for us!
* For energy. We haven't yet adjusted to the time zone, we wake up very early, but get tired very early as well.
* That I will be able to encourage the prisoners and the village churches with the Word of God.
* That our children's ministry will connect with the kids.
* That we will be good and Christ-like guests.
* That we will see, hear, participate in, and learn what God leads us to. There is so much to take in, but what do we make of it?
-Brian
No comments:
Post a Comment