Reflection on my time in Cambodia

While typing this, my friends at the Pizza House restaurant that I've come to know so well are preparing the same meal we had a few days after I first arrived in Cambodia. I now know that it means “cow walking up a mountain.” There are still so many things I don't know about Cambodia though, and two months here could hardly suffice to learn an entirely different group of people, way of life, language, and culture. I really feel like my time here in Kampong Chhnang was more of a blessing to me than the people I came in contact with while here. There is already an established church, although small, in many of the cities of Cambodia. Believers are able to worship freely with no persecution from the government now, which is a tremendous blessing and answer to prayer. A large amount of the population of Cambodia however lives in the countryside and rural areas. The fact remains that about 98% of Cambodia does not believe in Jesus, and there are many who have not even heard His name.

I was able to visit a few of the house churches that meet in these rural settings with my friend Sina and see how God has been moving through this movement. There are some powerful things happening here in the name of Jesus Christ that are bringing people to faith in Him. I heard some of the most powerful and miraculous testimonies in these settings, and this is how the Church in Cambodia needs to grow. The churches that have been established in these city settings need to focus their support and efforts on village missionaries like Sina, that will live like the people, talk the same language, and be the most effective at bringing the Gospel to a nation that is so dark and trapped in spiritual bondage to the enemy. As American believers who grew up in an entirely different setting, we can still come alongside and encourage and train these believers to fulfill this work, and I would love to come back and do just that sometime in the future.

My favorite thing about Cambodia at the beginning of my trip was the people, and that has not changed at all throughout my time here. The overall friendliness of just about everyone I came in contact with was overwhelming, and the relationships that I've been able to start have been a huge blessing to me. The amount of love I felt at a church I have only visited three times here and the prayers they spoke for me I feel could not be matched at churches I have spent years at in the States. I really am going to miss the people I've met here terribly. The question I've heard more than any other from them is when I will come back. I tell them all that I will as soon as I can, and it is my hope that God has the same plan in mind.

Please pray for the business that Mark has begun here, without whom I never would have come to Cambodia in the first place. His vision and heart for these people is just as strong as it was over a year ago when he left America. God has been blessing the Pizza House financially, and the meat packaging is set to begin very soon after I leave. Pray for Ellis and Rachel as they seek to help out in any way they can and have been learning the language and culture at a rapid rate. Pray for the Cambodian Church, that God would raise up national believers and leaders to go to those who have never heard the name of Jesus Christ in Cambodia and plant churches that will grow and multiply. May the name of Jesus be lifted high in this nation! Thank you for keeping up with all of my posts, see you all very soon.

-Brother (Baby) Mark signing off

Last time teaching in Cambodia

Party with the youth group at Pastor Vuthy's church

My best friend in Cambodia - Chan

 

A Day at Angkor Wat

Rachel and Ellis arrived here last Wednesday. The travel seemed to go well for them. They have both spent a lot of time overseas so I think it is a bit easier for them to acclimate. Rachel has been soaking up the language since it's one of her passions and already knows about as much as I do! They gave me some support that they wanted to give me when we were both back in the States which gave me the chance to afford a trip to Angkor Wat! So after they sat in on all of my classes we hopped on a bus heading towards Battambang on Saturday morning to start the adventure. 

On the bus I sat next to a man from Nigeria who teaches English at the university in the city. We talked about a lot of things since it's a five hour bus ride and I found out that he was born a Muslim, then became a Seventh-Day Adventist, but now is more of a universalist. He was convinced that people can be their own judges, they know whether they are good or bad enough to go to Heaven or Hell. He seemed to have respect for Scripture so I asked him about where it said that there is none who is good and what the cut-off was for being a "good enough person for Heaven." That Jesus lived the only perfect life and it is only through him that we can live in Heaven with Our Creator. He changed the subject shortly after that, but I hope that it helped him reconsider some things.

Arriving in Battambang, the buses to Siem Reap were entirely full for the rest of the day but in order to get a full day in of sightseeing at Angkor Wat we had to get there that evening so we piled in a Toyota Camry with six other people and made our way to Siem Reap. Right away we got picked up by a man named Nang who became our tuktuk driver for the next two days of sightseeing. I had really high expectations of what the temples were going to be like since I've wanted to  see them for a long time, and they blew my expectations away. We got up before sunrise to start the tour at the main temple and visited about seven more temples afterward until the early afternoon. It really was amazing what these people were able to accomplish without any kind kind of machines or technology to accomplish the architecture. The level of intricacy in the artwork was mind-boggling as well. 

We did a full loop around the lake on our way back to Kampong Chhnang, and that time I sat next to the main sports writer for the Phnom Penh Post, one of the most reputable news agencies in Cambodia. He grew up in the Brahmin caste in Bangalore, India and we had some good conversation as well. By the time we got back home yesterday it was late and left just enough time to eat and then crash into bed. 

Be praying for my last week here in Cambodia and the start of Ellis and Rachel's time here. They're still trying to figure out what their place is in the ministry here and how best to serve God with their time. Pray for clarity for them and that Mark's ministry would continue to be blessed financially. Thank you and God bless all!

-BM

The back of Angkor Wat after walking through it

Bayon or "the Face Temple"

Rachel and Ellis looking tired at Ta Prohm

They had elephant rides! They cost 15 dollars, but pictures are free ;)