Cambodia

“Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.” Acts 17:16 

When we arrived in Cambodia, it was late, and we were exhausted. We had left behind the Philippines, with its cheerful populace, in exchange for grumpy agents. Our flight had been delayed (by no fault of our own) and these men clearly wanted to be done with us and go home. I noticed immediately an oppressive feeling in the air. 

As we traveled along, I noticed several things. One of the first things I noticed was the abundance of idols everywhere. My heart stirred within me, much as Paul’s must have as he viewed Mars Hill. What hopelessness! 

Another thing that pricked my heart were the trucks filled with human cargo. Much like a cattle truck, these men were crammed into the back of large trucks, heading to work. I could not look at it without feeling sad. The hopelessness and despair were pungent in the air, and the majority of people wore solemn expressions. They had not forgotten the infamous auto-genocide of the 70s. The Cambodian dictator, Pol Pot, organized the execution of all intellectuals, religious leaders, minorities and political enemies during his Communist rule of Cambodia. It is estimated that a quarter of the population were killed during this time (1.5-2 million people). We were able to visit the killing fields where that took place while we were there. My heart broke once again, as we stood in the place where men, women, children and even babies were brutally and senselessly killed by their own people. No wonder the general population still looked sad and wary. 

Of course, the trip was not all negative. We definitely enjoyed other sightseeing and delicious food. One of the highlights was visiting an orphanage. I ended up sitting beside a little girl. She kept staring at me with a fearful look on her face. My skin must have looked very white and strange to her. Finally, she mustered up her courage and lightly thumped my elbow. Her eyes widened in surprise as if she was thinking, “Wow, she’s real, just like me!” After that, she became my shadow for the night and I would have gladly taken her home with me, if I could. 

We were only in Cambodia for a week, but the impression it left upon me was deep and real. Perhaps the people in general were not very friendly, but I could not fault them for this, after seeing the suffering they had endured. However, there were those who knew the hope that only Christ can give, and these stood in contrast to the rest. They were living proof that God can heal even the most broken of hearts.