Cambodia Missions Trip17.11.06 - 02.12.06

Cambodia Missions Trip 2006

FOURTEEN days may seem so brief... that thought echoed through many of our minds as we prepared ourselves for the first NLCC mission trip to Cambodia. What could we accomplish? What could God accomplish? Could we make any impact? Could we change the nation? Maybe not the latter, but we realised first and foremost God's heart for the individual. And through those two weeks, we had the opportunity to see God touch many lives.

As we ventured out into this unfamiliar physical and spiritual territory, we had little idea what to expect. Despite our multiple briefings, a few photos here and there and the occasional email from the local missionaries, it was hard to get any sense of what it would be like, until we first stepped out.

For some it was quite simple - just to help the local church make a link with their community - and through the medical clinics roughly 1600 people had a chance to see that there were Christian people who would step out of their way to care for their physical needs. For others who were already linked to a local church it was a moment to share a sense of brotherhood or sisterhood that spanned two different countries, two different cultures and two different languages, as we mutually encouraged one another in our walks with Him. And for some, it was the beginning of something amazing, as hands were raised in humble surrender as they accepted Christ into their lives.

Fourteen days may seem so brief - but one thing we learnt is this - all God needs is a single day with just one willing Christ-follower to make the single most important thing happen in the life of one of His lost. Praise God that He allowed us to be part of it!

Send Us Out :: The Missions Team

Take eleven individuals and send them out to Cambodia. Give them 14 days to do medicalwork, ministry and exposure. To make it more challenging, turn the heat up and steam out the place.

The group of individuals were crudely assembled some 2 months prior to the take off date. Each one had a different background and walked separately in life bringing a range of experiences and skills to the team.

As each day unfolded, the bond between each team member strengthened by the adventures, challenged by the testing times and were bonded by the Holy Spirit. These individuals began the journey relying on their own strength but soon the testing times took its toil. Fortunately, through the strength provided by the Holy Spirit, everyone surprised themselves as to how far they could push themselves.

Each one made a difference by doing their own little bit and it was through these efforts that they unknowingly had an impact on each other, through supporting and encouraging at the most difficult of times. What started as 11 individuals eventually returned as 1 team …. For God.

From Top Left to Right: Connie Ng, Calvin Yong, Joe Ng, James Seow, Yvonne Chen, Erwin Chan, Derrick Lee, Joe Luo, Rena Teoh, Sarah Seow and Pastor Eu Yat Wan

Phnom Penh

At Tuol Sleong Prison, it was extremely disturbing to see how many innocent lives were sacrificed for one man’s insanity. The people of Cambodia obviously still carry scars from that time and the only solution for healing this terrible atrocity to mankind is the grace and love of our God.

Our first Sunday service in Cambodia was at Pastor Nora’s church. Here we gave our first, very nerve wrecking performance and presentation but these nerves were soon allayed by the wamth of the Cambodian people and their passion for God.

Our first village medical clinic was made several kilometers outside of the city. Cramped into the house who’s floor area was no bigger than the average kitchen in Dalkeith or Nedlands, which my some standards are pretty big, we were given a half the area to work in. partitioned with just a cloth screen from the main bedroom, the 3 doctors set out to work while some dispensed medication and others entertained the kids with balloons and singing. In retrospect, this was probably the least well ventiliated place and hence of the hottest of the trip. The day couldn’t had gone by slower but in the end it was all worth it. We managed to see all the sick, at the insistence of one of the Pastors, and who could refuse the kids and the folk who are so much less fortunate than us.

Sunshine House & House of Progress

Sunshine House caters for children orphaned by AIDS. Having lost parents to this crippling disease, these kids are saved from a lifecycle of drugs and prostitution and kept in this environment of love and Godly values. The first thing that really strikes you about these kids is that they are happy. I mean really happy, they smile and laugh all the time and really show no signs of any of the terrible things that have plagued their young lives. When you first arrive, every single kid comes up to you and greets you the traditional Cambodian way which is similar to many SE Asian cultures- a prayer like pose with 2 hands, a bow, a big warm smile and with “Sous lieh” which means hello.

All the kids were adorable! The youngest being the little girl with the funky hair do, she’s about 3-4 and the oldest would be the teenage boys seen here sitting and having a chat. These kids were really adorable ( sorry I did say that twice) and lovable and you just want to take one home with you. They are well behaved and taught well which is commendable considering what resources Awareness Cambodia has to work with. During the afternoon, we treated them to a balloon show and some song and dance and basically just spent the afternoon intereacting with the kids. Its one of those moments that you can’t describe but you have to be there to soak up the experiences.

Takeo :: So many villages, so little time

Pastor Zoe and his wife, (name) was instrumental in getting us to those villages, organizing the whole thing and providing us with interpreters which were crucial in us doing our work.

Notice that the girl in the pink shirt with her little brother looks very similar to the girl from sunshine house? There seems to be 1 or 2 that look so similar in every village that we visited. Strange huh…genetic drift perhaps?? Every village or school we visited, we couldn’t get enough of the children. They were adorable beyond description. Some were friendly and more interactive while others were quite shy and reserved. To break the ice, we had 2 methods. Balloon animals and bubbles. Now these are extremely effective in getting their attention and often allowed us to minister to them through song and drama.

KYDC hostel was an extremely emotional time. The Holy Spirit descended upon this school and the session began with Josephs message, Calvin’s testimony and then the Holy Spirit took over. A number of students were saved but the atmosphere was intense and amazing! Again the photos don’t say enough, despite being worth a thousand words, you had to be there to feel the presence of God.

Through many songs, skits, stories and testimonies, the kids were entertained and this provided a great opportunity to share God's love with the children and their parents while waiting their turn at the medical clinics.

Ministry at Takeo KYDC hostel was the apex of the trip, having seen many students dedicating their lives to Christ.

Siem Reap

The floating school is an interesting concept. On a big lake, lies a small village who live on floating homes. These homes were constructed of wood and much like a small barge with a roof. The school itself is housed over 3 barge like structures that float, obviously. The only thing connecting the 3 are ropes and a small plank which all the kids crossed with ease while us oldies found it a little more daunting. Think a pirates plank and you’re quite close. Here we conducted our last medical clinic and the highlight of this clinic (if you can call it that) was Dr Joe’s drainage of an infected finger. Unfortunately, this poor boy had banged his finger somehow and overtime it got infected, puss-filled and swollen. Like all the other kids of the other villages, they were undernourished, suffered from worms and poor dental health. If a dollar was donated for every tooth that was pulled, our resident dentist could retire at age 28.

Kids moved from home to school via little wooden dingys that cost US$200. Now in Cambodian terms, that’s like a year’s work. Each barge that made up the floating school cost US$30,000. That’s insane by Cambodian standards. Yet through God’s provision, it eventuated. Praise God!!

Medical Work

There is definitely a need for dental work in Cambodia. To rival the most common medical complaint would be a tooth ache or broken teeth. In fact, it has been commented that the most required procedure in most of the villages would be dental extractions. Unfortunately, we were not well equipped enough and short staffed to adequately handle the needs of the people this time. And hence, an opportunity has evolved from this mission trip for another mission trip to Cambodia, this time with a dental focus.

The Cambodians

The Cambodians are beautiful physically and culturally. Torn apart by war, by the Thais and the Vietnamese, the Cambodians have morphed a culture of their own despite such trying circumstances . The people are warm and friendly and giving as evident by their hospitality during our visits to their homes and villages

Cambodian Food

Unlike the Vietnamese and Thai cuisine that we are accustomed to, the Cambodian food is natural and refreshing without being overpowering. Usually hint of chilli and fish sauce is used to supplement a fish (like that beautiful mud fish that was deep fried) and served with mountains of rice and kang kong. There are however, traces of Thai and Vietnamese influences in their cuisine but on the whole, it was an interesting deviation from the usually powerful spices of curries, pho and tom yam.

Insects on the other hand can’t really be defined as cuisine since this implies some level of sophistication. And rest assured, there is nothing sophisticated about eating bugs. It was the novelty effect that motiviated us to try some of the local “delicacies”. Probably the most unusual and interesting of all was the duck fetus. This half matured fetus was served in its natural egg form, cooked of course, with a pinch of salt. The idea is to eat it as a whole, feathers and all, in one mouthful. Now to see someone put that “thing” into your mouth is enough to make you cringe. Thankfully, we had members on our team that were “fearless” and gave this a shot. Tasteless they said, except a little salty.

The Cambodians are big on fresh fruit and fresh produce and that’s very encouraging to see. On the whole, Khmer or Cambodian food is unique and interesting and palatable. I only wish they had a little more meat on the chickens!