THIS AND THAT FROM CAMBODIA

The Phnom Penh Church of Christ meets here.  We have attended here on Sunday mornings and at the University Church of Christ (which meets at the Best Center) in the afternoons.  This is the entrance to the building. The minister lives on the bottom floor where there is also a place to gather and visit as well as eat together.  They have a potluck one time per month.

This is the upper level of the building where we meet for worship.  You will notice Loren Hollingsworth who many of you know.  He, along with Penny, is in Cambodia to teach at the Cambodian Bible Institute for a month.  It has been so good to be able to visit with them while we are in Phnom Penh.  He also preached here last Sunday which was a treat.  He is such a great teacher with great insights.

This is the marketplace where we go to buy fruit when we go to a potluck.  We foreigners bring a large platter of fruit, which is very plentiful here.  It is a treat.  Buying is a challenge for us since we can us U.S. money but they give us change in Reil (the Cambodian money).  It takes 4,000 reil to equal $1.00.  The marketplace is very crowded.  This was not their busy time.  Our cook goes every morning so that she can get fresh meats, fruits and vegetables.  Most of the vendors speak enough English to tell us how much we owe.

Ken and Terry Gibson, some of our Minnesota friends, are working in Seoul, South Korea.  Ken had a meeting in Bangkok, Thailand so they flew over to Phnom Penh to visit us and see some of Cambodia.  What a treat that was.  We found this café for lunch and sure did enjoy the smoothies and sandwiches.  They spent the entire weekend with us sightseeing.  I think that we wore them out and they still had to fly back to Seoul (about 5 hour flight) on Sunday night for work on Monday. 

Rich Dolan and his wife Rhonda are great assets to the Lord's work here in Phnom Penh.  He directs the Cambodian Bible Institute.  This photo was taken at the Best Center the day we had an area wide meeting here.  We had about 100 adults in attendance with good speakers which were translated for us foreigners.  The Khmai people planned the event which was followed by a potluck meal.  This is what we bought the fruit for.

This room is where we teach our students during the week.  We set up dividers, tables and chairs in 4 sections and our students meet with us.  We teach from 8:00 am until 8:00 pm.  We do have breaks in our schedules. 
It is the room where almost 100 chairs were set up for the meeting with some other congregations.  Some of the students from both Bible Institutes in this area lead singing and prayers.  The speakers included the director of the Institute across the river and another preacher.  It was a good service.  It was good to see so many young talented men serving the Lord. 

Our meals together at the Best Center are a joy. John and Betty Breeden came for Piseth's wedding and joined us for their last dinner here.  It was a special meal with soup, spring rolls, rice, vegetables, fish, sauces and ice cream for dessert.  The mixture of Khmai language and English makes for quite a conversation.  We usually always have at least 14 around our table for the noon and evening meals.  We never go away hungry.  We always have rice, not matter what else is on the menu, even hamburgers.

 When we worship, many times we cannot understand the songs.  But when our book has the same song as theirs (as shown on the left) we all sing together, Khmai and English.  You will notice that the Khmai has 4 verses, English has only 3.  That is not unusual, but we just sing the 1st verse twice.  I wonder what God thinks about that?  We have enjoyed our singing together and have taught the dorm students here a few of our English songs.  I am amazed at how much their singing has improved in the past 2 year.

Although we can use USA money in Cambodia, they also use Reil.  Pictured are some of the bills that they use.  On the left are the 100 and 500 reil bills (front and back).  On the right are the 1,000 / 5,000 / 10,000 / and 20,000 reil bills.  The total amount of these bills in US$ is $9.04.  We are learning to use these bills because when we pay with US$ we get reil for change most of the time.  Cambodia does not use any coins for money, including US coins.  As we are teaching the dorm students here English, part of the lesson is about money.  When we use the term 'coins' they do not know what we are talking about.  It sure makes the purse lighter.

Tom and Sheila each celebrated birthdays here in Cambodia.  Helen rode on the back of a moto to go buy these cakes and carried them back in bags while riding the moto.  If you saw the traffic here you would realize why that was a big deal.  Dara was surprised that I would ride with him.  But it was fun, the cakes were good and the celebration was enjoyable.  We had already given Sheila a one serving cake following the Sunday Class so she was surprised to get another cake.  The Black Forest Cakes were beautiful and good.

Sophal finished the 3rd book in the series of 6 books that our students complete.  They receive certificates following the 3rd Book (Beginning English) and the 6th Book (Advanced English).  Sophal knows about being a Christian and works in Cambodia for an organization that assists people in villages who need special help.  He and his wife are both very service minded.  Some of our students say that they are Christian and a good share say that they are Buddhist.  Sharing with both are quite interesting.  They all seem interested in knowing more about the Bible along with improving their English skills.
Sophal is not the first of our students to receive a certificate.  We are at the stage of teaching now that many of our students are completing books and taking the tests that accompany each book.  They must score at least 70% on a test to progress to the next book.  Most can accomplish that.  Once in awhile a student needs to study Bible with a Khmai teacher in order to improve their English skills to study with a foreigner.  It is the student's goal to learn to pronounce English words like the foreigner.  That can help them get better jobs in this poor economy.

CAMBODIA HISTORY

Cambodia has a very dark history during the 1970's.  The Khmer Rouge came into this country and completely disrupted life there.  One Saturday we visited two museums which reminds all about the horrible decade and the rehabilitation that needed to take place following that period.  We in the United States knew about the Vietnam war, but few really realized what was happening in Cambodia, especially following that war.

As we entered the first museum we were faced with this sign and believe me, this museum put all of us in a somber and respectful mood.  We read that on April 14, 1974 the Khmer Rouge informed people all over the country that the Americans were going to bomb them and they needed to leave their homes immediately.  They were told that they could return in 3 days.  It did not take them long on the road to realize that there was something dreadfully wrong.  If the people did not comply, they were beaten or simply shot right there. 

Very soon, people were taken to forced labor camps or other facilities.  They were indoctrinated by these cruel people that communal living was the best way to live, all working and eating together.  Family should not be important, only the Khmer Rouge Regime.  Religion was forbidden as the Regime was all the citizens should need.  All for the 'good of the regime'.  Children were separated from their parents and many of them died wherever they were placed.  Older children (5 years and above) were put into work camps to work at least 14 hours per day with VERY LITTLE food, 2 bowls of rice soup (with only a few grains of rice).  Many starved to death, were beaten, etc.

Toul Sleng was a school that had been converted to a prison/torture chamber.  Anyone who was educated, had served publicly or even wore glasses were considered threats to the Regime and were taken to a facility like this somewhere in the country.  When taken, they were told that they were going to a reeducation center.  There were about 300 such facilities across Cambodia (a country about the size of Kansas).  When they entered their photo was taken and there were hundreds of photos displayed in the museum.  This was the beginning of a sobering day.

These are leg irons that were used to immobilize the prisoners.  Their hands were also immobilized.  Some were put in large classrooms fastened to each other and they could not move about.  They were given very little food or drink.  They were tortured in many ways.  I have not included the grotesque pictures that we saw.  They were beaten, questioned dreadfully, fingernails pulled out, dunked in pots of putrid liquid, water boarded, etc. (any form of torture that can be imagined).  Many died while in the prison.

In 1979 the Vietnamese drove the Khmer Rouge out of Cambodia.  That did not end their plight however as citizens could not distinguish their enemies from their friends.  There was so much confusion in the country.  There were a few prisoners in Toul Sleng that survived their prison during the end of this regime.  These two have written books to remind Cambodians what they went through and to keep watch as it could happen again.

These authors are getting old now, but have stories to tell.  The average age in Cambodia is about 22 since so many were killed during that wicked regime (about 25% of the population).  Our students get very quiet if we mention this war.  Most know that they lost parents, grandparents, brother, sisters, etc.  It makes us stop and think about why we must remain vigilant in our own country concerning our government, our religion and our lives.

As prisoners were taken from Toul Sleng this would be their next stop and their final stop.  This is the Genocidal Museum in Phnom Penh.  There were many such places across Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge Regime.  Even small villages have such memorials across Cambodia.  This is a reminder of this terrible time when Cambodians were killing Cambodians.  The prisoners were loaded into the back of trucks and taken to this place to be killed and NOT in a humane fashion. 

Not only adults, but women and children were brought here.  Babies were slammed against a tree to die, or thrown into the air and used for target practice.  We cannot imagine such depraved action and neither can the Cambodian people.

This is the location of one of the mass graves that have been exhumed.  The executioners would beat and knock the prisoners across the back to the neck to kill them, then push the bodies into the pit to bury (dead or partially alive).  They put chemicals over the bodies to reduce the odor that might escape, then cover the bodies with dirt.

One hundred sixty-six bodies were counted at this site, and there were many other sites on this property.  They know that not all have been found as they ran out of room to store the skulls. They are also doing research to determine the method that was used for execution of all of these people.

The keepers of this museum continue research about the victims and the violence that happened in this place. 
Loud Music was played during the executions so that neighbors would not hear the screams but would think that training was occurring at the location. 

These are but a few of the skulls that are on display in this memorial.  The skulls are marked to indicate the form of death.  Some were hit with garden tools, some were shot, some were smashed. 

This building has 16 levels of skulls and other bones as well as clothing, etc. that was taken from the mass graves.  This was a silent place, a sobering place, a place that caused us to respect what Cambodia has risen from.  We have visited with some of our students about their families and the turmoil.  One indicated that his mother had 20 children and only 5 survived and he was one.  The younger ones lost grandparents or have grandparents who have shared their ordeal. 
Our students tell us that we look so much younger than their parents or grandparents.  And I think....they went through so much, it is not wonder.
We have read several survivor books while here, and they all paint the same picture of the Khmer Rouge Regime.

WEDDING IN CAMBODIAN VILLAGE

 

 We felt so honored to be invited to Piseth's Wedding in the village of his wife, about 2 hours from the Best Center.  It was a very interesting experience.  Cambodian traditions were much different than we experience at home.  We all hold these ceremonies in order to wish the couple a long and happy life.  Cambodian weddings lasted about 7 days not so long ago, but now only 1 long day.  We got up at 3:30 am to leave at 4:00 am.  Arrived about 6:00 am and not long after that the ceremony began.  Each guest was given a plate of food.  There were 2 containers of each food and guests walked by twos with matching plates.  The parade, lead by the groom, marched down the road and returned to the wedding tent to present the 'gift' to the bride and her family.  As she accepted the gift it was a confirmation that the wedding would continue. 
The bride was attended by 3 ladies (2 of which are Dorm students at the BEST Center).  The groom also had 3 attendants. 

 

Piseth presented the Bride with a beautiful floral arrangement.   This ceremony included the family of the bride.

At the conclusion there was a break in the ceremonies and the bride and groom changed their clothes.  Each ceremony presented different clothes for the Bride and Groom (at least 5 each) and the attendants changed 3 times.  Each were color coordinated.

Another ceremony involved asking guests to "cut" the grooms hair, then sprinkle their heads with water.  This symbolized the new beginning for the couple.  They sat silently during this ceremony.  This also was done by 'couples'.  Phyllis and Sheila are seen in this photo.  Helen and Tom also participated.  You will notice their costumes are different than the first costume.  This took place in the large beautiful tent that had been constructed on the village home property of the Bride.

By the way, the grooms hair was not actually cut.

Some of the ceremonies were held in the highly decorated upper room of the bride's home.  This ceremony involved guests (2 X 2) tying a red string around the wrist of the bride and the groom and putting an envelope with a gift in their hands.  Guest do not bring gifts as we do in my culture, but do give money to the couple.  An envelope for this purpose is included in the elaborate invitations to the wedding.

The last ceremony involved fruits.  The bride and groom fed each other bananas much like our tradition of feeding each other cake.  This symbolized dedication to each other as long as they could bite.  This ceremony also included fireworks sparklers and silly string being shot across the room.  It was a fun event.  I wish that I had a photo to show but I was involved in the activity.

There were other ceremonies.  It was a long day with waiting times between ceremonies.  Three meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) were served to the guests in the big tent.

 

The homes were built on stilts about 10 feet above the ground.  There was one small room on the ground floor which was the bathroom and areas for people to rest and visit.  The enclosed upstairs had rooms for sleeping and living.  Animals are housed below the houses as well.  The homes are good for a warm climate and give shade for their animals. 

In the photo to the left the 'hills' are burial sites.  Since this area floods in rainy season their ancestors are buried deep in these hills to protect them from washing away.  The trees in this area were banana trees, palm trees, mango trees, fields for vegetables and rice  and grazing their cattle.  Cattle are primarily used to work and plant the fields.

 

BEST CENTER PHOTOS

      

We can usually tell how many people
are inside by the number of shoes outside.

Thursday evenings the downstairs room
is full for meal before singing session.

The courtyard welcomes our students and
guests and where the guards keep watch.
The patio above is a comfortable place to
sit and study, pray or dream.
There is also a large patio on the 3rd floow
that has been used for large gatherings.

The van provides transportation
for staff, teachers and guests.
English Bible Studies with Foreigners
takes place in the upper room.  The patio
is also good for studying and relaxing.

Bicycles and motos are a primary means
of getting around for dorm students.

Avy prepares our Khmer meals.
We are blessed.

Try teaches English to Khmers who do
not know enough English to study with
foreigners.  He is also a minister for the
University Church.

Piseth guards, teaches Bible to University
Dorm students and many other duties.



Sheila with one of her students.  Busy but
always room for more students.

Tom with 2 students.  Sometimes teachers
are one on one, sometimes more.




Phyllis is teaching English to Theary,
one of the University Dorm Students.
 

Helen with a new student.  Just beginning
our introduction.




There is parking for motos and bicycles
in the courtyard as well.

Teaching is a joy with these students.  They have a strong desire to learn English and many are very receptive to learning about the Lord and His Son.  Teachers can take from one to four students at a time for one hour sessions from 8:00 am until 8:00 pm with breaks for lunch and supper.  Each Monday students can come to be tested for English skills to know if they can study with a foreigner.Bible
English             Center
Study
Training.

Today has been a good day.  Two new students have been accepted to study with us by passing an English test.  Two others will be studying with Try.  They will study Bible with him and improve their skills to study with a foreigner.

WHAT A GREAT DAY

Worship at the University Church which meets at the Best Center.
We sing (English along with Khmer when both are in our books).
Many of the songs are written only in Khmer so we listen.
There were about 60 adults in attendance yesterday. 

 Sunday was a busy and joyous day.  We first got up and went to the Phnom Penh Church of Christ where we have attended in the past.  They meet from 8:00-10:00 am.  The minister from that congregation also spoke at the University congregation for the afternoon worship period.  The young man (Try) is the minister for the University congregation.  There were also 3 from the Ship of Hope in attendance.

Baptisms take place in this stainless steel tub.  This lady will
join her 2 sisters as Christians.

With her decision to be baptized this family will be united
in Christ.  Her husband has been a believer for 2 years.



Potluck, or any meal, always includes rice.  Fruit is a dessert
of which there is an abundance here, many we don't recognize.
The breads were filled with different things.



The Christian Dorm Students taught a children's class during
worship period, then helped the children during potluck.
The responsibility they take is so impressive.

 

 

Two ladies had indicated that they wanted to be baptized today.  Several came some distances from villages to witness their decision.  It was a joyous day for many.

Everyone gathered in the courtyard and rejoiced with these families.  It is a big decision for Cambodians to make as it changes the traditions of families. 

There were about 75 gathered who ate the potluck meal following the baptism.  There were sandwiches, rice, vegetable/meat 'soup' to put over the rice, fruit, breads and a hot bean/tapioca dessert.  It was a good time for fellowship.

Children of members and neighborhood guests were present for a Bible class.  It was good to see the College Dorm students teaching these classes.  They spent hours preparing worksheets, along with pictures to show from a projector.  They had centers set up to teach.  These are new Christians who are not afraid to share the Bible.