A New Home

After almost a year of preparation, hundreds of prayers from family, friends, supporters and the team, more than $2,000 raised, many giggles of excitement and two unnecessarily long flights, six sweaty Mizzou students made it to A Greater Hope Orphanage in Takeo, Cambodia.


Cameron was so far away during our 14-hour flight to Seoul. Thankfully, we could get up, walk around and even play Brain Teasers against each other on the screens on the backs of seats.

One of the first things that Kit told us was about a popular Christian theater group would be coming as part of the concert Caleb has planned out. Many in the village are excited about the concert after hearing about it via word-of-mouth and it hasn't even been officially announced. Kit is expecting a least 1,000!

We spent a good part of Friday in Phnom Penh shopping for supplies with Kit and Ream (directors of the orphanage and school). At the central market, Ream and Courtney introduced the team to sugar cane juice, mango steen, rambutan (a spiky tropical fruit) and salty crickets. Of course we took the challenge and everyone enjoyed the first cricket. But we weren't about to keep up with Ream and pop them in like chips.

The central market just went through major renovation in Phnom Penh. There were plenty of shops to explore.

Ream eats these like chips. We all tried them and liked it, but no one went past two crickets.

Hannah takes a courageous, long first bite of a salted cricket.

Courtney treated us to pure sugar cane juice (with lime) at the central market. It was very strong so none of us finished it, but it was still good.

Cameron, Laura and Rylee's first sips of pure sugar cane juice at the central market.

Cambodia in context

We also spent several hours learning about one of the most defining four years of recent Cambodia history: the Khmer Rouge.

S-21 survivor Chen Mey showed us some of his scars from the torture he received while held there. Here he posed with a European group visiting the site.

Our first stop was a former high school-turned-detention camp known as S-21. There were only three survivors of this camp, two of which we met. Room after room showed the bedding and chains that Cambodians were restricted to. As Pol Pot's paranoia increased, so did the number of prisoners.

Anyone suspected of spying or resisting the revolution, including intellectuals, clergy or even anyone who wore glasses, were taken in for questioning and tortured until they "admitted" they were spies. Then their families would be ushered in to be killed as well since in the words of Pol Pot, "better to kill an innocent by mistake than spare an enemy by mistake."

Photos of S-21 prisoners

Barbed wire lined the patios on each floor of the detention camp to prevent prisoners from committing suicide.

It was hard for any of us to react to what we were seeing because the gravity of such evil. Ream told us of her friend who came to S-21 looking for her uncle a few days after the Vietnam army drove the Khmer Rouge out on Jan. 7, 1979. By the time she got there, they had already found her uncle dead.

On our way out of the city, we stopped by one of the more than 2,000 killing fields throughout the country where Pol Pot's officers would execute prisoners brought there. The one we visited has the largest monument and an audio tour of the site. We could still see cloth used as blindfolds half buried in the dirt. Even after more than 30 years of rainy seasons and erosion, the depressions where mass graves used to be were evident.

Records show that toward the end of Pol Pot's reign, 300 people were brought to this killing field every day.

The Khmer Rouge targeted many they thought were against the revolution including intellectuals, foreigners and Buddhist monks.

On the stairs, many people wrote their reactions to what they saw at S-21.

A New Home

Then we came home to the orphanage to meet 43 children of the generation who grew up without the 2 million Cambodians who were their parents, teachers and grandparents killed under the Khmer Rouge. And what a joyous meeting it was! Their energy and eagerness to know us calmed our fears of not being able to connect with them.

Soon nerf gun fights broke out with Cameron, Caleb and the younger boys and the girls were braiding Hannah's hair. Courtney had a long chat with the older boys and they picked up right where they left off, joking and communicating through a mixture of laughs, hand gestures and broken Khmer and English.

After two years, Courtney hugged and kissed the precious kids at A Greater Hope Orphanage again. You can watch more of their reunion on Facebook: http://on.fb.me/tgXSnD

Since then, we got a tour of the orphanage grounds and school (pictures of that coming in our next post) and Kit and Ream gave us a run-down of the spiritual and physical successes and needs in the community. God is up to great things in Cambodia. Not because of superior qualifications and spirituality. No, it is purely because of His immense love for this nation, His people are praying, His people are showing up and depending on Him every step of the way.

Prayer requests

Hannah--guidance on her teaching at the school, depending on the Lord and connecting with the students

Rylee--being aware of physical and spiritual needs during the clinic (starting Tuesday afternoon) and during house visits in the village

Caleb--that all elements of the concert (logistics, supplies, gospel message, dancing etc.) will come together before Friday, a big turnout, and that practicing with Ly, our translator for the Scripture reading would go smoothly

Cameron--our team to be able to help Kit and Ream in the most applicable ways while we are here, practicing the Scripture reading for the concert would go smoothly

Laura--have meaningful connections with the kids that will be sharing their stories for videos on the orphanage's website, learning the theatrics part of the concert would be easy on the concert crew

Courtney-- word would continue to spread around the community about the clinic via local pastors and that were would be a gospel opportunity with each patient, continued rest and health of the team