Cambodia was an unexpected adventure. In the messiness of life after graduation, I volunteered alongside the missions pastor at Mount Ararat. College moved quickly as I pushed from one goal to the next so, in graduating a semester early, I promised myself a change of pace. However, when Pastor Jerry asked if I'd be interested in going to Cambodia as the church's photographer and videographer I just couldn't say no. Despite my reservations, I found courage in God's timing and discovered a culture that captivated my heart.
Prepping for Cambodia
Julius and Cheryl George have been members of Mount Ararat for many years. They first encountered New Hope for Orphans when their daughter, Rachel, traveled to Cambodia on a mission trip. She was overwhelmed by the country's incredible beauty and darkness; inspiring her parents to start their own nonprofit, Sparrow. Now, 12, or so, years later they partner with New Hope for Orphans to ensure they have everything they need to sustain themselves. This past year, the Georges met with Pastor Jerry to see if Mount Ararat would be interested in working with them to provide bunk beds. Moved by their cause, we banded together as a church and not only put together a team for Cambodia, but also prepped the beds for shipping and collected flip flops for the children. This endeavor started in the parking lot of Mount Ararat where a multitude of volunteers gathered to cut, sand, and pack wooden parts for the bunk beds. The parts were then loaded into large crates and shipped ahead of us. The Kids at The Mount competed, boys vs girls, to see who could bring the most flip-flops for our trip. Our goal as a church was 500 and I believe they collected close to 700 flip flops by packing day.
Landing In Cambodia
I didn't really know much about the culture before I left. I understood the dangers, of course, and made sure to prepare for the worst in hoping for the best, but I really wanted an experience void of any preconceived notions. It took two days to get to Cambodia from DC. Our first leg to Doha International Airport in Qatar was thirteen hours long. We then had a six hour layover in Qatar where we were strongly advised against leaving the airport. Instead, we browsed the very expensive stores, opened a pop up salon, and went restaurant hopping. From Qatar we flew for nine hours to Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia.
The first night was a shock. Though our bodies were screaming for sleep, we went downtown after dinner to stay awake and explore. A big thing in their culture is fried bugs and by bugs, I don't mean small critters you find crawling around your house, I mean tarantulas, grasshoppers, and beetles. We encountered a huge cart with a variety of these fried treats and I nearly fainted. Naturally, Rachel, who's been to Cambodia about a million times, bought multiple bags with a variety of bugs for us to try. I personally didn't want that kind of bug karma in my life so I just watched as only the group's bravest souls stepped forward. Apparently tarantulas are very crunchy and taste similar to cod or chicken , grasshoppers burst in your mouth like demented gushers, and beetles have a chewy-melted-starbursts kind of texture. The most ironic thing about our first night was that we ended up adopting a tarantula, Tammy, to be our team mascot. It took a while, but eventually her and I came to an agreement. As long as she didn't plot against my life, I wouldn't plot against her's. I feel like she could eventually sense an air of "dead tarantula" about our group because she ran away.
History of Cambodia
Cambodia has a very dark past, but in order to understand its culture we had to face it. Approximately 1.5 million Cambodians were worked, starved, and tortured to death, a mere 30 years ago, during the rule of Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge Regime. Pol Pot was a communist tyrant who hoped to create a pure population by killing the "Old Society" and starting from year zero. Security 21 is an old high school on the outskirts of Phnom Penh that was converted into a torture, interrogation, and execution center. Of the 14,000 Cambodians who entered, only 7 survived. Today 2 of the 7 are alive and our team was able to meet them both. The Killing Fields were an orchard before the Khmer Rouge converted it into mass murder graves. Because Pol Pot closed Cambodia's borders, the Khmer Rouge had to preserve their resources by hanging or decapitating their prisoners. Babies and small children were often thrown against trees or killed with bayonets. When the Killing Fields were first discovered , many worked to identify the individuals in the mass graves, but the bodies were too numerous. Instead, they refilled the graves with dirt and placed the bones they did recover in a large tower that now stands at the entrance of the Killing Fields. Upon the Vietnamese occupation, Pol Pot fled Phnom Penh for the Jungle. He was captured in 1997 and placed under house arrest with the intent of being tried in an international tribunal by the United Nations. However, Pol Pot died in 1998; never facing justice for his crimes.
While signs and paths were added to make these places feel like museums, most of what we encountered is how it was originally found. The makeshift brick cells in the classrooms of S21 are the actual cells where innocent people were held. In some of the cells I could still read things written by the prisoners. On one brick I read the words: "We are getting out!" and my mind went numb. The vibrantly white flowers that almost float atop the trees throughout the courtyard of S21 act as an eerie reminder of the structures true intent. Our tour guide was 14 when Pol Pot took power. She still remembers escaping to Vietnam before the Khmer Rouge could capture her, but unfortunately her brother and father didn't make it.
The Killing Fields has a self guided audio tour. When I reached the Magic Tree, where the Khmer Rouge strung large loud speakers from branches, the tour played the propaganda music used to cover the screams of the prisoners. The sound of a running engine laced with string instruments and a male soprano voice overwhelmed my senses. Unable to listen, I pulled the headphones from my head and placed my hands on the tree. Though the bark was sturdy and its texture so tender, I could almost feel the toll of the hardships it stood through. The founder of New Hope for Orphans shared how he escaped the Killing Fields when he was just a boy. He recalled walking for weeks before safely reaching a refugee camp. When he was finally safe he said he sobbed uncontrollably, realizing he no longer had a family, a home, or a country. It was through his own tragedy that he was inspired to start New Hope for Orphans.
Building Bunk Beds
Because Cambodia's economy is still recovering from the devastation of Pol Pot, human trafficking tends to be a very common form of revenue. This is one of the main reasons adoption is extremely uncommon. Many families send their children to work in factories, but in reality the children are being exploited. It is very important to research any organization you hope to work with before traveling to Cambodia because some are voluntourism places that exploit children by pulling on tourist's heartstrings. New Hope for Orphans is a legitimate organization that focuses on developing their children academically and socially so that they can properly sustain themselves as adults. Three of our translators grew up in these children's homes and decided to come back to serve their family.
In the span of two weeks, we visited five children's homes. During the day we would assemble the beds and after school we would teach the children the creation story, make crafts, and play sports. The homes were located all over Cambodia so I was able to see a good portion of the country. My favorite encounter was the Battambang Children's Home. To be fair, we were able to spend two days with them as opposed to an afternoon. We went to church Sunday morning where they lead such a moving worship service for us. In the afternoon we had a water balloon fight, did face painting, taught them how to swim, and took them to dinner to celebrate how well they did in school. The next day we traveled with them to a children's home nearby so that they could visit their friends. We spent the day playing volleyball and at night had a family style pizza dinner. I think the most impactful moment was when Rachel took us on a tour of the home and I noticed Operation Christmas Child Boxes. For as long as I can remember, my family and I had stuffed these boxes as a tradition each Christmas and now, as an adult, I was able to spend two weeks with children on the receiving end of my favorite tradition. It was just one of those full circle moments for me. I still get goose bumps thinking about it.
Experiencing Culture
Our service didn't stop in our times of exploration. Everywhere we went, we were open to God's will and aligned ourselves to his plans. The last two days of our trip were dedicated to visiting some key cultural places. Toneal Sap is a freshwater lake where many lower class Vietnamese and Cambodians live in a town comprised of boats. Our team decided, in the midst of our tour, to stop at a rice boat and buy food for families we met along the way. Children and mothers were jumping into the water to swim to us for food. We ended up making a few more trips back to the rice boat because the desperation we saw was devastating . The water was murky and crocodile infested. In fact, we stopped at a crocodile farm where some of the crocs were so big and angry that the attendant had to gently pull me away from the rail.
Angkor Wat is iconic for being the largest religious monument in the world. Every year new temples and ruins are being discovered. We visited the main site and a secondary site that is commonly used in films. No building in Cambodia is allowed to be larger than the highest point of the temple. It is a very striking structure in person. I really enjoyed the stillness and peace that seemed to resonate in the walls. Somehow, I ended up deviating from our tour and walking the temple on my own. It was a wonderful time of reflection as I thanked God for bringing me to a place I never would've imagined visiting.
I really am not the same person I was when I left for Cambodia. My spirit feels stronger and I look to my future with courage and hope. The more I put my faith in God, the more I realize just how unstoppable His plans are for my life. I just have to get out of my own way and allow him to work in the way that only He can.