The Call of Mission in Cambodia

 

Cambodia locates along the bank of "Mekong" river at the Mid-South Peninsula, and it used to be a historical nation with full strength and resources, so called "Hometown of Fishes and Rice". Since the uprising of Communism in 1969 and the country was taken over by the Communist Khmer Rouge army. The government extremely exercised cruelty and torture to control people. Within four years, approximately two million of Cambodian citizens were slaughtered and majority of those were mainstreams of the society.  With the supports of the United Nation in 1993, the Red-Cambodia was overthrown and the Cambodian's constitution was re-established and the status of the King was resumed.  However, the segregations of people within the nation after the dissolve of Red Cambodia also became the cause of political instability within the country.

 

Estimated population in Cambodia is 11 millions. 70% of population is below 30 years old and 50% of these people are below 18 years of age. Among the adults, women are taking up 56% of the entire population and the majority of them are housewives, and those were found to be victims during the time of Red Cambodian government twenty some years ago. The Red Cambodian had killed their husbands and/or relatives.  One third of adults in the nation are illiterate (uneducated).  Average of 4 to 6 children in a family are anticipating to be adopted for a new life.  This country is a process of regaining some hopes, however the aftermath of wars still creating a lot of pains and nightmares to the nation. As of today Cambodia remains very poor, with corruptive government, full of troublesome and pending to be restored.  Due to the past experiences of disaster after disaster, most of the people become very superstitious in life, and were trapped in the darkness of evils and ghosts.  95% of populations are involved in some kinds of Buddhism with multi-spirits.  In recent years, there have been cults and various kinds of religions flooding into the country that makes the region gradually become a battlefield of spiritual war.

Cambodia with 300,000 of Chinese population and most of them are residing in the Capital City of "Phnom Penh".  Numerous Chinese are still moving into the city from different provinces of China for different opportunities.  Some of them are with business investment, oversea employed, involuntary smuggled in, and even crime fugitives who escaped from legal prosecution.  As majority of them are living with difficulties, loneliness, emptiness and anxiety, Gospel is the only way to rescue them.  Currently there are seven Chinese Churches in the city of "Phnom Penh" sponsoring projects such as development of kindergarten and orphanage home, and all these projects are administered by the foreign missionaries.  Besides the gospel ministries to the Chinese over there, the opportunity of spreading gospel to local Cambodians are much greater, however the number of workers is little.  The door for Cambodian Gospel Ministries is now opened, and there are great needs in the areas of gospel preaching, church planting, church nurturing, and part time missionaries.

 

Are you willing to be a part of this ministry?  If you have a burden on supporting the missionaries, please direct contact Janice Lo, a missionary to Cambodia from Gospel Operation International for Chinese Christians (GOINTL),

via email: JaniceLo@ forum.org.kh, or visit website: http://www.gointl.org

Thanks God for the calling, Friends of Grace had the opportunities to serve the people in Phnom Penh, Cambodia for six days. We provided free medical services, preached in Sunday worships, and conducted evangelistic and revival meetings in Phnom Penh Chinese Christian Church, The People's Church of Phnom Penh, and Chinese Grace Church of Phnom Penh. In the meantime, we also visited Phnom Penh Bible School and New Life Church of Phnom Penh (the largest church in Cambodia), and provided free medical services to local pastors, seminary students and believers. May God, through Dr. Wong's hands, remove the pains and suffers from His believers, give them strengths, and help them work together for the sake of spreading Gospel. May all the Glories be to God! Friends of Grace are planning to visit Cambodia again in November 2004.  May God give us strength!  Your prayer support or participation in this ministry is surely welcomed!