Floods Ravage Much of Cambodia and Southeast Asia

The 2 young girls were covered in gray mud from head to toe.  Alger and I had absolutely no idea what they were doing as they grinned sheepishly up at us from the bottom of the 12 foot deep pit.  "Fishing," our friend Pastor Sokun explained.  It was late April, and the water from the previous rainy season was almost entirely gone in the villages around Kampong Thom. Villagers were scrambling each day to find enough water, praying that the rains would soon come.  And come they did.  Flooding began in mid-September, and continues to worsen.

When the rivers flood, fish are washed away.  Villagers dig these big pits to store water and trap fish for the dry season.

Cambodia is flat!  Really flat!  Much of the country is  flood plains for the Mekong and Tonle Sap Rivers.   Moderate flooding occurs every September and October, part of the normal life cycle, bringing rich soil to the rice paddies. 

But this year is different! 

Exceptional rainfall has caused devastating floods across Southeast Asia.  This year the floods are bringing death and destruction to a very vulnerable region. 

I've read that it is the worst flooding in 10 years…30 years…even 50 years.  The accuracy of the historical comparison is really irrelevant.  Reports from Asian newspapers and first hand updates from our friends across Cambodia agree.  People are dying.  People are hungry.   They need help. 

One pastor friend in Phnom Penh from New Life Church said, "The needs are so great. The government can only do so much.  We don't know what to do!" 

Imagine for a moment what the realities on the ground might look like. Livestock are swept up in the waters, decaying.  Outdoor toilets or sewer systems are now mixed up in the flood-waters. Wells are contaminated. Factories are closed, and workers have no income.  Fishermen are out of work, as the fish from the rivers are washed across the land.  Rice crops are destroyed. The price of rice, a precious global commodity, could skyrocket, making it unaffordable for many poor farmers. Everyone is essentially "living" in the flood-waters.  You can only imagine the disease to come.

I don't know about you, but I have seen absolutely nothing on the news about this pending international disaster.  My information has come thru Facebook, (first hand information from our many friends across the country) and The Phnom Penh Post.

The floods are affecting the entire Southeast Asian region.  Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam are also suffering.  The government of Cambodia does not have the resources to handle such a huge natural disaster alone.  I pray that the world will come to the aid of these poor and powerless people in this…yet another…desperate time of need.

Please Pray for Cambodia.

1.  For the world to open it's heart (and wallets) to provide much needed aid.

2.  For the Cambodian church to be able to display God's grace and love in this time of suffering.

3.  For international aid organizations and workers in country as they face incredible need with limited resources.

4. For God's promise of hope and a future to be fulfilled in the nation.

         "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  Jeremiah 29:11

LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT

I fell in love with Cambodia on December 21, 1989.

It was a record cold night in Charlotte, and I drove into the city half-expecting the Christmas Pageant to be cancelled.  But as I turned the corner, there were several cars in the parking lot. The show was on!

This was my last week at Belk Store Services, and I anxiously looked forward to my new focus in life.  A month earlier I had accepted a new position with the Charlotte District of the United Methodist Church.  My mission?  Go out into the inner city refugee community of Charlotte and see what can be done to help. 

Duncan Church, tucked into a forgotten corner of the city, in the shadows of the downtown skyscrapers, was ground zero for our outreach.  A few years earlier, the pastor, Rev. Wade Rogers, and Susan, a church volunteer, had started  a children's ministry and choir.  Tonight was my first meeting with the children.

Words cannot adequately describe the scene that was unfolding in this little inner-city church. Precious little brown skinned children, with big, round, dark brown eyes and hair, cautiously walking down the aisle.  Little Cambodian sheep, cows, angels, and wise-men, with Mary, Joseph, and of course baby Jesus.  Skinny arms and legs, sticking out of their ill-fitting clothes.  Cute and ridiculous at the same time…especially since the children had probably never heard the Christmas Story before.  But there they were…in their adorable cow and sheep costumes grinning from ear to ear!

As the children began reading the Christmas Story, I began to weep. Not just an emotional little tearing up, but full-on gut-wrenching sobs.  At that very moment, God put His love for the Cambodian people deep into my heart.  It was not just  a normal reaction to some cute little kids, but a true supernatural impartation of the Father's love.  That love has not faltered, but has grown stronger and stronger over the past 22 years.

Today, those little ones have grown up.  They eventually found their way in America, and are now in their 20's and 30's with families of their own.  They are now teachers, engineers, bankers, factory workers, IT specialists, and nurses.  America is their home….but Cambodia is in their hearts.

Egg Rolls And Chicken Wings

Alger and I recently enjoyed a wonderful evening with the Cambodian and Montagnard churches in Charlotte.  After a delicious meal of rice, chicken curry, egg rolls, and many other unidentifiable dishes, we shared some movies of our April-May Journey thru Cambodia.  Sounds of delight rippled through the crowd of about 200 as images of home flashed across the screen.  Laughter filled the room as they returned to Cambodia in their minds, if only for a few moments. 

I don't yet speak Khmer, but I knew they were saying,

"Look at that.  That's my hometown."

"Can you believe those moderrn buildings in Phnom Penh! "

"Am I glad I don't have to work in the rice fields anymore!"

However, the strongest responses came when we shared of the amazing ways that God is moving across the land.  Stories of  baptisms,  healing miracles, house churches springing up in rural villages, and of young Cambodian Christians reaching out to their peers brought excited applause.

God has a plan for Cambodia.

 We proclaimed the truth of Jeremiah 29:11 over Cambodia, and our friends in Charlotte.  "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Hope could almost be "seen" rising in the room, as we called forth the destiny of Cambodia, and challenged the group to consider how they could be part of God's plan to bring hope and healing.  Several young adults approached us afterward with tears in their eyes, speaking excitingly that they want to go back to Cambodia and help build the church and heal their homeland.

This is when I realized our ministry is not just in Cambodia, but wherever there are Cambodians.

 As a result of the disastrous Pol Pot years, hundreds of thousands of Khmer escaped into Thailand during the late 1970's and early 80's.  They were resettled largely in the US, Australia, and Canada. They are fluent in English, educated, and have skills and experience gravely needed to help rebuild Cambodia.  Many have found a relationship with God. These Cambodian-Americans, Cambodian-Aussies, Cambodian-Canadians, have an opportunity to play a significant role in building the future of Cambodia. 

Alger and I have made many new Cambodian friends this summer, and have become reacquainted with many old friends. We look forward to becoming more involved with the Carolina Cambodian Community while we are here and in future visits to the East Coast.

This blog is called Cambodian Connections for a reason. We want to connect people and resources with Cambodia. Anyone, anywhere, who has a heart for Cambodia, a desire to know more, an interest in becoming involved!  There is a place for you.

Want to know more?  Leave us a note in the COMMENTS section. We'll get back to you and help you determine ways to CONNECT WITH CAMBODIA.