Church in a Minefield...Reclaiming the Land

Several people were already waiting for us under the simple bamboo and grass structure when our van pulled onto the property. The freshly plowed plot of land was bordered by a simple fence made of small bamboo poles.  Pastor Sophy greeted those gathered, and then began to give us a brief history of the village and the land where we were standing.

English class on the right while others wait for the Bible study to begin.

"Most people think that the Khmer Rouge were defeated in 1979," he explained.  "But the forested and jungle areas near the borders, including this village, were controlled by the Khmer Rouge until 1998.  "This area was heavily mined, and more than 500 mines have been removed from this land alone."  I hesitated for a moment, praying silently that ALL mines had been detected.

This sign warning of land mines is almost gone.  Sadly, many areas have
not yet been de-mined, rendering the land both useless and dangerous.

Fruit trees, corn, and vegetables now spring from the ground.  He has plans to build a chicken farm, and to establish a "chicken bank."  "Villagers will borrow 4 chickens from the farm and get their own family chicken farm started. Then they will return 4 chickens to the bank, and others will also borrow them."  Simple, but brilliant, I thought.

When Pastor Sophy first connected with this village about a year ago, the name of Jesus had never been heard.  Today, about 50 adults, youth, and children meet weekly for Bible studies, prayer, and worship, along with English classes and medical assistance.

This is the first chance any of these students have ever had to learn English.

Sophy told us of the power of bikes in rural Cambodia.  "When I first arrived here," he said,  "I learned that many of the young people were going to quit school." Village schools only go to the 6th grade, and in order for children  to continue their education, they often have to walk a very long way to the district schools. "We provided bikes for them, and all have continued into secondary (middle) school."

Pastor Sophy and his team are committed to serve the remote villages of Siem Reap, bringing hope and healing to those forgotten by most NGO's and other organizations.