Bringing hope to cambodia
In October, a small team from TSC joined a group from Freedom’s Promise, one of our mission partners, to serve in Cambodia. This beautiful country and its people have been plagued with intense poverty, the ills of human trafficking, centuries spent alternating between Buddhism and Hinduism, and the recovery from a mass genocide in the late 70s, which still casts its shadow today. This is a land with a shortage of hope and an abundant need for the gospel. Despite the darkness, the people were incredibly welcoming, and the laughter of the local children as they played could almost always be heard.
Freedom’s Promise estimates that there are roughly 50 million people enslaved today, part of a $236 billion “industry” that reaches every corner of the world, including our own backyard. Much of this originates in Southeast Asia, particularly in Cambodia and Myanmar, which is why the organization has made this area their focus. Human trafficking takes many forms, but it is often born from situations of poverty, a lack of education and opportunities, and a shortage of hope. Because of this, Freedom’s Promise focuses on prevention through a refined process of awareness, training, education, healthcare, opportunities, and sharing the restorative power of the gospel. In short, they bring hope.
Our team had the pleasure of supporting this wonderful organization's work through several projects, with three primary areas of focus. The most significant component of this trip was medical missions. Over 300 people came through our clinic in just a few days, receiving basic medical, vision, and dental care. No patient made it through without being prayed over. The power of prayer was on full display when a member of our team prayed over a man whose chronic back pain left him virtually unable to walk. By the grace of God, this man was healed and accepted Jesus on the spot! Our team also participated in VBS activities with over 230 kids in the Phnom Penh and Poipet areas. The joy from these children was a delight to behold, as was news that over twenty of them accepted Jesus. Finally, our team members participated in small construction projects, like painting classrooms, painting the walls around a church, and building a playground. Given the heat and humidity, this was quite the endeavor!
These projects were sprinkled with other memorable moments, like touring the beautiful school that Freedom’s Promise is nearing completion on. Soon, this will be home to roughly 500 students in the Poipet area. We toured the camps and killing fields from the genocide that took place from 1975-79, in which an estimated 2 million Cambodians lost their lives. It was a somber moment and shed light on some of the pain still felt by many today. We drove through the Red Light district in Phnom Penh and the casino area in Poipet, on the border with Thailand. This allowed us to see the results of human trafficking firsthand. These images painted a vivid picture and led to intense team prayer.
Mission trips to places like Cambodia bring the issue at hand into focus. There is so much darkness in this world, a darkness that can choke out all hope. The absence of hope is incredibly dangerous as it causes a spiral that leads even deeper into a place of despair, a place where the enemy thrives. We carry with us a light that can penetrate the darkest of nights, a light that can chase away the enemy, a light that can illuminate a path forward.
We carry a light that brings hope.
Freedom’s Promise estimates that there are roughly 50 million people enslaved today, part of a $236 billion “industry” that reaches every corner of the world, including our own backyard. Much of this originates in Southeast Asia, particularly in Cambodia and Myanmar, which is why the organization has made this area their focus. Human trafficking takes many forms, but it is often born from situations of poverty, a lack of education and opportunities, and a shortage of hope. Because of this, Freedom’s Promise focuses on prevention through a refined process of awareness, training, education, healthcare, opportunities, and sharing the restorative power of the gospel. In short, they bring hope.
Our team had the pleasure of supporting this wonderful organization's work through several projects, with three primary areas of focus. The most significant component of this trip was medical missions. Over 300 people came through our clinic in just a few days, receiving basic medical, vision, and dental care. No patient made it through without being prayed over. The power of prayer was on full display when a member of our team prayed over a man whose chronic back pain left him virtually unable to walk. By the grace of God, this man was healed and accepted Jesus on the spot! Our team also participated in VBS activities with over 230 kids in the Phnom Penh and Poipet areas. The joy from these children was a delight to behold, as was news that over twenty of them accepted Jesus. Finally, our team members participated in small construction projects, like painting classrooms, painting the walls around a church, and building a playground. Given the heat and humidity, this was quite the endeavor!
These projects were sprinkled with other memorable moments, like touring the beautiful school that Freedom’s Promise is nearing completion on. Soon, this will be home to roughly 500 students in the Poipet area. We toured the camps and killing fields from the genocide that took place from 1975-79, in which an estimated 2 million Cambodians lost their lives. It was a somber moment and shed light on some of the pain still felt by many today. We drove through the Red Light district in Phnom Penh and the casino area in Poipet, on the border with Thailand. This allowed us to see the results of human trafficking firsthand. These images painted a vivid picture and led to intense team prayer.
Mission trips to places like Cambodia bring the issue at hand into focus. There is so much darkness in this world, a darkness that can choke out all hope. The absence of hope is incredibly dangerous as it causes a spiral that leads even deeper into a place of despair, a place where the enemy thrives. We carry with us a light that can penetrate the darkest of nights, a light that can chase away the enemy, a light that can illuminate a path forward.
We carry a light that brings hope.
