Mission in Cambodia
David Rietveld (in striped shirt) with students preparing lunch at Project Khmer Hope in Cambodia.
There are exciting opportunities for mission in partnership in Cambodia, as David Rietveld found on a recent visit.
Driving to Hobart’s airport I passed snow on Mount Wellington, navigated ice on the early morning roads, and wore several layers of clothes. At Phnom Penh it was about 35C, humid and sticky. But the comparisons between Cambodia and Tasmania are far more profound than just the weather.
The levels of (under-) development and poverty are the first things that strike you. Like most majority world countries, much transport is by motor bike, and some scooters carry three or four people. There are scavengers, beggars, yet there are also plenty of top end luxury 4WDs on the roads.
My first two days in Cambodia were spent attending a conference where the Anglican Diocese of Singapore and the three Malaysian Dioceses shared their missionary endeavours in Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia.
A businessman spoke about assisting the Cambodian people and church to become financially independent. He reviewed the merits of micro-finance schemes, developing existing businesses, and other options.
The conference culminated in the commissioning of Cambodia’s first and only Khmer (Cambodian) Anglican Priest, Tit Hieng, who was originally a body guard sent to keep an eye on the first Anglican missionary. But God had other intentions for Tit Hieng and after hearing the gospel he responded by asking Jesus to be his Lord and Saviour.
In the same service an overarching mission team was commissioned, comprising Khmer, Cambodian Chinese, and representatives from the Diocese of Singapore. The significance of handing over the leadership and responsibility for the Cambodian church from Singaporean missionaries to local Cambodians cannot be under-estimated, and they need our prayers and support.
I also saw some on-the-ground mission work at an educational/medical facility called Project Khmer Hope (PKH). This project of the Diocese of Singapore involves a two year hospitality and English training program for disadvantaged youth. Graduates are employable in the growing tourism industry.
PKH’s medical team also journeys to outlying villages where there is no other assistance available. Students of PKH and their friends are invited to a weekly youth program where they hear about Jesus and what it means to follow him.
I can see some great opportunities for our Diocese to partner with Cambodians in extending God’s kingdom. PKH has facilities for short-term mission teams, and we can help in English teaching and with the medical teams. This would be a great first step into Cambodia.
From there we could begin to build relationships with the locals and branch into other ministries in the future. A link with a University focussed fellowship in Phnom Penh would be a strategic and logical link for our particular parish.
David Rietveld is Rector of the Parish of Bay West, Sandy Bay