The following is an excerpt written by my co-worker, Tom S. and his wife D.
On September 2, 1996, D. and I arrived in Cambodia with daughters J. and S. in tow. Cambodia was different in many ways than today, and yet similar in many ways as well. I would like to reflect on some of these differences and similarities, and also offer responses for us.
As a capital city, Phnom Penh was much sleepier in 1996. At that time, the population was about a million people, cyclos
were a common form of transportation, and there were at most only a few functioning stoplights. At the same time, Phnom Penh was not quiet. Due to the more unstable security situation, D. and I heard machine-gun fire nearly weekly (fortunately J. be-lieved us when we told her it was just fire crackers she was hearing). In addition, the Khmer Rouge was still alive and well in certain areas of the country. This, com-bined with the security situation, led to the practice of traveling upcountry by convoy instead of alone, with frequent police checkpoints seen along the way.
In 1996, the Cambodian Church was much smaller. At the time, the book “Operation World” noted that Bible-believing Christians comprised only 0.1% of the entire population. Presently many say that 2% or more of Cambodians are Bible-believing Christians. The num-ber of congregations is in excess of 3,000. We should rejoice in what God has done.
There are other differences today as well. Currently there are many more cross-cultural workers in Cambodia than before. In addition, the security situation is much more stable. Nowadays it is hard to imagine not being able to freely drive anywhere in the country (as long as your vehicle can get through). In reality, the infrastructure has seen vast
improvements in the past fifteen years. I remember our first survey trip to Koh Kong in the year 2000 with Jeff, Joel, Phat, and others. At that time we took a boat along the coast from Sre Ambel to the town of Koh Kong because there was no passable road through the interior, period. Fortunately, a good road is now available, even with bridges in place. As the Khmer say, wow.
The past years have seen an increase in wealth in Cambodia, including changes in living among many poor as well. Even though this is the case, there is obviously still much to do. On a different note, there does seem to be more of a sense of hope in people’s hearts. Before, the future often looked bleak and un-changed; now the future looks brighter in the hearts of many Cambodians. This change is likely a result of many things, including increased economic growth, better education, and exposure to the Lord of the Universe. This gives us reason to be thankful.
As a capital city, Phnom Penh now has a population of at least two million people. In 1996, the tallest build-ing in the country was the Intercontinental Hotel. The schools of Northbridge, Log-os, and Hope were not yet established. And World Team had only one family onsite. Much has obviously changed in recent years.
At the same time, there are many similarities today as well. These similarities go deeper than the surface changes of such things as paved roads and cell phones. As an example, we know that Cambodia is now in the midst of celebrat-ing Pchum Ben. The deep worldview values which motivate people to be in-volved in this celebration are still lodged in the hearts of most Cambodians. Cultur-al values are not easily changed, even in
light of the gospel. I would suggest that most of the cultural values which existed fifteen years ago are still strong today. This should not surprise us, as these values and traditions have been taught for hundreds of years. And on another level, the heart of man has been the same since the fall of Om Adam. The deep spiritual need of Cambodians is one thing which continues to this day.
