November 2013 Training Trip to Cambodia

Earlier in November, I was part of a Ratanak training team consisting of volunteers and staff that set off to Cambodia to learn about the projects run by Ratanak and our partner organizations.¹ My name is Joy, and I’m the Strategic Communications Manager at the Ratanak International Headquarters Office in Canada. I manage our social media channels, write and edit print material, and help to develop communication strategies. For me, the two-week trip was, to put it simply, transformative. I encountered our God redeeming, restoring, and healing. I saw His love in the hearts of those who work tirelessly to serve those broken by exploitation and trauma. I saw His hope in the glistening eyes of young women rescued from a life of abuse, dreaming about their futures. Engaging Cambodia’s culture, connecting with its people, and absorbing the sights, smells, and sounds all played a role in helping each of us gain a deeper understanding of the country’s history, values, and customs. It also painted a clearer picture of this country and a people still healing and coming to grips with its traumatic past. What really resonated with our team was the hope that shone through in the midst of the darkness and the suffering. God is working in mighty ways! Where there was pain, there was also healing. Where there was immense hurt and affliction, there was also forgiveness.

We spent our first day in Phnom Penh getting to know one another and familiarizing ourselves with our new surroundings and (far warmer) climate!

The team on a boat tour of the Tonle Sap and Mekong Rivers

On our second day, we visited the Tuol Sleng Torture Prison Museum (S21) and Choeung Ek Killing Fields. There was an air of silence around both of these places that so contrasted the cacophony of sounds in the city. We walked through the rooms and prison cells of S21, a former high school, and stood where so many had needlessly lost their lives. Brian McConaghy unpacked for us the prison’s history, politics, and culture of sheer evil. Looking at photos of prisoners (strangely enough, the Khmer Rouge were meticulous record-keepers), we put faces to the stories. Some had looks of resignation in their eyes, in surrender to the unavoidable, and some appeared oblivious to what was ahead. Others had looks of terror and fear that penetrated straight through the still black and white images.

Brian McConaghy and the team at S21

The Choeung Ek Killing Fields was a site of mass graves where approximately 17,000 people were executed. Human bones and remains are still visible on the ground. I can’t describe what was going through my head as I stepped on tiles at S21 that I knew were previously stained with blood, or carefully walked around bone fragments protruding from the ground at the Killing Fields. I couldn’t wrap my head around the magnitude of pain and suffering that so many people had to endure. I grieved for them, knowing that God sees and hears the cries of His children. He suffers with them. Knowing what this country and its people have been through provoked in me a deeper love and compassion for them.²

Bracelets left behind by visitors at the Killing Fields as a symbol of remembrance

The next day we flew to Siem Reap and had the privilege of meeting a Ratanak partner named Reaksa Himm. A survivor of the Killing Fields, he told us his amazing testimony of love, redemption, and forgiveness.³ His story is one of a transformation that can only be achieved through Christ. I was reminded that no anger, hurt, or sin is beyond His reach. He can take our wounds and heal them, turning them into something beautiful. All we have to do is let Him.

Brian McConaghy, Reaksa Himm, and Jessica Kwee in front of a dam funded by Ratanak

Ratanak has been so blessed to serve Cambodians alongside him. We partnered with him to build a rural library and community center, which provides educational resources, after school sports, recreational programs, and positive role modeling to local youth. It has taken many years to establish trust in the community, but there are now about 100 kids coming to the centre on any given day! We also funded the building of a dam for a local village that was being repeatedly devastated by the heavy rains and floods during the monsoon season. It was completed just in time for this year’s rainfalls.⁴

The next day, much to our delight, was a trip to a newly opened cake shop and café we funded. We had anticipated eating their cupcakes and purposefully planned our meal portions around the visit! This cake shop provides employment opportunities for women rescued from situations of abuse and exploitation and empowers them with job skills, self-confidence, and the realization that they are special, priceless children of God who have so much potential. The cakes and cupcakes they bake are a taste of heaven – delicious to taste and absolutely stunning to look at. We strategically ordered as many cupcakes as we could possibly eat, cut them into quarters so we could each have a taste, and savored each bite!

Some of the cupcakes we ordered!

We also didn’t miss out on seeing one of the ancient wonders of the world – Ankor Wat. Following Cambodian (royal) tradition, we rode into the temple on elephants. It is so amazing that such beautiful structures were built 1,000 years ago by hand, one stone at a time, without the use of technology! These temples are evidence of what was once a great and vibrant culture. Torn apart by war and genocide, we see only remnants of it now. But God is rebuilding the country and transforming lives. We saw evidence of this everyday!

The team in front of Angkor Wat

After returning to Phnom Penh, we went to see some of the sweetest women in Cambodia – the “grannies”. The Haven Night Shelter takes in elderly women who have been rejected by their families and society, and are forced to beg for money in the markets to survive and provide for themselves. They have no place to stay, and out on the streets they often fall victim to violence and abuse. Having lived through the Khmer Rouge regime, they have experienced much. At the Haven Night Shelter they are showered with love and shown compassion and dignity. Their lives are transformed as they experience the love of Christ, and the hope and joy that radiates from their smiles and laughter just melts your heart! I looked into their eyes – eyes that have seen more pain and death than most of us can imagine in a lifetime, and they were filled with warmth. We left encouraged and blessed by their graciousness and affection.

Some of the grannies at the Haven Night Shelter

Another highlight of our trip was visiting the Ratanak Achievement Program (RAP) Community Home. RAP is a transition home for young women who have undergone rehabilitation programs, but are now faced with the last difficult step of re-entering a society that has no sympathy or regard for them. Unfortunately, completing a rehabilitation program does not mean a person is completely healed. Many scars remain and issues often re-surface. Healing is a lifelong journey, and RAP provides opportunities for education and job skills training, building self-confidence and preparing them for independent living. Our visit coincided with the one-year anniversary of the home. We celebrated by playing a few icebreaker games and heading off to eat a delicious pizza dinner. Their English skills were impressive, and we were able to converse and listen to some of their stories and dreams. To spend time with these young women, laughing, singing, and even dancing (what else are you supposed to do in Musical Chairs as you wait for the music to stop?) was such a blessing! They have suffered much exploitation and abuse, but are growing and realizing their value in Christ. As Lisa, our Country Director in Cambodia wrote, they are living examples that “we are more than conquerors in Christ!”⁵

Canadian and Khmer staff teaming up for a 3-legged race

Lastly, the team also visited Chab Dai, an NGO we partner with for our Community Hero Prevention Program. One of the most important ways we can combat the issue of human trafficking is to prevent it from even happening in the first place. By equipping, training, and empowering community leaders (such as church leaders, teachers, local authorities, and local organizations) in high-risk rural provinces, we can educate thousands of villagers to stop trafficking at its roots. The photo below is an example of one of the posters used to communicate to villagers the dangers of trafficking.

One of the posters used to educate villagers on human trafficking

These posters have been approved by the Cambodian government and are left behind for villagers to use. So far, 200 leaders have been trained this year, and they have taught about the issue of trafficking to over 3700 people!

It was so inspiring and encouraging to meet people passionate about Cambodia, working together in unity to serve its people and communities. It is by no means a smooth or easy journey. The healing process is difficult. Loving someone means walking with them through their challenges, grieving with them in their pain, and being there for them when they fall. I admire their faith, resilience, and incredible capacity to love the children and adults they minister to unconditionally. As arduous and heart wrenching as it gets, the joy that comes along with seeing God transform broken hearts can’t be put into words. Time and time again I was left in awe of His faithfulness as we heard of how he worked through people’s suffering to bring hope and restoration into even the darkest of places. I also fell ‘head over heels’ in love with the country. Paul, one of our team members, said on our last day in Cambodia that when you leave, a piece of your heart always remains. I couldn’t agree more.

Joy Kwa
Strategic Communications Manager

¹ These trips prepare and train staff and volunteers who are speaking on behalf of Ratanak on a regular basis so they have a fuller and deeper understanding of Cambodia and Ratanak projects.
² To learn more about the Khmer Rouge, see our timeline or read/watch some of our recommended resources
³ Read Reaksa’s story in his book, “Tears of My Soul”
⁴ Read the story behind this dam on our latest newsletter here
⁵ Read the full story behind our trip to the RAP Community Home on Lisa’s blog here

*Photo credits: Paul Dylla