Cambodia - Day One

We began our day at the Pol Pot Genocide Museum...

The Pol Pot museum in Phnom Penh is difficult to describe in words, especially since Americans are so unfamiliar with the tragedies involved in the reign of the Khmer Rouge (1975-1979). The museum is located in the jail, called S-21, which used to be the high school in the city. For approximately 3 years, 22,000 Cambodian citizens were brought into S-21 and tortured and forced to make false cofessions for the "purification" of the society under Pol Pot's power. Women, men, and children, as well as non-Cambodian individuals caught in the chaos, were tortured and the majority were killed on the grounds of S-21. These are the very grounds which we walked today, attempting to understand how greatly the terror of the Khmer Rouge affected, and is still affecting, the Cambodian people. The majority of the population of Cambodia died during this time; most were killed after they were led out to the countryside to become peasants. Because of this it is rare to find anyone here who is older than 25 or 30. Although there is no way to truly understand, visiting the museum provided a powerful insight to why Cambodia is the way it is today.

Meeting Dah for the first time at the AGAPE Salon brought a welcomed breath of fresh air. The salon feels lighter than the any other building we've found ourselves in here. Probably because it's dedicated to the LORD. The door says, "We'll love you and He'll love you." We could feel the Father's love as Dah welcomed us to her salon! It was a great time of fellowship as Dah took time to dye/cut all of our hair!

We did not go to the slums today, but plan to go there tomorrow. We will also spend time at the R.N. home in the city.

Thank you so much for your prayers and support. Please stay connected here on the blog for the next couple of weeks.

-Sam & Cat