Cambodia Project

Yesterday we traveled to the southern part of Cambodia the Kampot Province-Chhuk District to meet with several Pastors/leaders. God is always surprising me. When we reached the meeting area, the group had prepared lunch for Dale and I and our translator. Dale speaks fairly good Khmer but sometimes needs a little help. The translator was also our driver. Several of the pastors spoke a little English. Our meeting was held at a school. It is a very unique situation. One of the pastors started this school . It is Gr 1-12 and there are over 750 students! It is a Christian school but being a Christian is not a requirement. When the children graduate they will take a test to see if they qualify for a college scholarship. If they do not…they can stay for further training…they can learn to sew, be a hair dresser, auto repair etc. There are also children that board there whose parents died of HIV or others whose parents went to Malaysia and never returned. How do they support the school? They do computer repair on site and a few other tasks. Some of the students families can afford to pay. It is a great example of a self sufficient community. It is a group of 28 small churches that work together.

Over 30 church leaders, including pastors showed up for this meeting! This was an informational and prayer meeting. We met to find out the needs, gather information and to see if there was a desire for assistance and if they would participate. We also made it clear that we needed permission and that the prime purpose was to carry the gospel to the villages.

Notes from the Meeting:

1. They have some untrained midwives in the villages

2. Several midwives would like further training

3. Several would like to train someone to take their position as they want to retire

4. Most women cannot afford to deliver at the Health Center. Midwife charges 20,000 Riels ($5) and the Heath Center charges $25

5. A women stood up and told about her sister that died giving birth last year.

6. Another told of someone that went to the Health center and could not pay and went home. Both Mom and Baby died at home!

7. There is not always a midwife available at the Health Center

8. They feel that the Health Centers discriminate against Christians. They would like to build their own Health Center.

9. Midwives that are in the villages are untrained, unschooled and cannot perform life saving measures. They were trained by another traditional birth attendant. Some villages do not have any midwives.

Please continue to pray for this project. We will be meeting with the Director of the Ministry of Health on Friday along with many other NGO’s. On Saturday we will be holding a clinic in the Kampot Province along with medical students that we are mentoring. This will help us to continue to build relationships. To God be the glory!