Freedom comes to Cambodia on many levels

Mission Network News

1/19/2010

via CAAI News Media

Cambodia (MNN) ― Cambodians are celebrating the second birth of their nation this month. Last week, many marked the freedom that followed the end of the Khmer Rouge and the fall of Pol Pot. The government prepared a big celebration in the major cities.

It was a showcase for the tourists as well as for the citizens. Tourism is a major source of income, as people from all over the world come to visit Angkor Wat, home of the largest Buddhist temple.

Even so, the majority of the 13 million citizens are farmers and many live in poverty. Because the poverty young people find themselves facing creates disillusionment, many turn to drug use.

With a bloody history as recent as Cambodia's, it is surprising that young people in Cambodia have a poor knowledge of the bondage of the Khmer Rouge years.

Teen Missions International says the new generation needs to know that real freedom is found in Jesus Christ. Their team works tirelessly to share this, but there's still a long way to go to make this freedom known.

Teen Missions in Cambodia is located in town of Siem Reap in northern Cambodia, home of Angkor Wat. This base is one of the only Teen Missions bases located inside a town. It is a small compound with a two-story building that is in the process of being built.

Each summer the staff run a national Boot Camp in an alternative location, since the base is too small to hold the Boot Camp. The first Boot Camp was run in 2004 and has run every year since. The base also runs a BIBLE, MISSIONARY & WORK (BMW) Training Center.