Monday was our first day of "work", as opposed to the tourist stuff we had been doing. We dressed to impress (it is stinkin hard to walk in heels in Phnom Penh... the streets are not in the best condition, and there is trash everywhere) and showed up to DC Cam so sweaty. That just goes to show you how hot it is here. It is a 5 minute walk to the Documentation Center, and it was only about 9 in the morning, but we were drenched. Nice.
At DC Cam we got to look at primary documents from the Khmer Rouge Regime, like reports of killings and updates on Vietnam. The Khmer Rouge thought that the Vietnamese were the worst of all enemies, so the reports are filled with intense propaganda. It is crazy that we are using the same documents for our research that the ECCC (UN Criminal Court) is using in their prosecution.
We broke for lunch and went as a group of 8 to the same place we had gotten drinks the day before... And then got to take about 15 minutes to just sit in our air-conditioned room and breathe. It is exhausting to be out in the heat constantly, but it is part of the Cambodian experience.
Our afternoon was spent at Choeung Ek Killing Fields. Thousands of people were murdered at this sight during the KR. They were forced to dig their own graves (mass graves) and then were brutally killed over them. The site has now been turned into a memorial and a museum, and the leadership of the site met with our team to discuss our work. They want us to film all of our interviews (which we were doing anyway) and donate our footage so that they can publish it (along with our papers) in their museum. I am trying to not be overwhelmed with what is expected of our research... It is so important that I just hope to do the people justice in my representation of their memories and experiences.
We took a tour of the grounds, and while we were walking from pit to pit and stepping on teeth and bones and scraps of clothing that have surfaced in the last 30 years, I saw a western man in a William Jessup shirt. Turns out that there was a group of Christian students at Choeung Ek from WJU who had been traveling through South East Asia working with Christian ministries in the area... He gave me his email and the name of a man to look up who has planted about 300 churches in Cambodia. It was so encouraging. That morning, as well, I got a fb message from my friend Scott Daily (a good friend from Jr. High youth group who I haven't talked to since like freshmen year of college) saying that his girlfriend, roommate, and a bunch of other APU students were on a missions trip to Cambodia right now, working with a ministry that takes girls out of the sexual slavery and helps them integrate back into society. They are in Phnom Penh for as long as we are... I love kingdom connections! Praise God, His work is being done in Cambodia. I asked Him to give me random Jesus connections, and He is answering my prayer hard core. I love it. I love Him. Praise God, and Holy Spirit, keep doing your work here!
After coming back to the hotel, I spent about an hour and a half with two of the girls, Jessica and Tiffany. Jessica is the stellar Christian who I've mentioned before, and Tiffany is hard core open to the gospel. We shared our testimonies, and I got to share the gospel with her, and we read scripture together... It was sweet. An afternoon of answered prayer. This girl's heart is to open to the hope of Christ. Pray for her salvation! Pray that she will make a decision to have Christ as her personal Lord and Saviour! She is amazing, I want her to be fighting at my side, contending for the sake of the gospel. :)
After the long conversation, we left their room and went as far as the pool deck for lime juice and hotel food (which, despite the fact that two of my classmates have gotten sick, is really yummy) We all get sort of punch drunk at the end of the day, so we sat around laughing and debriefing our days through humor and budding friendships. I really like the girls I am in class with, they each bring something different, unique, and important to our group, and they are hilarious.
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