Full country name: Kingdom of Cambodia
Area: 181,035 sq km (11,224 sq mi)
Population: 12 million (growth rate 2.2%)
Capital city: Phnom Penh (pop one million)
People: 94% ethnic Khmers, 4% Chinese, 1% Vietnamese
Language: Khmer, English and French
Religion: 95% Buddhist, Cham Muslim and Roman Catholic
Government: Constitutional Monarchy

Most Cambodians consider themselves to be Khmers, descendants of the Angkor Empire that extended over much of Southeast Asia and reached its zenith between the 10th and 13th centuries. Attacks by the Thai and Cham (from present-day Vietnam) weakened the empire, ushering in a long period of decline. The king placed the country under French protection in 1863 and it became part of French Indochina in 1887. Following Japanese occupation in World War II, Cambodia gained full independence from France in 1953. In April 1975, after a five-year struggle, Communist Khmer Rouge forces captured Phnom Penh and evacuated all cities and towns.

At least 1.5 million Cambodians died from execution, forced hardships, or starvation during the Khmer Rouge regime under POL POT. A December 1978 Vietnamese invasion drove the Khmer Rouge into the countryside, began a 10-year Vietnamese occupation, and touched off almost 13 years of civil war. The 1991 Paris Peace Accords mandated democratic elections and a ceasefire, which was not fully respected by the Khmer Rouge. UN-sponsored elections in 1993 helped restore some semblance of normalcy under a coalition government. Factional fighting in 1997 ended the first coalition government, but a second round of national elections in 1998 led to the formation of another coalition government and renewed political stability.

In Cambodia we had an awesome time who had come together from many different churches for a time of learning and refreshing. Many of the sisters shared about miracles of healing and testimonies of how the Gospel is going forth in their nation. One very simple woman from a tribal group got up and shared of how she had gone to a village in the countryside and began sharing the Good News and 9 people gave their lives to the Lord.

All of us take turns in ministering from God’s word. The Holy Spirit really moved in the hearts of the people and we were able to pray over them to receive the Holy Spirit and physical healing. During one of the sessions we taught and demonstrated how to pray for their nation; for the King and all those in authority; for the Kingdom of God to be established; and for the families. It was a real powerful time as they all joined with us in one accord to pray. This is the power that will change their nation. We believe that the culmination of our time together was when we prayed and put oil on the ladies hands symbolizing God’s anointing on them to go out and minister. As we held their hands, we could feel how rough and strong they were from all the hard labor out in the fields.

Most of them were very poor. Compassion filled our heart as we felt the pain that most of them had lived through during the recent history of the Khmer Rouge regime. We sensed that God’s love was bringing an even deeper healing of their souls as we prayed over so many of them.

Situated on the Mekong riverside is a village church that is reaching out to a vast jungle region. The people live very simple lifestyles in huts built on stilts. During the monsoon season they get around on little boats.

This was our seventh time to travel out to this area, crossing over the Mekong River on a ferry boat to go and minister the word of God. The entire nation has been under spiritual oppression for many years; first because of the Buddhists religion that was the official religion until 1975, then because of the Khmer Rouge regime that brought torture and death to this nation. All the educated people were killed, leaving the illiterate to survive. Most of them - even if they have learned to read are still not in the habit of reading the word of God.

Each time the Lord sends us to bring the light of Jesus in this region, we rejoice because more and more ground is taken for His Kingdom. On this latest trip, the heaviness that we had sensed in the Church before was gone, and even the appearance of the believers had improved significantly; they had combed their hair and were dressed in clean clothes. On top of all that, the people were so hungry to be taught and were ready to receive from the Lord.

We ministered on the power of God and prayed for people to receive the Holy Spirit. The room was very hot from the sun beating on the roof, the people were all huddled closely together in rows of ten so we could barely get in and stretch out our arms to lay hands on them. We were all drenched in sweat. But the Lord began to move and set people free from darkness and hopelessness and oppression that had kept them bound for so long. In the end, several of them actually came forward to testify about how the Lord had delivered them.

Please join with us in faith as we pray for this to continue to expand the work of God in Cambodia.