After a nearly twenty-hour flight, the Arise short-term mission team finally arrived in Phnom Penh at noon on Sunday. In the afternoon, we participated in a singing contest organized by Pleroma Community Center (PCC) for children and teenagers. Teenager contestants develop self-confidence by stepping onto the stage. We were very moved by their singing especially when they sang songs praising God. Three teenagers from Arise were also on stage sharing and interacting with the local youths through music.

On the second day, we experienced a much deeper understanding of Cambodia’s history and people’s lives. The Arise short-term mission team visited the “S21 Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum” in Phnom Penh to learn how a large number of Phnom Penh citizens were driven into the countryside during the Khmer Rouge rule, and middle schools were converted into execution grounds for the massacre of intellectuals, former officials and civilians. The team members listened intently and commemorated this tragedy, while also feeling the efforts of Cambodians to overcome the haze of trauma. The short-term mission team visited local markets, the Royal Palace and the Mekong River front area outside the Palace to learn about people’s livelihood.

On the third day, the short-term mission team visited Fullness in Christ Fellowship’s ministries in Phnom Penh, including community center, primary and secondary schools, and homes for women and girls. They paid close attention to understanding the causes of human trafficking and sexual abuse of Cambodian women. From the stories of many women who have been helped, they deeply felt the significance of FiCF as the only Chinese organization engaged in this type of ministry.