A Day Camp at Svay Village, Cambodia

 November 9, 2014 

Our bus passed by a palm plantation

We were up this morning shortly after 5a.m. and got ready to check out of the hotel as we were supposed to be back to Phnom Penh tonight.

We came across a herd of cattle at the entrance to the village

Before we got to Phnom Penh, we  made plan to stop and visit Svay Village, a village about two hour drive from Sihanoukville.

After we went off from the main road, the bus turned into a smaller road into the village.

We were greeted by a herd pf cattle trying to cross the road.

I have never been to this village but the short term mission team visited it for the first time last year and did a program for them.

Our bus arrived at Svay Village

 The short term mission team, led by Pastor Teresa, was here for the past six year providing Cambodian young people the training and support they need on how to run children's camps and other programs

This time it would be the local youths' first project on their own. We were there to support and give them feedback.

Curious children watched as we descended from our bus

The youths trained by the short term mission teams did the planning and would execute the program all by themselves for the children in this village.

This was their practicum.

We arrived at Svay Village at around 8a.m. and were warmly welcome by the local church and the curious kids from the village.

        There was a tent already set up for the children's program for this afternoon.

The only church in Svay Village. Cambodia

 There are only about a hundred residents in this village, and around twenty of whom attend the Sunday Service at the only church in this village. 20% of the population goes to church every Sunday! 

Not bad at all!

The only church is a very basic structure with concrete floor and wooden wall. 

  

A Sunday Service conducted in Khmer at Svay Village. Cambodia

There were no chairs nor furniture of any sort in this church save a wooden stand for the speaker's notes.

 

 The congregation and us took off our shoes and sat on the concrete floor covered with bamboo mats. 

It was a high 30 degree C. outside, the church was cooled by a couple of electrical fans.

Curious children from the village looked through the openings in the church wall to observe what was going on inside.

We  joined with the congregation for singing.Though we had no idea of what the congregation was saying, we knew the music and the voice of praises sounded beautiful! 

One of the local pastors interpreted for us.

After songs and worship, we were arranged to sit outside for the Sunday Service which was conducted in Khmer.

The pastor arranged an interpreter to translate for us.

 C. H., the pastor gave a testimony about how Jesus changed her life followed by a message from K.S.  There was a calling at the end of the service and many responded to it.

We had take out lunch boxes pre ordered and ate outside, typical Cambodian style.

We presented a wedding gift to John and Esther

Since we knew that John, one of the dedicated pastors, would be getting married soon, the team took up a fund for a wedding gift and presented it to him and Esther after the Sunday Service.

The church had set up a tent where the children’s program took place and it started right at 11:30a.m

Many children came from the village to attend the program

Young people leading the singing with enthusiasm

We were so proud of the young people who pretty well ran the whole show themselves taking the format we showed them from our training program.

The young people did an excellent job presenting the bible skit

The youth did two scenes from a bible story about the life of a rich man and Lazarus, a poor man, when they were living on this earth and what happened to them after they died.

Parents and villagers were watching the performance

 At the beginning of the program, we invited the parents and neighbors who were milling around watching from a distance.

Gradually as the program progressed, they moved closer to the tent and watched the bible skit and seemed to enjoy the performance.

Kids enjoyed working on the craft activity

Whether it was leading the children to sing, to a bible skit about Lazarus and the rich man, to the children's craft activity, the youth leaders took charge and executed the entire program from beginning to the end.

Kids performing their songs by group

  After the singing, the skit, and a craft activity, the children were divided into four groups to practise their songs while their parents were invited for a message by the youth leaders.

At the end of the message, the children came back together and performed their songs by group for the parents.
 

Each child got a teddy bear

As we sat under a tree  watching the entire program conducted in Khmer unfolding before our eyes, we praised God and thought to ourselves:

"Our youth leaders have graduated!
We have taught them everything they need to know how to run a Christian children's camp, hallelujah! From now on, they can go into other villages and run the camps on their own!"




At the end of the program, each child was given a big teddy bear to go home. The smiles on the kids' faces were heart warming!

It was a long and exhausting day for all of us. But it was worth it!

R.T.
Svay Village
Cambodia