Minefield Village, Cambodia

Cambodia can easily work its way into your heart.  The country side is beautiful, the people friendly and the larger tourism sites such as Angkor Wat are indeed stunning.  In visiting the Minefield area though, we were able to see a rural "slice of life" Cambodia that tourists rarely get to see. 

The northwestern side of Cambodia near the Thai border is one of the most heavily mined areas in the world.  Millions of mines are still buried in undocumented locations and as a result, Cambodia has the one of the highest rates of physical disability of any country in the world.  Add to that the shocking number of girls sold or kidnapped into human sex trafficking as well as the vile fact that Cambodia has a child sex tourism problem and I can't imagine anyone's heart not breaking for the people of this country. 

As I look back on the pictures of my time there, I am a bit surprised at the conflicting emotions I feel.  The poverty was heartbreaking.  The conditions were uncomfortable.  The days were hot and dusty and still I find myself wondering when I can go back and see those smiling faces again.  The kids just have that impact on you. 

A typical home in the minefield.  Imagine this during the monsoon season.

LightBridge had a road cleared for access to the village.  Heavy rains leave the road far from smooth and fully passable.  

    

Main Street.  

 I heard stories about when LightBridge first visited the village to build the school.  It goes without saying that the kids could not read, but it was shocking to hear that they did not even know what pencils or crayons were or how to use them.  They've come so far in a few years.

This is how they wiggle their way into your heart.  One of the games each day involved a little huddle over a marble.  Losers (or winners?) get to run across the school yard and jump on the girl with the camera and run back to the huddle.  Repeat and repeat.

This is the original drinking water and bathing water source.  It's actually still the drinking water for those who do not want to walk to the school yard to fetch clean drinking water.  

This is the water project from a previous LightBridge trip.  Two wells were originally dug only to find that all the mines leak a high level of arsenic into the underground water sources.  The water project catches rain water and channels them into these containers.   There's one of these water projects in the schoolyard but since one is hardly enough to sustain a village of 500 families, there are plans to build more around the village as the funding comes in. 

As I think of the crazy number of shoes in my closet, I am convicted when I think that the $1 flip flops we brought were the only shoes some of the kids had. 

Duck, duck, goose knows no borders. 

The girls played this game that had us all quite fascinated...connected rubber bands held high above the head, runner grabs it with their foot and lands on it. Those of us (me, me, me) that fell just jumping a regular 'ole jump rope, stand amazed at their agility. 

With this trip to Cambodia I can cross off goal number 45 on my 101 in 1001....Go on a missions trip.  I don't foresee it being a one time only, cross it off the list kind of goal.