It is not often in the US that a person of Northern European descent stands out in a crowd. But when checking in for a Korean Air flight bound for Seoul, a Northern European is a bit distinctive. A Korean gentleman standing behind me in line asked me where I was going and I said Phnom Penh. He smiled then asked "are you a missionary?" And I responded that I was. He reached over and patted my shoulder and said "Bless you."
Making my way through security I met a woman going home to Vietnam and a young family going to Korea for their new daughter to meet her grandparents for the first time. At gate D-14 I met the remainder of my team and getting together for group photographs I asked my new Korean friend, Huen, to take our photograph. He agreed and then he and his wife joined us for our devotion. Huen related to us about his journey in Christianity. He had sustained many back injuries performing manual labor in the US and had become a person that sat with others in the hospital and prayed with them. So Huen offered a prayer in Korean, at gate D-14 in DFW International airport for us on our journey.
This is a thin place.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Thin places in Cambodia
Join me on this next phase of the Search for thin places, as I travel to Cambodia with a team of missionaries from the Louisiana Annual Conference. A thin place is considered one of those places where earth comes close to heaven and the veil between the two is lifted for a moment. I believe they are not located in any one place, but all around us. Often they are missed because of the demands of our everyday. And while my daily journey brings me near thin places, and even into thin places, I am sharing with you my travels to places that are extraordinary in the hopes that the revelation of that particular place helps us, helps me, to search better in my every day.
This journey takes us to Cambodia. The Kingdom of Cambodia is located in the southern portion of Southeast Asia, and bordered by Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and the Gulf of Thailand. It is a lush, tropical country with the diversity of major cities such as Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, and ancient temple cities such as Angkor Wat. It has been discovered by both celebrities and tourists alike, but remains a largely young and impoverished country. Much of what we may know today about Cambodia is from the movie the “Killing Fields” which chronicled the plight of the Khmer people during the atrocities of the Pol Pot regime. Approximately 2 million people, including most of the professionals, of the country were executed in extermination camps by the military. This has resulted in an eminence brain drain and youthful population, with 50% of the population under 22 years of age. Sociologists claim this is of particular concern because countries with younger populations are more likely to engage in violence. Religion has been sought as a source of stability for the young population, hoping that mindfulness and loving kindness can reduce the risks of violence.
The team I travel with is part of this educational process. The five of us will be teaching Christian spiritual practices to lay members of the Methodist Church in Cambodia. Come along and join us on this mission.
This journey takes us to Cambodia. The Kingdom of Cambodia is located in the southern portion of Southeast Asia, and bordered by Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and the Gulf of Thailand. It is a lush, tropical country with the diversity of major cities such as Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, and ancient temple cities such as Angkor Wat. It has been discovered by both celebrities and tourists alike, but remains a largely young and impoverished country. Much of what we may know today about Cambodia is from the movie the “Killing Fields” which chronicled the plight of the Khmer people during the atrocities of the Pol Pot regime. Approximately 2 million people, including most of the professionals, of the country were executed in extermination camps by the military. This has resulted in an eminence brain drain and youthful population, with 50% of the population under 22 years of age. Sociologists claim this is of particular concern because countries with younger populations are more likely to engage in violence. Religion has been sought as a source of stability for the young population, hoping that mindfulness and loving kindness can reduce the risks of violence.
The team I travel with is part of this educational process. The five of us will be teaching Christian spiritual practices to lay members of the Methodist Church in Cambodia. Come along and join us on this mission.
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