Cambodia Bible Education Centre

Two years ago we had the privilege of being field-workers based in Phnom Penh and returned to Australia energized by the enthusiasm of the students and the warmth of our Cambodian brothers and sisters. We have just had the opportunity   to visit Sihanoukville for 2 months and would like to share some of our experiences. The first thing to note is that there is   a small (currently 4 members) but   busy ecclesia that is urgently in need of any support you can provide. Despite its small size the ecclesia manages   3 Sunday schools - one in Sihanoukville and the other   two in the province about 1 hour away in different directions. In addition to this,   at the BEC student classes are held 6 days a week,   as well as Bible Class, Sisters Class, Seminars and Worship Meetings. It amazing that   they can cope at times when there are no fieldworkers available.   So more volunteers   are needed please! The ecclesia receives support ...

It is now one month that fieldworkers from the Phnom Penh BEC have been back teaching at LCDI (Leadership Character Development Institute).  Located about 45 minutes moto ride from the BEC, LCDI is a non-government education project that offers free English lessons, and leadership development (hence the name) classes to its resident students. These students come from poor families and for a lot if not all of them this has meant they haven’t had the chance to properly go through the schooling system. Fieldworkers to Cambodia from yesteryear would be familiar with LCDI and a quick google search reveals a blog Michael Hewitt ran during involvement there in 2010. Our first trip back there saw Vitou, Dany, little Jessica, Ratana and all of us fieldworkers take a van out there.  The road out of Phnom Penh that leads to LCDI is currently undergoing significant roadworks and as such the going was slow and bumpy at times. Once we arrived we were greeted by about 25 enthusiastic stu...

It's amazing that you can go to a new country only knowing the one person you're travelling with and then within days feel totally and completely at home in a building you've never been in before and with people you've never met before.  But that's the Cambodia BEC experience! It's life changing, it's hilariously fun and it brings a whole new meaning to 'brothers and sisters in Christ'. I came to Cambodia with my big brother, Tim and I was scared, overwhelmed and had a terrible sleep the first night or two because I lay awake wondering how I was suppose to teach English and the Bible to people whose first language wasn't English.  I even cried to  myself quietly hoping my roomies couldn't hear me, but some advice I received before I left Australia for Cambodia was  'pray always' (thanks to Ben Topham for that Facebook comment on my mum's photo of me and Tim ready to go) and so I prayed to God who blessed me with the oppo...

On the 15 th of January 2016 Jess, Tim, Carolyn and I hopped on a night bus heading to Siem Reap! We were quite excited and apprehensive for what lay before us on the night bus. It was a restless nights sleep snuggled up against one another and waking often to swerving, screaming and toilet stops.   At 6am the following morning we made it in 4 pieces and went straight to the TLJ bakery. Jess was disappointed with the lack of peppermint tea, but the bakery goods were much enjoyed.   With the arrival of Loy came further joy. Then it was off to BEC Siem Reap to settle in, rest, meet the brothers and sisters and last but not least the Siem Reap BEC babies, Cushy and Jackie (puppies!!!!).     On Sunday morning Carolyn, Jess and I Tuktuked with brother Veasna to his village, to teach Sunday school. I taught the kids the letter Y, and then Carolyn taught them about Daniel and the Lions Den, which was followed by making lion puppet...