Cambodia is a country in Southeast Asia and is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, Vietnam to the east, and the Gulf of Thailand to the southwest. The capital and most populous city is Phnom Penh. The United Nations designates Cambodia as a least developed country. However, a lot of investment is being made by China and other nations into their economy. Phnom Penh now has population near 2.5 million and is a rapidly growing city.

Buddhism is the official religion of Cambodia, practiced by more than 95 percent of the population with an estimated 4,392 monastery temples throughout the country. It is said that Cambodian Buddhism is deeply influenced by Hinduism and local animism.

When I first visited in 2000, they were coming out from the communist Khmer Rouge regime. It was a brutal regime that killed nearly two million people. They had been closed off from the rest of the world. There was a great interest in learning English and knowing about Jesus Christ. We had two missionary families go there in the late ‘90s and there were also some Filipino missionaries who answered the call to go. All of them were there to make a difference in the lives of the Cambodians for eternity. There has been much fruit from their labors over the years.

This time, I had the privilege to visit many churches started by the missionaries and now also by Cambodian pastors. What a joy it was to see many people giving praise unto the Lord for the salvation they have received. The churches have also sent missionaries to other countries in Asia and even to South Africa. God is working.

God’s heartbeat is missions. He is working all around the world and so many times we don’t even know about it. It is a privilege to be able to travel and visit the works of God and worship with His believers all around the world.

Cambodia is wide open to the Gospel. We need more laborers. The capital city, Phnom Penh, has become a large city with many tall buildings and millions of people. Will you pray with me for more people to surrender to share the love of God with those people. The opportunities in Cambodia are endless. Who will be willing to go and tell them of Jesus Christ?

-by Jon Konnerup, BBFI Mission Director