Cambodia 2024

By Christine Garcia

The God we serve is always in the details. God planned this mission trip to Siem Reap, Cambodia, highlighting 14 women to go across the world to Asia with a 15-hour time difference for 10 days including travel. Our first task was to say, ‘Yes,’ and we all did, and He took care of the rest. If you’re considering going on your first mission trip or returning to the mission field - put it in God’s hands and let Him lead you. His plans are greater than ours.

Cambodia was not a place any of us ever thought of going to for pleasure or for a mission. Thank God he knew exactly where to send us. He chose the team members, financial supporters, prayer warriors, flights, hotel, and orchestrated everyone in Cambodia that we’d encounter to be exactly where they were supposed to be for the next 6 days. This trip was a big deal to each of us on the team, and it impacted us differently. Some of the similar takeaways we had were the unity with the body of Christ, the resilience of the women, and the heart of the church.

After 20 hours of flying, we landed on a summer afternoon, gathered our luggage, and headed out the sliding glass doors from the cool airport and were greeted with a great warm tropical hug from Siem Reap, Cambodia. Plus a very happy hotel host named Lucky who was ready to drive us to our hotel. We then departed from our last car ride and looked forward to enjoying transportation in Tuk-Tuks for the next week.

So, you know, 90% of Cambodia’s religion is Buddhist-Animist, and 1% is Christian. It isn’t a priority to ever convert but to show up sharing the one true God’s love. We were invited to join the Outreach Team working closely with the staff and volunteer translators to love on the people in nearby villages and cities. As we walked around the village, we were welcomed into homes that were mostly roofed by metal sheets and laid with a foundation of dirt, and a common set of furniture homes had was a raised deck. It would have been more shameful to have not welcomed us than to be ashamed of their homes. Whoever we met was grateful that we showed up to talk with them. One woman said, “You are in Cambodia and you are here to talk to me? Why?” Another woman named Sally was watching her sister's shop with a group of women and one of her twin boys was so excited we came to talk with her; she even walked us to her home to have a more intimate conversation, and she ended up making a decision to follow Jesus Christ. Our translator was so happy this woman took us to her home so they could follow up with her and continue discipleship. If you ever doubt how much stronger we are together, we were told that in two days, we gave the church we were partnered with forty-five new contacts to follow up with which would normally take them a few months.

After two successful days of outreach, we began to prepare to be the hands and feet at the Ladies Celebration on International Women’s Day. The intentionality of this celebration showed through the planning by the ICF Women’s Leadership. From the decor, tickets, each creative station, sermon, testimony, drama, and clothing store; it truly was like a fancy banquet and the 500+ women were the guests of honor. A huge thank you to all who donated items for the women in Cambodia. We know donating was a special opportunity for some who wanted to join in on the mission trip. The women who attended were so blessed to be able to pick out beautiful clothing items for themselves and their children. We’ll never forget the joy on their faces as they received such special gifts.

At this point in the trip, it was clear that God was and has been in Cambodia. God has been moving and doing some wonderful things not just through ICF, our partner church, but in the hearts of the people. Whether staff, volunteer or a neighbor, ICF is serving their community throughout the week. From serving free clean water daily, having a Social Ministry for families and their children, school, after-school care, Youth Celebration (service), Kids Celebration, Khmer and International Celebrations on the weekend. They serve around three hundred and forty-one families in their Social Ministry which amounts to about 700+ children. It was such an honor and joy for Rock Missions to serve along side this amazing ministry.

Among all the activities we were always quick to get to, we had powerful moments in between to connect with one another, the hotel staff, and with the ICF women leaders. From long car and plane rides, breakfast and dinner fellowship, Tuk-Tuk ride conversations, late-night sleepy debriefs, hotel roommate bonding, tourism shopping, and serving in ministry - there were plenty of laughs, tears, prayer, bible study, encouragement, and faith sharpening between the women on the mission team. We were grateful for the hotel staff who served us rushing out in the mornings and coming in late exhausted, we still always ministered any chance we could get. They even asked our leader, “Why do you and your team always come in happy and smiling?” and she shared, “Because we are doing the Lord’s work.” And with the lovely women of ICF - we had a wonderful morning after the women’s celebration, honoring the women leaders for their hard work. After they poured into the community, we had the pleasure to pour into them. We know the warfare that comes from working at and serving with the church.

Just being a child of God puts a target on your back, so we ask that you keep the local leaders, their families, and brothers and sisters in Cambodia in your prayers as they plan to continue to expand the Kingdom. We walked with this church family for a week and they made us feel a part of their team. I speak for our mission team when I say, we thank God for every beautiful Khmer-an and Cambodia expat we met. From the hotel employees, tuk-tuk drivers, local church staff members, village and city people, and the 1000+ church members they serve all throughout the week. Cambodia was beautiful, but the people are what made Cambodia special.

Thank you to all who joined us in this mission through financial support, prayer, intercession, clothes donations and your joy for us to go!

We hope you are encouraged to join us again next year, we can’t wait to go back in 2025!

We’re excited for all who are encouraged to go out on mission. The mission field will vary, it can be different from where you stay, what you eat, the culture, people and land. We know you won’t be disappointed by wherever God is leading you to. There is a person or people who only YOU can reach.