Day 6 & 7

Day 6
our R&R day..
in the morning, we went to the killing fields, out of the city centre,of the polpot regime genocide.
there were many pit or various sizes where the bodies of the POWs were buried.
today, grass has grown all over them. the place is barren.
on its centre lies a tower of skulls.
we journeyed onto the toul sleng genocide museum in the city centre.

it was formerly a khmer rouge s-21 prison, used to torture and detain individuals accused of opposing Angkar. it was established in 1976, May. during those days, it was enclosed by 2 folds of corrugated iron sheets, ll covered with dense, electrified barbed wire to prevent anyone from escaping the prison.
the victims in the prison were taken from all parts of the country and from all walks of life. they were of different nationalities and included vietnamese, Laotians, Thai, Indians, Pakistanis, British, Americans, Canadians, but the vast majority were cambodians.
The civilian workers composed of workers, farmers, engineers, technicians, intellectuals, professors, teschers, students, ministers, diplomats. Moreover, wholoe families of the prisoners, including newly born babies, were taken there en masse to be exterminated.an estimated 13,000 people were killed in those prisons at that time.

the museum was barelt refurbished, with the cells and barbed wire still kept intact.only pictures of tortured victims put up on the walls. in some rooms, pictures were places above rusted beds, where prisoners were tortured. the stairways were dark and dirty. the gallows were still left in the open square. torture weapons can still be seen. there were some bats on the wall.
to me, this was the most sickening place ive ever visited. the depiction was too real, i could almost see the past flashing before my eyes, around me. it made me really nauseated and sick.

the country is poverty striken. hannah mentioned that it is a really unfortunate thing that so many innocent people were killed, just because of an ideology gone rsdical (communism), but what she feels more sad for are those left behind- to face the ruins and after effects, the poverty, the hatred and unforgiveness. i will never be able to understand the grief they have to face.

a country once so rich and prosperous (so much so they could build the luxurius angkor wat), is now left to struggle in poverty.honestly, i think many of her neighbours are doing so much better. the most modern building is the airport. how sad is that.

perhaps thats why our team felt compelled to pray for spiritual healing for the people and the land. and freedom from bondage to the past and Naga spirits (7 headed snake God).

during our mock 830am service on day7, uncle junior shared about forgiveness. i remember his words very well for they spoke to me on a personal level as well.
If God can forgive polpot and all those who persecuted, why cant we forgive as well? whether you massacre, or tell a lie, it is STILL a sin. we are all sinners to begin with, in a way, we are no different from polpot.and we never can fathom Gos's plans. who knows, He might make use of sinners to do good in some other people's lives?
Indeed, it is only when we forgive, can we let love fill our hearts. can we begin on the process of healing.it is very tiring and meaningless to bear hatred.
in colossians 3:13, it says: "Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you."
In the walls of one of the stairway in the genocide museum, it was scribbled
"Our revenge is the laughter of our children."

how profound,how wonderful, how liberating it is to love and forgive.