Cambodia Day 2 - Wow

It was an emotional day today as we headed out early for a tour of S21 the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and then on to the killing fields of Cambodia. The sites were horrific to say the least. Nothing can really prepare you for the experience, but I found it all the more rich as Setan, who lived thru the genocide, was our tour guide. We were also very fortunate to meet one of the only 7 men who survived the turtore at S21. He just happened to be there today.

Imagine a school where children laughed, played and learned, their futures bright as only the best and brightest of students were sent to this school. And this was the school hand picked by Pol Pot to become the torture chambers. As we drove in, you could feel the atmosphere change, a heaviness that surrounds the place. Room by room we entered, Setan showing us the tools used to torture, the conditions of the people that were slaughtered here. Hammers, hoes, electric chairs, whips, gallows. You name it, it was used. Pol Pot valued bullets more than human life so never used bullets to kill people because they could not be resued. Can you imagine? The tile floors are stained dark under the beds where the victims blood spilled and was never cleaned up. Pictures of each prisoner were posted on the wall, exactly as they were found once the prison was shut down. Pictures exactly as they were found meant some were missing feet, bone exposed, some had their skulls showing thru where their faces had been so marred, all were contorted, chained to wire beds. Hundreds of men, women and children slaughtered in the most unimaginable ways. Some of the most heart wrenching...women having their nipples cut off and scorpions placed on what was left of their breasts to sting them, mother's having babies ripped from their hands and made to watch as they grabbed the babies legs and swung them head first into a tree, blood and brains gushing out. If not this, a baby thrown high into the air only to be caught by the bayonette of the soldiers gun, speared thru. Men dunked into tanks and suffocated. Men made to deficate in boxes and then forced to eat it. Chained together with metal handcuffs which, according to Setan inflicted pain with every movement. Absolutely mind boggling atrocities were committed to 3 million Cambodian men, women, and children. At S21 they took pictures of every victim. As you looked at each picture you could see the hopelessness in their eyes. Some filled with anger and hatred, some with dispair, some with pain, some with a quiet courage. But only 7 would survive.

It made Hitler look humane.

Then off to the killing fields where we again were forunate to meet the single survivor of this mass grave. He gave us a tour, recounting to us the tragedies that he witnessed. Women raped, mothers and babies slaughtered. He showed us the tree they used to kill the babies. Men being executed with the sharp yet ragged edges of palm tree leaves...painful and slow to kill. There was a monument built where they have placed the skulls and bones of the victims but even with that momument as we walked, under the dirt you could see bones still yet to be dug up. Teeth, clothing, jawbones, other bones loitered as far as your eye could see. Really an indescribable picture.

It's hard to comprehend.

And this is the history of the people we come to serve. A tough, emotional journey to partake in today, but nonetheless neccessary to understand the pain of the Cambodians.

Anything else we did seems unimportant in light of the above. But we did also enjoy a quick trip to the market and a dinner at another nice restaurant.

Tomorrow I will be going to church with Randa, Setan's wife, and the other 2 women who will go with me to the Women's Center. We will then head to the Women's Center to minister to the 15 ladies who are recently taken out of human trafficking. The rest of the team will be headed to Siem Reap to see one of the 7 wonders of the world, the temple here in Cambodia before they head to their final destinations. The 3 of us going to the Women's Center opted not to go site seeing one more day because we would miss a day and a half with the women, cutting our time with them too short to accomplish what we want to.

My back is holding out fantastic. I had a little rough afternoon but my new tricks from Dr Wisman have helped tremendously and I am feeling better than I have in a long time. Still believing as I return to the US I will be completely healed.

Off to bed! I was up at 5:30 this morning by virtue of not having a working clock in my room. I missed out on an hour of sleep because of it! Definately not repeating that tonight!!!

I will probably not be able to journal the next few days as I head to the Women's center so until then!


Kelsey