Ignatian Centre
Cambodian Immersion
Reflections from an unforgettable trip to the Killing Fields and classrooms of Cambodia .
Over the course of two weeks in Cambodia , we experienced a spiritual balm that emanated from the extraordinary people and situations we encountered . We experienced the selflessness of Sister Denise in Battambang as she cared for the landmine victims . We witnessed the generosity of Bishop Kike living the gospel as he cared for the disabled children who were outcasts . We were blinded by the love behind the dazzling smiles and laughter of the thousands of unkempt children wandering around the streets looking for hope in every pile of garbage . We were moved by the forgiveness of brutal tormentors in order to give hope to a land that was deprived of civilised behaviour , for four extreme years .
We were challenged to find God in all things , and our nightly reflections were evidence of how difficult that was – where is God when mothers are forced to watch their babies being bashed against a tree ? Where is God in the terrified faces of the people whose photographs are on the walls of the infamous S-21 ( prison )? Where is God in the wooden stumps that people use to replace a leg ripped from their bodies by a land mine ? These were not easy nights .
Where was God ? We found him in the head , the heart and the hands of the man who helped with the bricklaying from his wheelchair ; the friendship of the two men on the gate to the school – one a Khmer Rouge soldier , and the other an amputee who was their victim ; and , the men who take tourists every day to sites where their parents were murdered in order to remind people that such terrible things must never happen again .
We left immersed . Grateful for the fact that we could help – a little bit . All of us were changed . We were all moved to be better and to do more . In Cambodia , we found God and we will never forget that trip .
DOMINIC EDWARDS , YEAR 12
The Cambodian Immersion was a challenge in every which way . Physically challenging with intense daily itineraries , arduous labour , and lengthy commutes in uncomfortable pick up trucks . Mentally challenging , trying to create engaging teaching and learning activities in classrooms over-filled with Cambodian children and limited resources . And spiritually challenging , having to come to terms with witnessing the scenes of some of the worst human rights abuses and genocide of ethnic and moral cleansing . These curve balls were thrown at us everywhere we turned .
We experienced new insights and growth each day . From the encounters with the local communities in Phnom Penh to the remote villages in the north in Siem Reap ; from playing football and tennis with a one-legged young boy and games with mentally and physically challenged disabled children in Battambang , to standing up in front of a classroom of 35 children and teaching English ; from witnessing the spirit and resilience in the Cambodian people , despite their extreme poverty .
These experiences have stirred up a pot of emotions , reflections and actions , and it ’ s evident there has been a significant shift in the way we view the world . This is what we hope and strive to achieve in being men and women for others .
MARIA SKOURAS , TEACHER - LANGUAGES
8 | IGNATIAN | JULY 2017