Re-Thinking Art In Cambodia

I see the faces of the little girls we will be sharing life, and the love of Jesus, within Cambodia, and I think, at first, we will easily make connection through art. I am really hoping for that. As I have been preparing, however, I am re-thinking that a bit. Because of my reading in preparation for this trip, I am leaning toward listening, asking questions and then coming up with an art project or projects. I'm going to have to be led by the Lord because the Cambodian culture is very new to me.


I also watched a disturbing movie last night. It is called:"S21 The Khmer Rouge Killing Machine." One of the main characters in the movie is a visual artist - a painter. This artist was painting or showing paintings throughout the movie. He had survived the massive killing of Cambodians by the Khmer Rouge. Many artists did not survive. He said some of them were better artists than he, but for some unknown reason, he lived to paint and tell his story. He asked the guards that were in the documentary - why? They had no good answer. He asked where their reason had gone. He pressed them into taking responsibility. They couldn't.


One guard shared he had headaches whenever he thought about it, so he drank and partied to numb the headache. I think, his only hope to free him of his nagging pain is repentance and forgiveness from God - the one true God who loves him and can give him eternal forgiveness.


I have much to think and pray about as I prepare.