Mar 24: Cambodia
Cambodia
Kingdom of Cambodia
Asia
See Prayer Information
Geography
Area: 181,035 sq kmFertile, forest-covered state of southwest Indo-China on the Mekong River.
Population: 15,053,112 Annual Growth: 1.66%
Capital: Phnom Penh
Urbanites: 22.8%
HDI Rank: 137 of 182 (UN Human Development Reports 2009)
Peoples
Peoples: 42 (71% unreached) All peoplesUnreached Peoples Prayer Card
Official language: Khmer Languages: 25 All languages
Religion
Largest Religion: Buddhist| Religion | Pop % | Ann Gr | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christians | 471,162 | 3.13 | 8.4 |
| Evangelicals | 240,196 | 1.6 | 8.8 |
| Buddhist | 12,545,264 | 83.34 |
Answer to Prayer
Unprecedented – and unexpected – church growth over the last 20 years. From only a few thousand Christians surviving into the 1990s (0.07% evangelical in 1985), believers may now top 3.5% of the population. This growth is almost entirely through church multiplication, and done by indigenous church planters and evangelists.For an additional Answer to Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.
Challenge for Prayer
Spiritual darkness persists in Cambodia and must be lifted by prayer. That darkness is seen in the ubiquitous spirit shrines, Buddhism’s opposition to any ideological rival and a general moral collapse. Structures of sin are prevalent throughout, and the people of Cambodia are made to suffer by the enemy of souls. Pray for the light of the gospel to so shine that the structures of society as well as of individuals may be decisively changed. Beyond the gripping poverty are the following:a) Land grabbing. Unscrupulous officials (who pocket the income) have sold huge swathes of Cambodia’s land to rapacious foreign developers and speculators, with locals driven out and evicted from their homes to make way for hotels and resorts. Cambodia is being sold/stolen from under the feet of its own people.
b) Children at risk. The genocide of the 1970s and 1980s created a very young nation where 60% of the population are 24 years old or younger. But many of this generation are sadly exploited by others. Pray for deliverance and salvation for these:
i Child labourers. Poverty forces over 1.5 million children under age 15 to work to survive and supplement their family’s meagre income, often at the price of their education, their health or even their lives.
ii Sex trade victims number up to 100,000. A recent study estimated 20% of tourists to Cambodia made use of the sex trade, often with the young or underage. Yet even this is a small amount compared to the widespread use of prostitutes by Cambodian men. That factor combined with others, gives the nation one of the highest rates of HIV in Asia. Many poor parents sell their own children to traffickers for as little as $10. The Vietnamese ethnic minority is especially targeted by traffickers, being both light-skinned and detested by most Khmer. The much-publicized rescues of these girls, as young as age six, are only the beginning of a long process of healing and equipping for a life after the sex trade.
iii Homeless children and orphans. Family structures shattered by the Khmer Rouge and subsequent poverty caused high numbers of street kids and unwanted children. Many Christian ministries see a high response to Jesus’ love among these precious souls. At one point, orphanages were booming, but as the population stabilizes, drop-in centres and increased ministry to extended families are becoming more appropriate.
c) Drug trafficking and abuse have increased greatly in the last 15 years. Addictive drugs hold sway over many locals, while crime lords profit from the suffering.
For an additional 7 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.
