What are you (Crystal & Charles) doing in Cambodia?
In short, we are responsible for everything MCC does in Cambodia and Myanmar.
When things are working well our role is primarily supervision (lots of worker care and orientation), administration (lots of finance and local laws), networking (especially with local stakeholders and the government), strategic planning (in coordination with the team here, the regional team, and strategic directions from Akron/Winnipeg), and communication.
But when things don’t go well we need to step in to support or cover for any MCC position on the Cambodia and Myanmar team.
How long will you be there?
We originally committed to a five year term starting in 2019 and have currently extended through 2027.
How can we support your work?
You can support our work by….
- Supporting thrift stores that contribute to MCC like Care & Share
- Putting together relief kits and comforters
- Volunteering at a MCC Material Resource Center
- Keep an eye out for MCC Learning Tours in Southeast Asia
- Donating to Mennonite Central Committee at https://donate.mcc.org/
- Staying in touch and keeping us in your prayers!
What exactly is Mennonite Central Committee?
The short answer is that MCC is an international nonprofit that seeks to provide relief, development, and peace in the name of Christ.
I wrote more about this in a post on Why Mennonite Central Committee?
What are the girls (Catherine & Charlotte) doing for school?
For the first few years the girls attend a small international school called The Giving Tree. It was founded by two expatriate mothers over a decade ago as a nursery and has since expanded into a Primary School.
However, in 2024, we made a major shift and enrolled the girls in École Française Internationale de Phnom Penh. This is an accredited bilingual French/English school. The first year was rough but since then their experience has improved with their language (with plenty of tutoring along with formal French classes).
Are you afraid of X, Y, or Z happening?
Of course we are. Things like dengue fever are frightening! But there are things to be afraid of no matter where you live. I think this quote by Helen Keller sums it up better than we can;
“Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. The fearful are caught as often as the bold. Faith alone defends. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.”
Helen Keller, Let Us Have Faith
Also, while there are risks, it must be stated that Cambodia is not as dangerous or frightening as it has been portrayed in media. This is true of most places in the world that we’ve been.
What about Myanmar?
Myanmar has the longest ongoing civil war in the world and has consistently been ranked as one of the most severe conflicts in the world (from 2021 to 2023, ACLED ranked Myanmar as the most severe conflict in the world, from 2023 to present it has been ranked the second most severe after Palestine). In 2026, the UN Global Humanitarian Overview ranked Myanmar as the 6th most severe humanitarian crisis globally. However, the World Food Programme warned that only 30% of humantarian need will be met in Myanmar in 2026.
In Myanmar MCC supports humanitarian response, peacebuilding, education, and health projects through four local partners. Only one of our local partners, the BMC Mennonite Church, feels safe with this partnership being made public online. For the other three we keep a low online profile for safety reasons. When it is safe to do so, we send teams into Myanmar to meet with and support partners directly.
Since the 2021 coup in Myanmar, persecution of Christians has intensified, with the military targeting churches, killing pastors, and displacing thousands, particularly in Chin, Kachin, and Karen states. More than 340 churches and Christian buildings have been destroyed, and some armed groups view Christianity as a foreign or anti-nationalist threat. Incidents such as the bombing of a Mennonite church in Chin State, which killed six people, highlight the severity of the violence. Despite these dangers, church partners continue working in high-risk areas, providing aid and promoting peace while remaining committed to their mission amid trauma, conflict, and limited international support.
Since April 2024, an estimated 70,000–75,000 people in Myanmar have been conscripted, with at least 40% forcibly abducted and over 2,100 identified by the UN as children. Many recruits are reportedly used as human shields on the frontlines or for clearing landmines. Forced conscription is also carried out by ethnic armed groups and militias, often targeting minorities. Mennonites and other Peace churches face significant danger for refusing military service, and their commitment to peace and reconciliation has led to persecution from the military, armed groups, and even members of their local communities.