25 years later, Prey Veng is landmine-free.

Last year, a new sign went up on the Prey Veng Waterfront declaring that the province was officially mine-free. Prey Veng is the third most populous province in Cambodia but lacks an urban center with the population spread among rural villages. The fighting in Cambodia came to end twenty-five years ago when the final Khmer…

ផ្កាម្លិះ | Jasmine

Phnom Penh has no shortage of olfactory stimulation. Most of which might most charitably be described as pungent. Fermented fish, durian, open sewage systems, and garbage sitting out in the tropical heat are smells that were uncomfortable when I first came. Of course there are also many delightful smells – the scent of rain in…

Intersections: Disability, safeguarding, and inclusion in Cambodia

I was asked to write an article on Disability, safeguarding, and inclusion in Cambodia for the Fall 2023 edition of Mennonite Central Committee’s Intersections: MCC theory and practice quarterly newsletter. I’m sharing the text of the article below. As many of you know, I worked with adults with intellectual disabilities and autism for eight years before…

Bangkok’s Sanam Rat park

After our visit to the Cambodian Embassy to submit Caleb’s Visa application we visited the Sanam Rat park in Bangkok, Thailand. It’s a large park with a lot to see including ponds and a small lake, fountains, a beautiful conference pavilion, botanical gardens, and water monitor lizards. Charlotte was – as aways – thrilled just…

Visiting Oudong in 2008 and 2023

Oudong was the capital of Cambodia for almost 250 years until it was moved to Phnom Penh by King Norodom in 1866. Oudong was largely abandoned after the capital was moved but the monasteries, pagodas, and stupas remained in use. Only some 21 miles northwest of Phnom Penh, Oudong with it’s ancient structures and beautiful…

Anabaptist World: Following Jesus in Confronting the Climate Crisis

On September 19th at 7PM (EST), Anabaptist World is hosting a discussion on Following Jesus in Confronting the Climate Crisis. The discussion will be held on Facebook Live and Youtube Live. We highlight columnist Sarah Augustine, a Pueblo (Tewa) woman, lives with her family in White Swan, Washington. She is the Executive Director of the…

Getting around Bangkok

By population, Bangkok is the 33th largest city in the world with around 10,890,660 people living in the metropolitan region as of 2019. To put this in perspective, the entire population of the country of Cambodia is 16.5 million. Bangkok has roughly five times the number of residents as Phnom Penh. It was interesting to…

Meng Srean’s Interethnic Peacebuilding Journey

Meng Srean is an alumni of local partner Women Peace Maker‘s MCC supported interethnic peacebuilding project, “An Encounter with the Other Side”. In June 2023, she had dinner with MCC US Board of Directors during a Learning Tour to Cambodia and shared about her personal peacebuilding journey. Recorded by Sabrina Gilmore, SALT participant. When MENG…

Caleb Visa Run to Bangkok 2023

In August, Caleb’s US Passport was issued and he was officially acknowledged as a US citizen. However, technically, Caleb was in Cambodia illegally because he is a foreign national without a Cambodian visa. As is in the case in many countries, Cambodian visas can only be renewed – not issued – inside the country. So…

ក្រូចថ្លុង | Pomelo

Pomelo is a large citrus fruit native to Southeast Asia that bears more than a passing resemblance to Grapefruit. However, Pomelo has a light green skin, pale yellow flesh, and – often – a thick layer of pith. It’s citrus flavor is gentle and mild, without the acidity that I usually expect from citrus. Pomelo…