Heritage Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
/ KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to Everyone
The Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) Church, one of the Protestant mainstream denominations in the world, marks 20 years of active community outreach in Siem Reap in 2016 as an organized community.
In 1992, the Australian couple Tim and Wendy Maddocks moved to Siem Reap to manage a rice improvement project under supervision of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) and the Cambodian Government. Tim worked for ADRA until end of December 1995.
During their free time, Tim and Wendy gradually reached out to the residents in Siem Reap individually and established a bilingual Khmer-English SDA congregation in Siem Reap. Later the Cambodia Adventist Mission sent a pastor to establish a Khmer speaking group in the town. In 1995 both groups were merged and from then on Siem Reap had one group which met in various locations until a small church which is now known as Seventh-Day Adventist Church Siem Reap (SDACSR) was constructed for congregational worship on Saturdays in 1999 along National Road No.6 ("Airport Road") next to Majestic Orient Hotel. It is about five minutes of walk from the entrance of Angkor Palace Resort & Spa. The church itself only has plastic chairs in the worship Hall.
The Maddocks couple began their search for a suitable location for a training centre to initiate active community service in January 1996. The 19 hectare property now known as Wat Preah Yesu was purchased in March 1996 from the Sombua village (known locally as Sombua Commune) who planted rice. The Buddhist village of Sombua was introduced to Jesus. The first baptisms there took place in 1998 and many villagers are now Adventists.
In the same year, the Commune Chief proposed to the Maddocks family to consider building a primary school at the training centre. The couple agreed and led the project. Their friend Marshal Smith provided funds to purchase enough land to build an orphanage under the name of Wat Preah Yesu. These buildings later became Cambodia Adventist School - Kantrok (CASK), opened since 1999 and the Wat Preah Yesu Children's Home, registered in the name of Cambodia Adventist Mission, operated and funded by SALT Ministries.
CASK run by volunteers from Australia and Germany was initially a literacy school for poor children. It is officially recognised as a primary school in 2004 that allow children to have Saturdays off on Sabbath, a blessing that Cambodian government school children do not enjoy.
Adventists believe that humanity should keep Saturdays off from labour as Jesus has not abolished the fourth Commandment requiring humanity to observe the seventh-day of the week (Saturday) from the day God rests from His creation of the world.
CASK now has a computer laboratory. Children who grow up here continue to learn vocational skills necessary to equip them for life in Cambodia.
The Wat Preah Yesu Children's Home is home to more than 135 children orphaned by their parents who died from AIDS. Some of the children suffered from AIDS.
Wat Preah Yesu as a church is organized in September 2000 and the church building is dedicated to God in January 2002 years after Wendy developed a grassroots healthy ministry in Sombua Commune. It was built in the style of a Khmer pagoda, hence the name "Wat Preah Yesu" which means 'Jesus Pagoda'. Members put on flip-flops and sandals, and come to worship God every Saturday. Well-off members put on shoes. There are no chairs in the Sabbath School-cum-worship Hall.
Another building was added to the church later where children and members can enjoy their meals or engage in lesson studies.
The first resident of Wat Preah Yesu is Mr Prak Heng. Mr Heng and his family are members of SDACSR. His family lived with him at Wat Preah Yesu later. Local villagers are hired to assist with development of Wat Preah Yesu as an orphanage, school and church to share with the world the love and word of God.
Wat Preah Yesu is located 4 kilometres to the west of Build Bright University in southwestern Siem Reap, 40 to 50 minutes of a tuk tuk drive from Wat Preah Prohm Rath as there is no road sign direction to the church building.
Today, Cambodia has six organized SDA churches, of which Wat Preah Yesu is one of them while SDACSR has been organized as a church company.
May God bless you in your visit to SDACSR and Wat Preah Yesu.
For further information on how to reach Wat Preah Yesu and on how to donate to Wat Preah Yesu, visit www.saltmin.org, www.saltcamtv.org and www.youtube.com/saltcamtv. Email Tim or Terence at tim@saltmin.org or info@saltmin.org.
I dedicate my inaugural visit to southwest Siem Reap to Jesus who guides the tuk tuk driver Sorthy of Angkor Palace Resort & Spa and me to this part of Siem Reap and thank Angkor Palace Resort & Spa Tour Desk for the patience and cooperation rendered during the trips to Siem Reap and Angkor.
/ KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to Everyone
The Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) Church, one of the Protestant mainstream denominations in the world, marks 20 years of active community outreach in Siem Reap in 2016 as an organized community.
In 1992, the Australian couple Tim and Wendy Maddocks moved to Siem Reap to manage a rice improvement project under supervision of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) and the Cambodian Government. Tim worked for ADRA until end of December 1995.
During their free time, Tim and Wendy gradually reached out to the residents in Siem Reap individually and established a bilingual Khmer-English SDA congregation in Siem Reap. Later the Cambodia Adventist Mission sent a pastor to establish a Khmer speaking group in the town. In 1995 both groups were merged and from then on Siem Reap had one group which met in various locations until a small church which is now known as Seventh-Day Adventist Church Siem Reap (SDACSR) was constructed for congregational worship on Saturdays in 1999 along National Road No.6 ("Airport Road") next to Majestic Orient Hotel. It is about five minutes of walk from the entrance of Angkor Palace Resort & Spa. The church itself only has plastic chairs in the worship Hall.
The Maddocks couple began their search for a suitable location for a training centre to initiate active community service in January 1996. The 19 hectare property now known as Wat Preah Yesu was purchased in March 1996 from the Sombua village (known locally as Sombua Commune) who planted rice. The Buddhist village of Sombua was introduced to Jesus. The first baptisms there took place in 1998 and many villagers are now Adventists.
In the same year, the Commune Chief proposed to the Maddocks family to consider building a primary school at the training centre. The couple agreed and led the project. Their friend Marshal Smith provided funds to purchase enough land to build an orphanage under the name of Wat Preah Yesu. These buildings later became Cambodia Adventist School - Kantrok (CASK), opened since 1999 and the Wat Preah Yesu Children's Home, registered in the name of Cambodia Adventist Mission, operated and funded by SALT Ministries.
CASK run by volunteers from Australia and Germany was initially a literacy school for poor children. It is officially recognised as a primary school in 2004 that allow children to have Saturdays off on Sabbath, a blessing that Cambodian government school children do not enjoy.
Adventists believe that humanity should keep Saturdays off from labour as Jesus has not abolished the fourth Commandment requiring humanity to observe the seventh-day of the week (Saturday) from the day God rests from His creation of the world.
CASK now has a computer laboratory. Children who grow up here continue to learn vocational skills necessary to equip them for life in Cambodia.
The Wat Preah Yesu Children's Home is home to more than 135 children orphaned by their parents who died from AIDS. Some of the children suffered from AIDS.
Wat Preah Yesu as a church is organized in September 2000 and the church building is dedicated to God in January 2002 years after Wendy developed a grassroots healthy ministry in Sombua Commune. It was built in the style of a Khmer pagoda, hence the name "Wat Preah Yesu" which means 'Jesus Pagoda'. Members put on flip-flops and sandals, and come to worship God every Saturday. Well-off members put on shoes. There are no chairs in the Sabbath School-cum-worship Hall.
Another building was added to the church later where children and members can enjoy their meals or engage in lesson studies.
The first resident of Wat Preah Yesu is Mr Prak Heng. Mr Heng and his family are members of SDACSR. His family lived with him at Wat Preah Yesu later. Local villagers are hired to assist with development of Wat Preah Yesu as an orphanage, school and church to share with the world the love and word of God.
Wat Preah Yesu is located 4 kilometres to the west of Build Bright University in southwestern Siem Reap, 40 to 50 minutes of a tuk tuk drive from Wat Preah Prohm Rath as there is no road sign direction to the church building.
Today, Cambodia has six organized SDA churches, of which Wat Preah Yesu is one of them while SDACSR has been organized as a church company.
May God bless you in your visit to SDACSR and Wat Preah Yesu.
For further information on how to reach Wat Preah Yesu and on how to donate to Wat Preah Yesu, visit www.saltmin.org, www.saltcamtv.org and www.youtube.com/saltcamtv. Email Tim or Terence at tim@saltmin.org or info@saltmin.org.
I dedicate my inaugural visit to southwest Siem Reap to Jesus who guides the tuk tuk driver Sorthy of Angkor Palace Resort & Spa and me to this part of Siem Reap and thank Angkor Palace Resort & Spa Tour Desk for the patience and cooperation rendered during the trips to Siem Reap and Angkor.
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