Healing the Wounds of Sorrow

 Before I go any further with my blog entry I would like to take this time out to prepare you on the pictures that you are about to view. A few Sundays ago, a group of friends and I rode our bikes out to the killing fields in Krang Tachan. It was well hidden in the deep paths of Cambodia. It was a rainy, somber day, which we all felt was appropriate to fit the mood of an area that echoed the cries and screams of those who suffered from the tragic hands of the Kamar Rouge. Let us take this moment to send out our love and positive thoughts of energy and prayers for those who experienced this catastrophic horror. Let not the memory of those who have suffered be lost and forgotten.

 A memorial shrine to those who have passed on.

 So far, about thirty thousand remains have been uncovered from this one site. There are still other grounds in the area that have not yet been unburied.

 In order to relay what happened in some of the spots there are written accounts describing what the Khmer Rouge engaged in.

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Some of the clothes that were recovered from the underground prison cell.

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Some of these paintings depicts the appalling occurences as well as the country's sigh for hope and peace.

A map to show what it was like during the Kamar Rouge Regime...

and what it has transformed to now.

We had a long bike ride back home to reflect on everything that we saw, heard and read while being at the memorial site. So many thoughts were roaming through my head but one of the main things that I kept wondering about was how incredibly strong my host family is in being able to keep their lives going for the betterment of their family. Like so many other families in Cambodia, they experienced death, loss, and seperation from their homes, families and all together the lives that they once knew. Cambodia is still recovering from this tragic loss and it is still uncertain as to when it will be fully recovered. I'm a little sad to admit this but prior to moving to Cambodia I had very little knowledge about what had happened. But after being here for two months and learning so much more on the history of Cambodia I am now more determined to serve my purpose on being a volunteer here. I don't yet know how I will be able to help. All I know is that each of us can breath inspiration and hope towards another if we just give it a go. So here i go...

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