Growth comes to an outreach in Cambodia

Cambodia - Cambodia's painful scars are still present, despite renewed political stability in 1998.

The spiritual atmosphere is improving, but there are a lot of challenges to overcome. Far East Broadcasting Company's Jim Bowman says, "Cambodia still, I think, is recovering from the disasters of the past, the Pol Pot regime, and all the damage that was done and so there's a lot of suspicion." He explains, " The government is a coalition government, and you have departments of the government that don't cooperate with one another, and, of course, there's corruption to deal with."

After years of trying to upgrade their radio ministry, Bowman says they had a breakthrough this month. "We're finally operating a ten kilowatt FM station there, and this is a tremendous place for an FM outreach because this is one of the few countries, in that area of the world, that is fairly flat, so, with your ten kilowatts, that just started up two weeks ago from Phnom Penh, you should be able to reach probably half the population of the country."

The station recently received 370 wind-up and 400 battery-operated radio sets from FEB-Korea and their supporters. They've distributed 165 sets among local pastors and church members who live in the provinces where radio is a precious commodity and usually their only link to current news and information and Christian teachings.

People in the rural areas can hear the shortwave broadcasts very clearly. Soon, most of these towns and villages will be able to welcome Family FM into their homes as well.

The transmitter installation will start as soon as the transmitter room and on-air studio are completed. Test broadcasts are expected to be completed by end of this month.

Pray for the team as they minister the hope of Christ in Cambodia.


Kenneth Chan
kenneth@christianpost.com