Catholic Church in Cambodia

As a way to further add introductory knowledge, I thought I would talk a bit about the Church in Cambodia – as that is also a recurring question. A Portuguese Dominican was the first person to bring Christianity to Cambodia, way back in 1555. The first Khmer person to be ordained in Cambodia occurred in 1957. Shortly afterwards, when Pol Pot came to power with the Khmer Rouge, all but two of the 121 church buildings in the country were destroyed. As with all religion, the Catholic Church became non-existent in Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge. Many committed religious folks were killed. The Catholic Church officially returned to Cambodia in 1990 – with a decree from the government. The church is significantly smaller with only 20 official Catholic Church buildings.


There are currently around 20,000 Catholics living in Cambodia – depending on who you talk to, this head-count varies. 14,000ish are native Vietnamese and make up the largest percentage of Catholics. 5,000 are Khmer, or native Cambodians. 1,000 are Ex-Patriots – people like me that are living and working in the country.


Maryknoll is specifically responsible for tending to the needs of the English-speaking Catholics by request of the local bishop. Service in Cambodia, however, draws those from many Christian traditions on Sunday, as the ex-patriot community is religiously diverse and not all have churches which they can attend in Cambodia. On any given Sunday, the Catholic Mass will have Catholics but may also have Lutherans, Anglicans, Episcopalians, and even Mennonites! The current Bishop in Phnom Penh, Cambodia was the third youngest to be appointed to the position at 35 years old, I believe, and is a native of France. Maryknoll was one of the first religious organizations to re-enter the country after the governmental decree in 1990. The community I will be joining consists of two Maryknoll priests, five Maryknoll Sisters, eight lay-people (one of whom is a diocesan priest), and two Filipina Lay Missioners.

The Kingdom of Wonder

Since you are all coming along with me on this Kingdom of Cambodia adventure, I thought we should learn a bit more about the country.  As you can see, geographically, it is situated between Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand.  Phnom Penh is the capital and where I will be living for the next 3.5 years.  Land-mass-wise it is slightly smaller than Oklahoma,  In that tiny space, live 15,205,539 people.  The majority are ethnically Khmer, with Vietnamese and Chinese being the largest minority groups (less than 5% combined). Religiously, folks are overwhelmingly Buddhist with a small Muslim and smaller Christian minority.  Climate-wise, there are two seasons.  Hot and wet.  Hot and dry.  Thus, I am trying to enjoy the cold of New York Autumn. 

From 1975-1979, approximately two million people were killed within the country at the hands of the Khmer Rouge.  Prior to that occurrence, Cambodia boasted a 90% literacy rate.  It is now roughly 74%.  After the killings, there were only 8 people with a university education in the entire country.  The Pol Pot Regime (Pol Pot was the Khmer Rouge leader) targeted the educated, the elite, religious, those in authority, anyone with glasses - just to name a few of the categories.  This continues to affect the population in a number of ways - PTSD, trauma, lack of educated population for running things like schools, an incredibly young population, etc.  More than half the population is younger than I am.  For comparison,  33.7% of the US population is under 25.  52.9% of Cambodia's population is under 25 - 31.7% of Cambodians are under 14.

Many of the other social challenges Cambodia faces are augmented by their history.  This video, playing on the Tourist Slogan "Kingdom of Wonder" and using Sixto Rodriguez's song "I Wonder" shows some great images and raises some other questions facing the country.  I don't want to overwhelm, so I will leave you with the one recurring statement I have heard of Cambodia: It is a country of contradiction.  Despite such extreme suffering in the recent past, and ongoing, the people are some of the friendliest most hospitable folks in the world.

So, what are you doing?

These first couple of weeks of training have been intense.  There is a fair balance between self-reflection and history of mission/theology of mission, etc.  As a classmate said, we are covering the 'ology's. 
Last week, we covered a bit about the church history (pre-/post-Vatican II)
For me, this really helped in clarifying the church's view on mission.  Many, including yours truly, hear the word mission and think go out and baptize, save souls, bring as many people into the church as possible - which was the idea pre-Vatican II.  Since the Second Vatican, there have been a number of changes, altering what mission looks like today in the Catholic church.  It is more about walking the walk than talking the talk (my summary not the words you will find in any of the documents with great Latin names explaining this concept).  Mission is about: going out, meeting people where they are at, accompanying them on their journey, and meeting human need.  The new perspective speaks of embracing an ecumenical view and learning from the unique gifts each faith and culture has to offer.  It suggests we be grounded in and motivated by scripture and our tradition but that is just the launching part to putting our faith of love into action.  One of my personal favorite lines in unity without uniformity. 

I hope that gives a little more perspective as to what I am joining :)  I still don't know what exactly my day to day 'work' will look like in Cambodia but it will have a much stronger human need aspect than a convert focus.

Now for your viewing pleasure:

 The 15th was St. Theresa Day - she is one of the Patron Saints of Maryknoll (I believe that is the relationship).  Anyway, their founder liked her.  Their founder also liked ice cream.  Thus, to celebrate, we ate ice cream Sundays with supper.  (From the left: Ashley - heading to Tanzania, Sr. ... Sr. Theresita, Sr. Marci, Sr... j/k, me :) )

Sleepy Hollow cemetery.  Washington Irving is buried back there behind Evey and Eli (the children of two of the lay missioners heading to El Salvador)

  

 The headless horseman almost stole my head...

This is our group!  Community Taco Dinner night - YUM! (Plus two parents and minus one missioner who was away this weekend).

Cambodia and my multiple personalities

This is where I am currently living...

 

The leaves are changing!  Really enjoying the last autumn I will experience for a while.

Melissa and Peter, two of my group mates, celebrated their 8th wedding anniversary.  So, we ate cake.  They will be celebrating the next three in El Salvador with their two children.

 Can you find the frog?

 This was on a hike, Michael agreed to be in the picture with me.

 These are other group mates Michael and Ashley are married and going to Tanzania.  Joe - the one without shades - will be in El Salvador.  And, he make look familiar to many of you as we have a number of mutual friends and acquaintances.

Thought I would start you out this week with the pictures :)


As you can see, it is gorgeous, so, how could things not go well? This past week I have learned I have multiple personalities, loads about Cambodia, some about the study of scripture, and plenty about Maryknoll.


We spent one day on Enneagram, feel free to click here and take the free test to see what your type may be (and then you should let me know for my personal amusement). Each test or diagnostic tool we used came back with a different response as to what my base personality is – thus I have accepted my multiple personalities :) Though, 6 is the front runner. Will report back after the next two days on the topic.


The people here are amazing. They are very much about hospitality – an important charism of Maryknoll – which means everyone is excited to see you and share their story. I have met folks that have spent twice my life time living overseas in mission in locations such as Tanzania, Kenya, Korea, Venezuela, Nepal, Philippines, and dozens of other locations. Oh ya, and this country called Cambodia.


There are a priest, one sister, and one lay missioner currently here that were/are stationed in Cambodia, so, much brain picking has occurred. The fellow lay-missioner who is our Regional Coordinator has been a huge source of information.


I can now answer more of your questions:

1. When Hang (the other newbie) and I arrive in Cambodia, we will start off living with an experienced lay missioner who can be our guide and support.
   
2. We will have an assigned moto dupe – this is a guy with a moto that knows all the places we would need to go and can get us there without us knowing any Khmer – no worries, helmets will be warn as not wearing them is a great way to get a one-way plane ticket back to the USA.
   
3. We will be in language school for the first six months – four hours each day with private tutors. The rest of the time, we will be studying and potentially visiting the sites where some of the other Cambodia Mission Team folks are working. After the first six months, we will continue to have a private tutor for two hours each week. There is not an emoticon large enough to express my happiness and excitement about language school. As you may, or may not, know, there are few things I love more than talking to people and hearing their stories, so knowing there will be mutual investment in my ability to do that makes me very happy.
   
4. For more photos of my future life in Cambodia, Fr. Charlie is one of the missioners currently in Cambodia and keeps a pretty awesome photo blog.
   

Feel free to send me any questions you have for future posts on either what I am currently doing or what I will be doing in Cambodia. Thanks for your continued prayers, emails, and other communications – all are greatly appreciated.

Moving to Ossining...

Needle pricks for vaccinations/blood draws - 10
Church blessings (one in DC, one in Portland, OR) – 2
States visited in the past two months (counting airports) – 11
Spending intentional time with family and friends – priceless


There's some things numbers can't count, for everything else... there are numbers?


Ok, so, I didn't exactly stick that landing :)


As you all know, I have at long last initiated this next adventure in my life that will likely culminate in 3.5 years in Cambodia. Before I embark on the next leg – Orientation Program – that offers continued time for mutual discernment, orientation to Maryknoll Lay Missioners, and preparation for overseas mission work, I wanted to offer a few thoughts from my preparation/transition over the past month.


For timeline folks, I left my life in DC on Aug. 22 through the midwest, wedding, and reunions made my way back to Oregon, which was filled with another wedding, many happy reunions, and time spent with as many family members and friends as I could fit into my life.


I have learned:

1. I have some degree of object attachment for memory sake. I had very little trouble giving away items which I had obtained in the normal purchase for money manner. I had a much harder time parting with items that had been gifted to me by others and were being passed on in an anonymous fashion, as this would mean the story of that object was lost. Similarly, items that were passed on to others I know and love, were much easier to leave behind for further appreciation.
   
2. Good-byes have become easier for me. Thanks to the miracles of technology, good bye really just means I can't poke you, physically, anymore, as we will not be physically present to one another. Likewise, I have deepened in my understanding that all relationships change over time – regardless of the physical distance between individuals. If all parties are committed to sustaining a connection, it will be sustained. If not, then one can thank the Universe for placing that person in our lives for those moments and the positive change they brought to our being.
   
3. I have re-learned a lesson I seem to re-learn constantly: We are all so loved, if we will only let others do so. In transitions, it is amazing the love and support that comes from my friends and family, and complete strangers, from meals and orchestrating gatherings to kind words and emails, I in no way feel like I am embarking on this journey alone – though physically none of my current friends/family will be coming along, I carry all of you with me and only in that way, can I embark on this venture.
   

There is an analogy... may not be the correct word... I have been using to describe my transition thus far. I am like a potted plant. As with many potted plants, I can live in my comfortable little pot for my entire life. I have many, many, many amazing people who will water me, shine their light on me, provide me with everything I need to grow. My roots are strong and deep thanks to them and can become content with knowing every inch of that soil. Like many plants, however, to truly continue to grow and blossom, I need to be moved to a larger pot. At first, it will take some time to get used to new soil, perhaps nourishment coming from new sources, but in the end, I will be a better and strong plant for the experience.


With that, I will leave you with a few pictures from my final US adventures and thank you for your on going watering of the Karen plant. Cheers!

In case any of you all are letter writers is where you can reach me!
Karen Bortvedt
Maryknoll Lay Missioners
P.O. Box 307
Maryknoll, NY 10545-0307

 

This is Coco, formerly 1/3 my dog.  I decided to leave my 1/3 behind when I moved and miss it dearly...

 

Kansas City Federal Reserve.  Fascinating and free.

 One of my Border Servant Corps groupmates got married in Bellevue, NE.  Mini-Reunion!

This other girl I know got married.  We hiked for part of the bachlorette party (P.S. that is my sister, for those who couldn't figure it out)

Look who caught the toss bouquet...  I wanted the flowers...

Next Adventure Location is...

Only a month delayed in this announcement...  At the beginning of June, I got the call for which I had been waiting with great anticipation.  "Hello, can I speak with Karen? ... This is the Maryknoll Regional Program Director in Cambodia calling..."  I will be honest.  I have no idea what the title was and began shaking with excitement at the word Cambodia.  Thus, despite my finely honed, intentional listening skills, I remember little of the rest of that conversation.  

Summary: My Maryknoll Lay Missioner placement is in Cambodia.  Upon learning this, I became a Chihuahua - small, blond, shaking thing that people regularly would like to drop kick and likes to hear itself bark but will rarely actually get close enough to bite you. :)  My enthusiastic shaking at knowing where I would be moving in January lasted for about an hour.  My co-workers were all very excited for me - the overwhelming consensus was "Think of all the amazing food."  I then had to go start making some family phone calls, all of whom were probably glad I heard at 10:00 am and not earlier with the three hour time difference.

So, I do not yet know what my work will be when in the country - that is determined post-arrival.  I have independently started attempting to learn as much as I can about the country, culture, people, language, history, etc. so as to prepare for this next adventure. Many of the placements involve youth, as 50% of the population is under the age of 25. The foci of Maryknoll programming there are youth, livelihoods, education, and Vietnamese communities (they are a minority, isolated group in the country). Maryknoll operates a huge school for the deaf in Phnom Penh so there is some possibility I could end up returning to first second-language, and learning some Khmer Sign Language.

What else do I know now?

1) I will be living in Phnom Penh- the capitol city (pronounced Puh-nom Pen)

2) The language there is Khmer (pronounced Kuh-My)

3) I start training in Ossinig, NY on Oct 5 and end training Dec. 15

4) I leave the country for Cambodia sometime after that...

5) I complete my commitment in May, 2017, an aged and wizened 30ish year old.

I will do my best to keep you all apprised of new developments and details as I prepare, and would love to see as many of you as possible pre-departure.  East Coasters - I leave DC Aug.22.  West Coasters - I am in your neck of the woods and free-ish Sept. 8 - Oct. 5-ish.  Let me know if you have questions on my grand adventure, sage words of advice, if you need me to find Cambodia on a map for you, etc.

Life Discernment - BIG NEWS

As many of you know, I have for sometime been in search of what comes next in my life.  I have been trying on different hats, trying new things, taking advantage of opportunities, talking to people that live a life I think I would like to live, reading anything and everything inspirational I can get in my hands, observing, listening, contemplating, and learning to accept the unknown, that moment in the dark before my eyes adjust to the light and I see a path.  I wish I had the time, and all your phone numbers, to call in person and share this great news, but alas, I am blessed with too many friends so a blog blast will have to do ;)
 

After much discernment, I have been offered and accepted an invitation to the Maryknoll Lay Missioner Program orientation. 

For those not familiar with Maryknoll Lay Missioners, it provides lay people in the Catholic church with an opportunity to serve and live out their faith.  They currently work in six regions - Brazil, Bolivia, El Salvador, Tanzania, Kenya, and Cambodia.  Lay Missioners attend a three month(ish) orientation in NY and then travel to the country where they have been placed for six months of language and culture training followed by three years in ministry.  That ministry falls into one of five categories: Education, Health, Pastoral Ministry, Peace and Conflict Resolution, and/or Sustainable Development.  I will be discerning, with the program, my regional placement from now until early June.  Orientation will begin in October and then I will travel to my host region in Dec/Jan to begin my 3.5 year contract.

For some of you, this may come as a total surprise.  For others, I have been talking with you a lot about this as I went through the process.  To give more insight into how I reached this path, I can share some of my discernment.  I am a person that believes in signs.  Maryknoll is a program I first heard about in 2005, I think.  Since then, people connected to Maryknoll have been crossing my path with greater and greater frequency (you know who you are :)).  I would think about it, say, "No, that couldn't work because..."  But, over the last six months, I have really started wondering, maybe this is where I am meant to be.  When I list 'where I want to be in five years' many of those life milestones can be found in Maryknoll.  Maryknoll-ers in my life also literally rose to an almost weekly occurrence (I said I believed in signs, not that I caught on to them quickly).  When I observed people that really made me say, "Wow," shows/commercials that made me think, songs in church that spoke to me, the common theme was that of ministry, working and living abroad, living in solidarity and community, and so many other aspects of the Maryknoll program.  The more I learned of Maryknoll, the more I felt I had found a place that I felt I fit (something most of you know I often struggle with in 'normal, mainstream' society).  Conversations with friends both here and that have left this world, kept pointing me toward this.  After the intense and intentional interview and application process with Maryknoll, I am at peace that this is where I am supposed to be.  I realize there will be challenges, you all know how much I love being close and connected to family and friends, attending performances, weddings, graduations, special events, but, I have come to realize, I need to be willing to take the jump into my own life and path.  I need to hold on to my roots, but blossom and grow in the direction of the sun that most nourishes me.  And, 4 years is less than a PhD program (to put it in perspective).

With that, I will leave you with one final thought.  I want to take the next seven months, before I enter orientation, to see as many of you as possible and to catch up.  So, let me know if you want to come visit DC :)  AND, THANK YOU, to all of you who have been an inspiration to me following this path and who have supported me over my searching.  Your love and support means the world to me.  And, of course, if you have questions about what all this means - since it is not something with which most are familiar and if the Catholic church is involved it is no doubt more complicated- call, email, or send a homing pigeon any time :)