Greta Van Susteren traveled with Samaritan’s Purse in 2015 to Cambodia’s Yeay Ort village, not far from the Thai border. The highest spot in the surrounding area, the village was dry and brown. Residents wondered then where they would get clean water, so many crossed the border in search of questionable employment. That’s when Samaritan’s…
Crisis & Disaster Response
Help Arrives for Families Fleeing Conflict in Cambodia
UPDATE MONDAY, JAN. 5: As the ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand holds, many displacement camps have shut down and people are beginning to return to their home villages. As a result, Samaritan’s Purse is no longer distributing relief items along the border, but is actively assessing and meeting the needs of local Cambodians through our…
Animals, Agriculture & Livelihoods
Restoring Families and Futures with New Livelihoods
A Father’s Struggle Considered the poorest family in their village, Chheng and his loved ones were often looked down upon by the community. For Chheng, a husband and father to nine children, the need to provide a stable income was dire, but finding a good job in rural Cambodia seemed impossible. “My family was so…
Operation Christmas Child
The Life-Changing Power of Prayer in Cambodia
As smiling volunteers place red-and-green shoeboxes into the waiting, outstretched hands of children who have no concept of a gift or the love of Christ, a man wearing a shirt bearing the logo of Operation Christmas Child quietly watches with a look of reflection on his face. “Each time it captures my heart when I…
Health & Medical Ministries
Letting the Light In
“In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it” (John 1:4-5). Torn’s eyes shine with tears as she holds the hands of the Samaritan’s Purse staffers. She pulls their faces close to hers, finally able to see them…
Animals, Agriculture & Livelihoods
Livelihoods Training Boosts Income for Farming Family
Den was devastated when a drought ruined the rice fields he had worked so hard to cultivate. Den and his wife, Chreop, had no other way to support their four children, and they were buried under a mountain of debt. Feeling hopeless and desperate, Den and Chreop decided their only option was to migrate from…
Health & Medical Ministries
Opening the Eyes of the Heart
Sao had witnessed many hardships in his 74 years—war, famine, and poverty—but, through it all, he continued to cherish his beloved wife, Mau, above all else. He loved being able to see her beautiful face. That was until, in recent years, cataracts began to cloud his vision. Sao dreaded the thought of going blind—and never…
Operation Christmas Child
God Used a Mess to Be His Message
When Sovann* was a child there was nothing but hopelessness in her life. She made a promise to herself that when she grew up, she would be a person who would listen to young people, and be a mentor. That passion and promise has led her to where she is today as a team coordinator…
Discipleship, Education & Training
Livelihood Project in Cambodia Opens Doors for the Gospel
Rasmey met Samaritan’s Purse staff during a time when she was desperate for hope. Her first husband died, her second husband abruptly abandoned her, and unexpected health issues made it difficult for her to work. She had no way to support herself and her two daughters. She was thrilled when our team started a cricket…
Discipleship, Education & Training
Cambodian Migrants Meet Christ on the Road Home
The northern border of Cambodia is a porous one, with thousands of people flowing across into Thailand each day in search of better-paying jobs. These migrants work through brokers who demand exorbitant fees to help with the crossing. Many feel it is worth the cost because of the lucrative opportunities they’ve heard await them on…
