Activities of Samaritan Love Mission in Cambodia

Hi dear friends and readers!

You must be wondering what’s Samaritan Love Mission (SLM) is all about and what are its activities in Cambodia. Well, having said about “Who is Rev. Jonah Amer?” (the Director and the founder of the mission), and “What’s Samaritan Love Mission?” earlier, I would like to let you know some of the activities SLM has been doing in and around Sihanouk Ville, since the year 2003.

First of all, SLM is a mission which is Christian oriented but wholistic in nature and approach. It’s a faith ventured ministry run with the help of many prayers and love gifts from the friends of SLM in the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Korea and India. SLM has also been receiving a monthly contribution from Rev. Kwon Haek Sun and Mss. Hwangbo from Korea ever since it’s inception, however, it’s ministry agreement and the contribution with these donors would be terminated by the end of December, 2008. Therefore, the main source and income of SLM for it’s ministry is by running a Language Academy in the mission home in the evening. The mission charges a minimum monthly fees from each student in the evening classes to pay off the teachers/staff salary at SLM.

The activities of SLM are briefly described below for your information and meaningful prayer support:

1. School’s Ministry: (1) SLM’s Primary School: Samaritan Love Mission is running two schools for the poor children in the villages. At SLM’s compound in Sihanouk Ville, it’s running a Primary school which is free of cost for more than 50 students from the poor families. The mission provides all study materials including uniform and transportation to all the students. 95 % of the students are from the Khulingleur village which is about 5 kms away from the mission center. Every day SLM sends its newly bought bus to pick the children from the village and take them back home after the school. SLM has been doing this for the last 6 years. It has 6 different classes and permission has been obtained from the Education Department of Cambodia to upgrade to Higher Secondary Standard level year by year. (2) LawrenRosa Memorial School: SLM is also running a school at the Buffalo village, which is about 60 kms. away from Sihanouk Ville. It has 5 different classes looking after by 3 full time Khmer teachers. Mr. Polly is the teacher-in-charge. SLM set up this school about 5 years ago. It has 145 boys and girls. It has a school building, a large compound and children mini park. Mr. Gilbert Hoelzer from the USA is sponsoring this school ever since it’s inception. SLM has been given the permission from the Education Department of Cambodia to upgrade to Higher Secondary level year by year.

2. SLM’s Language Academy: SLM is running a Language Academy in the evening time to teach English to the local boys and girls. It also offers opportunity to learn Korean language from time to time. Right now, the evening Language Academy has more than 500 students, learning English from 5:30-7:30 pm. It offers 10 different levels of grades. Of course, it also charges a minimum amount of tuition fees from most of the students to pay off the teachers salary who are mostly Khmers. From time to time SLM invites native speakers to teach the higher classes so that the senior students can expose themselves with the native speakers. Right now SLM has short time teachers from Canada, Australia, England, and three full time teachers from India. I am proud of the performances and improvement made by the SLM’s students of Samaritan Love MIssion.

3. SLM’s Music Training: SLM organizes music classes for guitar, piano, and drum in the first three months of every year. Mr. Gilbert Hoelzer from the USA sponsors and teaches the guitar students. He also provide free guitars to every worthy students. In the last 4 years, SLM has trained more than 100 boys and girls to play the guitars. it also teaches piano and drums. The music teachers are from the USA and Korea. Right now a piano class is going on for a few students. Ms. Eun Kyong from Korea is teaching a few students in the afternoon. It has also organized guitar recital concert a couple of times in Sihanouk Ville which were successful and fondly attended by many people.

4. SLM’s Medical Ministry: SLM actively involves in Medical and Health care Program. It has conducted medical services in Sihanouk Ville, Khuliangluer village, Phom Thumy, Smach Deng village, Veil Reing town, Crocodile hole village, Seim Reap, and Buffalo village, many times. More than 6000 patients have been treated by medical staffs from the USA, Canada, and New Zealand. The medical team of the West Layton AG Church in the States has been a great help towards SLM’s medical ministry to the poor people in Cambodia. This team also brought large amount of medical supplies to Cambodia for the last two years. It also provides monthly medical services to the members of Baptist general Assembly church and Khmer Christian church in Sihanouk Ville on Sundays.  Besides, it gave away medicines and other medical supplies to National Red Cross at Sihanouk Ville, Civil Hospital at Sihanouk Ville, Dadai village in Koh Kong province. Besides, it distributed 500 liters of honey to the civil hospital and National Red Cross, local churches at Sihanouk Ville, and many families.

4. Sponsoring Khmer English Teachers: SLM has sponsored dozens of Khmer men and women to obtain certifcate for teaching English from the Education Department in Sihanouk Ville. Most of them are already teaching English and other subjects in a couple of schools.

5. SLM’s Development works in the Villages: SLM takes up a couple of projects in order to improve the lives and the standard of the people in the villages. It has sponsored and dug more than 45 artisan wells in different villages in and around Sihanouk Ville. It has also sponsored two toilets in the villages-Crocodile Hole Village and Buffalo villages. Besides, it has set up two Children Mini Park in Crocodile Hole village abd Buffalo village. It also set up a school in the Buffalo village (mentioned earlier). SLM also involves in mini kitchen garden project in a very small scale to encourage the families to grow their own vegetables for their own consumption. This project can bring much benifit to the families if all families in the village can grow vegetables and rear some animals for themselves.

6. Humanitarian Works: From the very inception of its ministry in Cambodia, SLM has given away tens of 1000s of lunch boxes and ten of 1000s boddles of drinking water to the poor villagers. Besides, it also distributed many bundles of clothes, 1000s of reading glasses, and many guintals of polished rice, cooking oils, utensils etc, etc to the villagers.

7. Ministry in the Local Churches in Sihanouk Ville: SLM has been trying it’s best to develop and help out the local churches in Sihanouk Ville by giving an helping hands such as, construction of Sunday school building in Christian Khmer Church, construction of a baptismal poll in AG church, construction of water tank and wells in General Assembly of Baptist church, Khmer Christian Church, and Four Square church, medical services on Sundays, training Sunday school teachers and music teachers. It also distributed key boards, drum sets and guitars to a couple of local churches in Sihanouk Ville.

8. Sunday Activities and Evangelism works: From the inception of SLM’s ministry in Cambodia, it has also been conducting Weekend Bible school for the church leaders and senior boys and girls, Sunday school for the children, and English Youth fFllowship for the young people and adult on all Sundays. Many boys and girls in and around Sihanouk Ville is coming to the LORD though such events/evangelism works. (To be continued)