Cambodia Kids Camp 2026
On September 28th, over 550 orphaned and abandoned kids took over a hotel in Siem Reap, Cambodia. With the support of the South East Asia Prayer Center (SEAPC) and people from all around the world, these kids have the opportunity to have three meals a day, swim in a swimming pool, ride an elevator (most for the first time), take a bath or a shower that doesn’t involve a water cistern and a bowl/cup, and not have to worry about being unsafe. In so many ways, they get to just be kids.
This is also a time for the houseparents to have some well-deserved rest.
Yes, all of those experiences are great and of great importance, but the most important part of it all is that they get to not just hear about the love of Jesus, but they get to experience it. People from all around the world came to Cambodia to share the love of Jesus with the kids. Some of the people on the trip were from Australia, different parts of America, and Brazil, just to name a few.
The theme of the camp was “Orphan to Leader.” The camp was led by young adults who grew up in the homes, received an education, and are now leading the organization that helped raise them. One of the goals was to show the kids that there is a hope and a future for them. Our job was to show them how to see it.
We would all start in the main hall and have a time of worship, prayer, and shared testimony. The testimonies came from the young adults. Afterwards, they would have breakout sessions that would have a specific message for different age groups. They would have specific training/teachings for their ages and stages of life.
They worshipped with such freedom and joy. They knew who they were worshipping, and they understood how good the Father is. They prayed knowing that their lives depended on it. All I kept thinking about was how much we take both of those things for granted—the fact that we have so many other things that we can rely on that we forget the only One that we should be relying on.
I know for me personally, I find myself praying for things that may be a need, but while praying, I’m thinking of ways to fix the problem instead of fully submitting to Him and knowing He will take care of it. Yes, we need to take action along with praying, but when we take action without the prayer confirmation, that is where we tend to take control and not let the Father be in control.
These kids are in desperate need of the Father—not just what He has to offer, but the Father Himself. A loving Father who cares deeply for them, who shows them unconditional love, who was there for them in their darkest moments, a Father who always shows up in a time of need when called upon.
On Wednesday, we were able to take the kids to the aquarium and then the pool/waterpark. It was safe to say that over 95% of them had never been to either one of those things. The ones who may have been there may have gone the last time they had camp. At the pool, we were blessed with the opportunity to do water baptism. We were blessed to baptize about 100 of the kids! It was a special time of teaching, worship, and fellowship. We were not the only ones at the pool, so people got to witness God moving throughout their nation.
One thing that Cambodians do really well is worship loudly. Not only did the people in the pool area hear the worship, but the surrounding areas did as well. Those kids are a witness to people all around them everywhere they go.
It was a very special trip to me personally. It was my first time being back in Cambodia since 2019. Getting off the plane felt a little surreal/weird, but the longer I was there, things started to come back naturally. Speaking the language, the diet that I missed, being with people I haven’t seen in quite a few years, and my favorite part, spending lots of time with the kids at the camp.
I have come to realize that one of the most powerful forms of ministry is the ministry of presence. Sometimes it’s about just showing up and being there for somebody, and on this trip, those kids were there for me just as much, if not more, as I was there for them.
