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24-Aug-2005
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October 08, 2004 3:07pm - Nathalie Taylor -

Randy Fleming, 47, of Fallbrook, and Kit Carson, 30, also of Fallbrook, are leading a group of approximately 25 mostly older high school and college students on a mission trip to Cambodia. The two-week trip is sponsored by Fallbrook Christian Bookstore and Fallbrook Calvary Chapel. The group will depart on December 27.

Kit has traveled to Cambodia every six months since 2000 and is married to a Cambodian woman. It was hard for him at first to understand the culture and the attitudes of the people. He tells a story of a Cambodian woman who sold her daughter to buy a television set, then had to sell the television set to buy food. “Human life is not as valued,” he said.

Many Cambodian children are orphaned due to their parents contracting AIDS or dying in landmine explosions. Kit mentioned that the country is still full of landmines, however, Princess Diana had done important work to call attention to the danger of landmines. Now, the United Nations plays a big part in de-mining the land, but Cambodia still has many hidden landmines. According to the German news agency Deutsche Presse-Agentur, “Clearing landmines in Cambodia may take more than 200 years... some 3,000 square kilometres of Cambodia are marked as mined territory.” Cambodia has been called the most densely mined country in the world.

Kit and Randy are helping to develop an orphanage in Cambodia for the many children whose parents have been killed by landmines or have died of AIDS. The land has been purchased but was once a rice field and needs to be filled in before construction can begin. The orphanage will house children between the ages of six and eighteen. “But, if someone drops off a baby, we won’t turn it down,” said Kit. Many of these children are now staying with relatives, sleeping in boxes on the streets or living in rice fields.

The first time Kit made a trip to Cambodia he knew he would be back. “I didn’t want to come home,” he said, “I just wanted to make a difference.”

The mission group is renting a nine-bedroom home in Phnom Penh where the local youth and adults can stay when on mission trips. Nearly one million of Cambodia’s 11.4 million residents live in Phnom Penh. However, most of the group’s ministry will occur in the small villages outside of the city.
“The college and high school kids from our town come alive when they see what God is doing,” said Kit. “I do get tired,” he said, “but I’ll do this until God says, ‘You’re done.’ ”

Randy Fleming has been to Cambodia on six mission trips. “It is so simple to help them,” he said. “The people there are so beaten down. But, they are warm and friendly,” he added.

Many of the houses have no running water or electricity. Because of the harsh conditions, the land mines and the AIDS epidemic, the average life span of a Cambodian is 55 years.

Randy, Kit and friends are planning to bring solar panels to the people as well as introduce methods to farm honey. “With simple technology we can help them,” Randy explained.

Both Randy and Kit described the ministry trip as “rugged.” “Some of us have gotten sick,” said Randy, “but we just need to be careful what we eat. We try to take granola bars when we go into the villages.”

Naomi Nelson, 18, of Fallbrook is traveling to Cambodia with the group. She ministered in Nicaragua earlier this year, an experience which she feels prepared her for the trip to Cambodia. Naomi feels called of God to serve in the mission field and wants to experience as many different mission opportunities as possible. Her love of children drives her and she is happy that she will be teaching children at a Bible school during her stay. Naomi hopes that while she is helping to improve the lives of the Cambodian children, the experience will change her as well.

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