Greetings on this beautiful All Hallows Eve!

At Brookhaven Christian Church, we have been blessed in different ways by all who have walked through our doors and entered into fellowship with our community of faith.  But one group of folks have had a special impact on us.  I speak of our Cambodian friends who have become such an important part of our community.  They have blessed us with their friendship, joined in with our fellowship, become important parts of our worship and study.  One of the most powerful things they have done is share their amazing story of perseverance, hope and love that started in the notorious “Killing Fields” of Cambodia and led them to America, and eventually, to us.

Especially to us Americans, their story is a remarkable one.  It is a story that includes the devastation of war, loss of family and friends, separation from home, surviving in refugee camps, and ultimately, thriving as survivors.  Their story is full of hardship and hope, terror and love, betrayal and triumph.  It culminates with the saving grace of Jesus Christ touching their lives through folks like those at the Brook Valley Church that originally sponsored many of them to come to Atlanta.  Back then our Cambodian friends did not know where they were going, nor did the church folk see it as their mission to convert them to Christianity.  But God has a way of seeing things through, and Atlanta became home for many Cambodians, and seeing the example of the church members at Brook Valley, it was here that they found Christ.

We at BCC have been blessed to know these good folks personally, and to hear their story.  I still remember the first Sunday they all visited together.  Bill Travis, who had known them at Brook Valley, pulled me aside and said, “Whatever these people need, work with them.  They are the finest people you will ever meet.”  These were strong words, and coming from Bill, they carried ALOT of weight.  Long story short, they became part of our community and we are all the better for it.  But the story doesn’t end there, by any stretch.  Not only is it important that we who are lucky enough to be in fellowship with them know the story, but it is important that many, many people know the story.  It is through the sharing of stories like these that the world is changed, one person at a time. And it is through keeping these stories alive that we can work toward ending anything like the “killing fields” from ever happening again.

To that end, a group of Cambodian Christians, spearheaded by the Cambodian Southern Baptist Fellowship, is building a conference center and museum so that Christians from all walks of life may have a place to be in fellowship, retreat and worship God.  Beyond that purpose is a larger one.  The museum will be a living testimony to the power of God’s love with the preservation of true stories of Christian Cambodians from the “Killing Fields’ generation.  Features of the museum will include the history of Cambodia and real-life stories of the Killing Fields.  They envision original materials such as photographs, writings, motion pictures, paintings, videotapes, etc.  The theme of this project?  “From the Killing Fields to the Blessing Fields”.  When Phan Rhattanak first told me about this ambitious project, he said, “You and the people of Brookhaven are part of this story, too.  You are part of our story now.”  At the time I was so moved as to barely be able to respond.

But now I think I know the proper response: helping them build their dream center.  It will serve as an amazing witness to the triumph of the spirit, to the inherent goodness of humanity, and to the perseverance of a people reusing to give in.  How can we help?  By helping honor our friends journey from the Killing Fields to the Blessing Field by donating to this project.  I know I plan to as a way to say “thank you” to these special friends who have enriched my life.  Can you help, too?  You can make a check out to BCC and write “The Blessing Field” in the memo space and we will forward all contributions to the Blessing Field Foundation.  Join with me in helping this important story be told.