Mercy Ministry

Our mercy ministry includes finding ways to imitate God in His own concern for the weak. God is the protector of the helpless (Psalm 9:9; Psalm 10:17-18; Psalm 146:7) and takes the oppression of the poor and needy very seriously.  Throughout the Old Testament, there is warning upon warning not to oppress the weak (Exodus 23:9; Deuteronomy 24:14) and sure condemnation for any who did (Exodus 22:21-24; Proverbs 14:31; Proverbs 22:16).  The Pharisees and Scribes were condemned by Jesus because they took advantage of widows for their own personal monetary gain (Mark 12:40; Luke 20:47).  Christ Himself, as our example, had compassion on the oppressed and it moved Him to action (Matthew 14:14; Mark 6:34; Luke 7:12-15).  When telling the parable of the good Samaritan, Jesus tells the lawyer to "Go, and do the same" (Luke 10:37).  When James writes of what true religion looks like (a lifestyle of obedience), he pairs caring for the widow and orphan (ἐπισκέπτεσθαι means more than just visit; it is to visit with the intent of helping someone; to care for someone) with keeping oneself unstained from the world.  Obviously, finding ways to imitate God in His own concern for the oppressed is essential to what it means to be a follower of Christ and what we at Action Cambodia are about.

Our current ministries that are focused on mercy include:

Andong Community Feeding Ministry

Action Cambodia partners with Andong Community Church to feed approximately
100 students each day.  Andong is home to 2000 families who lost their land
to a large developer and were relocated from the city centre of Phnom Penh
by the government of Cambodia.  Each family was "awarded" a 3 by 3 meter
plot of land with no electricity, sewage or water.  Pastor Abraham planted
Andong Community Church as a result of reaching out to this very poor
community.

Student Sponsorship

Over 70% of the population in Cambodia is under the age of 25 and the median income is
still just $2 per day!  We have found that a practical means by which to
show Christ is by helping students (elementary through high school) stay in
school.  Most of the families in our Student Sponsorship ministry come from
very poor backgrounds.  The students are hard workers and
seize the opportunity to stay in school rather than work on the streets.
This ministry is done in partnership with the local church in order that the
spiritual needs can also be identified and met through the Gospel of Christ.