The Tonle Sap River in Cambodia is the only river in the world that sometimes flows backwards. Each year when the monsoon rains hit, the force of the water flowing down the mighty Mekong River causes this tributary to flow in the opposite direction.

This year, the rains have already started and many people have been adversely affected. According to Cambodia’s National Disaster Management Committee, continuous rains have caused flooding that has killed 83 people, affected 800,000 others, and damaged 463 square miles of rice paddies.

HeartCry partners with Shalom Mission to Cambodia, and their leader Chhinho Saing writes about the situation,

Thank God this morning was a shining morning but this afternoon is going to rain again. From these few days Cambodia has been flooded almost every where, especially in the northern part such as Battambang and Pailin Province.

Please continue to pray for Cambodia while the political issue is still unsure of what will happen and now the natural disaster is facing many Cambodian people. There are several thousand homes and farms that have been affected and several lives have been killed by this disaster. There were more than 500 schools that have been closed.

Last Saturday, I visited some of our Shalom Churches in Pukrusey and Kohdach. One of our elders at Pukrusey got in an accident and broke his shoulder bone and the church in Kohdach is flooded.

Thank God that all of us in the family are fine in the Lord’s mighty hands. Thank you so much for remembering us in your prayers and also for praying for the situation in Cambodia.

In the Battambang area, Shalom will try to help flood victims through two of its churches in that region. Pray for the people who are suffering during this time. Please pray also that God would use this disaster to turn people away from the vain idols of Buddhism and lead them to embrace the gospel.