Phase II of Build A City Initiative Dedicated in Cambodia
On Monday, May 4, over 100 Church of God delegates, the Deputy Prime Minister, provincial governors, and dozens of high ranking government officials from the Kingdom of Cambodia, as well as humanitarian leaders joined the residents of Andong Village near Phnom Penh, Cambodia, for the ribbon cutting ceremony of the BUILD A CITY (BAC) initiative in Andong. The project was spearheaded by People for Care and Learning (PCL).
The much-anticipated dedication ceremony featured speeches by the governor of Phnom Penh, His Excellency Pa Socheatavang, Deputy Prime Minister of the Interior, PCL Director Dr. Fred Garmon, Church of God General Overseer, Dr. Mark Williams, and a representative from the community. An estimated 4,000 people were in attendance, filling two tents set up to accommodate them and to provide protection from the sweltering heat. Attendees included a large number of residents from the community, guests from the United States, Canada, Australia, and from surrounding Southeast Asian countries.
Following the completion of the dedication ceremony, guests had the opportunity to tour the new homes, new streets, and were able to see some relatively new structures in old Andong, such as a market place and medical clinic.
General Overseer Mark Williams, far left, and PCL Director Fred Garmon, third from left, are joined by Cambodian dignitaries for the Build a City Phase II dedication (click on photo to enlarge).
Church of God General Overseer Mark Williams commented, “the BAC dedication event was the fulfillment of a dream that began in the hearts of people years ago— people who gave themselves to be the hearts and hands of Jesus, with the only motivation being to love God and to love people.”
“Over the past seven years, I’ve had the privilege of incrementally seeing a desperate and tragic human situation become a community where hope lives because of the work of Dr. Fred Garmon and the amazing People for Care and Learning family,” said Travis Johnson, pastor of Life Pointe Church in Tampa, Florida. “Annual visits have enabled me to see the growth in increments. Where small children once took their first steps of the day into gray water, they now ride their bicycles on paved roads. Hope now shines brightly as Andong Village residents received keys to their own homes. These homes mean shelter, safety, family, peace, health, future.”
Tim Hill, director of Church of God World Missions said, “I was impressed with the epic, historic, monumental occasion of which God has allowed the Church of God to be a part. A friend of mine said, ‘If we are not networking, we are not working.’ I think that has been exemplified this week.”
Bobby Duncan, pastor of Parma Park Church of God in Cleveland, Ohio, is author of the upcoming book, “Light in the Window,” which details the history of PCL, including the Build a City project.
“Although the barriers to the Build a City project were many, the reward of seeing the faces of poverty-striken Cambodians made all the planning, setbacks, persistent negotiations, and constant sacrifices seem small in comparison,” Duncan stated. “The Cambodian government’s partnership with PCL in this massive undertaking was a critical element in bringing such a project to fruition.”
PCL Director Fred Garmon presents a ceremonial key to a home to an Andong resident.
During his speech at the government sponsored dedication, Dr. Fred Garmon framed up the day by saying, “This is not the end. This is the end of the beginning. Now, we begin the next phase of shaping a community.” From here, PCL will transition from transforming a rice field and swamp into brick and mortar buildings and roads to transforming hearts and souls into a true community. PCL will follow the example of Christ by continuing to move into the neighborhood with a clinic, a community center, a vibrant marketplace, a church, and soccer fields. Through this humanitarian work supported by donors of all sizes, the poor now have a working chance.
To learn more about the next steps of People for Care and Learning’s Build A City initiative, visit www.buildacity.org and www.pcl.is.
