Day 3 - 24 October

A Sunday unlike any other. I must admit to being spiritually aware during the whole day, but not in a positive worshipful way that is encouraging, but in a shocking and confronting way which left me aware of the overwhelming evil capacity of the human heart. We spent the morning at the 'Killing Fields' followed by time at the S21 prison. The guy who guided us through the Killing Fields was so helpful and spoke such great English. It has always been fascinating to me to try to understand whatever could make someone kill off his own generation of his own race. What could possibly have motivated Pol Pot to do what he did. It was great to hear a Cambodian view of the Cambodian genocide.
I know it looks like a high school because actually it was. However there is a ghostly feel to the place which was Tuol Svay Prey High School, where Pol Pot rounded up the middle classes, and herded them into buses heading to Choeung Ek where they were killed on mass. It was fascinating to learn about Vann Nath, the only remaining detainee of S21 still living. His paintings line the walls of the museum and give very poignant images of the human cost of the Khmer Rouge era.
The day left each member of the team quiet and thoughtful and left a heaviness on the group.