"In Cambodia, widows, orphans, immigrants and the poor still need protection. The spirit world is an everyday preoccupation, with temples in every neighborhood and frequent offerings to stone idols. Daily bread is not a given. These are major concerns of the Bible, but in the US, we usually gloss over these passages or spend a lot of time contextualizing them to make sense to us. In Cambodia, though, many of these passages apply directly to the lives of Cambodians with little explanation needed. By reading the Bible in Khmer alongside Cambodians, I see significant themes that are hard to notice in an American context. New words, interesting translation choices, different grammar, and having to read more slowly help me see things I've never noticed before. You may not be able to learn a new language just for reading the Bible, but I encourage you to think about how you can find ways to see the Bible with fresh eyes."
- David and Lauren Bass, CBF field personnel, Phnom Penh, Cambodia