Recently, we have been handling the problem of some of our university students who do not attend Sunday School in their home church on Sundays.  Sometimes, I just wonder why they are so enthusiastic in worship but feel so bored in learning the Bible systematically.  When I was in my twenties, I enjoyed participating in Sunday School, sometimes more than that in worship.  The group discussion and exploring the teachings in the Bible led us to know more about God's character and our own as well.   Later, I came to understand more of their situation:

The education system

Most of the time, children or students attend school without much discipline because of the poorly managed education system.  Teachers are lowly paid and the government puts little resources into education.   Hence, students cannot learn much from their teachers unless they are willing to pay extra money to have a "tutorial" session after class.  Some teachers may do this part time work to make enough money for survival.  Therefore, they may lack enthusiasm in teaching. For some children who are poor and can not afford to pay, their progress is very slow and some can't even read the alphabets by Year 4 class.

Lack of concentration and interest in reading books

As a result of the poor educational system, they get used to listening instead of reading.  It is not so often that they ask questions either.  The slack discipline in the schools leads students to have a hard time concentrating on the lessons.  Most of the time, they think that they will understand the lesson by listening without further reading or reviewing the lesson.  Some reasons may be that they can not afford to buy the books (photocopying the whole book is the common practice even in University, and even that is too expensive for them to buy) and lack of initiative to know more.  I once taught an English class, and I saw that some students were talking and others even left the classroom when they were bored or did not understand what was going on.  It was also expected to make copies for them instead of them buying a book, since it was for the "Free Tuition Course."

Quick to believe instead of thinking first

Another phenomenon is that the young people are often quick to believe but also quick to change when they feel it is not "convenient" to act on.  Like when we talk about honesty or being a "good and faithful" person, they respond quickly to acknowledge these "virtues."  However, when they face a tough situation, they may give up easily.  Sometimes, they believe but do not think about the principles behind that enhance the will to practice. Even though primary school books talk a lot about virtues such as politeness, paying respect, hardworking etc., their beliefs are so shallow and fluctuating.

May God have mercy on the education system in Cambodia and the teaching of the church.  Definitely, the young people are the pillar of society in future.  The new generation after the Khmer Rouge is also the hope of peace if they could understand the value of life.

Prayer points

1. Thank God for His protection and presence in the Youth Camp.  Some young people received Christ as their Savior and some are encouraged with deeper relationships.
2. Pray for the new official board members of the Phnom Penh FMC, and for Brother Lim, the pastor's assistant of the church, that they will grow physically and spiritually
3. Pray for my good preparation and patience to preach in Khmer
4. Pray for safety in driving
5. Pray for the local development committees in Coconut Village and Kampot