This spring, I traveled to Cambodia to volunteer and work as a photographer with Iris Cambodia (Global Iris Ministries), a Christian NGO dedicated to serving the poorest of the poor, loving slum children, and advocating against human trafficking and sexual exploitation. I’m just now beginning to tell the story of my time there. Soon, I will begin to share more of my photographs, accompanied by the profound stories of the people I met, the places that I saw, and the country I have fallen in love with.
First, a glimpse…
Phnom Penh at dusk. 
Inside the Russian Market.
Inside the Russian Market.
Motorbikes: Cambodia’s primary means of transportation. 
Caught in a rainstorm off the Gulf of Thailand.
My FAVORITE. $.50 for a fresh coconut. 
A sidestreet in Sihanoukville.
A glimpse of one of the many slums in Phnom Penh.
Inside one of the slums in Phnom Penh
The historic and infamous ‘White Building’ in Cambodia. 
One of the residents of the White Building.
One of the many elaborate buildings in the Royal Palace, Phnom Penh.
Tuol Sleng: Khmer Rouge’s S-21 prison, where at least 17,000 men, women, and children were tortured and murdered. 
Inside Tuol Sleng. The Khmer Rouge documented and photographed each victim. 
One of the thousands of children murdered in Tuol Sleng during the genocide in the 70’s. 
One of the unbelievable temples near Angkor Wat in Seam Reap. Words cannot describe.
The Bayon Temple. My favorite temple to explore. 
My fiancé, Frank, who came to visit me in Cambodia for a few weeks. 
Laying in hammocks off the Gulf of Thailand.
The Dream Center: a haven of refuge and love for local children living in the slums.
Teaching the children worship songs in Khmer.
The kids waiting outside the gates for the Dream Center to open.
Tending to wounds, cuts, and scrapes.
The kids hearing about Jesus, the God who is present, for the first time through a skit.
Snacktime.
A visit to a family living in the countryside outside of Sihanoukville. 
The port slum in Sihanoukville, where the NGO I served with has long-standing friendships. 
