Today we share a praise - after seven years of work, the project, Remember Me, is now beginning to fulfill its promise! To recap, back in 2018 Kirsten began taking portraits and collecting the testimonies of elder Cambodians, who had survived the holocaust of Pol Pot in the 70’s. Their stories are compelling and central to understanding the state of the Cambodian nation today, so brutal and destructive was the reign of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. Now, as we approach the 50th anniversary of the fall of Phnom Penh to the Pol Pot regime, Kirsten is completing her project and preparing to share it, with the hope that it fulfills the purpose that God has intended for it all along.

Kirsten with one of the Buddhist nuns from the project.

From now until mid-May, the photo project will be on display at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. We will travel there to be present on the actual 50th anniversary of the fall - April 17. Kirsten will give an artist talk, describing the work and its significance. You’re welcome to join us! About half of the photographs will be presented in large format, along with several of the survivor stories, and background photos taken by a French photographer who was in Phnom Penh on the actual day.

Ou and SreyNear - two of the earliest subjects in the project, with whom we developed a close relationship.

The scope of a gallery showing is limited, so Kirsten is also compiling the portraits into book form - 50 testimonies for the 50th anniversary! It needs to be shared. The elders of the project feel, as do we, that this vital history must not be lost. Many of them asked specifically that, along with sharing their stories, we do all that we can to educate the younger generation. Many of the elders cannot read, their educations having been disrupted by the war. And so we are going to use all the proceeds from book sales to augment our work with Cambodian schools, by buying books and placing them into the classrooms. The sale of two commemorative editions (we are only printing 100 copies) will allow us to place 50 books in a classroom - 50 books in 50 classrooms!

The book is currently in the final compiling stage and will be out by September. It is available for pre-order now on Kirsten’s website - click here to view.

It is so clear to us that God is blessing this work! We thank you all for your prayers and support.

Promise and Praise