Nareth and Sydney were around 6 years of age when their homeland of Cambodia broke out in one of the most brutal civil wars and massacres of the 20th century. 

Beginning in 1970 and spanning over 5 years, the Khmer Rouge massacre under the military leader Pol Pot infiltrated much of the Cambodian landscape, marking this time as one of the most vicious Marxist government rulerships. 

In an attempt to control its people, the Khmer Rouge brutally murdered an estimated 1.5 -2 million Cambodians, many being the country’s professional, educational, and technical class. By decimating the educated population, the Khmer Rouge sought to increase their control over independent thinking and resistance. 

During the massacres, both Sydney and Nareth experienced the horrors of loss, abuse, fear, and trauma. Both lost a parent to the massacres and many other family members and friends. Those who survived, like Sydney and Nareth, escaped the military into the jungles, living off of meager rations and traveling in fear until they were able to reach refugee camps in Thailand. 

While safer than being in Cambodia, these camps were still places of waiting and loss until, eventually, Sydney and Nareth, still strangers at this time, made their way to the U.S. with their remaining family. It was while they were in middle school that they met for the first time and, over the years, fell in love and got married, bonding through their culture, faith in God, and shared tragedy. 

Many years later, while never having a desire to return since their escape, God placed it on their hearts to reach out and visit Cambodia. When they returned, they found family and friends still suffering from the long-term instability of the civil war, especially in rural communities. 

God gave Sydney & Nareth the vision to be a resource to help support families out of their poverty. One of the long-term effects of the war and the targeted murders of the educated was a lack of academic opportunities for children, hampering the generational ability to build and develop families and communities out of poverty and oppression. They also found the light of Christ present in small Christian churches, often meeting in homes, gathering on tarps outside to hear the word of God.

The Meths, with the support of many donors, were able to purchase a field near Nareth's childhood village. They built the Light of Cambodia Worship and Education Center to be a local Church location as well as a resource for teaching the underserved to read both Khmer & English.  See our Current Projects page to see how this building is being used.