We turn off the one and only paved road in Poi Pet and continue down a deeply rutted road that is really only suitable for ATV's and dirt bikes. It's a blast; we hang onto the truck for dear life as we laugh out loud and snap crooked pictures. For a moment I had forgotten, but this is missions and I love it!

It has been a while since I have experienced ministry in this capacity, but I fall in like a soldier who never left the front lines. My team and I gather together on the woven grass mat laid out for us, and wink at the curious little onlookers, making them giggle. After songs are sung we begin teaching the kids all about Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego -- they laugh as we act the classic bible story out for them.

We give the kids an activity, and I take in my surroundings. What I see saddens me. These beautiful people, struggling for each meal, living in shanties consisting of three walls and a roof, deserve better. Chickens, geese and pigs root around where children live and play. And what jumps out at me is the incredibly misdirected priorities: each home I look in has a TV and stereo equipment.

How can villagers afford such luxuries when they can't buy a kilo of rice and a few small fish to sustain themselves? The answer is horrifyingly clear: predators of the worst sort have come to exploit the villagers' poverty.

Parents struggling to survive the day are offered a solution for the moment; unable to see past their needs and wants, they jump at the chance to lighten the burden and earn six months of income instantly - selling their own child for the amount of a small colour TV.

The stories are shocking and all too frequent. The missionaries working in this area regularly discover that children go missing.

I lift a toddler into my arms as I wonder, was some small child's innocence sold in exchange for these things? Are they now, at this very moment, crying and trapped in a room with grown men they don't know and can't trust?

The work being done by our missionaries and national contacts in Cambodia is relevant and necessary. These Christian leaders live with the bare necessities and step up to shepherd and teach the Cambodian people the saving knowledge of Christ. Without the love, hope and forgiveness of Christ how can these trends be brought to an end?

I leave the village exhausted but grateful for the opportunity to be part of such a far-reaching ministry. So much so, that during the rutted ride back to Poi Pet, it is decided that our trip will be extended and we will stay in Cambodia longer than planned. We want to return to the village.