AndasKuy Village of Andas


The village of Andas (pronounced Ahndah) is located in Kampong Thom province just next to the border with Preah Vihear (Prayah Veeheeah)  province, right on the main road between the provincial capitals. Like many other Kuy villages the people were resettled next to the road by the government during the aftermath of the Khmer Rouge horrors for their protection. They farm rice and some also raise cashew nuts or cassava. The prices for these two crops in particular have been dropping. It is hard for them to make a good living. July to October can be lean times for these people if the previous year's rice crop was not enough and they don't get much from their cash crops. They tend to supplement their income by cutting down trees from the dwindling forest land and cutting them into planks with a hand saw. This is hard work. Logging for wood other than that they need to build a house is also illegal. The village is not electrified. Some homes have wells with hand pumps, but few or none have sanitary facilities. Education is limited.

There is one small house church in Andas begun in 2005 by Simone, a Khmer woman who moved to Andas as a convenient location for her husband who is a truck driver. She immediately shared her faith with her Kuy neighbors. A house church was born and is affiliated with a Methodist church in nearby Sre village. Simone hosts this church of about 25 people who are mostly Kuy. Fijian missionaries, Matt and Susu Cinavou and Ben Ryland are encouraging the believers in the this little church and seeking ways to work with them to expand the Kingdom. Matt and Susu are pictured with Simone (next to Matt) and other church women.