SALT Ministries was established in 1996 by Tim and Wendy Maddocks. The Ministry is based in Siem Reap, Cambodia, on a 19 hectare tract of rural land 4 kilometers south west of the Siem Reap town.

Tim had worked in the Seventh-day Adventist School system as a teacher in Western Samoa (1985-1987), and Fiji (1988, 1989). Wendy supported him as a faithful wife and assisted in the work of the schools as a school nurse. In 1989, Tim resigned from his teaching position and took the voluntary position as Fulton College farm manager, serving in this position for two years. In 1992, the family, which by this time had two sons, Caleb and Shannon, moved from Fiji, returning to Australia briefly. Accepting a call from Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), the Maddocks family moved to Siem Reap, Cambodia, to manage a rice improvement project. Tim served in this position until the end of the project in December 1995.

The ADRA years were tent making years, with the Maddocks family using their free time to establish a Seventh-day Adventist congregation in Siem Reap town. During the latter part of this period, the Holy Spirit laid a burden on Tim’s heart to establish a training centre where lay members of the rapidly growing Seventh-day Adventist church could deepen their relationship with God and prepare themselves for a greater ministry of service to God and the Cambodian people. The call was clear; God would provide if we would move ahead in faith. January, 1996 saw the first step of faith. The ADRA work was over, and the monthly pay cheque had ceased. All that was left was the family savings and a promise from God that He would provide.

A search began for a suitable location for the training centre. At the time, security was still poor in the Cambodian countryside which was a positive aspect as land prices were still low. The 19 Hectare property, which is now known as Wat Preah Yesu (Jesus Pagoda), was purchased in March, 1996, for USD10,000. The first houses constructed of bush materials were erected shortly after. The early years were pioneering years, developing a training centre out of a tract of scrubby Riceland. These were also church planting years as the Buddhist neighbor-hood was introduced to Jesus.

Two important seeds were sown at this early time of development. The Commune Chief asked if we would build a primary school at the training centre, and a friend, Marshall Smith, provided funds to purchase enough land to build an orphanage at the training centre. These seeds were later to germinate and become the Cambodia Adventist School-Kantrok and the Wat Preah Yesu Children’s Home.

The first resident at Wat Preah Yesu was Mr. Prak Heng. Heng and his family were some of the fruits from church planting in Siem Reap town. Heng’s family joined him shortly after and the Maddocks family followed in June, 1996. Local people were hired to assist with the development of the centre and at the same time provided a ready audience to whom we could share both the love and word of God. It was not long before the opportunity opened up for Wendy to develop a grassroots health ministry, which was to become the backbone for church planting. Today Heng serves as District pastor for the Siem Reap and Odar Mean Chey Provinces. The Sombua Congregation (church building located at Wat Preah Yesu) was officially organized as a church in September 2000 and the Sombua church building was dedicated in January 2002.

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© 2008--SALT Ministries, Wat Preah Yesu
SALT Ministries P.O. Box 93007, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Tel. (855) 12 804017, (855) 12 734102
E-mail: info@saltmin.org