A Tribute to Alice Compain
An incredible woman. Knew Khmer fluently. Sat with the Cambodians in the refugee camps during Pol Pot time and listened to them sing their traditional songs. Played along on her violin and wrote both the Khmer words and music notes down. Eventually helped to put it all together to create the first Christian hymnal in Khmer. I was challenged and honored to have led singing during worship services at the ICF with her for many years.The OMF article:
Veteran OMF Missionary to Cambodia , Alice Compain, died soon after 3.00 am on Thursday 4th September ( UK time). She served in Laos before commencing her ministry here in the early 70’s. Alice was also a long term ICF member and was frequently seen playing her violin at the afternoon service. We have known for some time that she was growing weaker through the cancer she was diagnosed with two years ago. Despite her frail health, Alice ’s spirit has been as vibrant as ever these past two years, and many of us on the OMF team and in the Cambodian church have been so blessed by her continuing involvement with us through her prayer, counsel and advice from afar. Even last month she emailed the office to tell us which student should receive the violin strings she just posted from the UK ! I’m sure many of you have memories of Alice to share. She has been a godly and wise teacher, mother, sister, friend and example to several generations of people in Cambodia as well as in Laos and Thailand throughout her missionary life. She will be greatly missed. It was special to have had the opportunity to have held ‘farewells’ for Alice in 2007 both in Khmer church circles and in OMF when she visited Cambodia for the last time.
Let us be in prayer for Alice ’s family (sister and brother-in-law) and loved ones in the UK and her adopted country of Cambodia – Ling & Jean Luc Lebrun, Somalay and many others. Pray also for Naomi Sharp, also a former OMF missionary in Cambodia , who at Alice ’s request has a number of significant parts to play in the memorial service to be held soon.
We celebrate a life well lived in service of God. We may grieve but look forward with hope to the day of reunion that the Lord will give us.
posted by Gecko Girl at
2:59 PM
5 Comments:
I had to visit Cambodia last week on business. On my only previous visit, in 1992, I had managed to contact Alice, borrow a cello, and have an evening's music making with her, following many such occasions when we were both resident in Bangkok in the late 1970s. This time, my enquiries led me to this tribute to her - the first I had known of her death. Alice was a great person, unassuming, dedicated and practical. She was also a very good violinist and an excellent chamber musician. I know that South East Asia, and Cambodia in particular, was very special to her, and it is good to see that she has left a legacy in the country and in the friendships she made.
By
Richard Manning, at 11:32 AM, April 21, 2009
thanks for your comments. A pleasure meeting you as someone who was in Thailand during the years of the Cambodian genocide. Alice's presence during that time was a gift to the church as many of the tunes in the Khmer hymnal were written down by her during those years, violin in hand, listening to the Khmer singers in the camps. yes, a legacy.
By
Gecko Girl, at 2:04 PM, April 21, 2009
Does there happen to be a book written of her life as a missionary to Cambodia? If so, where would I find it?
Holly@aiminghigh
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/aiminghigh
By
Anonymous, at 12:23 AM, June 02, 2009
Thanks for the info. Do you happen to know what hymnal that is? Thanks!
By
Anonymous, at 10:03 AM, June 16, 2009
Great servant of God, she is an inspiration to us all. Thank you for being a light to the Cambodian people. I'm saved today because of people like her.
Touch Keo
By
Unknown, at 6:35 PM, October 12, 2009
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