in both Cambodia and Burma have shown how great Monks will suffer and stay on their path.

In both cases things are begining to look up for a restoration of normalcy.

certain incidents of suicide amongst the direct disciples of The Buddha -- among them Bhikkus & even Arhats -- are described in the Suttas.

references from the "Western Buddhist Review":
http://www.westernbuddhistreview.com/vol4/suicide_as_a_response_to_suffering.html

once again -- to re-emphasize your statement -- The Buddha's doctrine, as detailed in the Suttas, is firmly opposed to the wilful destruction of any form of life, whether one's own, or another's.

How did you come to follow Theravada Buddhism?

Are you familiar with Wat Metta?

i am sorry; my visits to the West coast being few & far between - i wasn't familiar with Wat Metta, until i saw your query. i've looked it up on the web. it appears to be a wonderful place.

around here, on the East coast, a Monk from my native country, Sri Lanka, runs a somewhat similar meditation center near the Shenandoah Valley, in WV.
http://www.bhavanasociety.org/index/
His name is: the Venerable Henepola Gunaratana. i've met him &, in my estimation, he is a good monk & a good teacher. he has published several books, two of which, i personally think, are outstanding. 1. Mindfulness in Plain English (for beginners); and, 2. The Path of Serenity and Insight (for experienced meditators).

on your 2nd question: as mentioned, i am a native Sri Lankan. around 70% of the population there - nominally - practices Thereavada Buddhism. my own case was a slight anomaly. wa born a Catholic. my early teens, dove head-first into a typical, hormone-fuelled, rebel-without-a-cause adolescent maelstrom of meaningless angst. as a result of which, after some ratiocination & research into spiritual traditions, i found my own predilection lay in this (in my opinion) amazing teaching, that lay in plain sight, right in my backyard; and had once been followed by my own family (until some in the line were converted by Portuguese colonists). it was a bit of a shock to discover that - an ancient Ascetic, sitting half-starved under a tree in the Indian jungles, 2,500 years in the past, had come up with these concepts - which fit my own labored & half-baked theories, like a tailored glove. though i may very well be mistaken, i believe i've found many of the answers i've been looking for, in this Dhamma.

i would like, very much, to hear of your own journey onto this Path - if you don't mind sharing your experiences?