Cambodia.
A country who faced an unimaginable genocide from 1975 to 1979 at the hands of the communist Khmer Rouge.
Families were torn apart and sent to lives of hard labor.
Millions were brutally tortured and murdered in what is now known as the "killing fields."
Men.
Women.
Children.
Babies.
Anyone who didn't fit into the ideals of the new regime…particularly intellectuals, businessmen, Buddhists, foreigners…were tortured and sentenced to gruesome deaths.
Cities were completely evacuated and everyone was sent to work in the fields, where many died from starvation and being overworked.
1 in every 4 people in the country died in a matter of four years.
Every Cambodian you meet has been affected by this tragedy in some way…grandparents, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, children, friends, neighbors…lost forever.
Because of the loss of life during these four years, a huge baby boom occurred, resulting in a country comprised primarily of young people.
A nation full of young people, rising out of the ashes of a country who was ripped apart- and facing the reality of a country where education & healthcare are severely struggling, and poverty is rampant.
But there is something else rising in this nation, amidst the struggles.
…Hope.
Vuthy is a 29 year old Cambodian who is quite literally changing his country- and we had the privilege to come alongside of him this month in his ministry.
This month, I learned Vuthy had been asked by AIM to send in a written testimony and vision of his ministry. I offered to type it up and edit it because he had put off sending it in because he was worried about the quality of his written English.
The more I heard, and the more I was able to witness the testimony of Vuthy's life, I realized it held valuable treasure I pray blesses you as much as it has blessed me.
Vuthy was once a young man with a goal- a dream that many of us can relate to. He wanted to get out of his small hometown and move to the city…and make money. As much as possible.
He made enough money to buy his own tuk-tuk and began to drive people around the city. His dream had been realized. Until he met a man named Chris who asked him if he wanted to drive mission teams from YWAM (Youth With a Mission) around the city. He agreed- and thus his journey began.
Over time, he began to wonder why these teams were leaving their countries and homes to serve the people of Cambodia without receiving anything in return. As he got to know different teams- they continued to share with him the reason for their passion- and encouraged him to find out more about a man named Jesus.
And the encounter he had revolutionized his entire life.
Fast forward the story- after spending time at YWAM, his heart began to change as he laid down everything he had ever known.
"Lord, my life is no longer mine- but yours.
My heart.
My dreams.
My vision.
My plans.
They are yours."
And the Father said "Son…I want you to return home."
So he headed back to his hometown- ending back up in a place where he had fled from- no finances, no resources, no Christian community…simply a vision. To see a community set on fire for The Lord.
His family and neighbors couldn't understand his faith, or why he was doing what he was doing, but he pressed forward. It started by inviting the children of the village who couldn't afford public school to teach them English on the weekends (which he was still learning himself).
A short few years later, life abounds here.
Every day, 200 kids from preschool and up light up the property with their laughter and joy as they learn English and about a God who loves them.
His parents, several siblings, and countless other neighbors and family members have come to know Jesus and are growing in their faith.
A building to house World Race and YWAM mission teams- plus the other Cambodian young men and women who live here to be discipled-has been constructed.
Light of Hope church now stands on the property, with people from around the community coming each week to worship.
Vuthy has found favor with the public schools, who have allowed the mission teams to come in and teach English…bringing the light of Christ into a system where the Gospel is forbidden.
He is also sending mission teams to different villages to teach and spread the Gospel even further.
Miracles here are the norm.
Many people from around the village only take their medication once Vuthy has blessed and prayed over it. Why? Well, when people pick up the same exact medicine from the local pharmacy, the medicine is often ineffective to heal their pains and symptoms. But when Vuthy prays for them and for the same medicine, people are immediately healed.
In the past few years, there was a dry season that lasted for a year- not one day of rain. The crops were dying, and people were desperate. They offered incense and prayed to their ancestors, but nothing happened. Finally, some villagers sought out Vuthy and asked him to pray to his God on their behalf.
The next day, a storm brewed- and it rained so much that everything was nearly flooded!
Yesterday, a 76 year old man from the village came to talk with Vuthy. Previously, Vuthy had taken a World Race team to visit this man who had walked on a cane for years- and he received complete physical healing. The man, who was a nonbeliever, continued to test God even after this miracle. And Jesus revealed himself to the man in a series of dreams…until he was so shaken that he knew had to leave everything to follow this God. Upon arriving at the property, he threw his now unnecessary cane on the ground, and told Vuthy he wanted to follow Jesus. I had the privilege to meet and pray over this man when he arrived at church on Sunday as he joined a community of believers for the first time in his life.
Although he has been told its impossible from Day 1, the impossible continues to happen.
I pray this testimony blesses you as it has me.
Jesus.
