Testimony from the Field
Respect and honor for your parents always beings great blessings for you. No matter the situation.
Respect and honor for your parents always beings great blessings for you. No matter the situation.
There is a 29yr old guy named Pedra. He is engaged to a 28 yr old girl named Hung. Pedra is a Christian and a ministry leader within his village. He has been discipled well by a missionary couple from New York and he hopes to start serving his community as a pastor when the time comes. But there is sadness in Pedra’s heart. His prayers are spent on just one request… to take Hung’s hand in marriage. They’ve been engaged for five years. And although, most people I know would’ve given up by now, Pedra and Hung are standing firm together to pursue this marriage, no matter how long it takes. Pedra has said many time, “It doesn’t matter how long this takes, I would rather die in engagement then go off and marry another. This woman is the one the Lord has blessing me with and I know the Lord’s favor is on this. It is about God’s timing, that is the perfect will of God, His timing. We must wait, listen and obey and when the Lord finally delivers my wife into my arms, the beauty of God will shine down on my new family.” This little man in this hidden village of Cambodia knows what it is to have a true righteous heart before the Lord. The problem isn’t with him wanting to be a pastor and a husband. The problem isn’t with the missionary couple, they are praying just as fervently for this marriage as he is. The problem isn’t with Hung, she is a beautifully righteous women in Christ also. The problem isn’t so much the parents either. Both Pedra’s and Hung’s parents want this marriage. But the problem is with idols. That’s right, not just the religion but with the idols of that religion. See, when a man marries a woman whose parents are mixed in the Buddhist/Hindu religions, then he is required to take part in the rituals of that parents practices. Which include bowing down to, worshiping, and praying to these gods and idols. But as for Pedra and Hung, they want to start their lives together with God’s blessing and presents. They want to have a Christian wedding. But they can’t unless Hung’s parents decide to agree to the Christian wedding. For five years now, Hung’s parents have held tight to the traditional Buddhist/ Hindu ceremony. Demanding that the tradition take place for the release of their daughter. But Pedra cannot bring himself to bow down to these idols, gods, and spirits of darkness. So Hung is held captive by these spiritual chains keeping her from being freed into the arms of her fiancé who wants to stay true and faithful to God. Most men, foreign and native, would either move on and later find another woman much easier to obtain or go through with the ceremony just to get their wife and then later repent. But Pedra is determined. He says he doesn’t want any other nor will he compromise his God. So here they sit, a couple, two parents, and Satan’s stronghold, at a standstill for five years. And it’s not like they could just get up and run away in marriage. Respect and honor is paramount here. It’s a staple anywhere in Asia. Especially for families who follow close to a religion or belief.
(I personally don’t know any other place that teaches the children starting at age one to greet everyone with a bowed head and hands together in front of their face. Or to lean down when walking past a adult. I find it astonishing to see children, with no cloths, living in a hut, and have never been to school before, having amazing attention spans. Or being able to sit, with their legs together, paying attention for six hours as a teacher writes on the chalk board, at age three! Sometimes I wonder if these Asian kids are really robots!)
So running off to get married isn’t an option for Pedra and Hung. The only way through this is the parents letting go of their idolism belief and allowing the couple to marry in the covenant of Christ. I am bringing you this, so you can pray for Pedra and Hung. Pray for their strength and faithfulness in God. And pray for Hung’s parents, that they will be released from the bondage of darkness that Satan has captivated them in. The Lord is in the process of working His beautiful plan in these families and we need to pray for our brother and sister here in Cambodia. This is a spiritual warfare not a physical one, and we all are in it together no matter where you may live.
(I personally don’t know any other place that teaches the children starting at age one to greet everyone with a bowed head and hands together in front of their face. Or to lean down when walking past a adult. I find it astonishing to see children, with no cloths, living in a hut, and have never been to school before, having amazing attention spans. Or being able to sit, with their legs together, paying attention for six hours as a teacher writes on the chalk board, at age three! Sometimes I wonder if these Asian kids are really robots!)
So running off to get married isn’t an option for Pedra and Hung. The only way through this is the parents letting go of their idolism belief and allowing the couple to marry in the covenant of Christ. I am bringing you this, so you can pray for Pedra and Hung. Pray for their strength and faithfulness in God. And pray for Hung’s parents, that they will be released from the bondage of darkness that Satan has captivated them in. The Lord is in the process of working His beautiful plan in these families and we need to pray for our brother and sister here in Cambodia. This is a spiritual warfare not a physical one, and we all are in it together no matter where you may live.
