There are so many wonderful things that I have been able to experience while on this journey.
The different countries, cultures and languages of this world are all so beautiful and I‘ve fallen in love with each and every one of them. Perhaps one of my favorite things about getting to meet so many different people are their stories.
A person’s story is a powerful thing.
I love to ask those we work with how they came to God. It’s amazing because, for me, it demonstrates the consistency of God’s character. I have been in wildly different cultures, yet heard example after example of God’s consuming love in every one. While each of our stories are unique, the God we serve is the same. He loves the beggar child in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, with as much ferocity as He does the richest man in America.
And I love that about God.
A perfect example is that of our translator, Ravy. He shared his story with me today, and I’d like to share it with you:
Ravy was born into a Buddhist family – but they were Buddhist by name only.
In reality, Ravy’s family studied and practiced witchcraft.
From the time he was a child, all Ravy ever heard from his parents was that he was bad, ugly and that no one would ever love him.
When Ravy was a little older, he too began to study and practice witchcraft. He thought, “If no one loves me, then I’ll use black magic to make them love me. And if someone does me wrong, I’ll put a curse on them.”
A few years later, Ravy began attending a free English class taught by our host, Vuthy.
He didn’t know when he began taking the class that the people teaching it were followers of Jesus, but it didn’t take long for him to notice that they were different. When he heard them praying to God and talking about His love, he wanted nothing more to do with them. But for reasons he couldn’t explain, he kept feeling drawn back to class.
One day while at school, Ravy decided to try praying to this Jesus. As he began to pray, a man in shining white clothes appeared to him. He couldn’t see His face, but He wrapped His arms around Ravy and told him that he was loved, accepted, and had a home. He also showed Ravy a picture of the Earth and all that it contained and told him to get a Bible and begin reading from Genesis 1.
So Ravy did.
He began reading, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” And something spoke to him – he knew that these words were truth.
Ravy prayed again and asked God – if He really was as all-powerful as He said He was – to help him to learn English. He had been having a very hard time in class to this point, so he asked God to give him the knowledge and understanding that he craved.
Within two weeks of that prayer, Ravy could read, write and speak the entire English language. (very well, I might add!)
He knew it was impossible for him to have done it on his own and that it was an answer to his prayer that caused him to suddenly understand English so well.
From that moment, Ravy gave his heart and his life to God.
He now uses his gift to translate for YWAM and World Race teams, and through him we are able to share the gospel with the people in our village.
Although he never received love or acceptance from his family, Ravy experienced the relentless, unconditional love of his true Father – and that was enough to change everything.
(Ravy with some of our English students.)
