Here is the first part of Vuthy Nurn’s story.
He is ministering in Kampot Cambodia sharing the love of Christ he has received to his home community.
In 2006, I was a tuk-tuk driver in the city of Phnom Penh. I had moved to the city to become a tuk-tuk driver because I wanted to earn money and start studying at a university. During the time I was a driver, I earned a lot of money but couldn't begin my studies because my life had become consumed with drinking with friends.
After I had been a driver for six months, I met a man named Chris Newman. Chris worked with the organization YWAM (Youth With a Mission) and asked if I would want to drive mission teams around the city. I accepted, and as I drove these teams around, I started to wonder why they had left everything to come to Cambodia.
These teams went to serve in orphanages, churches, and youth centers- and even loved on the dirty street children.
I started to ask them questions. Why were they here? What was their purpose? They always answered the same way- "Because of Jesus." I still had so many questions. Who was this Jesus? I learned He was the Son of God, but I still wanted to know more.
Who was this God they spoke of?
Two months later, I was driving around a team from Sweden who was working at a local church. They invited me to attend a service with them, and I decided to accept. As I sat in the service, I saw how the people there were full of joy as they worshipped their God. Even though I had been making so much money, I realized my own life was empty and devoid of joy. I also didn't have friends or people who loved or cared for me the way these people did for one another.
My heart began to break further as I realized that I had never seen one of my own people reach out or love the street children like these foreigners did. These people who loved Jesus had left their countries and homes to come serve and love the people of Cambodia like nobody I had ever known.
Three months after attending that church service, I accepted Jesus as my savior.
I began to learn more about God and was baptized.
In 2008, two of my friends invited me to the graduation ceremony at University of the Nations (run by YWAM) in the city. My dream had always been to study at university, and I knew God had brought me to this place for a purpose. One of my friends also encouraged me to attend this university, so I signed up- knowing little English or anything else.
I began to ask the Lord to make a way for me to get through my studies. For six months, I prayed and began to raise financial support for my studies- and God completely provided for all my needs. Once I started at University of the Nations, I realized it was nothing like I had expected-which was to learn English or other vocational skills.
Instead of traditional academics, I learned more about God and becoming a disciple.
After three months of learning about God, we were set to leave on a two-month outreach to Vietnam. In order to attend the outreach part of the program, I still needed to raise more funds. God spoke to me and said I needed to leave everything in order to follow Him. The only thing I had to my name was my tuk-tuk- so I sold it and was able to pay for my outreach.
After spending two months in Vietnam, I returned to the city to work with YWAM and started to ask the Father for my next step.
At this point I had no money, no traditional education, and no plan.
One day during prayer, He gave me a vivid picture of people gathering to study English. I began to ask Him where this vision was supposed to be fulfilled.
After three months, I received another vision from people who I had never met coming to share with me that they had seen a building for me in the Kampot providence.
I was shocked.
Kampot providence is my hometown, a place I had purposely left behind long ago.
I wrestled with The Lord and asked for continued clarity over the next six months. I received another picture, at the end of this time, of a small bridge. I asked, "Lord, how can I cross this bridge? It is too small!"
I shared my vision with a friend- and after I shared, he said "Vuthy, did you trust the Lord to help you cross that bridge?" And I said, "Yes! Of course! How could I be here working with YWAM if I didn't trust in Jesus?" While living and working at YWAM, I received no salary- so I had to trust in Jesus every day to provide my needs.
Then my friend, who knew my previous vision, asked me, "If you trust Him, then why haven't you returned home to Kampot?"
Thus, my journey began…
(Part two to follow)
