What can God do with a tok tok driver from Cambodia who makes a living by taxiing people around the city? The answer is: Whatever God chooses to do? That is the story of my friend Vuthy from Cambodia. Up until 2007, He was driving a Tok Tok for YWAM and while working there Vuthy came to know and trust in Jesus as his personal savior. Vuthy has been our contact from this past month in Cambodia. God transformed his life in 2007. Then in 2008, Vuthy was a student in YWAM’s DTS (discipleship training school), where he was discipled and was trained to disciple others.
While there God gave him a vision and Vuthy has spent the last few years being faithful to God’s call. Vuthy has a big heart for children, and God’s vision for him included building a church, starting an orphanage, building a youth center, and teaching English classes. To start with, Vuthy didn’t know how he would do any of it. He didn’t have the money, or any idea of how he could get something like that started. Yet God is looking for faithful men and women who are willing to take a step of faith and trust Him, and Vuthy took that leap of faith and trusted that God would do what he said he would do.
And God has provided. Now 7 months after Vuthy moved back home to start trying to flesh out his vision there is already a church established and English classes are taught everyday to children and youth who are so eager to learn! While we there, we helped to teach at least 4 classes a day. His focus is on the youth of this generation because they will grow up to lead there country, and often times they impact their families and others become Vuthy lives in a village about 3 hours outside of the city of Phnom Penh.
Vuthy’s vision is to see 150 youths come to know Christ.
There are many children that live on the streets in Phenom Phen ( the nearest large city), where Vuthy worked for YWAM. It is sad because as you travel around the city, you see children that are no more than 5 years old begging for food and money and selling items to passersby. Most of the children are wearing only wrags, and sometimes you will see children carrying around a younger brother or sister, because there is no one else that can take care of them. I remember one little girl whose parents had passed away. She may have been 7 or 8 years old at the oldest, but she was left to take care of 3 small children by herself. There are so many children that grow up living in the street culture. A culture that encourages stealing and deceiving people in order to survive, and a life that offers little more than that. It is a difficult life, and not one that properly nurtures a child, nor gives them much hope for a future.
That is the life that so many kids are forced to live in. Vuthy wants to meet the needs of these children by starting an orphanage that can support at least 40 children. By bringing the children outside of the city, it gives the opportunity to grow and learn in an environment where they will be loved, cared for, and taught practical skills for living that will teach them how to live better lives.
During the month of June, my team (Fanatic) has had the privilege of serving alongside Vuthy and has gotten to be a part of the work that God is doing. We spent the month teaching English, teaching worship songs and how to play the guitar, plastering and painting the church, teaching dance, preaching, and leading worship. It was an incredible month where all of us were able to use our gifts to the fullest. God is working in Touch Village! Many youth accepted Jesus this month, and hearts are open in the area to hear the gospel. I look forward to seeing the AWESOME work that God will continue to do there!
Please pray for Vuthy, his family and the ministry work there. God has created wonderful opportunities for the youth in the area to learn and grow, but more teachers are needed and money is needed to build an orphanage and youth center. Pray also that God will rise up like-minded individuals who can grab hold of the vision and serve as teachers, translators, and facilitators for the church, orphanage, and youth center. Pray that the young men and women in the church and English classes will rise up and become leaders for there community and spread the love of Christ.
Below is a video made by the team that served with Vuthy before us. It explains the vision that Vuthy has and the work that is still left to be done. It is captivating!
