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So many years ago, when I was still in junior high school, I noticed something interesting was being reported on the TV news one day. The year was 1975. Believe me, at that age I really didn’t care much for watching the news, but the sound of the words “Khmer Rouge” stopped me. I had no idea who this group was but the name struck me.
I clearly remember looking at the TV and seeing a map of Cambodia with Phnom Penh boldly marked in the middle. That name was interesting too. It had such a funny sound. I understood that the city was falling to the Khmer Rouge. And that was the end of it. It made no difference to me.
I'm sorry to say that during this period of time, I was an atheist, and said some rude things to Christians that I knew. I made fun of their beliefs and I know they were hurt.
Five years later, I met a friend in tech school who shared the Gospel with me. The Holy Spirit had been working in my heart and I quickly embraced the Good News. Less than a year later, I had my first job as a computer technician in Chicago. Looking for a Spirit-filled church in my new residence, I stumbled on a tiny fellowship. The congregation was small but had very big hearts.
Their big-hearted spirit prompted them to sponsor several Cambodian refugee families. The church members were asked to help out however they could. I volunteered to pick up a vanload of the newcomers and transport them each Sunday to a large Chicago church that preached to the Cambodians. I remember hearing the awful stories of brutality and my heart was broken for them all.
Returning to Minnesota, I sought out a church that ministered to the Khmer people. I found myself tutoring ESL at my church. It was here that I fell in love and married my wife. She was learning English and I had decided to learn Khmer. Together we have had some very strange bilingual conversations!
Since that time we have had three kids who are almost all grown and out the door. With the diminished responsibilities of parenting, I have taken on Khmer language study with added energy. Interestingly enough, it was my hunger for the language that brought me to this website. This was the only place I knew that had sermons available in Khmer.
My wife and I finally had the opportunity to go to Cambodia a year ago. We met with several of our friends that are missionaries there. We saw how terrible the poverty is and how difficult life can be. I discovered the vulture-like Moto drivers who all seemed to want to offer me their Moto keys.
We left the country, however, thinking that this was a place we might live someday.
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OHhhhhy ... Owb Jwop!! anyah gondal bombike!!!!
