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We believe that it is only by the grace of God that we are able to be instruments of hope for the other Cambodians. We thank the Lord for the many invaluable lessons that Cambodians have learned during their four years of suffering in the Killing Field from 1975-1979.
It was God's plan that Rev.Moses HanhSoong Hoo, missionary to Cambodia in 1997 and I had been study the Bible in 2003 at Kampongsom Bible school after I had no work. If he had not allowed me to study, I would not have become a Christian and I would not be in here today serving the Lord. Rev.Lee, my supporter has been co-worker with me for 2 years, so I can be useful for God's Kingdom. In 2007- present, we work to give many young people and children to hear the gospel and became Christians. The Lord has taught me so much through my ministry and equipped me to serve Him.
Rev.Lee, Pr.Visai, Socret, Levi.
It is true that children and young people are more receptive to the Gospel as well as many hopeless widows whose hearts are ready to accept Christ and experience new lives because it is not natural for men and women to seek God unless God allows hardships in their lives to get their attention and draw them closer to Him. If everyone has enough money, good health and a happy marriage and family, they would ask, “Why do I need Jesus?”
Our ministry progress is slow, even though many confess faith in Christ; it takes time for the Cambodians to break through centuries of Buddhist traditions and superstitions. Because of that, it is a slow processes to disciple the new converts for they lack the bible background and the tradition of Christianity.
Building spiritual leadership also takes time in Cambodia because the Communist slaughtered most of the educated professionals, as well as the Christians during the Communist Regime from 1975-1979.
It is our hope that Cambodia would have an increase of manpower to accelerate the training, because new Christians do not have the strength to stand alone in this Buddhist culture without a church fellowship and training for spiritual growth. Some Christians fear rejection; they know that as soon as they stand up for what they believe, their relatives and friends will reject them. So we have to make home visits to encourage them with the Word of God, to show them our love and to accept them just as God accepts and loves us.
We realized that we would have to invest our lives in Sotrenikum, Siemreap Cambodia because building spiritual men and women is not as easy as building houses, especially in a culture with a Buddhist foundation. The new Christians require much attention and fellowship.
It is a challenge for Rev. and me as well as many God’s workers to undertake this ministry and we want to give all the credit to our Lord for what He has done in our lives and all that He has helped us to accomplish in this ministry.
The Siemreap Mission
"DamDek New Hope in Christ Church"
Our Mission is to bring a new Hope in Christ to the Cambodian people especially Sotrnikum District. Certainly eternal life, but Christ also came to bring life in all ways to all people, not the least of which is the prosperity to live in adequate provision, love, joy and peace. We believe a new hope and life in Christ represents all these things and we are dedicated to encouraging opportunities for this new life wherever possible.
Our Vision is to plant a church in Damdek to serve the people of Cambodia and to equip and enable Cambodian nationals to reach the nationals. We believe that the more cell groups leaders we can train, the more cell groups can be planted.
Cambodia today is one of the poorest countries in the world because of more than two decades of isolation, war and holocaust by the Khmer Rouge. During this time period as many as 2 million men, women and children have been killed. The war also destroyed the basic infrastructure and social services of Cambodia. During the Killing Fields, between 1975-1979, Pol Pot eliminated most of the educated Cambodian; leaving only the remnant of the educated, plus the majority of illiterate farmers and widows who survived to rebuild this nation.
In a society plagued with religious superstition, anarchy, corruption and poverty, unemployed parents and widows can not get any financial help such as welfare, food stamps or medical aid. Nor can they receive any unemployment benefit, worker's compensation, or medical insurance from their employers. Most employed parents will often work all day for that day's food with nothing left for housing, health care and education.
While parents attempt to work to bring food to table, often sick themselves, are the primary caregivers to babies and younger children. The image of a poor girl or boy age 7-12, holding a baby sister or brother on their hip is a very common sight in Cambodia. Both children may often be malnourished. Also there is an abusive aspect to the culture, which condones polygamy, spousal violence, illiteracy and abandonment of women.
More women are now widows and the head of the household. A house run by a single mother with 3-8 young children can be seen everywhere. It is typical to see many homes having 2 or 3 generation of widows living together in order to survive in this devastated economy, But the worse condition befalls most significantly on young girls under the age of 17 who are lured and sold to brothels in Phnom Penh or other countries; a large of women are forced to become prostitutes because of their destitute living conditions.
As a result, thousands of children are abandoned and neglected creating orphans and street children who survive in the public of digging trash in the dumps for recycling items to sell. What will be the future of these unloved and uneducated Cambodian children?
Because of the economic situation, education is not a priority for most families, but the good news is that the poorest children are the most eager to be loved and the ones who are ready open to hear the Gospel. We believe that children between the ages of 4-12 are both able to understand and are open to salvation through Jesus Christ as well.
The Lord has burdened our hearts to bring good new to those Cambodia Children. In year 2008 we have established a New Hope Preschool. It is our goal to provide for the poor children from the ages of 4-7 the opportunity to be educated, teaching them to know Jesus in their early age as well as helping them to develop a love for learning that will give them a better choice in life. A loving Christian environment with Khmer teacher committed to help these young children; are all parts of this vision. One living sermon is worth a hundred explanations. We pray that the Lord will open the door for you to visit our ministry.
However Rev.Lee, Congregations and I would like to ask you to pray for our ministry and invest either your time, gift or finance to this ministry in touching the lives of these young Cambodian children. Your investment can change the future of these children who will experience new lives in Christ and grow up serving our Lord Jesus in their communities. We invite you to become our ministry partners to reach out to the next generation of Cambodians for Christ.
Love in Christ
Visai
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