March 10, 2010
By Soeuth and Syna Lao, serving in Cambodia
Touch, a 32-year-old woman, is one of seven people who received Christ one Saturday. Often when new people want to give their lives to Jesus, we reluctantly hold off on the invitation until we find out their true motivation for accepting Him. Experience has taught us that some may express interest in the gospel because they are seeking food assistance or some other kind of help. So we encourage them to just come to church and listen to the preaching for a while before they make the decision to follow Jesus.
“I Must Give My Life to Jesus!”
When Touch came to us, however, she insisted, “I must give my life to Jesus, and I must be baptized right away!” Cautiously, we questioned her at length as to why she wished to do so. Touch began her story. She had been listening faithfully to a Christian radio program and watching a Christian television channel every morning. She knew about Jesus and wished to be a believer but didn’t know how.
As she continued to seek out Christ, Touch heard about Srey Moum—a new believer in our church—and her zeal for Jesus. Immediately, Touch set out to find her. She introduced herself to Srey Moum and explained her interest in the Lord. Srey Moum invited the woman to a small group that meets in her home every evening. Whatever the group read or sang there that night, it was enough to convince Touch that Jesus was all she needed.
A New Creation
The next day, without anybody having suggested it, Touch took down all her shrines and idols and threw them all into the stream behind her house. All her neighbors and friends—including Srey Moum—were amazed at her dramatic actions. Some even urged Touch to at least consider selling the old shrines and other worship artifacts to make a profit. But Touch simply refused to have anything to do with her old way of life.
So, early one Saturday morning, at Srey Moum’s invitation, Touch joyfully came to our house where, in front of a big crowd, she publicly and willingly accepted Jesus Christ as her personal Lord and Savior. As the group later marched down the path to a nearby pond, Touch was among the crowd singing her heart out to Jesus. An hour later, she was also among 34 new believers who were baptized.
Daily Doses of Hardship
While the harvest is great here, persecution is on the rise for these new believers. We make it a point to always tell people beforehand that if they choose to follow Christ, they will surely face opposition following their decision, and persecution is unavoidable. In recent months, we have shed many tears with new believers as almost all of them faced intense opposition and harassment from their friends and families. Some believers were physically beaten by parents and relatives. Others received harsh verbal abuse, and name calling and other mockeries were among the daily doses of hardship that these believers had to endure.
Two beautiful sisters who were baptized are being encouraged by their parents to look for jobs in Thailand. We are very concerned about the kind of “jobs” to which they were referring. We are praying and seeking a solution to help protect the girls from potential harm.
THANK YOU for partnering with us in ministry by praying and giving to the Great Commission Fund!
Learn More
Look for Srey Moum’s story in the April 15 issue of Alliance Life.
Watch a video in which Soeuth relates the challenges and dangers of serving in one of the most dangerous cities in Cambodia.
Check out our Alliance work in Cambodia.
Visit Soeuth and Syna’s blog.
(Note: Clicking this link will take you off the Alliance Web site.)
What You Can Do
Praise the Lord for the salvation of Touch and others who are willing to follow Jesus in spite of persecution. Pray for grace and strength for believers to stand firm in their faith amid opposition.
Impact your world: Give to Alliance Great Commission Ministries to ensure that dedicated workers like the Laos can remain on the field introducing lost people to Jesus.