Soeuth and Syna Lao, Alliance international workers serving in Cambodia, coordinated their annual motorbike missions trip in May. Per tradition, dozens of young men and women from the Khmer Evangelical Church (KEC), the name of the Cambodian C&MA, rode to villages in northwest Cambodia to share the gospel.
by Syna Lao
Initially, we thought perhaps 20–25 people would participate in this motorbike missions trip, so we told the hosting villagers to prepare food for that many people. However, at 4:00 p.m. on the appointed date, 64 people with their motorbikes showed up in front of our house.
Quickly, we sent word to the hosting families to get more food ready. In addition to the 64 visitors from Poipet, Bontey Meanchey, Battambang, and Siem Reap, we also brought with us some young people from Anlong Veng.
Four older ladies from Svey Sisophon also joined the missions trip saying, “Why let all the young people have all the fun? We want to be part of this trip too.” With their many years of life experience, these dear grannies offered godly wisdom and advice to the youngsters. And of course, we let them ride in the cars.
Gracious Hosts
Because there were bad roads and we were traveling with such a big group, we arrived in the hosting village late in the evening. Everyone was hungry and tired but excited about the trip. The Srae Kandal Alliance Church families generously prepared a four-course meal for the hungry bunch.
Shortly after a time of fellowship, with plenty of delicious food, we showed the JESUS film to the villagers. Many neighbors and friends from the area came to watch.
Originally, we planned to show just one movie, but the villagers kept asking, “Do you have any more movies to show us?” That night, we showed a total of four Christian films. Even then, some villagers stayed up all night to chat with the visitors.
Although no one from the area came forward to receive Christ in that first evening service, after three days and two nights of visiting various places, we led four people to the Lord.
Mishaps and Miracles
Of course, it would not be our traditional motorbike missions trip if it was not accompanied by thunderstorms, accidents, and other minor inconveniences. On the first day, we had to stop a few times because of rainstorms, lightning, and broken tree branches on the muddy roads. Some motorbike drivers struggled with flat tires or minor mechanical problems.
We thank the Lord, however, that two of our young men were spared from a potentially fatal accident. While riding, they suspected that something was wrong with their old motorbike and immediately pulled over. They parked it in a borrowed shelter and called us for help. We sent out two other drivers with their bikes to pick them up.
The next morning we drove back to the place where the boys had left the bike. When we lifted it onto our truck, it snapped into two pieces. Everyone was amazed at how God had kept these two young men from major harm.
Sacrificial Giving
It was wonderful to see the participants’ generosity in response to their neighbors’ needs. Everyone on the trip was required to help pay for the food and other expenses, but they also donated to the construction of Sunday school shelters in two villages. Some of them gave from their personal savings to cover the expenses of the broken vehicles.
Altogether, 78 people, ranging from 1 to 81 years old, participated in this missions trip. We used 22 motorbikes and 4 cars to visit a total of six village house‑churches.
Several participants said, “I will never forget this missions trip—ever! I learned so much.”