Believe Archives - New Life Fellowship Cambodia

She committed to carrying the cross of Jesus.

admin — Wed, 26 Jul 2023 05:55:01 +0000

she decided to confront her father during the ancestor holiday.

Theary , one of our intern volunteers, shared her confrontation with her father during the recent ancestor holidays, Pchum Ben.

Some of you might know and some of you might not know much about the holidays that were held last week. It is called Pchum Ben Days, the time when Khmer people follow their rituals at Buddhist temples. They bring over food, and gifts to the temple believing that those things will be transferred to the in spiritual world to their ancestors. It is also believed that their deceased parents or relatives’s spirits locked up in hell are released for the first 15 days of the dark moon in order for them to come to get food because they are hungry. At 4 AM in the morning during these days, they prepare balls of sticky rice on trays for their nearby temples. People gather there to listen to monks chanting and invite the spirit to come, then they start to scatter the food around the temple building.

During this time, children are supposed to help their parents carry food to the temple to offer to Buddhist monks. Out in a community village, there is social pressure if you don’t do it. Theary who chose Jesus a few years ago, had faced this sort of pressure when she did not want to comply with doing the ritual. Every year, her father kept talking negatively about Christianity, he disliked the fact that his daughter chose to follow Jesus. Theary felt emotionally disturbed and rejected because she loves her parents, and her family but she doesn’t want to come against her conviction either.

She told us that she had been praying about her visit to her parents during this holiday, and hoped that her parents would not force her to practice any rituals. Unlike a few years before, this year her father seemed to be different. He did not pressure her to do anything, but accepted her presence when she paid the visit. Theary really thanked God for allowing her to be able to spend time with her family, and set aside those rituals.

In Khmer society, religious discrimination can still be seen. To be a Christian means a big sacrifice in life. one has to be ready to accept rejection not only among their peers, but also among their family members. It is just like what the Bible talks about carrying the cross. You have to be ready to be denied by people you love. Yet, when we obey, and embrace His Love, we will gain more.

In Theary’s story , we saw that her prayers really softened her father’s heart. She believes that sooner or later, her father and other members in the family will come and be saved like her.

Once a dropout, he has now become a community changer

admin — Wed, 26 Jul 2023 05:41:49 +0000

Channan was a hopeless young boy who dropped out of school in grade 6. In order to survive, he came to work in a factory with his older brother in Poipet City. One day, a NLF-Poipet pastor invited Channan to church and allowed him to live in church. Channan had a big dream to become a pastor – he wanted to serve in the Kingdom of God.

The Children at Risk project sponsored him to study the English language for 4 years. He is hardworking and studies his English diligently. Now he can speak good English and is able to use it to minister in his church as an English teacher to young children. He also volunteers as an interpreter when short-term teams visit the church.

Channa is now 20 years old and is a church planter of New Life Fellowship Poipet City and is the home church leader in Pailin City.

His family permitted him to become a Christian

admin — Wed, 26 Jul 2023 04:28:56 +0000

Phnom Penh, Stueng Manchey area. God has touched a Strong Chinese bloodline father, a high-ranking official, to allow his oldest son to not involve with Chinese altar worshiping during Big Chinese New Year.

Kim Reach, the oldest son born in a strong Chinese religious bloodline family, was introduced to our Free English program through his mother. She found our center while shopping inside Stueng Manchey Mall.

Reach, 26 years of age, began to build good relationships with some of the English students. He is very enthusiastic to improve his English. During Christmas outreach last year, he gave his whole life to the Lord Jesus.

We had the privilege to meet his parents during the Chinese Year holiday recently. We were shocked to go inside his house spotting several Chinese altars, idols, and other worshiping items. We knew that this family is very strong in religious worship. However, we were welcomed very warmly inside, sitting down to have a long good conversation with the father, a very high-ranking official with the government.

He leveled with us that he desires one of his children to be Christian even though his family is a very strong Chinese and Buddhist religious follower. He believes in education, and in knowing foreign languages that can help his son to find a great future. He kindly asked us to help guide his oldest son to follow the principles and to lead him to the right future.

What amazed us is to learn that the father permitted the oldest child from a religious Chinese bloodline who is culturally supposed to uphold their ancestral incent worship altars to avoid the ritual practices and attend church service. We believe that the Lord really touched this man’s heart. During our conversation that night, his words slipped out that he once accepted the gospels about 40 years ago while at a war refugee camp. He acknowledges that Christians are kind and generous people. They love, and they help others. In fact, he really wants his oldest son to hang out with godly Christian youth.

At the end of the fruitful conversation, the father thanked us for the visit. He said he would welcome us at any time. We felt very much welcomed. We felt in our spirit that there is an opening door to allow salvation to this family. We believe that Kim Reach will be a great living witness to his whole family, and lead everyone in his family to their salvation.

Her persistent prayer is powerful

admin — Wed, 26 Jul 2023 03:58:18 +0000

She had been praying for the salvation for her mom. The Lord answered her prayers. HER MOM USED TO BE VERY RELIGIOUS In the past, whenever an opportunity came, Rotha’s mother would rally her neighbors to implement some pagan rituals. She was known to be one who enthusiastically joined in any of these religious activities. However, over the past few years she has witnessed the changed life, and the joy in her daughter, Rotha. Because of this mother decided she wanted to hear more of the gospel of the Lord Jesus.

VILLAGE POTATO FARMS IN CRISIS, BUT GOD SHOWS HIS POWER. Before the time for potato harvesting last year, Rotha encouraged her mother to declare the power of Jesus upon their potato farm amid the market and the yield crisis. Most of the farms in the village did not do very well, and the market price dropped quite badly. However, it was different with the farm of Rotha’s mom. Trusting God, Rotha prayed and her mom’s farm yielded at a different time when the market price soared. Moreover, the potatoes looked great as you could see in the photo above. They were very healthy. God really blessed her mom’s farm. Rotha’s mom thanked her the prayers. This year Rotha’s mom decided to declare the prayers upon her farm herself. God is still faithful. The farm seems to be producing quite early while other farms don’t. Rotha ‘s mother couldn’t deny the miracle of God. She glorified Jesus for blessing and protecting her farm.

SHE JOINED OUR BIGGEST EVENT OF THE YEAR …ASIAN CHRISTIAN CONFERENCE 2018

Her mother commuted to town to join the biggest Christian outreach event in Cambodia with her daughter. While at ACC she finally and heartily accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior. Rotha’s persistent prayers were very powerful. She had been praying for her mom’s salvation for many years. Now, her mom has come to the know the Lord Jesus as well as witnessing the power of God on her potato’s farm. 1 Thessalonian 5:16-22 “16 Always be joyful. 17 Continually be prayerful. 18 In everything be thankful, because this is God’s will for you in the Messiah Jesus. 19 Do not put out the Spirit’s fire. 20 Do not despise prophecies. 21 Instead, test everything. Hold on to what is good. 22 Keep away from every kind of evil.”

From a junk scavenger to an influential English teacher

admin — Wed, 26 Jul 2023 03:29:12 +0000

Siev Khea, 27, is a great English teacher at New Life Foundation. He is now a graduate with an English literature degree. For over years, he striggle to survive in the unknown before he is who he is right now. Siev Khea has a story to hare with us.

Ended up in the unknown

At the age of 13, Khea decided to leave his dull, and lifeless village , and migrated to the capital city, an known place where he knew nobody. The first job he ever found with his young age skill was to scavenge for used items inside trash bins along streets in town. Each day of his whole day of sweat, he could make 2000 riel ( 0.50 cent) which was enough back then to make ends meet.

Life was so difficult to imagine. He had no friends, not enough food to eat, no place to sleep at night, and no place to shower. He told us that every time he showered, he had to risk swimming in the Mekong river where drowning-cases were so common. It was free of charge, but the level of danger was so high for him, let alone the safety and the quality of the water he drank. Sometimes he had to live with an hungry stomach , and went to bed with the dream of getting decent food to satisfy. One day, he recalled, a group of fellows came and forced him to take glue-sniffing ( drug-addiction). Fortunately, he learned enough about the danger of the drug , and the glue, and he was able to say “No” to them.

As life became more difficult to live and hard to move forward, Khea started to find a different path to walk. One day, when he was scavenging for things to take around Wat Phnom , a landmark of the city, he saw a group of construction guys moving their materials including bricks, and cement. Khea approached them with his humble heart, and asked if they could offer anything he could do in exchange for food to eat. Kindly , the men accepted his begging, and offered a job for him. It was a sweat job inside an old facility located about 20 minutes east of the city. Though the job was different with better benefits for life, Khea still described the works and the conditions as still nightmare for him. He earned about 50000 riel ( 10 USD) per month but the work conditions were almost a torturing facility.

He had to bear living there , but his patience was over when something terrible happened. When one of the workers accidentally caught one of his arms into a machine. Half of his arm had to be cut off. Since then, Khea decided to leave the brick facility after almost working there for 8 months.

Bell-Boy at a bus-station

Khea was referred to another job as a bell-boy. This job was not at a hotel, but at a bus station; carry bags for tourists at the bus station. He offered great services to many. The workplace allowed him and other young men to stay there together with the provision of meals. Khea earned about 90000 riels ( 20 USD) per month. He enjoyed the job until one day, he faced something unexpected. While working at the bus station , he saw a small note book. He did not know what a notebook was. With the desire of learning how to read , write and draw, Khea started to pull out a pen and sketched some interesting pictures with some lines crossing all over like a kindergarten child. Later there was an announcement looking for something missing. Khea was an honest boy, at least he tried to be honest because he found the notebook, and he was happily willing to return the book. As soon as they saw what on the notebook, Khea was immediately fired. It was not a normal notebook, but a tourist’s passport and Khea did not know that the purpose of a passport was to allow someone to cross a country , and once you lose it you can get in big trouble. With no grace, poor Khea had to go find a different job to survive.

Right thought lead to right course

Khea later found other jobs at night in a restaurant , and beer-gardens, and a construction working site which was another sweat job for him. Day by day, Khea looked at people with motors, and cars, and happy smiles. Most of what he earned, he saved, and he saved. His savings grew enough that he could afford to buy a motorbike to give a riding service like a motorbike taxi which in Khmer is called “Moto Dub”. You can waive while standing on a corner and a moto dub driver will come and ask where your destination is. Khea used his motorbike to learn some income to live. What changed everything was when he thought about developing his life with investment in education.

He believed that education can lead to a bright future. He decided to attend school. His commitment and hard work in study allowed him to finish his high school successfully.

New Life at New Life Foundation

Khea came to New Life Foundation and met some great friends who shared the love of God with him. He decided to accept Jesus as his Lord, and Savior. His life started to be filled with joy, and he met other great Christians who love , supported , and mentored him to move on in life until he graduated from his university in English literature. Right now Khea is an influential English teacher. He teaches a few classes at New Life Foundation. One of his classes, he has almost 80 students. They love to learn English with Siev Khea.

Friendship Camp resulted in a dozen saved

admin — Wed, 26 Jul 2023 03:12:46 +0000

A group from Water of Life Church, USA teamed up with those who minister regularly in our English program and brought over 20 students to a friendship camp. The camp was not only fun for those who attended it but also saw many come to faith.

On Thursday June 27th 2019 and Friday June 28th 2019, New Life Fellowship partnered with a Water of Life Church team to put on a friendship camp for our English students. Over 20 students were invited and all of them were not Christians.

This event gave our non-believer friends the opportunity to hear the Gospel, have fun, and build good relationships with one another and with our youth leaders.

At the worship night a dozen of them, which equates to half of them, were very moved by the message of the Gospel and God’s presence in the room.

Some members of Water of Life went up onto the stage to share their personal testimonies of how God healed them from past experiences. Their stories touched not only the non-believers, but also encouraged our youth leaders to stand firm in their faith and appreciate the power, grace, and mercy of God towards us.

In conversations afterwards some students said that God had touched their hearts and caused them to cry uncontrollably. When asked if any of them would like to accept Jesus into their heart many of them said they did and they allowed us to lead them in a prayer of salvation.

At the end of our friendship camp, our youth leaders followed up on the ones who gave their lives to the Lord. We still continue to check up on them and help them to continue on in their new spiritual journey with Christ.

A new believer’s prayer is very powerful

admin — Wed, 26 Jul 2023 02:56:59 +0000

A recently saved young woman took encourage to confront her non-Christian mom to accept her faith. Miraculously, God used this new convert to heal her mother’s chronic stomach issues and to remove spirit houses in her home.

Heng Roseka, an 18 year old girl came along with her friends to attend English classes sometime before Christmas 2017 last year. She decided to join Christmas Youth outreach and to accept the Lord as her savior.

Being a new believer in her family, bravely, Roseka began to pray for her non-Christian mom who had had stomach problem for a long time. Mrs. Heng accepted the healing prayers from her daughter and God has healed her mom’s stomach issues. She started to come to church with her daughter now.

Roseka is getting in her mother’s favor now. Where Roseka lives seems to be quite a distance from the church. However, her mom decided to purchase a clothe-store near the church for Ka to run as a small business, just so she can keep coming to church and attending English program.

Just about two weeks ago, Roseka and her mom invited some pastors and leaders from New Life to their home to remove all the spirit house from their home.