Yeay Souch is no ordinary person in the village of Krus. As the 63-year-old wife of the Buddhist high priest she has status among the people of this rural community in the province of Kampong Chhnang, Cambodia. Despite this prominence, Yeay Souch’s life has been a tormented one, as she has battled illness and spirit […]

Yeay Souch is no ordinary person in the village of Krus. As the 63-year-old wife of the Buddhist high priest she has status among the people of this rural community in the province of Kampong Chhnang, Cambodia.

Despite this prominence, Yeay Souch’s life has been a tormented one, as she has battled illness and spirit possession for the past 20 years.

Local pastor Sophuen Hay, who was serving at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Krus village shares Yeay Souch’s story of transformation.

‘In the beginning I saw her walking into the church with a church member. I wondered why she had come. After the service I talked to her and she told me that she had a problem with her head and that she had a bad spirit.

‘One day when I had travelled to Phnom Penh, her husband came to the church to meet me, but sadly I was away in the city. He wrote a letter and gave it to my mum. When I came back home my mum gave me the message. It said: “Dear Pastor in the church, please help my wife, she has a bad spirit and I give her to your God to heal her.”

‘The next day I went to meet him. We talked about his wife and what we could do to help her. He said: “She has had the spirit for more than 20 years, but I can’t help her even though I am a High Priest in Buddhism”. Her husband said that “she always heard somebody sitting on her shoulder and talking to her. Like a second voice. In addition to that she has problems with headaches”.

‘Together with members of the Lutheran church we prayed and sang songs with Yeay Souch. During our prayers she began twitching and started talking. The bad spirit is gone now. She comes regularly to our Sunday service. She can sing some songs of praise to the Lord and she reads the Bible at home. She still has the problem with the pain in her head. We keep praying for her.’

On 18 February 2018, Yeay Souch was baptised by Pastor Daniel Orn into the family of God at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Krus village, together with 21 other believers, both young and older.

The power of Jesus Christ’s love is transforming the lives of many people in Cambodia, through the ministry and mission of the emerging Lutheran Church in Cambodia.

Many of our partner churches are working in new territory for the kingdom of God; therefore, spiritual attack is their everyday reality. As a member of a congregation, school, or family, or a couple or individual, you are invited to commit to praying for our partners in mission. For regular prayer point updates, go to www.lca.org.au/international-mission/act-now/pray

Read more stories about our partner church in Cambodia at www.lcamission.org.au/category/stories/international-partners/cambodia/