I was the first in my family to become a Christian.  I was 18 years old when I heard the gospel and felt it was very meaningful to me. At first, my family were not happy. They didn’t kick me out, but they didn’t treat me normally, either. My friends also distanced themselves from me. […]

I was the first in my family to become a Christian.  I was 18 years old when I heard the gospel and felt it was very meaningful to me. At first, my family were not happy. They didn’t kick me out, but they didn’t treat me normally, either. My friends also distanced themselves from me.

As someone from a poor family, I found it challenging to feel a sense of spiritual security. I often worried that I could never do enough to find peace in the afterlife, which left me with a deep sense of fear. When I learned that Jesus died on the cross to save us, I read the Bible and found hope in it. I wanted to become a Christian but didn’t know how, so the people in the church guided me.

I learned to share the gospel by watching my pastor. One day, he asked me to share it with an elderly man, but when the man asked me a question, I couldn’t answer it. I felt so disappointed in myself. I wanted to give him hope like I had found, so I decided to study the Bible and become a pastor who could interpret it faithfully and clearly.

Two years later, I received news that someone would sponsor my theological studies. In 2012, I left my village in Kampong Cham province for the capital, Phnom Penh, and began four years of study. I was ordained in 2019. Soon after, I was asked to lead the entire church when the previous pastor resigned. After ordination, I served as acting president, and last November, I was elected and installed as bishop. I have been in this position for almost a year now.

I feel so blessed by what God has done in my life. It isn’t easy, but I can see joy in people’s smiles because they’ve found hope through God, just as I did many years ago.

The Lutheran Church in Cambodia is a small church. We have fewer than 1,000 members. We also have many needs such as theological training and skills development. But our strength is that we are young. Many of our pastors, leaders, and staff are young, and we are happy to volunteer. Through our work, we proclaim the gospel. We serve others through diaconal work, teaching life skills to people. We never forget why we are Christians, and we are not afraid of rejection or persecution. We bring people to church to worship God through our service.

In Cambodia, being a Christian means practicing faith as a minority: 95% of the population are Buddhist, only 2% are Christian. Even though we technically have freedom of religion (when someone converts to Taoism or Islam, they are still accepted in the community), when someone becomes a Christian, they and their family are often rejected. Friends and neighbours turn away; when you approach a group, they may disperse.

We believe this is spiritual—a struggle between good and evil spirits. We don’t see it as people rejecting us but as an evil spirit at work. So, we don’t fight back, knowing it is a spiritual conflict.

Now as a Bishop, there is a lot I want to do. Above all, I want to continue sharing the hope I have in God and be present for people. I also want to bring more women into ministry, offer more training, and deepen our understanding of what it means to be part of the global Lutheran communion.

It is not easy being a woman in this position. Even within our church, people are not used to seeing a woman in this role, though they do not oppose it openly. In fact, two of our five pastors are women.

Outside the church, however, it is very hard. People won’t directly tell you they dislike it, but they may ignore your invitations or ideas. It is a kind of quiet resistance. This makes it challenging and often lonely. Knowing I have others praying for me is deeply encouraging.

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/