In order to have a fulfilled life of hope and to pay back my parents for taking care of me since I was in my mom's womb, I was determined to study and become a Buddhist monk.   I hoped that after being a monk, I'd have a better life with good values and would get high respect from other people.  I wanted to follow the traditions of my ancestors because I felt it was the best way to repay the good deeds of my parents.

        Contrary to my expectations, the reality is that Buddhism has no way to help deliver the human spirit from evil's management, and neither does ancestor worship or worshiping idols.  Being a monk for a long time still provides no way of salvation for the human spirit at death. So, there is nothing in it.

       I was born into a big family with a total of eight children. I am the fifth, after my older brother, who is the only other boy.  My parents were poor and uneducated, but  tried hard to support all of us children to go to school. Unfortunately, most of us were unable to finish school.   My brother finished high school, but none of the girls.

        As for me, I had many Christian friends who lived in the same village (Prek Thei) and also were in my classes. One day, one of them invited me to attend a worship service at the church. Praise to the Lord! He began to show me the way, as the song say "Jesus is the way, the truth and the life." After a while, a missionary from the Philippines and a Khmer youth leader guided me one Sunday to pray, and I invited Jesus Christ to come into my heart.  I was baptized on April 15, 2001, at Kaoh Sachtunlea East Church in the Bassac River.

        "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by whom we must be saved" (Acts4:12)

        I was so happy to become a Christian and to have fellowship with other brothers and sisters. After I was baptized, Pastor Paula Guazon enrolled me in the Child Care program in House of Love.  The other students there were so kind, helping each other, and loving one another.  We had a chance to go to school and we had enough food to eat.   I was eager to become like the others in House of Love.

        Praise to the Lord! He has all the resources that we need. He has prepared the best way for my life. Since I confessed my sin and gave myself to the Lord, He has given the best blessings to me.  For more than six years, I was supported through the House of Love.  I received comfort, happiness, encouragement, love, an education, and was able to learn more about living a Christian life. Although sometimes  there were problems because of a lot of students living together, we had peace and happiness by learning how to get along together from Jesus' model.

        In the year 2006, I successfully finished my high school classes.  God was merciful and I also received a scholarship to study in the university. I am now studying at the National University of Management, majoring in Finance and Banking. This is my other big blessing. Since I was young, I wanted to be a student in any university when I grew up.   If it depended on my own ability and my family's situation, there was nothing to send me to the university to study because there were still other family members waiting for help.  Jesus Christ has guided me to be successful and reach my goal. Through Jesus Christ, I can write this testimony.  I can be a true witness that "Jesus is God and a real Savior."  He not only can save your life from sin, but also can help you to reach your goals.  This means that whenever you have Him, then you will have everything.

        "Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty" (John 6:35)  Jesus will save all those who go to Him and believe in His Name.

        Since I invited my Savior to stay in my heart, He has blessed and called me to serve in His ministries. I help to teach the children and youth, and have been interpreting for foreign missionaries and also for Hong Kong Medical team when they come to bring the Good News to the people. Most recently, He called me to attend the  Free Methodist  Global Studies Intensive December 30, 2008 to January 12, 2009. This training is valuable to me and the other participants because of its multi-cultural  (across culture) nature.  We focused on the Kingdom of God and the Great Commission of Christ. From the sharing of the leaders and pastors who represented each country, we learned about their church situations and also their experiences in serving the Lord Jesus Christ. Other lessons and presentations included historical subjects such as the building of Angkor Wat, life during the Cambodian genocide, and church ministry in Vietnam, India and some other countries in Europe and Asia. Moreover, we learned more of how hard it is for missionaries who are serving the Lord in a country that is not their home country. We did not forget to share about our own requests and pray for each other. Most of us recognized a calling from God to be missionaries according to the Great Command from God.  In fact, in the Bible it says "But you will receive power when the Holly Spirit  comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem,  and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth." (Acts1:8)

        In conclusion, life in Christ is a complete life that everyone can have. Jesus is the righteous and humble God. He is the God filled with love.  He can save us from all bad spirits. He allows all who are weary and burdened to have rest.

Sovannarong KEOM

(Philemon)

Philemon tour the visitor in Boys' Dorm