Participants:
Series Code: ASAP
Program Code: ASAP000004
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00:37 Overwhelmed by decade of deaths and civil war,
00:42 plagued with poverty and disease, 00:45 haunted by the evil spirits of ancient belief systems 00:49 the people of the small country of Cambodia in Southeast Asia 00:54 live lives gripped with fear, sadness, grief and pain. 01:00 Without the knowledge of love of God 01:02 and His wonderful salvation 01:05 the people of Cambodia 01:06 face lives of desperation without hope, 01:11 lost in a world of the broken and heavy-hearted. 01:16 However, just as Jesus 01:18 came to the poor and suffering of His day 01:21 He has also now coming again 01:23 to His lost children in Cambodia. 01:27 Beginning about 1995, a small handful of Cambodian people 01:32 who had come to know God 01:33 well, in the refugee camps of Thailand 01:36 began to return to Cambodia. 01:38 As they did they could not help but share the new hope and joy 01:42 that they had found with the people that they met. 01:46 Now thousands of people have come to know Jesus 01:49 and have accepted Him 01:50 as their Creator, Savoir and personal friend. 01:55 From the beginning of this wonderful new moment 01:59 Adventist Southeast Asia Projects 02:01 has been working in tandem 02:03 with the Cambodia Adventist Mission 02:05 to nurture these new believers. 02:09 By sponsoring church planter 02:11 and other national missionaries, 02:13 by providing Bibles and other evangelistic materials, 02:18 by building temporary churches, 02:20 by bringing security and opportunity to children 02:23 through literacy schools 02:25 and through humanitarian assistance, 02:28 ASAP is helping to heal the brokenhearted 02:31 in a country where people are in desperate need. 02:37 The Cambodian Adventist Mission recently sent 02:40 Adventist Southeast Asia Projects 02:42 an urgent message asking us to partner with them. 02:45 In faith, our ministry willing responded 02:48 and today many more dedicated 02:50 ASAP church planters are sharing God's light. 02:55 Another big challenge involves the fact that over 80% 02:58 of the newly baptized members are living in extreme poverty. 03:02 How can we turn our back on the poor 03:04 and the suffering and just preach the gospel? 03:08 Holistic approaches are needed. 03:11 You know, shortly after Jesus Christ began His ministry 03:15 He boldly stood up in the temple 03:17 and shared His mission statement. 03:19 He said, "The spirit of the Lord is upon Me, 03:23 because He has anointed Me 03:25 to preach the gospel to the poor. 03:27 He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, 03:30 to preach deliverance to the captives 03:33 and recover of sight to the blind, 03:35 to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 03:39 to preach the acceptable year of the Lord." 03:43 Christ fulfilled His mission not just by preaching 03:47 but also by lifting up the oppressed. 03:49 A brokenhearted Samaritan woman at the well, 03:52 the ten lepers, the demon possessed boy 03:55 and many others whose lives were transformed 03:57 by the light of His love 03:58 demonstrate His concern for the whole person. 04:01 The Cambodian missionaries we support 04:03 share the same mission statement 04:05 and daily they imitate their master's compassionate methods 04:09 of reaching the hearts of the people. 04:11 I'd like you to meet ASAP sponsor 04:13 church planter Thor Bohpal, 04:15 a missionary to his own people. 04:17 He shares Christ's commitment 04:19 to minister to the whole person. 04:28 Thor Bohpal is one of the church planters 04:30 sponsored by ASAP. 04:32 Before he came to know Jesus his primary goal in life 04:36 was to make money and become a rich man. 04:40 He has now become a dedicated worker for God 04:42 who has led many people to Christ. 04:46 Before he became a Christian 04:47 Thor Bohpal used to despise everything that had 04:51 anything to do with Christianity 04:53 especially the Bible. 04:56 I strongly resented the fact that my wife had become 04:59 a member of the SDA church. 05:02 From everything that I had read about them 05:05 I believe that they wear a coat. 05:07 Like most of the people in Cambodia 05:10 I followed, a belief system 05:12 that was a combination of Buddhism, 05:14 superstition, spiritism and ancestor worship. 05:20 Everyday before going to work 05:22 I would pleased the spirits by offering food 05:25 and incense to my idols and also stopping by temple 05:28 so the monk could bless me for good measure. 05:31 However, with all of my dedication to my beliefs 05:36 I still found my life was filled with nothing 05:39 but difficulty and misfortunes. 05:41 I began to study with Pastor Hondura 05:44 who showed me that only true power comes from God 05:48 and that His perfect love cast on all of us. 05:51 One morning Thor Bohpal woke up 05:53 and made his decision to accept Jesus as his Savior. 05:57 The first thing that he did 05:58 was destroy all of the idols in his house. 06:01 He says that it was an amazing feeling 06:03 to be free from Satan's grasp. 06:09 Now as Thor Bohpal goes about his work as a church planter 06:13 he often helps people break free 06:16 from the oppression of evil spirits. 06:20 Kim High is a lady who has been coming to church 06:22 and taking Bible studies for several months. 06:25 Her late husband worked as a sorcerer 06:28 and since his death she has been plagued with sickness 06:32 and has been tormented by spirits every night. 06:36 After she heard Thor Bohpal 06:38 tell how he had been freed by getting rid of his idols 06:41 she made the bold decision 06:43 to get rid of all of the idols in her home too. 06:47 Thor Bohpal came to her home, prayed for her 06:50 and thorough Gods power 06:51 release the hold of the evil one. 06:55 Together they claimed the promises of scripture 06:57 such as John 8:12 where Jesus told His disciples, 07:01 "I am the light of the world. 07:03 He who follows me shall not walk in the darkness 07:06 but have the light of life." 07:12 Together under the protecting power of heaven 07:15 they burned the idols. 07:17 They prayed that God would send His angels 07:19 to protect her and her daughter. 07:22 Their prayers were answered 07:24 and they were set free from the power of the spirits. 07:30 Kim High is so grateful to God 07:32 for delivering her from the heavy darkness 07:35 that used to fill every crack of her home. 07:46 Like many people in Cambodia, 07:48 Kong Sorn has tried to make a living 07:50 by starting his own small business. 07:53 He buys kerosene in the market place 07:55 and then with the small markup attempts to resell the fuel 07:59 to the people in his neighborhood. 08:01 His idea had not been very successful 08:04 and his wife had taken three of his five children 08:07 and had left him. 08:10 When Thor Bohpal began to visit him 08:12 he found a man filled with depression and grief, 08:15 barely able to provide food for his remaining two children. 08:19 At first, Kong Sorn 08:21 was not interested in learning about God 08:23 but as Thor Bohpal continue to visit him and befriend him, 08:26 helping him with food for his children 08:28 his fear and suspicion gave way to a sincere desire 08:32 to know more about this God of heaven. 08:36 He began to join the small group of believers 08:38 every Sabbath and soon accepted Jesus as his Savior. 08:43 As he continue to study with Thor Bohpal 08:46 and worship God with a small group 08:49 his faith grew and he began 08:51 to experience relief from his depression, 08:54 answers to prayer and a miraculous increase 08:58 in his sales of kerosene. 09:01 With help from the faithful supporters of ASAP 09:05 a small church has now been build 09:07 in Kong Sorn's neighborhood 09:09 to facilitate the growing interest there. 09:12 Kong Sorn was asked to be the caretaker of he property 09:15 and ASAP helped with funds to build a small house 09:19 next to the church for him to live in. 09:22 In time his wife and rest of the children returned 09:25 and they are now a happy family again 09:28 all rejoicing in their new faith in God. 09:32 Kong Sorn says, 09:33 I went from having nothing to having everything, 09:38 Jesus is everything to me. 09:42 My work in missions has taught me 09:43 how important it is to understand the culture 09:46 and language of the people you are reaching for Christ. 09:49 This is why ASAP finds it so effective 09:52 to use Cambodians to reach Cambodians, 09:55 Vietnamese to reach Vietnamese and Laotians to reach Laotians. 09:59 You know it's really exciting to see 10:01 how the Holy Spirit impresses the church planters to find 10:04 simple ways to reach out to people, 10:06 to make the gospel real, to touch lives. 10:09 So I have a lot of respect for these church planters. 10:12 They are planting strong faithful 10:14 Seventh-day Adventist congregations, 10:16 yet the work is not completed, 10:18 there is so much more to do, 10:20 so many more villages and towns with no Christian witness. 10:24 We need your help, we need your partnership. 10:27 So please pray for ASAP church planters, 10:31 many of whom still need financial support. 10:34 Ask God if He is calling you 10:35 or your church group to partner with 10:37 one of these church planters like Thor Bohpal, 10:40 to place a light of Christian witness 10:42 in many more towns and villages in Southeast Asia. 10:48 According to the World Bank, Southeast Asia 10:51 is home for approximately one half of the world's poor. 10:55 Millions of people are struggling 10:57 to survive on less than $1 a day. 11:01 In Cambodia thousands suffer and die 11:04 each year from serious diseases. 11:06 Over the last 10 years HIV and AIDS 11:10 has become an increasingly serious problem 11:13 especially among the poor of Cambodia 11:17 and yet even year God is working miraculously, 11:22 calling His children on to Himself, 11:25 bringing healing to the brokenhearted. 11:29 Meet, Seth Sinath, that she is alive today 11:33 is a direct answer to prayer. 11:37 I already knew that I was HIV positive 11:39 and now it looked as though I was reaching the end. 11:44 For weeks I had been so ill 11:46 that I could barely get up off my mat. 11:49 I heard that some Christians were coming to our village 11:52 to do a health screening but I was too sick to go. 11:56 My mother went and brought home a small broacher. 11:59 When I opened it I read the words, 12:03 "Jesus healed a lady who is bleeding for 18 years 12:07 and He can heal you too." 12:11 Even though I didn't know who Jesus was, 12:13 these words gave me a little bit of hope. 12:16 I urged my mother to call the number 12:19 on the back of the broacher. 12:21 A Seventh-day Adventist church planter 12:23 by the name of Oung Sophal 12:25 received the desperate call from Sinath's mother 12:28 and quickly responded. 12:31 Early the next morning I went by boat to Kodiak Island 12:35 and found Sinath lying 12:36 very still on a mat covered with sores. 12:39 Her family had put an idol of Buddha on her forehead 12:43 and friends and family were chanting a mantra. 12:46 When she saw me she weekly pleaded, please help me. 12:50 I bent down closer and said, only Jesus Christ can help you. 12:55 Sinath said, who is Jesus Christ? 12:58 I told her, Jesus is the true God 13:00 who can heal you and take your sins away. 13:03 I got close to her and asked, do you want me to pray 13:06 and ask Jesus Christ to help you? 13:09 Sinath slowly nodded. 13:11 After we prayed, it was amazing, 13:13 Sinath sat up and was able to eat 13:15 for the first time in two weeks. 13:18 The next day Oung Sophal brought me 13:21 to a Christian hospital in Phnom Penh 13:24 where they admitted me. 13:25 We seem hopeless for her 13:28 but on that day by treatment and some of the church member 13:34 and I, we pray for her. 13:37 After prayers she felt better. 13:40 It mean like God give His power to her and strength her. 13:46 Over the next few days 13:47 my new friends came and visited me regularly. 13:50 We sang songs about God and prayed together. 13:54 Each day I got better and better. 13:57 I was so excited about Jesus 13:59 I shared the stories from the Bible 14:02 and what God was doing for me 14:04 with 13 other AIDS patients in the clinic. 14:08 Four of them accepted Jesus as their Savior 14:12 and they are still alive today. 14:15 God healed them as He did me. 14:20 About six months later I returned to my doctor, 14:24 he was surprised to see me so healthy. 14:27 He was even more shocked 14:28 when he got my test results beck from the lab. 14:31 The report said, I was HIV negative. 14:36 Even though the doctor did not believe in God 14:39 he said, it must be a miracle. 14:42 Hearing this news made me very happy and I praised God 14:47 but the best day of my life came six months later 14:51 when I received a new spiritual life in Christ 14:55 by being baptized. 14:58 I met Seth Sinath shortly 15:00 after she was released from the hospital, 15:03 laying hands upon her we prayed for her complete healing. 15:08 God heard the many prayers and miraculously answered. 15:13 When we visited Cambodia again this last March 15:16 we found out that Sinath 15:18 is still sharing her miracle story 15:21 and introducing the great physician to many people 15:25 just as the Demoniac 15:27 who was healed by Jesus, became a witness. 15:30 Sinath too is telling her friends 15:33 what great things the Lord has done for her. 15:37 Because of her powerful witness 25 people now worship 15:42 in a new group in her home village 15:44 and 15 people are worshipping 15:46 in a small apartment in Phnom Penh. 15:53 In recent years AIDS has became a serious threat 15:57 in many lives in Southeast Asia including many new Christians. 16:02 As in the days of Jesus 16:04 its seems that it is the poor and the sick 16:07 that are most attracted to the wonderful new life 16:11 that can be found in Him. 16:13 A couple of years ago 16:15 we visited a new group of believers in Phnom Penh. 16:18 I was overwhelmed with sadness as I realize 16:21 that this group of women and children 16:23 were suffering in a very profound way. 16:27 After sharing with them about our compassionate 16:30 Lord and Savior I asked them, 16:32 do you have any prayer requests? 16:35 Without hesitation, every woman there raised her hand 16:39 as well as many of the children. 16:42 Without exception they all asked for healing 16:45 as they shyly presented their prayer request 16:48 I realized that most of them 16:49 were suffering from symptoms of AIDS and other diseases. 16:53 I remember one mother in particular, 16:56 she asked us to pray for healing 16:59 from AIDS for herself and five year old son. 17:03 She also asked if I could pray for her other four children 17:07 as they were all living on the street. 17:10 My heart broke as I saw her bright smile. 17:15 Can you imagine living on the street with five children 17:20 so sick that you find it difficult to work? 17:24 Living in a country 17:25 where there is no assistance of any kind, 17:27 where you are rejected by society, 17:30 struggling alone for survival of your children. 17:33 I fought back tears 17:35 as I listened to these poor women 17:37 offering their prayers of thanksgiving 17:39 to the Lord for His faithfulness. 17:42 I knew we could not ignore 17:44 the suffering of God's children. 17:46 We had to do something. 17:50 Honestly I approach the throne of grace 17:53 where the Lord promises mercy and grace in time of need. 17:59 After Judy met these poor members in my district 18:01 who was so sick and homeless, 18:03 she shared my dream of helping them, 18:06 she shared my belief that we can not preach to them 18:09 about God's love and now show them His love. 18:12 We dreamed together and pictured a safe place 18:16 for these people to lay their heads at night. 18:19 A place where they could healthy meals, worship God, 18:23 heal and spend time with their children. 18:27 We began to honestly pray for this dream 18:29 to become a reality. 18:32 As God always does in His infinite mercy 18:36 He answered, the Sda center, a refuge for those 18:41 who are HIV positive or have AIDS 18:44 opened through the generosity of ASAP donors. 18:49 Fifty one Seventh-day Adventist 18:50 adults and children now call this center home. 18:56 Greetings from the Sda center. 18:59 In my language Sda means to restore. 19:03 I think it is a good name 19:04 because through God's power and a safe place 19:08 these family's lives have been made like new 19:12 when they had no hope before. 19:15 I lead out in morning and evening worship everyday. 19:19 We're like a close family with Jesus at the head. 19:23 I teach school to the children, 19:25 I give Bible studies 19:26 and care for the sick residents. 19:30 I think it is beautiful how the church members 19:33 come and worship with the residents. 19:35 They love and encourage each other. 19:38 God is so good for providing this place. 19:47 We used to live on the street beside the market 19:50 because we had no place to go. 19:52 Our neighbors hated us, 19:54 our family did not want to see us 19:55 because they were ashamed we have AIDS. 19:58 They saw us as a burden. 20:00 We were so sick that we could not work 20:02 or get up from our mats, we could only pray. 20:06 When Pastor Horng Sophal brought us to the Sda center 20:09 our lives changed so much, God heard our prayers. 20:14 He gave us this new home. 20:16 We got well enough that we can now 20:18 go pick plants from the lake and sell them at the market. 20:22 We thank God. 20:23 We thank Seng Sopheak for her help. 20:26 We used to have a bad life but now we have a good life. 20:34 While HIV and AIDS 20:36 is an extremely serious problem in Cambodia, 20:39 the biggest killer is poverty. 20:43 In recent years many people have moved 20:45 to the capital city of Phnom Penh 20:47 with hop of finding an employment. 20:50 With no education and very few income opportunities 20:54 people end up living in squatter villages 20:58 or on the street. 21:00 Some move into a slum near the city dump 21:03 and try to make a living from salvage. 21:05 Instead of going to school 21:07 even young children spend their days in the hot sun, 21:11 picking through garbage to find small scraps of metal 21:15 or other recyclable material. 21:18 For other families it becomes even worse. 21:22 Desperation for survival often leads to desperate acts. 21:27 Parents sell their children into slavery, 21:31 girls as young as age five are sold into prostitution 21:35 and many are never seen or heard of again. 21:40 As the Adventist pastors and church planters 21:43 began to give Bible studies in these communities 21:47 it became obvious very quickly that the people 21:50 they were meeting had immediate needs 21:52 that went beyond spiritual hunger. 21:55 They began to think of ways 21:57 that they could assist the people, 21:59 protect the children and uplift the community. 22:03 I know how hard people work at the dump 22:05 because this is where I grew up and worked too. 22:09 Because of God's blessing in my life 22:11 I can now reach to my people and share Jesus with them. 22:16 Thanks be to God, 22:17 10 widows and their children are now worshiping with us. 22:21 As a way to improve the health and income of his widow friends 22:25 Ung Ham has made it possible 22:27 for them to get out of the dump. 22:29 Attaching their carts to his motorbike 22:32 he takes them to other areas of the city 22:34 where they are able to collect or purchase recyclable material 22:38 from wealthier neighborhoods 22:40 and resell it for a good profit. 22:44 As Ung Ham and others worked in this community 22:47 their hearts went out to the children 22:49 who worked so hard at the dump. 22:52 If only they could go to school, 22:54 perhaps they could break out of the cycle of poverty 22:56 that they found themselves trapped in. 22:59 However getting them enrolled 23:00 in a government school was just too difficult. 23:04 With registration fees, the cost of books and uniforms 23:07 and the daily tuition for the teacher, 23:10 regular school was just too far out of reach 23:12 for these poor families. 23:15 Ung Ham and other church planters 23:18 along with a district pastor from the Adventist Mission 23:21 began to pray to God for a way to free 23:24 these precious children from a life at the dump. 23:27 If only they could start their own school 23:29 right in their own community. 23:32 God heard their prayers and with help from ASAP 23:36 they were able to open several literacy schools. 23:43 I had the opportunity of visiting the literacy schools 23:46 in Phnom Penh last March. 23:49 It was a heart breaking 23:51 yet moving experience to say the least. 23:54 Every aspect of my being was assaulted 23:57 by extremer poverty I saw. 24:00 Even though I grew up in Thailand 24:02 and worked alongside my parents in refugee camps 24:05 I never encountered destitution in such a degree. 24:08 As I walk though this depressed slum area 24:11 my eyes taken the squalor 24:13 and the hungry looks of little children 24:15 and tattered threadbare clothing. 24:18 These precious children of God are living in conditions 24:22 not even suitable for farm animals. 24:25 I smell the raw sewerage running alongside the patch 24:29 which blended with the stench of rotting garbage 24:31 that permeated the area 24:34 but when I looked into the eyes 24:36 of the students in the literacy schools 24:38 all the sights, sounds 24:40 and smells of that area vanished. 24:42 I watched them eagerly respond to their teachers. 24:46 I saw their radiance smiles 24:48 and heard them sing whole heartedly to Jesus. 24:51 These students were a breath of fresh air. 24:54 In one location I asked church planter Choen Choun 24:57 and literacy teacher So Narin, 24:59 and why the students were meeting on a porch 25:01 under a simple tarp? 25:03 With my background in education I knew this was not ideal. 25:07 They shared the following story with me. 25:10 We really wanted to start a school in this area 25:13 but did not have the money to rent a building. 25:15 I felt impressed to visit the families 25:17 one afternoon, I came across a lady 25:20 who was respected in the village. 25:22 I asked her if she would let us 25:24 conduct a school on her bamboo porch. 25:27 Although she was not a Christian 25:29 she kindly agreed and we bought a blue tarp 25:31 to shed the children from the sun while they study. 25:35 However she was quite clear 25:37 that she did not want her daughter 25:40 to attend our Christian school. 25:43 Everyday her daughter went peek around the corner 25:45 and listen to me teach. 25:47 I would smile at her and beg them for to join us. 25:51 It wasn't long before 25:52 she became an important part of our class. 25:55 She loved the songs and storied about Jesus. 25:59 Her mother started to see a change in her 26:01 and she was happy and obedient. 26:04 When her mother asked her why she is a different girl now 26:07 she told her about Jesus. 26:09 Now the mother is interested in studying the Bible 26:12 with church planter Choen Choun. 26:16 We often observe the children sharing 26:19 Jesus with their mothers and fathers. 26:22 Many are now beginning to understand that 26:25 they can have a much better life with Jesus. 26:30 With the kind support of ASAP donors 26:34 a number of literacy schools are now being started 26:36 throughout Cambodia. 26:38 The meal provided by the program is the only food 26:41 that some of the children will get all day. 26:46 If you'd like to help the children of Cambodia 26:48 break free from poverty and help them 26:51 and their families come to know Jesus. 26:54 We invite you to be in contact with ASAP. 26:59 Your commitment of just $30 a month 27:01 could support a literacy school teacher. 27:05 A gift of $130 will sponsor a student 27:08 at Read and Feed program for a whole year, 27:13 $550 will build a literacy school 27:17 that can also double as a place of worship. 27:20 Your partnership with these programs 27:23 will not only bring new hope 27:24 and opportunity for these precious children today 27:28 but will also give them and their families' 27:31 new life and hope for heaven. 27:34 Many of you watching this program have joined in the work 27:37 that we are doing in Southeast Asia. 27:41 I wish to thank you so very much 27:44 for the support you have given 27:45 through your gifts and through your prayers. 27:49 Many precious souls have come to know the love 27:52 and salvation of God as a result of your kindness. 27:56 I ask you to continue to keep us in your prayers 28:00 and as the Lord impresses continue to partner with us 28:04 as we work to bring the love of God 28:06 to His children in Cambodia. |
Revised 2014-12-17