My eyes blurred with tears as I looked at the man God had made of Penh. Penh was now a leader in the local Seventh-day Adventist church, and he was bringing his beautiful family to the Lord.

I met Penh in 1997 when he entered an English class I was teaching in Sueug, Cambodia. This young man of about 18 years was eager to learn and had a quick smile. His home life was not so easy. Penh faced many challenges growing up in an impoverished Buddhist family. They were farmers, and the work was hard.

I taught English to my students from the Gospel of Luke. So not only was everyone learning to speak and read English, they also were falling in love with Jesus! Penh was excited to hear about a God who loved him so much that He would give up everything for him. It changed his life.

Penh started working at my furniture factory. There he met Nice, a young woman I had hired. Soon they were baptized and then married. God had great plans for them.

Many years later, in 2015, I reconnected with Penh and Nice. I rejoiced that they continued to live lives dedicated to the Lord. Now they had three children whom they were teaching about Jesus. Their oldest son was baptized at age 15.

Penh and Nice are generous people and eagerly open their home to those in need. They are not wealthy by the world’s standards, but God has provided them a home and steady employment through their laundry business. It is also wonderful to see how the Lord uses them in the local church and to watch their children grow in their relationships with Jesus.

Generations are growing in Christ because of your prayers, your love of the unreached and your sacrificial giving. The light of Jesus is continuing to shine in darkened places of the world, changing lives and bringing hope. Praise the Lord!

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