In the village of Puchrey, four people decided to give their lives to Jesus. Would you like to meet them?
First, we have a sweet elderly couple who had been studying for nearly a year. The wife is very quiet, very gentle—but her husband, he is quite the character. The signs of age are visible on his body and teeth, but ever since we met him, he has always greeted us with a warm smile. And he can really talk! He speaks his mind about everything. It is exciting to hear his stories and see everyone listen and laugh.
One day, he told us that when he first started to see airplanes, he thought they were tiny, like toys, and that people had to shrink down to fit inside and travel around the world. It was such a funny image—and it showed his innocent heart.
He struggled with the decision to be baptized because of a smoking habit—not regular cigarettes, but a type of green plant tobacco wrapped in a banana leaf. (These are nothing like the harmful industrial cigarettes, but still unhealthy.) With a proud smile, he told us he had quit. Everyone was thrilled and congratulated him.
Next, there is Neak-krú (teacher, in Khmer), who teaches at the local elementary school. She even knows a bit of English, which is impressive in this area. But when it comes to Bible study, the teacher in her disappears, and she becomes the most eager student you have ever seen—like watching a little child trying to absorb every word, hungry to understand.
Lastly, we have Om Proh, a twice-widowed older man who fell in love with one of our widowed church sisters, asking her, “What do I have to do to marry you?” Quite romantic, is he not?
She told him she was a Seventh-day Adventist. So they began to pray together and study Bible truths. He embraced and accepted them and chose to give his life to Jesus. Now baptized, he is determined to save up some money to give her a proper Christian wedding, one that she deserves—so that everyone in the village can witness his love for her and their shared love for Christ. He does not care that they are already in their elder years.
When I first arrived here as a missionary, I thought changing hearts would be nearly impossible. How could we reach people who, for generations, had worshipped spirits? These beliefs were not just practices—they were a part of their identity, their history, their culture.
That thought weighed heavily on me. But now, five years later, I can honestly say: God makes it look easy. I do not know how or when God works, but I have seen people choosing to leave everything—traditions, habits, even family approval—to follow Christ with all their heart.
The Holy Spirit works with power, and yet with a gentleness beyond explanation, convicting without pressuring, transforming without forcing.
What a relief to remember that the mission does not depend on us. We are not the main characters, just coworkers with Heaven. God does what we never could. We do what we can, and then witness how our great God keeps adding people to His kingdom.
