Our brother, S

* edit. thank you, eric. *

I was humbled by my Cambodian brothers and sisters this summer as I heard their testimonies. To remember my brother S, I have taken time to write out his testimony from the details I still recall. I hope to capture S’s spirit as he shared with us that night. I hope this story will come alive as you know more about S and his past.

After finding out that S and I had the exact same birthday, it shocked me to hear how much he had been through in his life.

My father died when I was three months old. Since then, I was called an orphan
and was always teased. [Even though he still had his mom and an older sister,
Cambodians have a different interpretation for orphans.] My mother told me to
work at the rice fields by myself when I was three years old. I spent many hours
with the water buffaloes as a young child. Because we were poor, my mother
wanted me to work hard in our rice fields and she often told me that a “coconut
will always remain a coconut.” No, that is not true! I did not believe in that
and was determined to go to school and learn.

Once I was old
enough, I walked for one hour to school every morning. I had to hurry back home
to work the rice paddies after school. A lot of times, my mom got angry at me
for going to school, and I had to bring food to the fields and eat lunch with
the water buffaloes. I wanted to learn very much and go to the evening classes
too. Although morning classes are free, in Cambodia, students have to pay for
evening classes if they want to learn more. I earned money by taking care of my
neighbors’ rice paddies. I worked very hard, but I was happy to go to school. As
long as I took care of the rice fields at home, my mother did not care where I
went. She married again and my stepfather was OK.

By the time I
was in grade eight, I had to take an exit exam to continue to high school. I
saved my money to pay for the exam, but because we had to take it at another
province, I did not have enough money to pay for food and a place to stay. My
friend asked me on the bus, “Where are you going to stay?” I said, “I don’t
know.” He asked me, “How are you going to eat?” I said, “I don’t know.” He
asked, “Then why are you going?” I told him, “This is an important exam. I just
know I have to take it.” When his parents heard about me, they were very kind to
let me stay with them. Oh, I was so happy and grateful to them! I stayed with
them and studied with my friend. His parents liked me, because I was a good
student and helped their son study.

When my friend asked how I did
on the exam, I wanted to be modest. I told him fifty percent pass fifty percent
fail! I checked the results the next day, and I passed! Oh, I can go to high
school! For many years, I worked my mother and neighbor’s rice paddies and went
to school at the same time. Then after my first year of high school, I lived
with a monk in a monastery for three years. He gave me a place to live, food to
eat, and treated me well because I cleaned the place and took care of
him.

I went back to my family after high school and told them
I wanted to go to university. My mom said I was crazy, but I did not care. My
sister did not like to study. She stopped when she finished grade eight. When
she was in grade three and I was in grade two, because she did not score high
enough, I passed her. Even though she did not like to study, she still supported
me. My sister told me she saved money for me to go to university. But I did not
know she borrowed money from people to support me. If I knew, I would not go to
university. I would not!

But I did not know, so I went to the
university in Phnom Penh without knowing how to apply or what to study. People
told me computer and English are the best, so I applied for those classes. I
never used a computer before! On the first day, I did not even know how to turn
on the computer or what the mouse was for! Everyday, I studied very hard.

As I started my third year, I found out my sister was borrowing
money from people to send me to university and I wanted to give up. I was so
unhappy. I did not want my sister to go through that, but I know if I stop
studying, it would be a waste. It was hard for me. About the same time, I met a
guy who was opening the church dorm. He invited me to church. You know, I lived
with a monk for three years before, but I still went to show respect and please
him. That Christmas, the pastor told us to write something we really need on a
piece of paper. I wrote I need a place to stay and money to continue university.
After that, I never thought about this note.

Later, I met a guy
from the United States who heard about me and decided to sponsor me for
university! Then the church dorm finally opened and I had a place to stay! The
next Christmas, I got a letter, and it was the note I wrote at church last year.
Oh, I did not remember that I wrote it! When I read it, I know God answered my
prayers!

I finally graduated university in English and computer,
but I wanted to work for God. People tell me, “You are crazy!” I could find a
better job than working at this orphanage. I don’t care. I want to help poor
kids like me. Even though at the orphanage I get little salary, it’s OK! I
really thank God. And at night, I go back to the church dorms to teach
Microsoft. Yes, and that is my story.

Please keep S and the COP in your prayers. He works there as the assistant director contacting different individuals and churches to support and fundraise for the COP. In our recent emails with S, two kids ran away from the orphanage, and the director made no initiative to search for the kids. S also had to take five children to another orphanage because the cook complained that they were messy, lazy, and did not pay. This got S extremely upset since the COP is a Christian orphanage that does not require children to pay. More so, he had to send them to a Buddhist place. The director has stopped S’s work at the COP for ambiguous reasons, and he is now only teaching Microsoft at night at the church dorms.

Thank you for reading.