Testifying About Jesus

Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

May the joy of the Lord always be with you. We thank the Lord for his great love and that you embrace us in your prayers.

We are grateful for the faithfulness of our cell church members who testified about Jesus during the Pchum Ben ceremony, a ghost month in which people bring tribute to the ancestor spirits and transfer merits to the spirits. Their faithfulness brought glory to our Lord Jesus Christ. 

This month, the Lord added 22 graduate volunteers from the Joshua training program. These volunteers and staff members brought 13 people to Jesus through home visits and sharing the gospel in public. We pray they grow stronger in faith and service to the Lord through our continued discipleship. 

The lifestyles of our cell church members continue to draw people to Jesus. We greeted 95 visitors in our cell churches. Praise the Lord that 51 visitors accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior. We thank God for a new cell church!

We thank God for your love for the people of Cambodia! We ask that you continue to pray for the new believers, their freedom to worship God, and their commitment to their new faith. Please pray for protection, motivation, courage, and opportunities for our staff and volunteers to share the gospel of Jesus. Moreover, please pray for Fountain of Hope to continue to influence the community through word and deed, accomplishing our mission to bring hope and transformation to the communities we serve. Amen!

– The Fountain of Hope Team

Summer Collaborations Bring Hope

Your Impact in Our Work

Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

Your presence in the work of the Fountain of Hope is very important. Your prayer and your words of encouragement inspire and motivate us to continue our service to the Lord and serve the vulnerable in our county.

Joy of Our Children

Joy of Our Children program celebrated International Children's Day with 1,314 children across Cambodia

We celebrated International Children's Day on June 1, the 22nd anniversary of the World Day Against Child Labor, and Cambodia Children's Day at a primary school in Tbonng Khum province under the theme "Together to Promote Children's Rights and Protect Children from Violence and Exploitation of Child Labor." Village chiefs, school principals, teachers, 211 students (1,314 across the country), parents, and FOH staff attended the events.

One of the goals of this collaboration was to build strong connections with the public schools where we operate. Another goal was to educate children of their Child's Rights in Cambodia and inspire courage, practice, protection, and preservation of these values in their daily lives. We worked together with the Cambodian government to prevent violence and child labor exploitation.

Joy of Our Children Programs Renew Hope for Youth

These programs seek to show children the love of God, through creating loving and safe environments where they can learn valuable lessons for their futures. We are grateful to God for this fruitful summer; the success of International Children's Day on June 1, the Dengue Fever Awareness and Abate to Kill Tiger Mosquito Campaign, we trained six youths to volunteer to serve in kid's clubs, and 11 teens accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

This month was challenging with weather, rain, and traveling on a slippery and muddy road on a moto into the remote villages, but this did not stop our commitment to serving the children and training youths. Please continue to pray for safety, good health, wisdom, and for the Lord to establish the work of our plans. Thanks for standing with the Joy of Our Children program team in your prayers. 

–Mr. Soknen Ven, Joy of Our Children Director

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Life With Value

God’s Grace Molds Collaboration

It is a semester of praise! The presence of the Lord moves very strongly in the land and the hearts of the people we serve.

The collaboration between FOH's Life with Values program and local authorities resulted in good fruit. Recently we organized a Dengue Fever Awareness Campaign, distributed Abate to target households, an Environmental Campaign across villages, and International Children's Day celebration with primary school children. We also trained 45 community leaders on positive parenting skills, budget planning, and financial management and organized meetings for 79 local authorities to bring back solutions to solve issues in their communities. We thank God for the commitment of our volunteers who join Life with Values programs to solve community issues, be role models and demonstrate God's love to people.

We celebrated another success with the appreciation of the Ministry of Health for the remarkable achievement of the excellent works of Fountain of Hope in increasing local authority's knowledge to solve community issues such as unsafe migration, human trafficking, drugs, and domestic violence problems. God's grace molds the Life with Values program and local authorities in one strong cooperation to bring positive change.

–Mr. Rotha Yun, Co-Executive Director and Life With Value Director

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Life of Hope

I Became Christ's Follower at Easter

A Christian neighbor invited me to attend the Easter celebration in her cell church. I took the invitation and went for it. While watching the drama, I whispered to myself, "Jesus is the only God who resurrected from the dead. The god I worship is a statue people worship in the pagoda and must offer sacrifices all the time. However, Jesus gave his life for sinners like me". Without realizing it tears filled my eyes, as I saw Jesus was mistreated though he had done nothing wrong. Then, I was overjoyed when a woman could not find his body at the tomb for he is alive.” When the teacher preached the Easter message, my heart was ready to receive Jesus to come into my life. Then, I decided to accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior and prayed the sinner’s prayer with the preacher.

I thank God and the Life of Hope program staff, cell church leaders, and neighbors for helping me grow in my new faith and love for Jesus.

– Mrs. Som Onn

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Our Strong Village

Finding a Savings Bank and Savior

I would like to share with you my testimony. Before I became a Savings Bank member, I was hopeless, and had no confidence in others, especially with organizations, for I was cheated by those groups several times. I felt depressed, disappointed, and uncomfortable when I heard Christian believers had come to promote the Savings Bank project in my village. I had physical needs to improve my income and mental health yet, I did not associate with them.

When I became a Savings Bank member, I found trust in the love of the other members and it motivated my heart to accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I joined a cell church near my home and learned God's word. The Lord slowly restored what I lost in the past and blessed my family. I love the Fountain of Hope staff and appreciate their patience in helping me grow my love for Jesus.

– Mrs. Touch

Accomplishing God's Work!

Fountain of Hope Accomplishes the Work God Prepared 

“For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10

I believe God made all things possible for those who love and serve him according to his leadership. We aim to demonstrate God's love through programs addressing physical needs and restoring spiritual connection with the Heavenly Father.  

God's word renews our strength and captures our hearts to stay focused on our mission and vision. We are grateful to celebrate the testimonies of the individuals featured in this newsletter and the many others who now love Jesus.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read our newsletter. We are grateful for your love for us. 

– Nareth Peang, Co-Executive Director

Thank you for the Reading Glasses!

FOH staff handed me a pair of reading glasses saying, “Your sister in Christ loves you, prays for you, and knows that you need this pair of reading glasses to read your bible.” I thank God for answering my prayer. I am so grateful!

Mrs. Lina, Support group member

Joy of Our Children

Dengue Fever Awareness Campaign

FOH staff collaborated with the Ministry of Health’s National Dengue Fever Program and local authorities to launch the Dengue Fever Awareness Campaign in schools and communities. The campaign raised awareness of the high incidence of dengue fever in Cambodia and that it affects people of all ages. Community members learned prevention methods, how to eradicate mosquito shelters, Dengue Fever symptoms and treatment, and how to use Abate to kill worms in water ports. We were grateful to provide such important information to families.

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Our Strong Village

God's provision through chickens 

“I can afford three meals a day for my children,” says Nary. 

The Chicken Bank has given Nary the income she needed to provide for her family. Nary learned how to raise chickens and about business development through FOH. As she implemented these principles with the chickens she received from the Chicken Bank, her family experienced a better life.

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Life with value

Support Group Members Find Special Encouragement

We organized a retreat and time of reflection for 22 support group members, victims, and people living with HIV/AIDS. They had a great time, sharing experiences and encouraging one another with joy. Their smiling faces reflect the hope God has given them. 

We are grateful for the achievements of this month. We thank you for contributing your prayers and supporting our work. 

Mr. Rotha Yun, Co-Executive Direct and LWV Program Director

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Life of Hope

My Savior Saved Me from Demon Possession 

My husband and I visited a cell church hoping to receive their prayer so that the demon possession and sickness would leave us. The moment we arrived at that cell church, we felt the peace in our hearts. We were open to the gospel message when the Life of Hope staff shared with us about Jesus. That day, my husband and I accepted Jesus, and later on all my family members did as well. We decided to attend the new believer class. It helped me discover that God created me in his image. I am a child of God and I defeated my fear of evil possession with my prayers.

The Joy of Reading God's Word

Greetings from Cambodia!

My name is Neang Navy. I am 32 years old and live in the Tbong Khmum province. Until recently, I could not read or write. I had difficulty getting detailed information from signs, and had to depend on others often, especially to fill in my information on forms.  

When I became a Christian, I joined a cell church with many others who could not read or write. We depended on our cell church leader to read the Bible during our meetings. I always prayed to God for the ability to read His word. One day, I got the courage to ask the Fountain of Hope teacher to conduct a literacy class for my cell church members. He agreed to set aside time for us to learn reading and writing. For the first month, I struggled with memorizing the alphabet and vowels. When I put more effort toward my reading goal, I found myself full of courage to carry on my study. I learned to spell word by word until I could read it by myself. I told myself that “illiteracy cannot stop me from reading once I reach my goal.”

Now, I am a literacy trainer. I train members in my cell church to read and write. When someone struggles with laziness to learn, I share the difficulties I experienced before I knew how to read and write. I also explain that to experience a personal relationship with God, you must know how to read His word and share God’s love with others. 

I thank the FOH staff who are willing to help me with reading and writing. Your training brought an ever-lasting change in my life. And I can always share the knowledge you gave me with those around me. God bless you!

Your Prayers, God's Power

Thanks to God’s power and your prayers, we wrapped up 2022 with 1,006 adults and children coming to Christ through our Christmas programs! And more recently, we saw 547 children and adults start relationships with Jesus through our Easter celebrations!

And we believe God has even more in store for 2023! I recently went to Cambodia for our annual board meeting and was so inspired by each leader’s passion, faith and commitment to God’s work here! Another highlight was visiting the villages, seeing true change and people taking ownership of transforming their communities.

A few things we are particularly excited about:

• Recently children’s Bibles have been translated to Khmer. We are developing a plan to distribute these to thousands of children in our programs!

• We are investigating and planning to build an office headquarters in in Phnom Penh

• We are investing significant efforts into leadership development, training and sustainability. This includes the creation of a Bible training residency program.

I always feel so encouraged after my time in Cambodia, as God gives me more ideas, creativity and insight into His work there.

 Love and blessings,

 Joke van Opstal

Meet Thorn

My name is Thorn; I am from the Takeo province. I am married and with three children. My main job was PassApp driving (3-wheel motorbike taxi). But for the past five months, it has been difficult for me during the COVID-19 season. I had trouble finding customers and feared that I might get COVID-19 if I continued with this profession. So, I decided to stay home to take care of my wife and children for the time being. 

I am thankful that I learned about creatively using the resources around my house from Fountain of Hope. I applied the knowledge I learned through the Our Strong Village program about growing vegetables, making soap, raising livestock, and having proper financial management. I started to grow vegetables around my home that yielded great results because we utilized correct growing techniques. By getting this training, I provided food for my family that is safe and better than before, and even have extra to share and sell. We spend less on food now. Even though I cannot get out to do my regular job, I am earning some money to support my family through this simple work. I am truly grateful for all the training I received. 

I am so glad that growing my own vegetables provides such great benefits for my family and that we can become a good model for our community too. I want to see my community learn to grow food to support their family and stay healthy.

Finally, I want to thank all the FOH and Partners International teachers for coming to share and provide various technical classes that we can apply.

Together a Team

It has been an exciting summer!

In the last month we hosted training sessions for soap-making, small business entrepreneurship, the seed bank/community garden, Buddy system, and social issue advocacy! Last week we hosted a new believer class and at the end of the class 3 of 12 people decided to get baptized! Praise God for these brothers and sisters in Christ! 

Buddy System Training Session

Dengue Fever Awareness Parade

Small Business Entrepreneurship Training Session

Students from the Joy of Our Children program participated in a parade to raise awareness and fight against Dengue fever in two provinces. Students collected garbage along the road during the parade. Staff and teachers gave informational pamphlets and Larvicide to families.

Our executive leadership team participated in a DiSC Personality Training class through YWAM. The team was encouraged and excited to utilize one another’s strengths!

“The DiSC Personality Training Session helped me discover the amazing plan and the person God (the Father) made me to be. God planned and organized every single one of us in a special way to build up one another. By His will we need to stay connected and support each other to fulfill His mission, we can't go alone."

–Ratha Yun, Co-Director

Joke van Opstal is finishing up her trip to the U.S. She has been thrilled to spend time with partners and dear friends! We are grateful for the team God has established in Cambodia and for our partners across the world!

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Please pray for:

• Eighteen children recently gave their lives to Jesus! May the Lord continue to speak and work in their lives. Pray for the youth leaders as they continue to connect with them!

• Pray for the Buddy System training sessions in each province that older students will become equipped to support younger children and show them the love of Christ!

• Pray for the cell church members to be filled with great faith. Pray the Holy Spirit will continue to move in powerful ways among our brethren. May they feel His presence and continue to be encouraged and strengthened during difficult times.

• Pray for the cow and goat bank projects; that the cows and goats will be healthy.

• For the advocacy training classes; that volunteers will be empowered to address their communities' needs.

Meet Kann

My name is Kann and I am 46 years old. My wife is named Mao and we have two children. Both of us are poor farmers. We sell sugarcane (liquid) throughout the villages. Sometimes, we build pieces of drains and toilets, so that we could sell them. We also grow vegetables as a way to support our daily needs and for some income. Even with all these odd jobs, my family was still struggling. We still did not have enough. Yet strange things began to happen; my family was restless. We were troubled by constant quarrels and fights. Because of the fights and misery, I grew tired and did not care so much [for the family]. I did not think about my family anymore. I started to become a wicked person who drank and caused even more trouble toward my wife. My wife was tired and could not bear my selfish behaviors anymore. She went away and left me for over a month, because of my crazy drinking habit.

One day in July of 2020, I heard the good news of Christ, the Savior, through Brother Sok, who lived close by. I repented and decided to believe in the Lord after hearing about the hope and good news of transformation. Afterward, I started to learn God’s word with a FOH staff member. My drinking habit subsided bit by bit. I began to feel better. Yet, my marriage was hanging by a thread. My wife had already filed a complaint to get a divorce at the local authority. She was fed up. 

On August 14th of 2020, I met again with Teacher Sing, and I asked him to pray for me, that the divorce process would go smoothly. I was going to go to the commune the next day. But, the teacher said, “No! The Lord does not want you to live separately from your wife!” Yet, I was stubborn and determined to get a divorce. Then, the teacher told me to stop for a second and listen to the words of the Lord. 

We began to study God’s forgiveness and His love for us. I discovered God’s plan for marriage. As we walked through God’s message, I realized my divorce would leave my children like orphans and without warmth. I received much encouragement that day. Afterward, he prayed for me. Then, my heart was filled with God’s forgiveness and love. I learned to forgive my wife. My heart became open once again. Suddenly, the teacher proclaimed, “Kann, you and your wife will be reconciled and be with peace”. 

From that day on my heart grew restless, I wanted to meet with my wife so that I could ask for her forgiveness, and for her to return and reunite with me once again. When I met with my wife, I confessed and promised to be good to her. My relatives and friends were witnesses of my desires and promises. I told my wife that I didn’t want to see her tears and suffering any longer. I just wanted her to be my wife once again.

I am so thankful to the Lord for giving me “shalom” within my family. My wife and I started praying before we would get ready for bed. Though we did not understand fully, this practice has helped us. On September 1, 2020, Teacher Sing and Sok visited my home and shared God’s good news with my wife. My wife had a change of heart. She repented and became a believer as well! I am so grateful to the Lord. I am speechless. May this joy become my hope always. I pray that my whole family, friends, and relatives will find God’s salvation like my family has.

I would like to ask the teachers from FOH to continue praying for my family so that we will continue to abide in the Lord. My family and I will draw close to the Lord, and we will be God’s servants to bring salvation to many others. Amen.

Meet Phearak

My name is Phearak and I am 27 years old. I am not married. Before I came to know the Lord Jesus, I lived for temporary things. I didn’t think about what matters in life and enjoyed the pleasures of this world. I cared little about what was going on around me. Growing up, there were little events that I enjoyed. But, one day, there were this commotion and a loudspeaker that was playing in my village. I was curious so I went to find out. There was some program hosted by the blue shirt people (JOC staff). They had these puppets and fun activities for children. It was entertaining and different from what I was used to seeing. It caught my attention, and I observed from a distance. It was all fun until they told us about a man named Jesus. They told us about His love and how He gave His life for each one of us. I was not sure what that meant, and I did not know what to think of it. 

I approached the staff and was introduced to another staff from the Life of Hope program. It was a great connection. Soon, I began to better understand Jesus and decided to accept Him as my Lord and Savior. I believed in the Lord, but as I walked with Him there were stumbling blocks that I encountered. I had doubts at certain times of my life. Though I knew God’s love, I was still childish in my thinking, and processing what faith could do for me. As a result, I returned to my old ways of life. I was disobedient and faced many problems.  

I faced many difficulties in my life. My mom was often quite sick. I did not know what to do because we were not a well-to-do family. Her illness took a toll on her until she passed away leaving me with nothing. My father left with another woman. I was deep in sorrow and regrets. Though I knew the Lord, I was still clinging to what I used to know. I sought fortune-tellers when I was faced with difficult situations and remorse. I met with fortune-tellers often until I could do what they do. I can make ceremonies and chant blessings and various other forms of witchcraft. I know all the big witchcraft. So, to be honest, I had feet in two different boats, one in my previous belief and one in Jesus. 

I experienced utter heartbreak when I found a sense of earthly love. I was betrayed, and I did not know how to cure it. It seemed like there was nothing in the world that could solve it. I tried all that I knew which I thought may help. I tried “showers of blessing”, chanting, and you name it. Nothing helped. I was out of my mind. Then, I realized something. I had forgotten about Jesus. I forgot the truth about God. I went back to my journey with Him remembering what I had learned while I was in Phnom Penh. I remembered that God is love and salvation is sure. He alone can save me. As I reflected on the goodness of God, God showered me with His grace and love. I was once again whole. The deep hurt inside my heart began to subside. The grace of the Lord was indeed sure. I am thankful to the Lord for His faithfulness, even when I was unfaithful. My life turned over completely. I love the good news, and I love sharing his love with others. I began to see changes in my own life. I have the courage to tell others about Christ.

I feel that I cannot live without the Lord. Nothing seems to fill that emptiness in my heart except the Lord. I will try hard to live my life for God. I prayed earnestly for my family and others as I believe that He is the only true God. I want to give thanks to the Lord that He has indeed answered my prayers. Now I am truly happy that my nieces and nephews became believers in the Lord. We often lie to God, but God is faithful. He never lies to us. I pray that we will continue to have firm faith in the Lord. Thank you, God.

Meet Joot Red

My name is Joot Red and I am 68 years old. I am part of the Community Leaders Base (CLB) in the Life with Value program. I started participating in this program in 2016. I love being involved in this group because this program supports my community. It is helping my community improve in the health sector. 

While in this program, I received great, valuable lessons. I was trained in the practice of “starting a fire,” where we as a community learn to initiate practical activities to support the community. We received information regarding matters of migration, women and children’s trafficking, drug and substance abuse, domestic violence, dengue fever, and measures of protection for COVID-19 and dengue fever. Through this vital information, I began to pay more attention to the needs of my family and community.

During the pandemic, I have worked hard to protect my community alongside FOH by sharing information and safety measures. As a vice-village chief, I am worried and tried all that I could to support my community so that we can learn how to fight against this new disease. I am grateful for the work and the cooperation from FOH. I am happy that the villagers heed the information and try to protect themselves as well.

I am grateful and feel proud to have programs from FOH. I see that it is very beneficial to my community. It has given me great aspirations I had not thought of before. I began to understand and reflect more about the problems at hand in my community. I am glad too that my community is healthier and learning new things through this program.

I ask that this program will continue to support us so that we can learn new things. The local authority alone is inadequate to support the community. FOH gives a better voice and support for the needs within this community. 

Finally, I hope that FOH’s program will continue to run in this village and continue to support us here. And, as a request, I hope that in the future when we do a campaign like for dengue fever, there will be other practical materials to support the communities as well. Thank you.  

Meet Voeunn

My name is Voeunn and I am 54 years old and a farmer. My husband’s name is Heng. We have eight children (five daughters and three sons). 

Before I participated in the FOH training programs, like the Leaders of Safe Community, I didn’t know what FOH was. Based on the name, I thought it was just some organization that provided clean water. Yet, I was curious and thought maybe they would teach me how to use and produce clean water. 

Once I entered the training program, I began to understand the many projects FOH provides to support and strengthen communities; health, general hygiene, and other initiatives to inspire the community to cooperate, work together, and help one another. Through the FOH training, I learned about relevant topics impacting my community; community mapping, the dangers of drug abuse, impacts of domestic violence, HIV, trafficking, and various other health-related topics. 

I am happy to work with FOH to share useful information with my village. I want my community to know how to prevent drug abuse problems, trafficking, and domestic violence. 

I want to say thanks to the teachers in FOH that are willing to come to my community to teach, educate, and provide useful information so that I have sufficient information to share with my community. 

Meet Somrach

My name is Somrach and I am 63 years old. I am a cell church member. I became a widow over 29 years ago. I have four children; two sons and two daughters. All of my children are married already.

The cow bank project has been a wonderful program for me. It is a great project for the poor and needy widows like myself. I am grateful that I received the loan of a cow to care for and keep its offspring. I used to have buffaloes. With the OSV training, I learned how to care for cows as well. Thank you, Fountain of Hope and its partners, for providing this program to poor widows. I am truly glad that I could be a part of this program – it has changed my life for the better. Caring for the cow has lifted my current conditions, especially now when I am at my old age.

As for my faith, I had not heard much about Jesus. Thus, it was difficult to understand why I needed Him. However, one day when a cell church leader came to share with me, and she came to invite me to participate in the Cow Bank Project training. There, I received more than just the knowledge, I received the good news! As I learned about Jesus, I noticed His character and how He cared and loved the people around Him. Plus, it was easy to see His love because of the believers at the training. They were friendly. After that training, I was intrigued so I continued to learn God’s word at the cell church. I began to understand more and more about God. It was great too that the cell church is near my village. At the time, I was intrigued with the Lord rather than the cow bank, since I did not receive the cow yet. I am often reminded of these words, “If you need something, please pray and ask the Lord; He will provide”. So, I began to learn how to pray for the needs that I have. Then, sometime later I heard that I was on the list to be a receiver of a cow. A month or so later, I received a cow. I was so happy and even more so because the cow was three months pregnant! Thank God for the joy in my life.

I am grateful to the Lord that He answered my prayers. I will continue to care for the cows as well as I can, so that they will produce healthy calves, and alleviate my needs too. The cow bank is wonderful. I pray that it will continue to flourish to support many other needy widows in other communities like it has for me.

Meet Ni

My name is Ni and I am 49 years old. I am married and have three children; two sons and one daughter. I wash motorbikes and earn between 40,000 riels to 60,000 riels (10 – 15 USD) daily. When I heard about the Our Strong Village program, I got interested especially in the soap-making training. Soap is essential in my line of work. The FOH staff first taught me how to grow lemons. Right now, my lemon trees are growing quite well.

Later, the FOH staff brought us all together to learn about soap-making techniques. With eagerness, I participated. After the training, I began making my own soap! At first, I was worried that the soap would be unusable. Along the way, I sought the FOH teacher for support. My soap turned out really well – I am so happy. Before, I bought soap from the market, but now I can make it myself! Daily I need around 5 to 8 liters for work. I save money since I make it myself! My family uses the soap for their other cleaning needs as well. 

I am so glad that the FOH teacher continues to encourage and help me. Through the OSV program, I now raise chickens. So right now, I have three successful jobs: chicken and fish raising, and motorbike washing. These various jobs have supported my family and allowed my children to be in school, especially when two of them are in high school (requiring a substantial amount of expenses). I have much hope for my family – and that my children will be able to go to university! 

I want to thank FOH and the FOH partners for the support for these programs. I know that OSV has helped not just my family, but many others in my community. What I learned has helped my wellbeing and other needs within my community. There is a growing awareness and families are starting to grow their own vegetables as well. This will help keep families healthy. It is surprising to see a Christian organization doing such great work. I am intrigued and want to learn more about this faith since there are a few in my group who put their faith in Jesus already. Thank you.

Meet Kimhorng

My name is Kimhorng and I am 44 years old. I am a member of the Our Strong Village program. I joined the program when a FOH teacher told me I could learn about vegetable gardening. I wanted to learn more about how to grow vegetables effectively. Plus, I could participate in chicken raising training. 

Through the OSV program, I learned about planting, how to make soap, and how to raise chickens. After the training, I planted pumpkins, gourds, cucumbers and cabbage around my house. I now raise chickens and make soap. I learned about growing other vegetables too but they are more difficult to maintain and too costly.

I love the program – it has helped meet my family’s needs. I am more capable; I can do a lot and use the resources that I have. The FOH staff encourage me throughout the process.

In the future, I would like to learn more about raising chickens. I like OSV and I hope it will continue to be a
part of this community. Please pray for my family to stay healthy. Pray also that the Lord will bless the work that I do raising chickens.

Meet Sol

My name is Sol and I am 45 years old. I live with my husband and son, who is four years old. I do not own any large farming land, just the space around my house. I am part of a cell church. Before I participated in FOH’s programs, I was quite desperate. I felt uneducated and my husband had to travel to faraway places for work for many months at a time. While staying home with my son, we searched for edible plants to sell and to provide for our daily needs. There were times when we had nothing to eat.

After I came to know the Lord Jesus through FOH, I joined the cell church and participated in the Our Strong Village (OSV) program. After I finished the OSV training, I discovered the resources I had around my house. I planted vegetables and my small land became a garden. In fact, all around my house became a garden. The FOH staff continued to teach and help me with my garden. Now, I have a family garden where the produce is adequate for me to sell and support my daily needs. The blessings overflowed and I shared what I had with my neighbors and cell church members, too. I saw the benefits of these vegetables firsthand. These vegetables are healthier for my family; they are all-natural with no extra chemicals added to them, making them safe for people’s consumption. I am grateful that through the OSV program I received technical training and the seeds I needed. I get to serve the community by selling organic vegetables to them. I am happy that my family’s livelihood is improving. 

Finally, I would like to give thanks to the Lord Jesus and Fountain of Hope for the encouragement and new wonderful ideas so that I can learn to develop myself and my family. I can see that my cell church and community are improving as well. I am grateful that I have the privilege to know the true God and be saved from sins through faith in the Lord.

Meet Mum

Greetings, my name is Mum. I am 42 years old and live in the Tbong Khmum province. I am married and have four children, three boys and one girl. I went to school only until grade two. I can read a little bit. I work as a traditional Khmer musician, along with my whole family. 

I grew up practicing Buddhism. As a musician, I played a significant role in playing music for the Buddhist ceremonies. Every year I would play for the spirits of the ancestors. I was involved in many other ceremonies too. I performed so that I could ask for blessings. I believed that if I didn’t do these things, my family would become ill or experience other dangers. Because of this, I lived in fear and lost hope. My life was filled with unending weariness and anxiety. It got so bad that I figured I would not accept any more invitations to these ceremonies. My performance seemed unproductive and did not help my fears. However, I did not know of any other choice. It was tradition that told me what I should do or not do. All of my relatives and neighbors practiced these beliefs and I didn’t want to be disrespectful to my parents. 

One day in August of 2018, I heard the gospel through a Fountain of Hope (FOH) staff member. She came to visit my aunt, who lived next door. Then, the teacher came to visit me. I had heard about the good news before, but didn’t know what it was all about. And I really didn’t
like Christians. 

I praise the Lord that on September 17, 2018 the FOH teacher continued explaining God’s word to me. God has the power to help anyone living in fear. He is a deliverer for those who are in sorrow and hopelessness. In Matthew 11:28 I discovered that God gives us rest. In John 1:12, God has given us the power to become His children. In Luke 10:19, He has also given us the power to step on the head of the serpent; power over the enemy. God gives us power over what causes us pain. Once I understood the good news about Jesus, I made the decision to believe in the Lord. I accepted God to be my Savior over my life. 

I desire to follow God’s ways from now on. I want to live under the power of God, because living under Satan was really difficult. I am really grateful that the Lord has forgiven me. He delivers me from the power of Satan; from bondage to freedom. I praise the Lord. I am glad that I can participate in the new believer training and receive water baptism. I praise the Lord that the foundational training has helped me to know God even more. The Lord is truly helping me to be free from fear. 

Thank you Lord, for saving me and growing my faith in you more and more as I learn your word. Amen.

Meet Oul

Greetings, my name is Oul, I am 39 years old. My father passed away when I was a little girl and my mother is a farmer.

Every morning as a child, I would sit on the stairs watching other children go to school. Some were riding bicycles. Others had lots of fun chatting and playing around. I really wanted to go to school like the other children. At that time, I was almost six years old, the age to start school. However, what I had anticipated was cast aside. I could not go to school because I was crippled. I had not been able to walk since I was four years old. I was told that when I was little, I had a really bad fever. My mom called a village doctor to care for me and the doctor gave me injections. Because of these injections, I could not use one side of my body; I was unable to move my hand and leg. 

I was filled with despair. I could not go to school. I knew that no one would want to marry me. My mom often encouraged me that if no one wanted me, I would always have her that she would always be right by my side. Even though I had encouragement from my mom, I could not find peace. 

One day, a man riding a blue motorcycle visited my home. His name was Mr. Sreng Peach from Fountain of Hope and he was pleasant. He greeted me and asked how I was doing. He encouraged me with truths from the Bible. He shared with me that in this world there is something of greater importance. We live in a temporal world and our true home is not here. He encouraged me to not be disappointed, because there is a God who is waiting to help me; His name is Jesus Christ. God loves everyone, especially me, a cripple. He loves me so very much. 

That day as I heard those words, I began to believe and asked the Lord Jesus into my life. Mr. Sreng Peach continued to teach me and introduced me to a support group, where I learned about acceptance and my value. He taught me how to pray to God. I started to pray often to the Lord and found encouragement through the word of the Lord. God asked me not to look to man, but to Him alone. Now my life is filled with peace, and I have fellowship with other believers. 

I am so thankful to God for loving me. I no longer want to end my life like I used to. I am no longer worried because I have the God who cares and encourages me. I would like to ask for prayers for my mother’s health. May the Lord bless her with health and help her to trust and have strong faith in the Lord. Amen!

Meet Cheh

Greetings, my name is Cheh and I am 54 years old. I was raised in a poor family. I have five children who are all married and four grandchildren. I have been a widow for over ten years now. 

I first learned about the good news through Fountain of Hope. I became a Christian and am now part of a cell church in the Pursat province.

Being a widow has been really difficult. I had to become both parents for my children and address all of the family’s needs. Some of my children who have children of their own moved to Thailand to work because they did not have enough income here. Taking care of their children became my responsibility. 

I have often wished that my family was wealthy and had better lives; but this is simply not reality. One day the staff from Fountain of Hope explained the Cow Bank Project to our cell church. The Lord had heard my prayers and answered. I consulted with my children and we decided participate in the cow bank. I received training and learned all the policies of the Cow Bank Project. After about two months, I was chosen to receive a cow! The cow was eight months old when I began raising it and I have learned so much through this experience.

I am truly grateful that the Lord has blessed me with a female cow. I have raised and cared for the cow for over three years now. The cow has produced offspring including a female calf that was recently born. I prayed for a female calf and the Lord blessed me! It is a joy to see the results of my hard work and how this has helped my family’s livelihood. Our poor community has benefited from this program as my cow was the offspring of another widow’s cow. 

I am committed to this project and will try my best to look after the cow so that it will continue to produce well and serve others through its offspring. I want to bless all the FOH staff and partners with God’s grace and blessings. Thank you for serving and caring for poor widows like me. 

Meet Rhatt

Greetings, my name is Rhatt and I am 29 years old. My wife and I are farmers in the Battambong province. We have five children, three daughters and two sons. We currently work for our neighbors in their potato fields. There are not a lot of options for work around here. Sometimes we have to go into the mountains to search for wood to sell, so that we can support our family.

Growing up I practiced Buddhism because my parents and their parents also practiced Buddhism. Though I had a religion in my life, I felt somewhat useless. My parents had a difficult time raising me because I didn’t care about them. 

One day, I was called to follow the Lord. The Lord has changed my heart, and He transformed my whole life. I never thought the Lord would call me to be a cell church leader. But I have found that it is wonderful and encouraging to be able to praise God and lift up one another in difficult times. I became a Christian in 2015; I accepted the Lord Jesus as my Savior through the Fountain of Hope staff. I remember when they visited my home and shared the gospel with my family. I am thankful to the Lord that He has chosen my family. Despite our difficulties, we have peace, joy and contentment with whatever the Lord gives us. 

We have faced persecution from our neighbors because we are Christians. Yet, we have peace and joy because of Jesus’ promises.

I am so thankful to the Lord that He blessed us through the Our Strong Village program with some goats (1 male and 4 females) and training to start our own herd. These goats will help meet my family’s daily needs and increase our income. 

Finally, I’m truly filled with joy because the Lord God has blessed my family. He knows what is best for us and He hears our prayers. May the Lord bless all the FOH teachers and partners for the Our Strong Village projects and provisions. May the Lord give you and your family peace.  

Meet Chanthou

Greetings, my name is Chanthou. I am 15 years old and in sixth grade. I live with my three siblings and grandmother. Since my family struggles financially, my parents decided to migrate to Thailand for work. Living with my grandmother and caring for my little siblings has been a big challenge for me. There have been times when I’m not studying that I have had to search for work to support my family. I can make around 15,000 riels ($3.75) a day chopping potatoes.

I was really glad to participate in the Joy of Our Children program because I was able to play and learn new things, especially about health. When I grew older, I was invited to participate in the Buddy System training program where I learned more about being a “Big Sister”. I learned the role of a Big Sister and am able to have compassion since I understand the hardships that the other children are facing. Through the program, I got the chance to hear more about the good news of Jesus. I learned that Jesus can save me, and He is full of love. As I learned more about His love, my life began to transform. One day I decided to believe in Jesus. 

Later on, I participated in the teen cell church. I learned more about salvation. I am truly thankful for the Lord Jesus, who gave His life on the cross to save me and all people. 

Finally, I would like to thank all the teachers that came to teach me. May the Lord bless you and your organization. Thank you!