Petros and Hannah were delighted to see Sopak at the Missionary Training Center. Sopak was one of the fruits of their patient labor in one of the villages they visited to evangelize. He was staying at the Missionary Lodge for the week to receive training to be a missionary with Hug Cambodia.
Petros has learned that building a relationship with an unbeliever like Sopak would open the door to share about Jesus. As Petros got to know him, he realized that Sopak had many wrong beliefs about Jesus. Sopak thought of Jesus as a Western god, not a god of Cambodia. He also had the modalistic belief that God is only one god who manifests Himself in three ways instead of understanding that He is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
Slowly, Petros built trust by meeting with Sopak each time he came to the village. Petros and Hannah showed him the love of Jesus in how they spoke to and treated him. Finally, the day came when Sopak asked a question that opened the door for Petros to share about the Jesus of the Bible. Petros explained that Jesus was different from the way Sopak thought of Him. Petros told him that Jesus came to Earth, lived a perfect life, and died for Sopak’s sins.
After that, Sopak realized how very different the true love of Christ is. Before, he thought every god was the same god. But now he realized Jesus is not the same as the gods of Buddhism. He understood that only one God could keep him and give him true hope and love. He acknowledged that only the one, true God could give him peace and help him feel content. He accepted that Petros and Hannah had what he needed in his life: faith in Jesus.
Sopak has now become very strong in his faith. Petros has continued to visit him and speak about Jesus and his faith. When Sopak doesn’t know or understand Biblical passages, Petros will explain them to him.
However, Sopak realized that learning from Petros when he would visit the village every few weeks was too slow. He really wanted to serve the Lord, so he joined Hug Cambodia’s training program at the ministry’s Missionary Training Center recently. At the center, he will have the opportunity to be trained and equipped to evangelize his people, the Khmer, which is the majority people group in Cambodia.
Petros shared, “This is how God is working in our ministry as we reach people through building relationships.” Petros explained how exciting it is to have the Ministry Center where people can receive training, and the Missionary Lodging Home, where they can stay when they come for training. The training is one week a month for nine months, with the ministry supplying accommodations and food for their stay. The lodge has been Petros’s dream for a long time.
Petros and his ministry, Hug Cambodia, are significantly impacting Cambodia with the Gospel. You can help him touch lives by praying for him and his ministry.
