HOPE CAMBODIA FIRST WATER BAPTISM CEREMONY
On 9th of November marks a milestone for Hope Cambodia as we held our first water baptism ceremony with six Cambodian believers taking the step of faith and obedience to be water baptised.
The event coincided with the visit of some families from Hope Church Singapore who gamely offered to help out and join the event. Everyone, including parents with their young children in tow, woke up early to set up chairs, decorate the place with balloons and help fill the inflatable pool with water. What a sight to see a line of fathers and young children form a human chain to pass buckets of water from the tap to the pool while the mothers mop up after them!
There was an audience of about 50 altogether, a delightful mix of Singaporeans and Cambodians. Two of our baptisees, Socheata and Linna, even invited their mothers to witness the event. When they first received Christ last year, their mothers were not approving. On this day, however, their mothers were present and proudly listening to their testimonies. Socheata’s mother even went home after the event and happily told her neighbours about Socheata’s baptism! The local Cambodians and Singaporean brothers and sisters had a great time getting to know each other, and encouraging each other. A really delightful mix of the (spiritually and physically) young and old!
One of the young believers, Sodath also shared his testimony of how God gave him purpose in his life. Just a few months ago, he was still getting into gang fights and was caught by the police twice. He had also skipped school for about 2 years then. But now after knowing God, he has decided to leave the gang and has started going back to school since October. He even shared about Christ to his gangster friends as he has a great burden for them, whose life he now knows has no purpose without God.
Indeed in a Buddhist country where Buddhist culture has a very strong presence, we thank God for His amazing work in the lives of these young believers who have such child-like faith. From just telling their classmates that they are Christians and being laughed at / ostracized, to being able to invite their friends and even their mothers to witness them take the step of faith and obedience to be water baptised and hearing them share their testimonies. We are just in awe of God. Indeed we have a great and wonderful God! May God continue to use this community of believers to extend His Kingdom to the ends of Cambodia and beyond! God bless!
Chloe Chen Huijun Team Cambodia
Matthew 28:19-20
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
