HOPE CAMBODIA WATER BAPTISM

In May 2015, Hope Cambodia celebrated the water baptism of 2 of our brothers and sisters as they step out in faith to be water baptised. 

When Srey Pov was 9 years old, she and her grandmother joined a group of Christians at their special Sunday service and she was then forced to undergo water baptism there and then. Perhaps it was due to miscommunication or other reasons, but it left a deep mark in the 9 year old Srey Pov’s mind and she was very wary of Christians since then. However many years later, she decided to take the step of faith to be water baptized and she shared this story to all who were there, including her mum and sister. She shared about the grace of God that she experienced, causing her to change from someone who runs away at the mention of Christianity to someone who has decided to follow Christ. That is also why she chose Grace to be her baptism name.

Meng, on the other hand, shared about how he overcame addiction to gambling and drinking after becoming a Christian. He even openly shared about how he gambled away the money that was meant for his university course. It was not easy for him to make this decision to be water baptized as his parents were quite upset with him for not worshipping their gods during one of the many festivals they had just 1 week before his water baptism. In the end, his parents still did not attend the water baptism ceremony after many rounds of invitation. Although Meng was disappointed, he knows that only through his life transformation will his parents be more open to the gospel.

It was a wonderful day of celebration as friends and Srey Pov’s family joined us in witnessing the step of obedience they took. It was also a great time as we get to interact with Srey Pov’s mum who went home with a bouquet of flowers a friend bought for Srey Pov, waving it along the way and telling neighbours that she just went for her daughter’s water baptism. I pray that God continues to transform the hearts of Srey Pov and Meng and transform their villages with the power of the Holy Spirit.

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.” 

Matthew 5:14-15 

In His Love, Chloe