Discipling the Next Generation In Cambodia

Sann* seeks to follow Christ and actively works to multiply the number of believers around him. That’s been true of his life since he graduated from The Greatest Journey at age 10.

But much of the young evangelist’s life before that was filled with pain. Wanting to spare him the troubles of a fractured home, his mother sent him to live with a pastor at a local church. There he found stability, hope, and love and began learning about a Saviour who could provide that for eternity.

When Sann turned 8 years old, he received an Operation Christmas Child shoebox stuffed to the brim with gifts that made him smile, but an invitation to Samaritan’s Purse discipleship programme, The Greatest Journey, changed the trajectory of his life forever as God opened his mind to a whole new ministry opportunity.

“Once I started The Greatest Journey class and began coming consistently, I became more on fire and more passionate about the Word and about the Lord because of the things that I was learning,” Sann said.

Following the Call of Christ

The Greatest Journey was the turning point in his life where he fully committed and understood what it meant to be a Christian. He soon wanted other children to experience this transformation, too. Now 21, Sann has dedicated the past 11 years of his life to teaching this class.

“The Greatest Journey and Operation Christmas Child have changed me,” Sann said. “I cannot stop discipling others, teaching others, and helping these children to grow in the Lord.”

Although he never wanted to be a teacher, he now sees his position for the incredible blessing it is to reach kids at young age and point their hearts toward Jesus. He considers it a privilege and a calling to pull children up out of desperate circumstances and give them hope.

“My prayer has been that the children of Cambodia, not just here, but all of Cambodia, would rise up and become the next generation [of disciples],” Sann said. “I think of the verse in the Bible (Luke 10:2) that says, the harvest is ready and ripe, but there’s not anyone yet ready to actually go and do the harvesting. My goal is getting them excited and getting them ready to be the ones to go reap that harvest themselves.”

Recognising the Unforgettable Influence of a Teacher

A relationship with Christ is the most important thing he wants a child to walk away with, but he also knows the importance of a relationship with a teacher thanks to his own story.

“My teacher, her name was Sok*, and she taught me since I was really young, and I call her mom because she took care of me like I am her own child,” he said.

Thanks to Sok, when Sann graduated from The Greatest Journey at 10 years old, he immediately started teaching. He firmly believes you’re never too young to teach someone else. One of his favourite things is encouraging his students to take on leadership roles and disciple others. He asked Dara*, for example, to help him lead this class.

“Since attending The Greatest Journey I feel as though I’ve been able to know more about God and be able to affirm my faith,” Dara said. “I also feel confident in sharing the word and sharing the Gospel with other people.”

Sann saw something special in Dara, explaining that her wisdom and faith extends beyond her 13 years.

“My favourite memory verse is Genesis 1:27, ‘God created a man in his own image, in the image of God; He created him; male and female He created them,’ because it shows the power of God and how He was able to create us from nothing,” Dara said.

Sharing the Hope of the Gospel

Sann knows what his students are going to encounter if they follow Jesus–often rejection from others along with pressure to not go to church. He does his best to prepare them to hold onto their faith against all odds and find the courage to share it with friends and family.

“Before I started The Greatest Journey, I knew that Jesus is the Saviour of the world, but through these lessons I learnt to be bold and be courageous to tell others about Jesus,” Chea*, a student in Sann’s class said.

When these kids enter his class, they often carry the baggage of hardship and struggle, but over the course of the programme he sees their transformation first-hand and attributes it to Jesus. He knows that most people who pack shoeboxes will never step foot in his classroom, but he wishes they could understand the incredible impact a single box has on this community.

“Know that because of your shoebox and because of what you’ve done, there are smiles on children’s faces.” Sann said. “The joy, the laughter, the cheering, seeing their joy, it’s because of you being able to bless them.”

Please pray that each of the millions of shoebox gifts delivered this year will show a child God’s love and that many of these boys and girls will participate in The Greatest Journey and become lifelong followers of Jesus.

*Name changed for security

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