Kiri* was one of the first boys to graduate high school from his village in Cambodia. Many of his peers dropped out to earn an income, whether that be by working on the family rice farm or cutting bamboo for construction. Poverty remains one of the primary reasons adolescents leave school in Cambodia, so Kiri felt fortunate that his family was able to afford his schooling.

With the help of a scholarship, Kiri decided to move to a large city to attend university. Leaving his family was hard and he found city life overwhelming at first. Everything was louder and busier, and navigating traffic on his bicycle was treacherous! Soon enough, he began to settle in and found a group of peers who were willing to show him around the city.

The university had its fair share of groups and clubs for Kiri to join. One that caught his attention was a Bible study group that he occasionally attended. Growing up Buddhist, he had never heard the Word of God being read aloud, and it intrigued him. Over the next couple of years, Kiri dipped in and out of the group, hearing about the hope of Jesus, but not committing to become a Christian.

This all changed in October 2024, when the group did a study on the book of Mark in the New Testament. Kiri struggled to find words to explain what happened in his heart, other than to say it felt like a complete transformation. He started attending church regularly, and one Sunday morning, in front of hundreds of members, he stood up to openly profess his faith and accept Jesus as his Lord.

There was much celebration amongst the students who had been faithfully inviting him to church for years and Kiri felt welcomed into this new family of God. It was at this point that he came to know a man named Devi, a small group leader at his church, who encouraged him to be part of a team holding a youth camp that same month. Kiri was eager to share his story of restoration with others and witnessed 80 other young adults dedicate their lives to Jesus that same weekend.

Devi, a software developer and Haggai leader since 2023, has seen the Holy Spirit work in miraculous ways amongst the next generation. He envisions sending these new believers like Kiri on local and global missions to share the love of Jesus. Recently, five passionate and committed young adults from his church embarked on a short-term mission trip to serve in the provinces. Kiri was one of those who traveled from their city to a village much like the one he had left to attend university. Staying overnight in the local church and serving alongside other leaders, Kiri got to share the message of the Gospel and encourage young children to stay in school.

*Names hidden for protection.

Written by Carolyn Grant