From Hatred to Love!

My name is Thany.  I was born in the Battambang Province.  My family was all farmers.  Every year, we wouldn’t have enough to eat because the rice was destroyed by flood or it was fruitless, so my family would go work in other people’s fields in exchange for food.  My mother drank, smoked, and gambled every day.  One day she got sick.  At that time we had no money so my father decided to sell our buffalo to get her to the hospital.  Unfortunately, she was diagnosed with uterus cancer and pneumonia.  We couldn’t afford the treatments she needed.  My father sold the field to get the operation for her.  After the operation she was still sick but we didn’t have any more money.  It was a difficult time for my family deciding what to do.  We decided to mortgage our home; however the doctor said that there wasn’t anything he could do for her.  On the way to our relative’s house, she stopped breathing and passed away.  When we arrived home, we spent the little money we had left on a funeral ceremony.  My dad wanted to pay the debt in order to get our home back so he went to dig for sapphires in the Pailin province.  While he was gone we had to live with neighbors.  No one could take all three of us in so my brothers and I had to be separated.  Every day I went to tend their animals and work the fields for them.  Not too much time had passed when I received devastating news.  My dad had died from a land collapse while he was mining.  After receiving that news, I didn’t want to live anymore.  But then I thought of my two brothers and knew I had to be strong for them.  One day, my aunt came to visit from Phnom Penh.  She asked us to come and live with her, I was very happy and grateful.  My aunt didn’t have her own house but she loved us very much!Not too much longer after moving into my uncles, I learned how to sell newspapers.  Every day I would go get the newspapers and magazines from the shop.  Usually I would sell them at traffic lights, restaurants, and hospitals.  In one day, I could earn 10,000-15,000 riel (2-4 USD).  I sold newspapers for three months when a friend of my uncles told us about an organization that adopts orphans.  I was very happy because I thought to myself that maybe I’ll be able to go to school.  I was right!  I started studying first grade at 13 years old.  The leader in charge of the house was corrupt though.  He was taking the donations and keeping them for himself.  We didn’t get much food and had to bathe in the dirty river water.  I was still happy though because I could go to school.  I lived there a year before I heard about Foursquare Children of Promise.The pastor of FCOP came and asked me if I wanted to move into their home.  He told me about FCOP and that they believed in Jesus Christ.  I didn’t want to move because I hated Jesus.  I wanted to become a Buddhist monk.  I spent one week thinking about it and I finally decided to move.  I was given a mattress to sleep on, rice with soup (three times a day), clothes and running water to take a bath in.  The staff took such good care of us and healed the chronic itching that I was dealing with.  I was very comfortable.  Though, I still didn’t like that they believed in Jesus.  Being in the home I started to see miracles and God healing people.  Whenever we worshipped I would see how happy everyone was to focus on God.  One night at Friday night prayer, I fell to my knees weeping and knew that God was healing my heart.  That Sunday I accepted Jesus into my heart.  After that I started to read my Bible, I desired to know more about God.  I wanted to know all I could about my Lord Jesus.In 2009, I started Young Lion’s Youth Ministry with Khamera.  Young Lions go out on ministry trips to share the love of Christ.  In 2011, I co-led a Young Lion team to the island of Thum Nup, where we saw a demon possessed shaman set free.  He is now a home church pastor.  Young Lions has seen thousands come to know Christ every year.  I never thought that I would have the life I have today.  I finished university in 2013 and I am serving the Lord.  I'm working with FCOP and I am their main tech support in the office.  I really thank God fully for preparing everything for me.  I thank Pha Thom (Pastor Ted) and Mak Thom (Pastor Sou) for supporting me and giving me a life I never thought I would have.  I am forever grateful!