
I want to introduce our good friend, Bona, who works as a full-time missionary at the YWAM base in Sihanoukville, Cambodia. Bona grew up in a village near Battambang, Cambodia. He served as one of our interpreters during our mission in Cambodia, and the girls and I grew very close to him.
This young man is alive and serving his home country by the grace of God. He shared many stories with us about his family while we worked alongside him. The stories he shared overwhelmed my heart. I often sat and listened with tears running down my cheeks as he explained how his mother, a teenager then, survived the Khmer Rouge during the mid- to late-1970s. I know, after listening to his stories, that I know nothing of suffering and triumph, even with my most heart-wrenching of trials.
Bona is a light to Cambodia! At age 25, he speaks fluent English – not something most Cambodians have mastered. He teaches English to dozens of Cambodian children each evening, plays guitar and leads worship during weekly small group meetings, interprets for teams who visit the base, and attends university in Sihanoukville. He works VERY hard!
I wanted to share a little about Bona and his miraculous story because we help support his ministry with a portion of our ministry support. So, as our supporters support us financially, those donations trickle into Cambodia to help support Bona and his ministries there. God is so good! He provides above and beyond all our needs and for many needs we surely do not plan or ask from Him.
Here is a recent update Bona sent to me to let me know how his work in Cambodia is going. I love that I know exactly what he is talking about because we have seen it with our own eyes and helped with our own hands.
As you’re reading (I did not edit), keep in mind who is writing! If you’ve ever learned another language and then tried to write a letter in that language, you know how difficult it is. Not only is Bona’s spoken English incredible, but his written English is truly impressive (and that is coming from an English minor and former editor):
From Bona:
“HI Korina! Right now we have around 130 students and there are 8 classes in our English Center. There are more and more students coming to study in our center every day. Most of them are from poor families who live in slum and in the street. So coming to study here is the big blessing for them because we offer the free English classes. If they study in others Language School, they would have pay for school fee and transportation. I can’t wait to see them grow up and having a better future, becoming Christian influence their community and Society.
Every months we have outreach teams from difference country coming to help us teaching English and churches. There are such a big blessing to our base and our ministry.
Things you can pray for the Base:
- pray for more staff and more support
- Pray for the passion and the long term our reach teams to come.
- Pray for the news base that we are looking for. Because this base is always flooded during the rainy season.
- Pray for leaders for they are moving to some where. it is their new season.
Thank you so much for your prayer and support Korina. May God bless you big big. Your Friend Bona.”