Pastor Touch Sinoeun’s testimony
My name is Touch Sinoeun, male, ethnicity Cambodian.
I was born in 1971 at Chroy Thmar village, Chhlong district, Kratie province, Cambodia.
At the moment I have 7 brothers and sisters ( in fact the total number is 11 brothers and sisters but 4 siblings died before Pol Pot regime).
My father died of hunger during Pol Pot regime and my mother died of hunger as well due to many children.
From 1982 I lived with my brothers and sisters and at the midst of 1982 I moved to live in Mondulkiri province with my oldest brother and we met a very difficult situation.
We didn’t have food to eat, no clothes, no materials for my study, no encouragement, no warm feeling within my family.
My sister sacked me out of her family.
I used to try to do suicide 3 times by AK 47 gun, but every time that I tried to kill myself, it did not achieve so I decided to continue to live with both my relatives and my neighbors.
Sometimes I picked up fruits from the forest for my living and sometimes, I picked up the thrown away cakes a long the roads to eat until I graduated from Mondulkiri.
I thought that when I grow up and have opportunity I would bring up orphanage children due to I am an orphan.
I didn’t have money to go on my study at Phnom Penh, so I decided to study at teacher training centre, pedagogy at Stung Treng province for my 2 year course (1993-1994). In 1994 I started to teach in primary school in Mondulkiri province.
In November, 19th, 1995 I married my wife You Sreypov and we have our 2 sons in 1998. Now we have 5 children (3 daughters)
When my oldest son got sick and according to our belief was wrong to our ancestor spirit and I did what they told me and he was well but my second son started to sick and I went to see the same Khmer traditional healer and he said we were wrong with our mother’s side and at that time my son didn’t eat for 8 days. He almost died and I did the spiritual no christian ceremony accordingly.
I thought after my son was healed I would believe Jesus Christ because I would not do the spiritual ceremony any longer. I decided to worship God and at first I asked the believers if I believe in Jesus Christ do I need to do the spiritual ceremony? And they said no.
They did not tell me much but instead headed me the bible and told me to read it. 3 weeks later my father in-law and I decided to submit ourselves to Christ. At that time the church had very few members and not so many people have good knowledge, one elder in the church told me to be a leader in 2000.
In 2001 we started to buy the land and build the church but we had not enough money. We need 3000$ more so we decided to partner with FCOP due to they had money and supported the ministries and children likewise what we thought, so we have brought up children from that time until now.
Many children and the youth have obtained higher education and get job opportunities. Some to them have become medical staff, bank staff, NGO staff, private company staff and other government officials.
Now we no longer partner with FCOP. We have only a couple, Eric Mayor and Bophana Try who support some children but we do not give up our tasks to bring up the children.
We are still doing God’s ministries, proclaim good news, do baptism and build churches at remote villages.
So far we have done baptism many people and brought up hundreds of children and many generations.
Please help and join us with the prayer to have more partners for both orphans and churches and to help more marginalized and vulnerable children and enlarge God’s kingdom at the future.
We need more knowledge on leadership, management, learning and reflection, M&E and grow both spiritual and vocational skills.
God Bless you.