What's your story?

Today I met the father of one of the CGI staff in Phnom Penh who happens to be a doctor.  He has 4 kids that he sent to live 1.5 hours away from his home so they would have the opportunity for good schools and a college education.  They all live together in a one bedroom house with a living room-that’s it!  But they are able to go to school and are all doing well.  He told us that when he was little the Khmer Rouge killed his entire family except for him.  He was put in a refugee camp at a young age.  As he grew up he worked very hard in school, so he was given the opportunity to go to Canada to study to be a doctor by a Christian organization.  He knew little English which all the professors spoke, so he would spend half the night studying medicine and the other half studying English!  He said maybe 3-4 hours a night of sleep for 5 years!  That puts my Med School experience to shame.  I thought they were speaking a different language, but I was assured it was English.  Anyway, he came home after his internship in Thailand and started his career in 1992.  He is married with 4 children and is able to provide them a very good life and education.  They are his only family!  He is Buddhist, but he told us he thanked the Living God for giving him the opportunity to become a doctor.  His daughter is now a Christian thanks to CGI and she is working on him as well!   His parting words were very unCambodian.  He said he raised his kids to always work hard and be trustworthy, work hard at school and work hard at your job, get experience and have honor in everything.  In a land of Buddhism, selfishness, deceit, and hopelessness, he is who we are here to help!  Jaime got to go to their home village in January and deliver water filters and school uniforms.  Hopefully we can go back to do a medical clinic someday and teach the people about hygiene and sickness.  What a story!  I am so thankful for my family.  I pray we can give back to other families like this since we are so blessed.  How about your story?  Can you thank the Living God for where he has put you?

In Him,

Jeremy