If you missed the post about how we met Timothy* and his radical story I highly encourage you to take a moment to read it. You can click on the link here: Six Years and Counting.
The few weeks following Timothy's salvation and baptism were very interesting. There are two things that stood out to Ward and I the most.
1. Timothy lived in fear of everything around him.
He was 17 and was living in the home of two devout Buddhist parents. His mom visited the monks a few times a week and would bring home food that had been offered as a sacrifice for the family to eat. She was very involved in her religious activities and his family hated Christians. Timothy was terrified that his mom would find out that he was a Christian. He knew that if she found out then he would be kicked out of his home, and that thought invoked panic and fear into everything he did. When we would go out to study the Bible together he would make sure we sat far away from the windows for fear that someone he knew would see him with us. When we would walk down the street he would follow about twenty yards behind us so that no one would think we were together. No matter where he went there was this lurking feeling that at any moment he would be caught. This is how it was for quite awhile, but there was something else we noticed too...
2. Timothy had an unquenchable hunger to learn more about the Lord.
Despite all of his greatest fears, Timothy refused to let them stand in the way of his pursuit of the Lord. He stayed up late waiting for his parents to go to sleep and then he would read his Bible all night. When his parents would leave the house he would anoint the doors of his house with oil, and pray for the blood of Jesus to cover his home. He met us everyday for Bible study and was passionate to learn everything he could as quickly as possible.
Several months later there was a moment of collision between these two beliefs. Timothy was faced with a decision that he knew would change his life forever. At the end of the school year, when the exams are given (the equivalent of our SAT's) parents will take their children to the temple to be prayed for by the monks or by a "seer" (psychic or black magic) so that they would be blessed to do well on their exams. Timothy did not want to go to this ceremony, he said that he was a Christian and he did not want to submit to the black magic anymore, but he knew his mom would ask him to go. He had discussions with us about this and we tried to seek the Lord for wisdom. Because Cambodian culture is very different than American culture, it was not as simple as just saying no. In their culture you are to honor your parents (no matter your age) and do what they ask, to say no to something is extreme dishonor. So this was a very sensitive situation.
However! Timothy heard the Lord for himself. He felt like he was to tell his parents that he was a Christian, which meant he had to confront one of his fears head on. We were all expecting a strong reaction of rage and that he would be kicked out of his home. Yet he obeyed the Lord, and he told them. God told him that he was to show his parents unconditional love and honor. He did this by cleaning the house, being obedient to his mother, and blessing them financially when he could. At the time of the ceremony Timothy felt that he was supposed to be obedient and show honor by going with his family to be blessed. When he did so, he prayed the whole time. They went down the line and blessed and predicted the future for each of his family members. When they got to Timothy, the man said that he could not see anything because there was a bright light that was blocking him from being able to predict anything for him! How good is our God!!! God allowed Timothy to be obedient and honor his parents, but also protected him and allowed his family to see that the power of our God is greater than any power of darkness! God's glorious light shines brighter.
This was a huge turning point, Timothy's parents now knew that he was a Christian and though they didn't support it they respected his decision. Another miracle!
I felt led to share this because I want everyone to see the power of our relationship with God. The Bible tells us that perfect love casts out fear, and we have been privileged to watch this first hand though the life of Timothy*. Where fear once consumed everything, love now abounds!
Since the day when we first brought Timothy* to church it has been one year...
He now works for us as an ambassador of the Kingdom in Cambodia. He volunteers assisting one of the pastors of that church learning how to do pastoral care for people in his community. He is no longer afraid to speak to people or to share the love of God with any and everyone he meets. As a matter of fact he has led outreaches in the slums, schools, and even prisons. He is so passionate about his relationship with God and he longs to see God's love shape and transform Cambodia. The greatest testimony of all is that he continues to honor and share the love of God with his family. We are continuing to partner with him in prayer for the salvation of his family, and the outpouring of God in Cambodia.
We are so blessed to be able to know and to work with Timothy* as he works out his salvation. His hunger and passion for the Lord inspires us constantly. There is so much available to us when we pursue the Lord with reckless abandon, leaving behind every fear and every worldly expectation that is put on us. If you are struggling to follow what the Lord has called you to do because you feel the pull of worldly expectations holding you back.. (job, finances, family, etc.) just know that God is bigger than any obstacle that you might face. His plans often make no sense to us but the end result is something so much better than we could have ever imagined on our own. I hope that this testimony encourages you to take the step of faith even in the face of your greatest fears. He is faithful, and I promise that as you lean into His calling and plans that He will never let you down!
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| Timothy* on outreach |
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| Timothy* with the Pastor of New Life Church in Phnom Penh |
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| Timothy* eating with our missionary friends in Cambodia |
Timothy*= Name changed for protective purposes
With much love and many blessings,
Arie Farrior
