Lydia Heng | Asian Hope

Age: 22
Birthday: May 19
Sophomore
School: Nursing College of India
Major: Nursing

I was born in Kampong Speu province in Cambodia, but I was raised in Sre Ambel. I have three sisters and two brothers. I, myself do not remember my childhood, but my grandma was the one that helped me to recapture my childhood.

I lived most of my life with grandma. I did not spend much time with my parents. When my father died, I was just ten years old. I did not get to know him very well, and I did not get a chance to tell him how much I love him, and then he was gone. I had not gotten over my father’s death yet; my mother remarried and left us all to be with her new husband. My grandma and my aunt had to take care of us since there was no one else wanted to take care of me and my siblings.

Two years after my father’s death, my aunt met Mr. Lowe. Mr. Lowe helped us get to Asian Hope. I lived with twenty-three other kids, plus my siblings in Asian Hope. Every night we did devotions with teacher Chantorn, but I did not understand why they worship Jesus. Six months had passed by, and I missed my family and my two sisters very much. I did not know what to do.

Then I prayed to God . . . if He would bring my sisters to visit me, then I would believe in Him. I waited for two days, but my sisters did not show up. I thought to myself that it was stupid of me to think that Jesus would do this miracle. On the third day, I came home to find that my two sisters were there waiting for me at the house. I was so overwhelmed with joy. That night I asked Jesus to be my Savior, and I was saved.

To me, Asian Hope is the place where I found Jesus, and where I found my new family. I learned to love, to endure, to laugh, and to forgive in this place. Asian Hope is the place that I began my new life in Jesus Christ. This is the place where I found new love that would last for eternity. I know that Asian Hope is not going to be my home forever, but I love it and will treasure it as my home forever.

Read more about Lydia in the August 2009 newsletter.

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