Stories of Hope

We have seen so many lives transformed through the power of God’s love and the partnership of His people. His EVERLASTING LOVE will truly never fail!

Below you will find brief testimonies we’ve received from some of the women in our Everlasting Love Program. Our prayer is that you will be encouraged by their stories of hope. If you are a partner with this ministry, then you share in this fruit! And if this ministry is new to you, we want you to know you can be Jesus' hands and feet in changing more lives simply by purchasing items on this website, or by clicking here to give.

Be encouraged by these stories of hope...

My life hasn't been easy. I have had many men abuse me. The men would beat me and rape me. If I didn't want to have sex with them they would hurt me. I felt so hopeless. I tried to kill myself by taking a lot of pills and another time I tried hanging myself. I didn't want to live anymore.

When I was little my step-mom beat me so badly, and when I was older my mom sold me to a strange man. That man sold me to be a sex slave; I was sold over and over again. Then I was sold to a guard, and he sold me to his friends.  One time 8 men raped me at the same time. I tried to bow down to them and beg for mercy, but they didn't listen. It was very difficult for me. I felt worthless and weak.

These are just a few of the things that happened to me. I used to think about my problems all the time and cry in my room, but each day gets easier, as I forget more and more of what happened. God has helped me to overcome. I look back now and see how valuable I am and now know I have a better future. I have a job and my son is safe.

Don't forget that you are so important and valuable.

Love,

Your Cambodian Sister

My husband went to work in another country, because people told him there were good jobs there, but when he was there they forced him to work on a fishing boat. They forced him to take drugs so he could work longer and harder, but they never gave him any money for the work he did. He was gone for eight months and while there, had to live and work as a slave. I had to go everyday wondering if he was still alive . . . had they killed him? Was he all right? I didn't know what to do.

I had three daughters, no job, and no money. What was I to do? I started working at a bar and the customers always touched my body and wanted me to get drunk. But I didn’t have any income, no education, and no skills . . . I felt I had no other way.  I felt awful, and I hated myself. Why was I working there? But I had no other choice . . .  I needed to feed my family. My heart felt broken. Soon after, I met someone who helped me buy milk for my baby, and she encouraged me and spoke kind words to me. She made me see I had value and a future. 

Please stay strong and remember to hold onto hope. Before our team of women here had broken hearts and had been abused, but now we have hope and love. I want you to know that you are so valuable and you will have that forever, and you, too, will overcome!

Love,

Your Cambodian Sister

My father kicked me out of the house, because he didn't love me. . . . I never went to school.

When I was 18, someone lied to me and forced me to have sex with customers. He sold me over and over for three years. I tried to run away and go home, but my family rejected me and I had to go back to the city and sell myself for money. I did that for one year, then met my husband and had two kids.

My husband wanted me to go work in another country. But I was ticked! My boss there was evil and hurt me. He treated me like an animal and kept me locked in a room. I never had a lot of food to eat. They would hit me until I bled with electrical wires, if I did something wrong. 3 months later I was sick. I wanted to go home, but they wouldn't help me. I wanted to die. I felt hopeless. I thought that if I died no one would care. My husband didn't believe they were hurting me, and I thought I would never see my kids again. I was a slave. I had no freedom. They cut my hair short. I felt worthless. I finally escaped a year later.

My life now has forever changed. I used to have a broken heart, but now I have a job and I can care for my two kids. They are going to school and teach me what they learn. I wasn’t able to go to school . . . I had no skills . . . I never learned to read or write, but my kids will have a different life.  My life now is different. God has given me a bright future.

Be brave. Never give up. I have overcome and so can you.

Love,

Your Cambodian Sister

I am a woman who used to work in the bar. I used to always feel broken on the inside. I was selling my body for money. The men looked down on me and would always treat me like an animal. They forced me to have sex with them and to do things that I didn't want to do. They raped me over and over. I did this kind of work to support my family, because we didn't have any money. But I didn't want to live any more; I felt so hurt.

One time, my heart was stressed and I wanted to kill myself. I thought maybe I could run in front of a car, but I couldn't. The day I tried to commit suicide, there was a man who drove a taxi who took me out of that situation and encouraged me.

It got me thinking I was better than this. I needed to be strong and stand up for myself. Soon after, I was filled with hope and knew that one day I would get out of this life.

Another day, it came true. I had a new opportunity. I learned a job and a skill!

Please hold onto hope.  Don't allow the situations you face break your heart. It may hurt for a time, but good days are coming.

Love,

Your Cambodian Sister

I came to work in the city of Phnom Penh, but I didn't know where I was going. When I got to the city, they took me to sell me. I was sold as a slave. They beat me and put me in a room. They told me that I had to sleep with customers. I screamed "KILL ME. I won't ever do that!!"

Soon after, I was able to escape, but when I arrived home I was afraid to tell my husband what had happened.  So, I only told him that I was working in a factory and didn’t tell him that they held me as a slave.

My family was living in poverty, and we had to borrow a lot of money ($1,000 USD) to pay for his time in the hospital when he was in a motorcycle accident. So, we decided to go to another country to find work. But when we arrived, they forced us to work on a farm. Now we were both held as slaves. We worked long days, and they would drug our water so that we couldn't sleep and would work even harder. The owners of the farm threatened us and said that if we didn't do what they wanted they would call the police. We didn't have a passport and would go to prison . . . we were scared.

We asked for our money, but they never gave it to us. They never gave us much food to eat either . . . finally I couldn’t take it any more and I ran away. 10 of us ran away that day. 

When we returned, my husband just got drunk and didn't want to help the family. We decided it was best to return to Thailand again to look for work and to sell our 5 year-old son. We needed money to pay the debt and thought our son would have a better life . . . maybe he would go to a rich family who would give him food and care for him. I hoped he would have a better life.  I thought after we sold our son we would have enough money to pay the people we owed money.  I never was happy and wanted to die. I wanted my mother and father-in-law to care for my son, but they wouldn't. My parents didn't love me and didn't want to help with my baby either. 

Now I work at a place that encourages me, and I feel happy with the women surrounding me here. We laugh and I always feel good. My kids are safe here, and they can go to school.

Please stand strong.  God helped me to release my pain, and the same can happen for you. Be brave . . . God is with you.

Love,

Your Cambodian Sister

[My family was] poor, and I had to make money for myself, so I went to work with my neighbor. I worked as a waitress, but I met one man there. He told me "I love you," and I believed him. I went out with him, and we had sex together one time, then I never saw him again.

I got pregnant, and after three months I called the man who got me pregnant, and he replied, "I am not responsible for your baby." I was so broken. I wanted to kill myself. I felt so much shame, I was so embarrassed. When I told my sister about all my problems she was so mad at me, but she still encouraged me. She told me I had done wrong, but we can stand and be strong no matter our circumstances.

I got really sick after that. I had tuberculosis and wasn't able to work in the bar anymore. I became really weak and struggled to breathe. I felt hopeless. I was so hurt from my past. I couldn't care for the baby, so I had an abortion. It hurt so bad. I wanted to keep it but thought I had no other choice. When I had the abortion I thought it was good for me, because I can be a new person, but I didn't know this kind of pain. I still regret my choice to kill my baby. I cry thinking about the choices I have made in my life. 

Even if you face many hardships, I want to encourage you. Please stay strong.  Please don't give up . . . keep going. Remember you are strong just like I am strong. Now I have new opportunities for work. I am sewing, and I love what I am doing! I am happy again. God gave me joy, and he will give you joy, as well.

Love,

Your Cambodian Sister

My parents were always really hard on me. They would get so angry with me if I did something wrong. They would yell, and my father would beat me. When I got a job, I went to work with a neighbor friend who worked in a massage parlor. We had to work selling our bodies for sex. There was a client who forced me to go out with him.  He had a lot of money and tried to talk to my boss, so I would go with him. My boss took the money and divided it with the other workers, but I didn't get any of the money.  Still, I had to go with this man.

He lied to me and said he wasn't married. I slept with him and got pregnant immediately, but he said it was not his baby. I was so young, so I chose to abort the baby. I hated this man. I had to make decisions on my own. I tried to call him, but I couldn't talk to him . . . I felt my life would never get any better. I kept it secret from my family and friends. I would go to my room and cry alone. I wanted to kill myself, but my mom encouraged me. I was so broken. I started to drink beer, because I felt I had no hope. My family didn't see my suffering, but I suffered everyday. I was afraid my dad would beat me, but my mom gave me hope. My mom wanted me to forget my past. She told me I had a bright future.

I know our situations may be different, but I want to encourage you to be brave . . . be strong and courageous. All the brokenness and the situations you have faced, but you will overcome.  God helped me to overcome, and you will overcome, as well. I now have a great job and have been trained in a skill.  My life has value, and I have learned love and forgiveness. Try to forgive those who have hurt you so that the pain won’t cover your heart and bring you down.

Love,

Your Cambodian Sister