Hello,

My name is Chinda, I was born one morning in January in Cambodia and I am 65.

My parents were Buddhists by culture and by tradition as most people in Cambodia by that time. My father was a senior official, my mother did not work.

We were 11 children in the family : 9 brothers and 2 sisters ! We lived in a quite happy family. I grew up in a cheerful environment. We used to move and travel a lot. And so went my life. Soft and quiet, without any particular concern….

In 1969, one year after getting my “baccalauréat degree” at the French High School in Phnom Penh, I had my father‘s permission to continue my studies in France, more precisely in Montpellier because of its sunny and pleasant weather. Thus, in October the same year, I was able to register in my 1rst year of Bachelor Degree in Modern Literature with options like “Languages and British Civilizations”. I enjoy very much my beginnings at the Faculty of Arts and I love Montpellier which is a great city for students!

6 months after my arrival in France, exactly on March 18th 1970, a Coup d’Etat occurred in Cambodia : King Norodom Sihanouk has been dismissed from his throne ! There is a great confusion in all the country! Cambodia is now under the leadership of a former Khmer General and nobody knows what will really happen to the country….

My father is very quickly sent to UN in New York, as the Representative of Cambodia. I will learn this by a telegram signed by both of my parents and sent from Phnom-Penh. I am overwhelmed by all these events which succeeded one to another. All the Cambodians try to accept this trial as best as they can! We are all a little shocked to learn that the King has been dismissed from his throne ; it could so rarely happen in that small kingdom of Cambodia. It was just unique ! The removal of the god-king!

I will pass the details of the years that followed this dismissal until that famous but however sad April 17th 1975, when the Khmers Rouges took over Phnom-Penh, the capital of Cambodia as we used to call it “The Oasis of Peace” in South-East of Asia….

My parents in the meantime have left New York City and returned back to the country definitely by the end of 1973. After this, I will just say that both of them as well as the majority of my family have been imprisoned and then executed by the Khmers Rouges between 1975 and 1979. I will pass the details about all these executions also….

I knew what was “hell” during almost 30 years. I found myself alone in Montpellier where I tried to continue my studies as best as I could with two of my brothers. We were orphan about everything : our family, our country, our identity and all which could remind us of our past …. Quite a lifetime to review and to reinvent in order to survive in France …. We’ve done all we could to bounce back and face the hard reality of this new life.

But, because there is always a But, which is fabulous in my story and what I want to share with you today is that at this point of my miserable life, around the 80’s, Somebody “saw” me, heard me and with true compassion has saved me by giving me a chance to start a New Life with Him. And this “Somebody” was Jesus!

He appeared in my life in such an amazing way! In 1979, I became mother of a little boy and I was so excited! I’m so proud to be a Mom!

I always dreamed about that and my baby is so beautiful ! I will be able to love him and cherish him with all my heart and with all my soul! I just found The Happiness after so many sufferings and desolation. But once again, fate is against me and against us. Just 18 months after my child’s birth, I fell into a deep depression and I have to be hospitalised urgently. My heart was broken when they took me to the hospital ; I was separated from my son, the doctors stating that I was not any more capable to raise him alone.

At the end, I will spend 12 years far from my child.

But this was the time God chose to come in our lives, in mine and in that of my dear child. The doctors have found a nanny to take care of him during my hospitalizations and it happened that this nanny was simply Christian! Though, it was through this person that Jesus manifested Himself in our lives ! And since we met Him, our life has literally changed! I got out of my depression a long time already, my son is doing well, he has a happy life and we get to see each other very often. I really found Peace within myself and with all the world around me, thanks to God!

If you recognize yourself in my story, don’t hesitate to contact me.

I would be so happy to help you discover what Jesus can do for you.You just have to accept Him in your heart and trust Him ! He really loves you and will never disappoint you. This is one proof!

God Bless you!

Chinda