Bringing Comfort to Hurting People – Divine timing turns an accident into an eternal encounter

As I was sitting inside a small thatch home constructed of wood and braided palm leaves, visiting with a fellow believer and the Samaritan’s Purse Ministry Team, out of the corner of my eye I saw a lady in the narrow “street” pouring cool water down her back. I was shocked to see her back was about 25% covered in fresh, third degree burns with skin peeling off of her badly burned body. Recognizing the lady was in severe pain and had been burned only moments before, a Samaritan’s Purse Ministry Team member approached her to see what happened and offer comfort. While the lady’s injury was tragic, the timing of the Samaritan’s Purse Ministry Team visit was an eternal miracle from God.

Andong is a resettlement community/urban slum on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The people here suffer in abject poverty. The “street” is a narrow passageway only accessible on motorcycle or by foot and is cluttered with litter and pools of polluted water. Samaritan’s Purse has established a **Targeted Child Nutrition Project ( www.samaritanspurse.com.au/project/targeted-child-nutrition-project/ ) in this community to address the severe malnutrition among the children here. I was with the Ministry Team in this community following up with families served by the TCNP team, sharing the Gospel with them, when we encountered Srey Pheak.

 Srey Pheak had been out that morning on her motorcycle trying to sell rice porridge in Phnom Penh hoping to earn a few Riel to support her family.  While she was stopped at an intersection, a car ran into her from behind, splashing her scalding hot pot of porridge onto her back. Having no access to health care she simply returned home to wash her wounds, and to have an eternal encounter. While on that day the Ministry Team could only provide comfort and a referral to a free health care option, we were able to return two days later for a follow-up visit. It was during this follow-up visit that we found that she had been visiting a partner church, but had not accepted Christ. After visiting with Srey Pheak and sharing the Good News of Christ she made a decision to accept Christ as Savior and Lord. Fortunately, she has been receiving medical care for her physical wound, but more importantly, in Christ, she has found the only answer for her spiritual condition, eternal salvation.

**The TCNP is the program where Tricia interns. She spends time each week doing assessment and trainings in these communities as well.