Back To School

This is the first year since I've moved to Poipet that it's been dry enough for public schools to start back at the scheduled time of October 1. I see kids walking to school or riding new bicycles. They seem to wear their new uniforms with pride. I spoke with Titus this week about his experiences at school and his hopes for starting university on October 10.

My name is Titus and I am 20 years old. There are five people in my family; my mother, my older brother, my younger brother and my younger sister. (We don't have a father.) My mother and my older brother work for two separate NGOs in Poipet. Our combined family income is $330 per month.

When I was small, my mother was the principal of my primary school. I always got good marks and skipped a grade when I was young. I moved to a different school for Grade 7 and stayed at that same school until I finished Grade 12 in 2011. My best subjects in Grade 11 and 12 were Khmer, English, Geography and Social Studies. I wasn't so good at Maths.

My whole family became Christians in 2003.

When I first started High School, my older brother and I were the only Christians in our whole school. In Grade 9, I went to a conference about how to share the Gospel. I decided that I wanted to share faith with the people at my school. It wasn't easy at first. At school they teach Buddhism. One day, a teacher asked if anyone in the class was a Christian. It was difficult to stand up and say that I'm a Christian but I did acknowledge that I was a believer. Then the teacher asked me to explain Jesus' teaching, "If someone hits you on the cheek, you should turn the other cheek." I said that this was about not taking revenge, but being kind and gentle, even to your enemies. The teacher then asked, "Do you believe this?" I said, "Yes." Then they said that they were going to hit me in front of the class to test whether I really believed. Eventually, nobody dared hit me. But it was a difficult test. I felt humiliated but it also make me stronger in my convictions.

After a while, a small group of people in my school became Christians. Then some students who were already Christians changed schools to study at the same High School as me. Now I would say that there are about fifty students who believe. I have also shared faith with some teachers and invited them to church activities, such as Christmas outreach programs.

This year I will start a Bachelor of General Management at Build Bright University in Svai Sisophon. Before I decided to study there, I didn't know where I would stay. However, I found out about a small dormitory run by a church. There is a room for four students and we don't have to pay rent.. just electricity and utilities. They have some land and a small dam, so we can catch fish, plant vegetables or raise some animals (e.g. chickens). I don't have much experience in agriculture or gardening, but I hope I can learn some new skills from the other guys! Maybe the best thing about finding out about the dorm is that I now have friends in Sisophon. Actually, these guys have received my like a brother, not just a friend. If I wasn't a Christian, I wouldn't have these blessings. So I think that this is a huge gift from God!

I hope that in my first year of university I can focus on my studies and also share my faith. In the four years that it will take me to complete my degree, my goal is to see myself in the graduation cap and gown, receiving my certificate. I want to make my family and friends proud!