Cambodia: Church Ministry

In January 2021, a small church plant was launched in Titus and Jewel Romdenh’s home. Within a few weeks only, the gathering grew from nine people to almost twenty and was soon too large to fit comfortably within our living area. We bought another fan, and some began sitting in a hallway. Strict COVID restrictions kept people from attending churches, but our home was open, and a church was planted despite these restrictions.

In May 2022, God provided for us to move our church meetings from our home into a new location. Since that time, four people have been led to Christ, and we have baptized seven young people, welcomed many visitors, and grown in size, now averaging around 25–30 people.

With only one room being used for a sanctuary, we opened three bedrooms for dorm rooms for university students and the fourth bedroom for a study area. Eight young ladies live in our dorm, serve in our church, and attend our weekly Bible studies and English classes. Two of the young ladies recently accepted Christ and we would ask you to pray for all eight girls—that they would be faithful to pursue knowing God deeper and following Christ more closely.

We call our dorm “Dorm of Hope,” as it is a ministry of our church, “Church of Hope.” We will need to rename it “Women’s Dorm of Hope” as we launch our “Men’s Dorm of Hope.” We are thankful for the calling and the opportunity to expand our outreach to young guys moving to Phnom Penh—to students who will become leaders, husbands, and fathers. We want to invest in today’s university students because we want to see more young people discipled to become disciple makers, more communities reached, and eventually to hear the testimonies of their children say, “I grew up in a Christian home.”

We are praying and trusting God as we begin a fundraising campaign to raise $10,000 to open a men’s dorm for university students. The need is great for this ministry because universities do not offer on-campus accommodations, and for students from outside Phnom Penh, the transition to city life can be a huge and dangerous adjustment. The budget of $10,000 will cover the deposit, rent, and utilities for twelve months, as well as basic necessities and furnishings for a kitchen, study room, and three bedrooms for eight total students. $10,000 will provide a home and support for eight young men. $10,000 will empower us to reach and disciple not just eight young men, but eight young men with their own families, friends, and communities. Eight young men who will one day become fathers, husbands, pastors, businessmen, engineers, and leaders.