Standing in front of his Cambodian congregation in central California, Pastor Sophat Sorn’s Sabbath sermon was suddenly interrupted. An unknown woman [who we’ll call Mrs. K.] had just walked in, surrounded by several relatives.
The church members responded with typical hospitality,
saying, “Come up to the pulpit and tell us who you are!”
With great emotion, Mrs. K. began: “I’ve been praying to
God that I could meet the speaker of the radio programs that
I’ve been listening to for three years. I live in Massachusetts,
but I’ve wanted to come see you for a long, long time.”
Mrs. K. had been tuning in to Adventist World Radio’s Cambodian
podcasts—hosted by Pastor Sorn—and they filled her
with such joy that she started recording the programs to share
with her friends. She told them, “This is the true Sabbath!”
At her age, Mrs. K. was not highly technical. She didn’t
have a computer or many tools to capture the programs. But
she used an old VCR recorder to faithfully record the episodes
and send them at her own expense to friends in Massachusetts
and Cambodia.
On this weekend, she was visiting her daughter in southern
California. She asked, “Daughter, can you take me to see
the pastor?”
Her daughter opened a map and said, “Mom, even if we
start now—6 a.m.—the service will already be finished.”
Mrs. K. replied, “Daughter, I have prayed for a long time.
If I only meet with the preacher for five or 10 minutes, that’s
ok with me.”
Pastor Sorn says, “Isn’t that amazing faith? I could see
the power of the Holy Spirit at that moment. He’s working
with people one by one, inspiring them to share the gospel
and multiply.”
Adventist World Radio’s podcasts—produced in more than 100
languages—can richly enhance your outreach to your community.
Access them at awr.org or iTunes.
Shelley Nolan Freesland is Adventist World Radio Communication director at the General Conference world headquarters.
