The Rev. Hor Ponlok planted Kompongsom Bible-Presbyterian Church in Sikanoukville in 2008, 11 years after giving his life to the Lord. It was initially on the grounds of the rural Bible school, before moving the church to the heart of the city. Hor and his wife, Esther, and son Joseph have lived alongside his people in poverty while laboring to spread the gospel and disciple young Christians.
For many years, Pastor Hor labored with little or no outside support. He would drive a pickup truck for dozens of miles over difficult roads to bring children to Sunday school, and through this outreach many adults came to Christ as well. He also was able to respond to several life-threatening medical emergencies for members in his church and unbelievers as well. Twice he brought elderly widows he met during village evangelism outings all the way to the capital, Phnom Penh, staying with them there and taking them to a hospital for treatment.
The church also handed out medications for worms and other parasites, taught basic hygiene and trained several of the women and teen girls to sew and sell items for support, giving them a way to raise funds other than trafficking, scavenging or begging. Now, thanks to God’s grace and your help, Kompongsom B-P Church has a permanent building at a central location in Sihanouk city where regular services are held. Recently he received full ordination as a pastor.
In the following interview, Pastor Hor offered his testimony of how God reached and saved him in a Buddhist country that had been destroyed by the Khmer Rouge of the murderous Pol Pot regime in the infamous “killing fields” of Cambodia:
What was your childhood and early life like?
I was born on June 12, 1979, in the time of Pol Pot and civil war. My father passed away in 1990, when I was grade 3 in Government school. Maybe I am about 11 years old, and my father was killed by Khmer Rouge. I have six brethren, and I have one older sister and three younger sisters but one of my three younger sister was passed way in year 2002 by sickness and another younger brother. I am the second brother in our family, so I had the burden of caring for our family too. There was only my mother to raise us up, and she faced so much difficulty during that time. We tried our best to live through these difficulties.
How did you hear the gospel?
As a poor (impoverished) student after I gave up my study at government school, I tried to find a free English class. I could not pay a fee, and I did not want to add another burden to my family. So I learned English with a missionary, and I did not need to pay. And I took this opportunity to learn English.
This missionary taught English and then he added the Gospel during his teaching. Slowly and slowly I came to believe in Jesus Christ as my personal Savior and God in 1997 during my secondary school. Then I decided to be a full time bible student. I graduated a Diploma of Theology in year 2001. And during that time, I served at village churches as an evangelist until I graduated in 2001. I was a 19 year old boy. I found so many difficulties traveling from my home to Bible school that I asked the missionary to let me stay at Bible School. I thank God so much that this missionary let me stay at Bible school from 1999 to 2001.
When did you decide to become a full-time minister of the gospel?
“In September 2001, God called me to Koh-Kong province to be a full-time evangelist until 2005, and in 2003 God opened His people’s heart to build a church that is called KohKong Hanma Eum Church, in the heart of KohKong city. Everytime I need to travel by boat and it took about four hours from Sihanoukville province. I trusted that God called me to that position, not because I earned it, but by His grace. I felt that I had great responsibility of raising my members in godliness with loving care and respect, and I clung to the qualifications of pastor as in I Timothy 3:1-7.”
What was your challenges while serving the LORD?
“While I was serving the LORD on that Island, I faced many difficulties, as people on this Island feel new with Christianity. I went out every day to sow Gospel seeds, and some local people sit with me to hear my sharing, and some people just left from me. As a young man, I was 23 years old. I went through all these challenges every time when I told the Gospel. On other hand, I had a limitation of finance support, my sponsor supported me with 150 US$ every month. With this 150 US$, I need to cover my personal expenditure and church’s ministry expenditure including a rental fee for a room. Later on I married my wife, so I faced even more difficulties to live as a servant of the Gospel and a steward.
Many times, my wife and I would like to give up our God’s calling. But every time, when we felt like to give up. Church members always come to us and shared encouragement, and even brought food, love’s gifts and prayer, while my wife and I never let them known. And some time strange people just stopped their car and they gave a box noodle, snack so often. That‘s amazing! Therefore my wife and I served the Lord in KohKong Hanma Eun Church until 2005. I want to say that serving the LORD is a hard work and difficult, but there was a joy throuh it and by it.”
What was your further Biblical study?
“Year 2005, God opened a door for me to study at Far Eastern Bible College (Singapore) for two years, and I graduated from this college successfully at the end of 2007. As poor local pastor, I did not have money to process documents, to make passport, or even flight ticket. So my wife decided to sell our marriage rings and her bracelet and even other thing more for me, therefore, I got enough money to do all these things. On the same time, I got a bitter heart and even I dropped my tear to understand my wife’s heart. And I would like to say THANK YOU to my wife.
I flew to Singapore country for Biblical study with 20 US$ that remained in my pocket, and I needed to manage this 20 US$ for one week before new semester started. And on the same time, my wife enrolled a local Bible School in Sihanouk ville, and she did not have any support. She need to work every Saturday for 0.62 US$ every hour. And sometime I sent some money to her too.
After one semester, she gave up her Biblical study. She worked with one missionary at Phnom Penh city, and this missionary support her 60US$ every month. With this 60$, she needed to cover her own expenses and daily food. I thank God that even she got a little support, but she gave tithe to the church, she traveled to church every Sunday, and she volunteered to teach children every Sunday.”
What was your life after you graduate from further Study?
“And then I came back to Cambodia. In year 2007, a Bible School invited me to teach. So I felt that God was calling me to His service again, and he gave a room to stay, free food to eat, and he supported me 150 US$ every month. My wife teach at his primary school, he supported 60 US$ every month too. So we felt that it should be OK. Serving the LORD is not for money, but it is a clean heart. 
Therefore we taught at this school until 2017, but in 2008, this missionary stopped supported my wife and her teaching, and asked us to pay for our food 60 US$ every month too. Now one door was seem closed, but God would open other BIG door. Later on, Moriah B-P Church decide to support us and church’s ministry with 350US$ every month, what is mysterious plan of our God. Since 2009, I started a church inside of Bible school’s campus and I offer free Biblical teaching to Biblical students at this local Bible School. Give all praise to God alone.”
When was your first child born?
I met my wife Esther at a Bible School, where she was a Bible student also. Esther was born in an non-Christian family, but God opened her heart to believe Jesus Christ as her personal Savior and LORD. I met her in 2000 in Bible School, and I married her Dec. 23, 2003. Our son, Hor Joseph, was born Sept. 23, 2009. I thank you SO MUCH that you give me time to share my testimony.”
