"God Loves You!"

Three simple words, “God loves you,” captivated Keo’s heart.

Keo’s father died when she was six, and because her mother felt unprepared to raise her, she left Keo with her aunt. Keo experienced feelings of abandonment and a deep desire for love and security. Her aunt raised her to be fully devoted to Buddhism. When Keo grew up, she married a good Buddhist man who loved her deeply.

Then two tragedies struck.

First, one night she and her husband awoke to find their infant daughter convulsing. Tragically, she died on the way to the hospital. Shortly afterward while visiting his home village, her husband suddenly collapsed, dying instantly.

Keo felt totally abandoned once again. What was her purpose in life? Who would love her now?

It was then that Keo overheard a missionary sharing the gospel with her friend. She heard the missionary say, “God loves you,” and was immediately struck by it.

“From childhood, I did not experience true love. I really needed love,” she said. She wanted the love of God the missionary spoke of. Then and there she gave her heart to Christ. She threw away her idols and stopped doing Buddhist rituals. She began reading the Bible daily and started attending weekly Bible studies.

Keo was eventually asked to lead those studies. Eventually, the studies turned into several house churches she rotated through every Sunday. One day the local police detained her at the police station. “Why do you share the gospel?” an officer interrogated her. “You must stop.” In response, Keo boldly shared the gospel with the officer. After she was released, she ignored his warnings, continuing Bible studies and evangelizing.

Keo now coordinates 33 house churches in her province, knowing that loving and serving Christ is worth any cost.

This story is adapted from Barredo, Marlou. “Love of God Transforms Devout Buddhist Into Active Christian.” Advancing Native Missions, January 1, 2020. https://advancingnativemissions.com/love-of-god-transforms-devout-buddhist-into-active-christian/.