Brother Nice Blessing came to Cambodia during one of our most turbulent times. I received him at the airport on April 1, 2011. Around that same period, we had just been asked to leave a house that had been provided to us freely by a Korean missionary due to a misunderstanding. Yet we held on to the promise that all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose.
Brother Nice’s visit came right when we were searching for a new place to stay. By God’s grace, Bro. Gan also sent us funds to meet our needs and even to purchase a Tuk-Tuk, which became a great help for the ministry.
We spent a lot of time in the guest house with Brother Nice while searching for a house to rent. During our stay, Brother Nice discovered a place that sold “Suji,” a dough made from ground rice, similar to what is known in much of Africa as “Fufu.” Traditionally, Fufu in Africa is made from ground cassava rather than rice, but the rice version was a perfect substitute. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal at the Africa Restaurant—it was a special treat, as my wife and I had not eaten this African dish since our travels to Cambodia.
While we were searching for a house, Brother Gan had sent money to a man to renovate his property so that we could stay there instead of renting. The man had traveled to Singapore and had assured the Church that he would do us this favor. We took Brother Nice to see the “glass house.” Although the house looked good, we didn’t feel safe living there. It had no water or electricity and required a generator. It was also quite far from the city and posed risks for foreigners. Furthermore, the man who claimed to own the property was not sincere. We used the house temporarily for worship, but one day he came and said our agreement was over and that we had to leave. The $2,000 given to him was intended to renovate the property and allow us to stay for many years, but he claimed it was only valid for two years. Fortunately, after some years, he contacted Brother Gan and refunded part of the money.
Although the fellowship had been disrupted during his visit and the Korean Centre we used for services was no longer available, we continued holding cell groups in different parts of Trengtroyeung village. We had evangelized extensively in these areas and baptized many people. We decided to take Brother Nice there to preach to the villagers. Many of them, while trying to embrace Christianity, still struggled to separate from Buddhism. Brother Nice’s message was timely and focused on idol worship.
After the meeting, we took a van back to Phnom Penh. A few brothers visited us at the guest house, where Brother Nice gave an exhortation on the “Stature of a Perfect Man.” We also learned a new song from him:
I know the Lord will make a way,
He will make a way for you and me.
If I live a holy life, shun the wrong,
Shun the wrong and do the right,
I know the Lord will make a way.
A few days later, we accompanied him to the airport, where he took Silk Air to Singapore. Brother Nice’s blessing is from Nigeria.
