by Colleen Louw, ASAP Communication Coordinator

On a crowded street in Phnom Penh’s Steung Meanchai district, where the smell of burning trash lingers, and survival is a daily battle, 72-year-old Mrs. Yim Sokheng quietly went about her work. Each day, she sifted through garbage, earning just enough to pay for a small, rented room and a little food. Life had taught her how to endure, but not how to hope.

Two months ago, everything changed.

ASAP medical missionary Chin Saroun was on her way to visit a patient when she noticed the elderly woman. Frail and unsteady, Mrs. Sokheng clung to anything nearby to keep from falling. Sensing that something was wrong, Saroun stopped, offered her water, and gently began talking with her. When asked if she needed help, her reply was simple: “Yes, please.”

Mrs. Sokheng explained that she had no official documents to verify her poverty, something required to receive free medical care. Despite the obstacles, Saroun reassured her and brought her to the church, where they prayed and gave her basic medicine. But her condition did not improve. She needed urgent care.

With no money and no guarantee of treatment, the team prayed for God’s intervention. At the hospital, a nurse quickly admitted her to the emergency room. After the examination, Saroun explained the situation to the doctor and asked for time to secure the necessary paperwork. The doctor agreed to wait. By God’s grace, the village chief provided a poverty certificate, which the hospital accepted, covering her medical expenses. After her discharge, her health steadily improved.

Yet the most profound healing happened beyond the hospital walls.

Today, Mrs. Sokheng is not only recovering physically but also experiencing new life spiritually. Once easily angered and hardened by years of hardship, she now attends church faithfully with her granddaughter. She is studying the Bible, growing in her faith, and preparing for baptism this August.



One act of compassion became the beginning of transformation, showing how God’s love, lived out in action, can truly change a life.