Student Sponsorships coming soon
Sophat and Srey Pich are young siblings living in rural Cambodia. They live in a simple house with a dirt floor and three walls of thin roofing sheets. Their parents, who are farmers, earn only enough to survive. Their mother is a member of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church in her area. The idea that her children could receive an Adventist education seemed unfathomable until recently.
For more than 30 years, Tim and Wendy Maddocks and their family have been missionaries in Siem Reap, Cambodia. God has called their family to various ministry projects, including training and church planting, media ministry, an orphanage, a butterfly garden, and a school.
Adventist International School Siem Reap (AISS) is a K-12 boarding school with a true education focus. God has blessed this school, and many of its students from both Buddhist and Adventist backgrounds have come to accept Jesus as their Savior.
Challenges with Government Schools
Like Sophat and Srey Pich, many Adventist families are poor and cannot afford a private education.
Many end up attending local government schools. These schools typically operate on the Sabbath, and many require students to bow before images of Buddha. High teacher-student ratios often lower the standard of learning.
Opening Doors for SDA Students
God has inspired Tim and Wendy to invite SDA students to attend AISS for $200 annually ($17 per month), including room and board. This figure is lowered, sometimes to zero, for families in need.
At the start of this program, SDA children were required to be 11 years old to stay in the dorm. Those coming from government school backgrounds were as many as three years behind their peers.
Last year, Tim and Wendy decided to open the program to students as young as six. Rather than the dormitories, the younger children live in homes with house parents who give them special care and attention. These students receive nutritious food, morning and evening worships, and Bible classes to help them grow in their knowledge of Christ.
When Tim visited Sophat and Srey Pich’s home, he knew they could only attend AISS through God’s provision. Although their parents were happy for their children to receive a free education and housing at AISS, they worried they would not have enough gas money to take their children the 62 miles to the school and pick them up for breaks. Thankfully, God has enabled Sophat and Srey Pich to travel to the school and visit their parents.
Sophat and Srey Pich recently finished their first year at AISS. They made good grades and were happy to practice the English they had been learning.
Testimony
Sokchann is entering 10th grade and has attended AISS for over five years. She comes from a difficult family background, so AISS has given her stability and an opportunity to learn about God. She has adopted AISS as her home and lives in the dorm year-round. She is a considerate, hard-working young woman who enjoys art class and learning about Jesus. God provides for her education, and during school breaks, she works at Butterfly Paradise to earn money for personal needs.
Tim expects around 150 students, including 17 orphans, to need full or partial sponsorships this coming school year to attend AISS.
Jesus for Asia is in the process of setting up a student sponsorship program where donors can select specific students to support and connect with. Lord willing, the program will be ready by 1st quarter of 2025.
Until then, please pray for God to continue to provide the school fees for Sokchann, Sophat, Srey Pich, and other worthy SDA students.
If God is impressing you to be an avenue of support for these students, please click the button below. If you are interested in participating in the sponsorship program, please leave a note on your donation, and when the program is ready to launch, you can be among the first to pick your student to sponsor.