Summing up Pheaps journey during her master’s degree.
I graduated for more than a month now and still can’t believe it. I could never have thought that I accomplished this with my own strength, ways and resources. I love studying but studying while caring for a two-year- old son and having to travel so often, not to mention having difficulty with visas all the time, was hard to stay motivated. I am so thankful to God and everyone who came along my journey and believed in me. Your prayers and support helped me continue despite the adversaries and difficulties. I am going to wrap up each intensive with a phrase I believe God was teaching me personally;
Photo of Sopheap Graduating.
Intensive one - June 2021
God is good, and He loves to surprise us.
The first intensive was the toughest one because my mother was so sick and died a month before I had to go to America. We applied for the US visa for the whole family as we want to go together as a family and we got our visa granted on the first try which surprised everyone because the US embassy usually won’t grant visa for the whole family. This is really a God’s story. We took a big risk going to America while we have no idea how to come back to Cambodia. We didn’t have all the money required for traveling as it was Covid pandemic which was a $2000 quarantine, school fee, accommodation, food, traveling costs, all we had were flight tickets there and back. We got all the money, debt free, on the second week of our time in America. I said this “I believe that God can do it but I am still amazed that He would do it for us”. Patryk always tells people this, “our Campus leader always says; we cannot see God’s size miracle unless we take God’s size risk”. He was so good to us. It was too good to believe but it had happened. I said in one month, I experienced both the bottom of the valley and the monthian top. His love is beyond comprehension.
Intensive two - November 2021
God is with me. Trust in the Lord with all your heart
For the second intensive, I had to travel to Mazalant, Mexico for two weeks. We made a tough decision that Patryk and Jayden will not accompany me this time because of finance and health reasons. There were so many reasons that I shouldn’t go, like my visa being granted so late, the class had started two already, I haven’t gotten the flight ticket and Patryk wasn’t feeling well. I didn’t want to leave Patryk to take care of Jayden alone when he wasn’t feeling well, himself. My school leaders said I can be late as long as I come, I could listen to the teaching later. I went through LAX to go to Mexico, but when I arrived in LAX, I got a message from Patryk that he had tested Covid positive. My heart skipped a beat when I read it, I did not know what to do. “Patryk told me that don’t worry, he could take care of Jayden” and I know he could but I wanted to be with them when they were sick. I had to learn to let go of my control and trust in Jesus. Throughout my whole trip, the verse “trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not your own understanding” was coming up to me again and again. I went through the whole two weeks, learning so much from both the intensive and the travel. I have to let go of my control and trust in Him. God is faithful.
Intensive three - March 2022
God is able.
South Africa was my 3rd location and it was so hard to get the visa. The company that promised to do the visa had failed me almost at the last minute but she found a friend who was willing to help her. Because of Covid, the consulate worked only half a day and did not respond to email promptly. I tried to contact them everyday by email, call, and Facebook messenger. I felt at times not easy in doing it but I was reminded of a scripture in Luke “But I tell you this-though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence.” I am glad I did write emails again and again because when they responded back to me on Wednesday the week before the class started. Because they responded too late and a certain paper had already expired and because of the public holiday that will take place the next day, they wouldn’t able to process my visa but because I was persistent in my request, they said if I can the new document they will get it done that day even though after working hour. Long strong short, I was able to get the new needed document, and after an hour of waiting her 17 day visa was granted at 6pm on that day. It was a rainy day and our friend drove in the rain for us. It was a public holiday the next two days in Thailand. This was such a miracle! Now, another problem because to send my passport from Thailand to Cambodia will take a week, and they were not express service. This means, I would be late for my class but I felt that it would be coming earlier than that. Sure enough it came in just two days, so I got the flight ticket that day then flew the next day. Through the whole time of the visa process God gave me a phrase to hold on to, “He is able!”. I am glad I have friends who are willing to go an extra mile to help me and how God came through in miraculous ways.
This trip started with almost not getting to class on time and ended with not being able to come home because I was tested covid positive. So by the time I got home it was more than a month already which was really hard on our family. However, we are thankful to God for being with us all through the process.
Intensive four - June 2022
God is my provider.
This intensive was in Battambang, Cambodia, my home. I am so thankful that this time our intensive was in Cambodia because I didn’t think I would have the strength to go through the visa process and covid requirements for another country. This was the only intensive that I could join the whole program from the start to the end. FYI, I was one day late in my 1st intensive, one week late in my 2nd intensive, one morning late for the 3rd intensive, (spoiler alert) I couldn’t join my 5th intensive at all. Not only did I get to join everything in the program but I was blessed with all the fees that came in and even more for the next intensive. God is truly my provider and my pamper. He spoiled us or actually, He just cares for us so much!
Intensive five - September 2022
God never failed.
You got the spoiler up there already, I did not make it to Costa Rica. It wasn’t my choice, as a matter of fact I did all I could to go but it did not work. So, it started with a super easy visa granted, it was a US visa as I could use it to fly in Costa Rica for free and I can’t get a Costa Rica visa because the closest Costa Rica Embassy is in Singapore. So, I began my trip by nearly missing my bus. Then I discovered I had missed my flight to the United States, and since I had missed the first flight, I had also missed the second flight to Costa Rica! As a result, I booked two new tickets to Costa Rica and was able to cancel the original one with a partial refund.
So, I flew to LAX, then went to Costa Rica, but was rejected at the border! Within 45 minutes, I was back on the same flight to LAX. There are some changes in the US government that I wasn’t aware of. Anyone who wants to use a US visa to enter Costa Rica needs to have a three-month US visa or they won’t be allowed into Costa Rica. I had it, but a new change was that they don’t stamp your passport anymore, so I didn’t have proof to show that she had a three-month visa. It was so upsetting. I was so worried that the US immigration police would not let me back into the country because I had just entered their country 24 hours ago, to my surprise the immigration police it was hilarious that Costa Rica did not allow me in and I had to stay in LAX and join classes via zoom. I got picked up from the airport by a friend of a friend to stay with the family of my school leader. They are very lovely and have two kids who were such a comfort to me. I was thankful beyond for this family who was once a stranger but now a friend. This trip was filled with injustice, I cried a lot but I know I did not cry alone. I felt God was so near and I knew it was not my fault and God did not fail me. Darlen Cunningham said in this intensive; “you never face the real obstacle until you meet the enemy of your destiny”. Now considering all that occurred to her over the previous intensive, I could truly state that I have fought the battle and have not given up. I am grateful for the opposition because the last intensive concentrated on remaining in Jesus; His teachings, love, and joy. This matched my battles perfectly since, despite all the hardships and barriers, I had to trust Him more than ever before.
Graduation
God is faithful.
Thesis is done and it was time to go to Kona to do the oral exam followed by the graduation ceremony. We had decided to go as a family and we faced a big finance challenge. God has been faithful and we have friends who advocate for us as well. It was quite a journey but we never do it alone. We took the risk to buy one way tickets for us to Kona and only a few days before the date to fly, we only have enough money for the return tickets for us but I have a problem because I need to my tuition fee and if I don’t pay even if I go there I couldn’t be graduate either. Just as I was thinking maybe I shouldn’t go and just put all the money to pay all the school fee, I got the message from my school leader that the family that hosted me while I couldn’t join the Costa Rica intensive will pay all my debt, the last school fee, and the accommodation for our family while we in Kona. I was so overwhelmed by the generosity of the people and the goodness of God. I almost gave up but God remained faithful. Who would have thought that when I faced the injustice of not being able to go to Costa Rica, God is connecting me with people who will make sure I can finish the calling.
Here is the link to my Thesis Presentation https://youtu.be/xJpytP828pA