Healing the Wounds of Abandonment

Being part of a blended family can be very challenging, especially as a very young child.

It’s easy to resent a stepparent or stepchild as the ‘outsider’ or make them a scapegoat for problems in the home. While this kind of tension can be incredibly stressful for anyone, it can be devastating for a child. In an Asian culture like Cambodia's where extra pressure is put on children to observe filial duties and honor their parents, the pressure at home combines with outside culture and becomes crushing. 

Sreyta Sok’s mother died when she was little. Her father remarried, and Sreyta struggled to bond with her stepmother. Her father seemed to resent the situation, and she was often found herself the butt of harsh criticism and poor treatment.

By the time Sreyta reached high school, she was desperate for any way out.

She had an older sister who was living in a different town, and she decided to beg her sister to let her move in and away from her father and stepmother. Her sister agreed, and Sreyta happily left her childhood home. New challenges, however, were ahead.

Over the years, Sreyta had become stubborn and angry. The constant criticism at home had failed to crush her spirit and instead forged it into a bitterly proud and defiant temperament. While getting away from that environment was a relief, she still wasn’t happy.

Her sister sat down with her and told her about this book called the Bible and the God she’d come to know through this book. In the intervening years, her older sister had become a believer. Together, they went to church, and Sreyta began listening to Bible stories.

The thought of a loving, heavenly Father touched her heart and softened it.

Sreyta prayed to God and dedicated herself to him. She joined a Bible study course taught by the church’s pastor, and the hardness in her heart and voice softened. Feeling seen and loved unconditionally was transformational for Sreyta. She began to feel at peace. Her sister and others at church saw her growing joy and willingness to reach out to others and help or encourage them.

Sreyta has also begun sharing what she’s learning about Jesus with her family. “I hope that they will believe in Lord Jesus too. Thank you, pastor and teachers. May God bless you.”

Her journey is so encouraging to us, a young life that has bloomed with new hope in God. Our partners in Cambodia are working hard to help children heal from broken pasts and find hope in Christ. Your support and prayers make a difference for Sreyta and many other children like her!