“I feel so worried because my foot is getting bigger and bigger. It is causing me so much pain. I have a tumor in my foot. I have no solution. I feel so disappointed.”

Sreyda is just one of the 15 million individuals in need of proper healthcare treatment in the country of Cambodia. According to recent studies, there is an average of one doctor to every 4,300 people and one hospital bed for every 1,400 patients in Cambodia. Access to a proper healthcare system has never been an option for many Cambodians.

Realizing this challenge, the Seventh-day Adventist Church established an Urban Center of Influence, or UCI, in the city of Battambang. The UCI’s aim is to help improve people’s health and lifestyle in this region.

“As Jesus taught us how to live a better life, we want to use this place to share with people how to have a better life and encourage them to learn about Jesus Christ”

“In this center of influence, we have a vegetarian restaurant where people not only just come to enjoy the healthy food, but we want to teach them how to prepare healthy food for themselves. We have an educational center where we can teach them Korean and English, and maybe Chinese and Japanese, where people can learn different languages. Also, we provide a music program. We want to teach them violin and piano. We want to equip them with musical education.”

“We also have a medical and dental clinic where people can come and be treated, like Jesus healed the people. We also have a worship center where people can come and worship God together in this center.”

While the UCI is still under construction, volunteers are beginning to build bridges in the community through various outreach programs. Every day, volunteers visit people who are sick to provide medical assistance, companionship, and prayer. These opportunities allow them to share the gospel with the sick, many of whom are inspired by these messages as they experience the process of healing.

“After the doctor declared that the surgery was done, I was so happy! oNothing can compare to the joy that I felt when I knew they finished the operation on my foot, and knowing that everything will be just fine, and I don’t need to deal with the same issue again. I’m so happy! So they visited me and cleaned me up every day. My life was changed. I was so happy! No words can describe how happy I am right now.”

Let’s continue to pray for our volunteers and for our Urban Center of Influence project in Battambang, Cambodia.