By James L. LambertJournal Chrétien (Christian Journal)
Kiri Nguon’s primary calling in life used to be delivering the ball past the outstretched arms of the defending goalie, into the net. Now he is ready to return to his native Cambodia to deliver a different message that has far greater implications : eternal salvation through Jesus Christ.
A survivor from the brutal Khmer Rouge reign of terror, Kiri returns this summer to the land of his birth as a Christian missionary. When Kiri was 17 years old, a high honor was bestowed upon him when he was selected to be a member of his country’s national soccer team. The team competed internationally and represented the nation of Cambodia throughout Asia.
But in the Spring of 1975, things changed radically for the budding soccer star as the Khmer Rouge came into power and a dark cloud descended over the small country of seven-million people. While previously the regimes of both Cambodia and neighboring Vietnam had communist governments, the Khmer Rouge was known for its brutal tactics and abuse. Their leader, Pol Pot, and his cronies garnered control over the country by intimidating and eliminating all "opponents" of their regime — many of whom were more imaginary than real. Government officials would often accuse people of political crimes when no such crimes existed.
The regime forced thousands to flee the capital city of Phnom Penh to perform agricultural work. During the purge, hundreds of thousands were tortured and killed. Cambodians with any social prestige or stature prior to the Khmer Rouge’s ascent to power were viewed suspiciously — and that included Kiri Nguon.
Kiri’s position as a nationally recognized soccer player forced him to leave Cambodia and flee to Vietnam in June 1975, where he became a fisherman. His athletic talent was soon recognized and he began to play soccer professionally. But in 1979, the communist government of Vietnam declared war on the Khmer Rouge. That declaration put the young soccer player in a bind because his nation of origin had now become Vietnam’s enemy. With his life in danger once again, he had to escape.
Kiri decided to escape to Thailand — through Cambodia. He knew it would be a perilous journey. Traveling by foot, bicycle, and automobile, Kiri moved past war-torn towns and provinces controlled by the Khmer Rouge and the communist army of Vietnam. The experience was not only terrifying for Kiri, but opened his eyes to the extreme cruelty of humans against their own countrymen.
Miraculously, after a number of weeks of travel, Kiri found his way to a Thai refugee camp in December 1979. There Christian missionaries found Kiri, and soon thereafter he committed his life to Christ. Less than two years after his conversion to Christ — and with the assistance of a missionary group — a sponsor was found for Kiri. The sponsor paid for his trip to Providence, Rhode Island, where he worked in a church that was attended by many from his former country.
For the next four years, Kiri learned about his new-found faith and studied the Bible. His days in Cambodia and on the soccer field seemed so far away. Ultimately, Kiri was assigned to a position as assistant pastor of a large Christian and Missionary Alliance Church in Santa Rosa, California. Two years later he moved into the leadership role he holds today as pastor of a small church in San Diego, California.
Throughout his time in America, Kiri has remembered his native land — a land that is considered one of the poorest on earth. It is estimated that Cambodia’s gross national product is only $3.1B annually ; and the country is ranked by the United Nations in the lowest economic tier (130th out of 162 nations) with the average Cambodian earning only $2 a day.
With so much poverty and suffering, Kiri believes it is important for him to return permanently to the country of his birth, where only 1-2% of the population is Christian. He plans to leave for Cambodia this summer with the vision of starting a sports ministry in the mold of Athletes in Action — something he believes has never been done before in that Southeast Asian country.
Individuals interested in helping Kiri fulfill his dream of forming a sports ministry and reaching the Cambodian people for Christ can send tax-deductible donations to International Church Missions, P.O. Box 1198, Vista, CA 92085 (re : Kiri Nguon).
A survivor from the brutal Khmer Rouge reign of terror, Kiri returns this summer to the land of his birth as a Christian missionary. When Kiri was 17 years old, a high honor was bestowed upon him when he was selected to be a member of his country’s national soccer team. The team competed internationally and represented the nation of Cambodia throughout Asia.
But in the Spring of 1975, things changed radically for the budding soccer star as the Khmer Rouge came into power and a dark cloud descended over the small country of seven-million people. While previously the regimes of both Cambodia and neighboring Vietnam had communist governments, the Khmer Rouge was known for its brutal tactics and abuse. Their leader, Pol Pot, and his cronies garnered control over the country by intimidating and eliminating all "opponents" of their regime — many of whom were more imaginary than real. Government officials would often accuse people of political crimes when no such crimes existed.
The regime forced thousands to flee the capital city of Phnom Penh to perform agricultural work. During the purge, hundreds of thousands were tortured and killed. Cambodians with any social prestige or stature prior to the Khmer Rouge’s ascent to power were viewed suspiciously — and that included Kiri Nguon.
Kiri’s position as a nationally recognized soccer player forced him to leave Cambodia and flee to Vietnam in June 1975, where he became a fisherman. His athletic talent was soon recognized and he began to play soccer professionally. But in 1979, the communist government of Vietnam declared war on the Khmer Rouge. That declaration put the young soccer player in a bind because his nation of origin had now become Vietnam’s enemy. With his life in danger once again, he had to escape.
Kiri decided to escape to Thailand — through Cambodia. He knew it would be a perilous journey. Traveling by foot, bicycle, and automobile, Kiri moved past war-torn towns and provinces controlled by the Khmer Rouge and the communist army of Vietnam. The experience was not only terrifying for Kiri, but opened his eyes to the extreme cruelty of humans against their own countrymen.
Miraculously, after a number of weeks of travel, Kiri found his way to a Thai refugee camp in December 1979. There Christian missionaries found Kiri, and soon thereafter he committed his life to Christ. Less than two years after his conversion to Christ — and with the assistance of a missionary group — a sponsor was found for Kiri. The sponsor paid for his trip to Providence, Rhode Island, where he worked in a church that was attended by many from his former country.
For the next four years, Kiri learned about his new-found faith and studied the Bible. His days in Cambodia and on the soccer field seemed so far away. Ultimately, Kiri was assigned to a position as assistant pastor of a large Christian and Missionary Alliance Church in Santa Rosa, California. Two years later he moved into the leadership role he holds today as pastor of a small church in San Diego, California.
Throughout his time in America, Kiri has remembered his native land — a land that is considered one of the poorest on earth. It is estimated that Cambodia’s gross national product is only $3.1B annually ; and the country is ranked by the United Nations in the lowest economic tier (130th out of 162 nations) with the average Cambodian earning only $2 a day.
With so much poverty and suffering, Kiri believes it is important for him to return permanently to the country of his birth, where only 1-2% of the population is Christian. He plans to leave for Cambodia this summer with the vision of starting a sports ministry in the mold of Athletes in Action — something he believes has never been done before in that Southeast Asian country.
Individuals interested in helping Kiri fulfill his dream of forming a sports ministry and reaching the Cambodian people for Christ can send tax-deductible donations to International Church Missions, P.O. Box 1198, Vista, CA 92085 (re : Kiri Nguon).
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