A Monk in Cambodia
Sam Em was a Buddhist monk in Cambodia — a country where Buddhism is woven into every layer of culture, identity, and daily life. Being a monk wasn't just a spiritual choice; it was one of the most respected positions in Cambodian society. His path was set, his community was defined, and his worldview was complete.
Then he heard a radio broadcast.
The FEBC Signal
The Far East Broadcasting Company (FEBC) has been broadcasting into countries across Asia since 1948, often into places where no missionary could go. Their signal reached Cambodia, and somehow, Sam Em tuned in. The broadcasts were in Khmer, his own language, and they presented something he had never encountered in all his years of Buddhist practice: the person of Jesus.
This wasn't a single dramatic moment. Sam Em listened over a period of time — weeks, possibly months. Each broadcast added something to what he'd heard before. The message was patient, consistent, and completely unlike anything his monastic training had prepared him for. It didn't attack Buddhism. It simply presented a different person and a different way.
The Cost of Listening
In Cambodia, leaving the monkhood to follow Christ is not a private decision. It carries social consequences — loss of status, family tension, community suspicion. Sam Em knew all of this. He'd lived in the system long enough to understand exactly what he was giving up.
He converted anyway.
The radio broadcasts had done what no human evangelist could have done in that context. They'd reached a man inside a system that was, by its nature, closed to outside spiritual influence. The signal passed through walls that would have stopped any person.
From Monk to Pastor
Sam Em didn't just leave Buddhism — he became a Christian pastor, serving communities in Cambodia. The man who'd once worn saffron robes now leads worship, teaches scripture, and helps others navigate the same kind of radical life change he went through.
"Thank you, FEBC, for opening my eyes," he said later. Simple words from a man whose entire world had been rebuilt by a radio frequency.
What This Means for You
A radio signal reached a Buddhist monk in Cambodia and completely redirected his life. No one knocked on his door. No one handed him a tract. A signal carried a message, and the message did its own work. Sometimes the thing that changes your life arrives in a frequency you didn't plan to tune into.