Send me to Montana!

Thank you, Friends!

Goal: $9,750.00       Final Total:  $10,058!  

Dear Friends,

I have been accepted into YWAM Montana’s School of Biblical Studies (SBS), for the 2013-2014 school year.  After several years of interpreting for over 50 YWAM and church groups that came to Cambodia, I would like to advance my education in the U.S.  To get there, I need to raise support, like many of you did in order to come to my country.  Please read my backstory below.

I was led to Christ in November 2004 by a friend (Justin Pratt). A few months later, he supported me to do a DTS school (Discipleship Training School, Youth With A Mission) in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. During this school I learned who God is for my life. After I finished the school, I felt I was called to missions. I came back to my home town, Battambang, and I joined with YWAM for about two years as a full time missionary. After that commitment was finished, I helped different ministries off and on as volunteer. Also during that time, I was employed for about two years by a non-Christian NGO but I did not have peace about it, as they didn’t allow me to talk to needy people about God. For about the past two years, I have been off on my own helping with different ministries in Battambang and a couple of other provinces in Cambodia. I have learned and seen God’s grace and mercy wherever I go.  For a living, I sporadically get work as a freelance interpreter. God has been faithful, even though my translation jobs are not regular, but by His grace I am able to survive.

These past couple of years I have been praying and asking God for the next step to be revealed. For years, I have wanted to go to SBS (School of Biblical Studies) with YWAM in Montana. After feeling that I was prompted by God, and with confirmation from a few godly people, I applied for the school with an expectation to get a scholarship from it. But it turned out that I do not meet the scholarship criteria. That was disappointing. I came back to God and prayed. He directed me to pursue with this school without the scholarship, but to raise support, as many of you have done.

The school is nine months long, September 2013 to June 2014, and it costs $7650 (includes food and accommodation).  Airfare and other expenses will cost about $2100. That means I will need about $9750.  US students are able pay in installments, but in order to get a student visa, it is usually required to have all the money up front.  I will need the total by mid-June, for my visa interview.

If you donate, you have the option of receiving a refund if my goal is not fully met. To choose that option when you are in the payment form, click on the question and enter your answer in the box that will open.

If you do not wish for a refund, your money will go to the "Plan B" projects detailed further down. 

Will you please join with me in this adventure, and help be the answer to my prayers, which will begin a new chapter in my life?

Please share the link for this page with others who were with you in Cambodia, because I don’t have contact information for everyone I worked with. If you feel led, feel free to share my story in your church and invite them to support me financially or in prayer. 

May our heavenly Father richly bless you!!!

Seang Ly

                                                       Donations are now closed

                     .                   Thank you so much for your generosity and love!

                                       See note at the bottom of this page about your receipt *

“Thank You” gifts:

I will send a personal message to each person who donates, and I will also send gifts to those who donate in the amounts below.

$25 or more: 3 art print cards of paintings done by me.

$50 or more: A set of 10 art print cards of paintings done by me, and a colorful Cambodian "krama" scarf.

$100 or more: A set of 10 art print cards of paintings done by me, a colorful Cambodian "krama" scarf, and a full size art print of an original watercolor painting done by me (scenes will vary).

$500 or more: I know I'm dreaming here...but if anyone does donate that much, I will also create a painting just for you.  It takes me 2-3 days to finish one.


My “Plan B”:
If not enough contributions come in for my SBS Montana dream, I intend to help the children of the Knach Romeas Orphanage, by building a play garden and gazebo so they have a nice and safe place to play. They do not have places to hang out beside in the church and in their own rooms. This orphanage is about an hour from Battambang town. I have gone to this orphanage to translate for teams several times and I have fallen in love with those kids.

After that, the remaining money will be split three ways, between:

• the Cambodian staff of YWAM Battambang 
• The Center for Global Impact’s Green Mango program, which is helping vulnerable women in Battambang learn professional cooking skills, in a culinary arts program.
• EarthCare Foundation Cambodia. I have been helping them establish a project of helping poor families to grow vegetables for food with organic fertilizer, to be self-sustaining.  

If I do Plan B, I will publish the receipts (and photos) from these projects and donations on this page. 

* Note about your receipt:

The donation software will not accept Cambodian bank accounts, so American friends opened an account to receive the donations.  On your automated email receipt, you will see both my name and their name. In mid-June, they will empty the account and wire all the money to my account. Your donation will not be tax-deductible.