Source: WEA News, June 4, 2013
As a boy of eleven [Reaksa Himm] watched villagers hack to death his father and brothers and later his mother. Eventually crossing the border to Thailand, Reaksa was sent to Canada. Here World Vision cared for him at one of their refugee centers, [and] Reaksa turned in faith to serve Christ. From there [he] studied, preparing himself for ministry.
However, plaguing his young mind was not only the memory of his family now dead, but feelings of revenge for those who had so devastated his family and life.
“I could tell that something was wrong with me, and underneath the facade I suddenly realized that I needed to forgive totally. Forgiveness is not easy, but if I allowed the big ball of fire to keep burning inside my heart, my life would not be worth living … When I could not forgive, I was actually burying myself into the grave of bitterness, anger, and hatred.”
He returned to the village of Kokpreach and there met with [those who had killed his parents], and taking a Cambodian scarf, tied it around their necks as a symbol of forgiveness. Then he gave them a Cambodian Bible and read from Luke 23:34 (“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do”), and in so doing, offered his forgiveness.
» Read full story, also told in the book The Tears of My Soul.