*Player for the Youth Development Center (YDC) soccer team*

For over a decade, Vuthy has been showing up to the soccer field in Toch Village. Week after week. Tournament after tournament. Thirty-three young players currently train under his coaching.

This year, something shifted.

Three other pastors in Kampot reached out. They were planning a soccer tournament and wanted Vuthy to coordinate it. They'd known him for years. They'd watched him faithfully run soccer tournaments for over a decade. And they shared the same heart for using soccer as ministry.

"We have known them many years and they are asking me to join them as a team coordinator for hosting the tournament because I have been running more than 10 years of soccer tournaments and we have the same heart for this," Vuthy shares. "I was excited and encouraged by them."

Together, the four pastors prayed and planned. They organized a soccer tournament unlike anything they'd attempted before. Eight teams. Eight churches. Ninety-six players from across the country.

The tournament happened. And it was everything they'd hoped for.

*Vuthy (far right) and his team running a soccer League in Kampot*

More Than a Game

Eight teams participated. The YDC senior team won the tournament, but the real victory was what happened off the field. Youth leaders stepped up to help. Christian churches collaborated through WhatsApp groups, pastors encouraging one another and sharing feedback in real time. Before each match, all ninety-six players arrived an hour early for biblical teaching on identity, God's character, and the Father's heart.

"For me personally, when I work with the youth, I feel so encouraged and loved by them," Vuthy explains. "Not just training them—they also receive warm love from our coaching, and the only way we can bring them together as a team is through soccer."

At the Youth Development Center where Vuthy serves, 118 students are enrolled in English, computer, and music classes. But soccer reaches young people differently—especially those exposed to cycles of addiction to drugs, alcohol, and gambling. It doesn't ask for commitment up front. It just asks them to show up. Kick a ball. Belong to a team.

*Top YDC students from each class received appreciation certificates*

This is what the four pastors see: soccer as a universal language. A bridge. A way to build relationships with young people who might never set foot in a church otherwise. And once those relationships exist, discipleship becomes possible.

When you ask what Vuthy is praying for, his answer is specific:

“We believe that through this program the youth will come together, and we believe this year at least 50 youth will change their lives for Jesus, become Christians, and grow in stronger faith.”

— Vuthy Nurn, Mission: Cambodia Dreamer

The tournament was a success. The collaboration was beautiful. The system is established. Vuthy even feels more relaxed now that he's delegated leadership and created sustainable structures.

But there's still one problem.

The Sustainability Challenge

The coaches who make this ministry possible—who show up week after week to train these thirty-three young players, who arrive early to teach biblical lessons, who invest in the lives of youth caught in destructive patterns—they struggle to get paid.

This is the reality for many ministries: the program works, lives are being changed, but the people doing the work can't count on consistent support. And when staff can't be paid, even the most successful programs eventually falter.

Village Reach has a new mission and vision: we want our dreamers to have sustainable, community-serving businesses. Not just one-time funding for events or projects, but enterprises that generate ongoing income to fuel the ministry long-term.

For Vuthy, this could change everything.

Imagine a business that pays the soccer coaches. That funds the equipment and improves the facilities. That allows the YDC staff to focus on discipleship rather than constantly worrying about next month's salary. A business that serves the community while sustaining the very ministry that's transforming lives.

This is what sustainability looks like. Not dependence on sporadic donations, but a business model that keeps the soccer program—and the gospel it carries—running strong year after year.

An Invitation to Invest

The tournament proved what's possible when pastors collaborate and young people encounter Jesus through soccer. Fifty youth coming to faith is not just a hope—it's a trajectory already in motion.

But for this momentum to continue, the coaches need to be paid. The staff need stability. And Vuthy needs support to launch a sustainable business that will fuel this ministry for years to come.

This is where you come in.

Village Reach is committed to helping dreamers like Vuthy build businesses that serve their communities and sustain their ministries. Your contribution doesn't just fund another tournament—it invests in a long-term solution. It says to faithful leaders like Vuthy: "We believe in what you're building, and we want to help you build it to last."

The soccer field in Toch Village will keep filling with young people. The coaches will keep showing up. The gospel will keep being shared in the universal language everyone speaks.

The question is: will the people doing this work have what they need to keep going?

Vuthy has faithfully served his community through the Youth Development Center and its soccer ministry for over a decade. Now he needs support to launch a sustainable business that will pay coaches, fund the program, and ensure this life-changing ministry continues. Your contribution helps create long-term sustainability—not just another event, but a lasting impact. Will you invest in Vuthy's vision?

Consider Giving Monthly