We are excited to share that our very own Brett Medlin, founder of Rock Foundation Cambodia, was recently featured as a guest on The Professional Noticer podcast.
Brett shared his moving testimony of brokenness to transformation. Coming from a rough background, Brett found a renewed purpose and hope in Youth-Reach, a program designed to provide a stable environment for young men from broken pasts. During his year in the program, he joined a Houston church’s mission trip to Guatemala and found himself moved by the destitution and extreme poverty. He returned from this experience with a calling from God to serve those in poverty.
“It’s brokenness, then surrender, then it’s willingness.”
A jOurney of Surrender
Brett said he had to “take the scenic route” by wasting a few years trying to live the American dream, before ultimately surrendering in faithfulness to God’s call. He quit his job, placed all his belongings in storage, and enrolled in a 5-month discipleship program at Youth With a Mission (YWAM), with the hope of being placed in a long-term, international mission capacity. In that program, he was able to take a 2 month team mission trip to Cambodia.
“In three weeks I already knew. That’s where God called me to go.”
Brett graduated from the YWAM program, sold or donated everything he had, and with only a couple thousand dollars and a one-way ticket in hand, he moved to Cambodia one month later. It was a massive leap of faith for Brett, having only a few YWAM connections and not speaking the Khmer language. He enrolled in a language school and found a cheap apartment to live in.
The beginnings of Rock foundation cambodia
Brett’s journey to Rock Foundation Cambodia began small with serving in a local orphanage and visits to a nearby village. It was in this village that he first encountered the desperate water situation in rural Cambodia. He met a woman who was giving her baby a bottle that he assumed was full of tea–only to have her tell him it was water from a stagnant pond a quarter of a mile away.
A few years later, he was presented with the opportunity to learn how to drill water wells. He came back to the States to complete drilling school and take a pump repair class. A church in Houston helped supply him with a drilling rig and a truck, and Rock Foundation Cambodia was born.
“It wasn’t a desire to start an organization. It was just this willingness to serve God.”
Clean water opens doors
Cambodia is less than 1% Christian, and it is illegal to proselytize any other religion besides Buddhism. By going in and providing clean water, it opens the door for Rock Foundation to be able to share the gospel with them. We drills water wells at rural schools, Buddhist temples, and health centers. Team members are able to explain the drilling process, educate locals on the importance of hygiene and sanitation, and go classroom to classroom to share the gospel. Despite the legal barriers, we have been fortunate to be welcomed everywhere we go–even Buddhist temples.
Brett has found that consistent, regular connection with the locals in one of the keys to gospel success. It takes time and intentionality for the locals, many whom have never heard of Jesus and have been Buddhist their entire lives, to understand what it means to be a Christian. We are blessed to be able to provide Cambodians with Bibles in the Khmer language and an information brochure in their tongue, explaining more about the gospel.
“Not only are we able to impact their health, we are able to give them the Everlasting Water.”
Looking for a miracle
Before Covid, Brett and his wife were looking at having to close Rock Foundation Cambodia due to a lack of funds. But God showed up. A church in Houston representing an anonymous benefactor stepped in miraculously to keep funding their ministry efforts. Since then, we have been blessed to drill over 1,000 wells.
“I’ve been in Cambodia 18 years, and God has been faithful every step along the way. He’s provided for us, met our needs, and allowed us to meet other people’s needs. We’ve never had a reason to doubt Him even though we couldn’t figure it out ourselves.”
Small steps, big impact
Less than half of Cambodia’s population has access to developed water sources. This causes a plethora of issues, particularly in rural areas, such as diseases and high infant mortality rates. Having clean water changes everything for these people.
Drilling a well costs $2,000 and includes a geological survey to assess the depth and quality of the water source, drilling and installing a pump, and providing a functioning well for a village or school. On average, a water well gives 880 people access to clean, life-giving water: proof that one small step of generosity can yield a huge outcome.
clean water means hope
Obedience and generosity start small. Brett’s testimony is evidence that fruitful Kingdom impact starts with trusting God to guide you to the next right thing.
The biggest challenge right now is raising awareness about the need. We are so grateful for the generosity of all those who have given to our life-saving ministry of bringing water–and hope–to Cambodia’s most impoverished communities. If you feel so led, please consider aiding our ministry through prayer, sponsoring a water well, or sharing about our work on social media or at your local church.
When you give the gift of clean water, you are giving the gift of hope.
Watch Brett’s full conversation on The Professional Noticer below.