“In the darkest hour, I thought that night was longer than day…. I see that now, day is longer than night.”

Some stories are so profoundly unlikely that they make us realize we use the term far too often. In this latest trek On the Road, we discover just such a tale.

An earnest, young Communist activist in the turbulent Cambodia of the early 1970’s is sent to spy on a crusade held in the capital. Instead, he hears the gospel of Jesus, and is himself converted. Yet only several years into his unlikely journey as a new Christian, the darkness of the Khmer Rouge descends on his nation. Pol Pot’s regime lashes out against all people he could evenly remotely imagine as a threat – including Christians. While attempting to flee to safety, Barnabas is captured and sent to a prison camp, where he will spend the next four years. Yet the unlikely story of Barnabas Mam doesn’t end there. It is only beginning.

You can hear our full conversation with Barnabas in its entirety by heading to the bottom of this post. Otherwise, here are some incredible highlights from his story first.

Barnabas explains the decidedly unlikely route he took to meeting Jesus – a path that saw him attending a World Vision crusade as a Communist spy. Yet something life-changing was about to happen.

Highlight: A spying mission

As we look back on the dark history of the Khmer Rouge, it’s staggering that such a thing could happen – that a fourth of an entire nation’s population could be wiped out by its own government. Pastor Barnabas paints the picture of how it happened. He also shares insight on what drove Pol Pot.

Highlight: How it happened

After only three years with his new-found faith, Barnabas was captured and imprisoned for his faith and because of the perception that he was from a wealthy family. He describes what his days were like in the prison camps, and how he discovered two short hours of the day that would come to sustain him. It’s a startling and revitalizing look at the power of God’s Word & worship.

Highlight: Worship behind the wire

And now, here’s our full interview with this remarkable man. Pastor Barnabas fleshes out much more of his story, including his harrowing journey to refugee camps in Thailand & how he finally returned to Cambodia and began sharing the good news with anyone who would listen. He also offers one of the most powerful words I’ve ever heard on real forgiveness and genuine freedom.

On the Road with Barnabas Mam

Barnabas Mam wrote .