406. Empowering Lives with Purpose, Interview with Siv Ashely, part 1

As a normal, happy 5 year old child, Siv Ashley grew up in Cambodia. She was seized by red soldiers with her family and sent to concentration camps. Facing starvation and beatings daily, imminent death was a continued possibility. 

Siv's father instilled faith in his young family prior to their captivity.  Hear this miraculous faith story of survival because of the one word instilled in a child, "believe." Against all odds Siv now resides in America.

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Kimberly Hobbs  
Welcome, everyone, to Empowering Lives with Purpose. And I'm your host, Kimberly Hobbs. I'm the founder of Women World Leaders. We are so happy that you have joined with us today. It's always a privilege to welcome our guests onto the program and we are welcoming Siv Ashley today she is from Hampton Ville, North Carolina. Welcome Siv.

Siv Ashley  
Oh, thank you so much having me today. And just, it's a, it's a precious to be on this with you all.

Kimberly Hobbs  
Well, you are precious. And we are grateful that you're here to share your story today. Ladies, this story is one of the most powerful stories I have heard, as she says originally from Cambodia, and she has one faith story to share with you all. And that's what we're going to talk about today is faith. Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things unseen. And that's what Scripture says, God loves you. He loves each and every one of us, he never leaves us he never forsakes us. And it says so in His Word, and His Word is truth. And we can count on that. And today, our hope is that we can inspire and strengthen and help build your faith already you may be walking through something right now. That is a tremendously difficult and we want to say we, we love you, we're here for you. But most of all, God loves you. He will never leave you. And through sieve sharing her story today we believe that you're going to feel that emotion, compassion, but yet think about your own life through listening to this powerful, powerful story. So as we go back and her life a little bit she's gonna share her story but I want to first share a little bit about Civ. Ashley Civ began her life as a normal child and an average happy family in Cambodia. She was surrounded by loving family members, and on April 6 16th 1975, everything changed for her red soldiers evacuated her family with 1000s of Cambodians and marched them to camps to work in the government rice fields. Children worked over 12 hours a day. They were fed only rice and water and were nearly starved to death. Sieve witnessed red soldiers killed countless children and adults. And for four years sieve faced the possibility of imminent death. Daily. sieves father clung to faith no matter what happened, and reminded sieve that God is always with you sieve if you believe it with all your heart, sieves and during fate, faith and prayers helped her to survive against all odds. And today, as I said civis going to share her story of faith and survival. So save let's just start right now where you just share your story with us.

Siv Ashley  
All right, um, I grew up in a beautiful family and in the countryside. So Cambodia, Phnom Beng new Phnom Penh in Gabon Jam, which is our How to brother and two sisters and aunts and her baby. And my grandmother, my father and my mother. And we live you know, just like a normal family was a very very happy and one day my dad was he was just wanting more out of life and we didn't have much but he wanted more for his children to educate and all that so he went to town he told my mom and dad told my mom and my grandmother that we are we going to town which when I say town is about 800 miles from where we live wow yeah is is the capital of Cambodia would Phnom bang so as he was traveling to Cambodia tribal dudes penumpang he he got to a place where I lose store and then they got to bag rice and he was just going to exchange some good and clothing and things like that. so that my mom can make clothes for us and food and stuff like that. And, but during this time he passed through a store, and he heard these people speaking. And they did not look like him. They didn't sound like him. And he would just amaze about the beautiful, beautiful name. They call him do Su, mean Jesus, but he didn't know it. And he put down his rise. And then he went on into that store. And he will just like, wow, our amazing this is, so he stayed there all day long. And on that day, and that week, he accept Jesus Christ as Savior, Hey, man, one time, and he was so happy, he was totally different person. He forgot about exchanging rice and exchanging anything, he was so happy. And he came back to the village without nothing for God about everything. So he came, and then he was beginning to tell us, my grandmother thought he was crazy. You know, like, passing you do all this thing, and you didn't bring anything? And so, um, he said, No, no, I just heard the wonderful news. And let me tell you about it tonight. And so we sit in that campfire that night, and my dad begins to tell the story. And also he was beginning to tell the story that the people was telling him about that if you just believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, which they call him dusu, and that you will have eternal life. We pray that night with my dad. And we all accepted Christ that night. And we didn't know what to do. Because you know, what my dad learned about it, is that's all we got. And he always always looking at me and say, Now, Sir, one day you are going to a place called America. And he don't know where America is. He just thought of these people that was telling him how beautiful America is and how these places. And so my dad wanted to meet them again, these people that he had met at the store that are hoping that he can get the book. He didn't know what the book means, which is referred to the Bible. He didn't know what it was. He said one day, so if you're able to read that book, so he decided to move his family a little closer to Phnom Penh, which is the capital of Cambodia. As we move there, our house was different than from a straw house to a break house, which they had to look for a job. So during this time, in 1974, sitting around 7475, Vietnam war was ended. And boy, pot was the leader of Cambodia. And they came in and they decided to capture young children. Adult smart kids, smart adult, and my dad didn't realize what was going on as he was looking for job and looking for the people that he was met at one time that shared a gospel. But as it's like a parade, and they come in and they they have their gun down their grenade in the back. And suddenly my my whole entire world turn. My brother and I Mang was playing and they they just begin to separate children taking children and my dad was able to reach me at that point, and cut all my hair off, making sure that I was in look like a little girl. My brother and I was the same pack together so we look so much alike. He said no matter what said no matter what I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ when suddenly they take us they took me my brother to a work camp... and we will sep, sep, sep separated from our family. And now I can understand what's going on. I was nine years old, didn't understand what what causes what, what just happened. it and all the adult was get put in the cam. Um, we, I have they put me in the children can, which is the boys can just because I look like a little boy because my dad cut my hair. My brother and I was together at this point, we was in this camp where they teach us not to say a thing, only go by their rules. And if you were good, there was April led you to see your family. So during this time, everybody was starving, we have to work in the rice field from morning, early morning till night. And if you don't, they will beat you to death. Or they sometimes they will try to cut you until you bleed to death. There's so many things going on and I didn't understand it. And my dad, what when we get a chance to go see my dad, the adult camp. My mother, mom, grandmother, Dad, I don't know if she's been beaten, or, or been tortured to death. My dad said she passed away. And so I would ask my dad, I was like, why this is happening? That? Why does this happen? He said, This is just maiming man and doing all this stuff. But don't worry. Believe, to one day you're gonna get out of this place. And you'll go to a place called America. And I will be laughing at him is like, you know how we're I go to a place I don't even know how to read. I don't know where I'm at. I mean, this camp. So we was out able to go back. And we've been tortured again. And we've been at nighttime, they will teach us bad thing, how to use a gun, and how to play the Russian roulette. And just going on every day, every night and I and and each time when I was able to come back to visit my dad to the adult camp. Like oh, my entire family was killed. My little brother and little sister was put in this little big hole. I don't know how they died because my dad never did describe it to me. And all I see is a lot of bodies just in this hole. And the last person was my mom. It was in his arm and I said, you know, please let my mom rest. She's dad, my dad let her go. And he loves her so much. He loves her so much. And he finally finally let her go. You can see the boosts in her body. I don't know she's been right. What she's been she he didn't tell me. But he can see the evidence in her body. And I would ask him is like father, the God that you believe here are you see? And he will put on this big smile, he said is right here in your heart. You believe so and one day you will go to a place called America. So they ... they put me back and they got me to the back to the work camp. My brother was being beat because he couldn't work on his camp too long. And so he had been beaten up taking to the to a sick camp, they call it a fly was eaten him up and all that stuff. And I just didn't want to live anymore. I didn't I didn't know what to do. I was just like, Okay, what is next? What I'm gonna do. Laura, please help me. I play our play every night. And so, the last time I got to go to see my dad was he died in prison. And he was been beaten up. You can tell that he's been shot at one of his legs. The flower was eaten up and the lies were from him was watch him. And the last word from him is that with that big smile in prison and said beliefs Say, in one day you go into a place called America. And Jesus is in your heart. You die in prison. And at that moment I didn't want to live at all was Wildwood I'm the only one. I'm the only one my brother is sick. So what do I do? What do I do? I just remember my dad said to believe a new will go to a place car America. That is what I hang on to.

Kimberly Hobbs  
Amen. Amen. It's almost that there's no words, you know, to go back and feel the pain that you must have felt. You know, in America here, we can hardly comprehend what you're sharing in what you endured. Let your dad continue to tell you have faith. Have faith believe Civ believe in those words that he impressed on your heart over and over and over and the fact that you all accepted Jesus as your Savior. He was there with you. He was there with you. And as you went back, and you told me you, you pretended to be a boy in the camp just to just to stay alive. And your brother, you know, was is was so badly beaten and broken. And in that hospital, and you were you just didn't want to live yourself anymore. So here you are at this turning point. And the scripture says, The Lord hears the cries of the needy, he does not despise his imprisoned people. Psalm 6933. He never returned from you said he never did. He was there. So can you share right now how, how you began the road with God to America. What, what happened next? 

Siv Ashley  
Well, a group of people in that camp in that in that concentration camp. And they said, you know, you need to escape this camp in the ABR in a loved one and you go get your loved one. And as I was going to see if my brother's still in that sick camp, still, you're able to move with me this is at midnight. And so I went over there quietly and trying to find my brother, but I couldn't. I couldn't find that the body and the lady came up to me that was in that morning that he she had been going around to all these bodies and make sure they that they are either pass away or what? And so she said that you were to leave, leave right now the soldiers come in, you need to go with the screen, how alive to yourself. And again, I broke down I didn't want to leave my brother. Well, I did not see the body. And God just after my poor as it got, please give me a sign what to do. And the sign is that you know the soldier was coming and I can hear in the background they will talk and coming toward this camp. And so I run with a group of people and we got to a place car. See I'm near is is is a border between is a mountain with a border between Thailand border and we sit on top of that mountain for a while and and I would just didn't want to do any anything anymore. I just feel really, really separated from everything and I didn't want to live with the assay up there watching children. Lou young baby smugger by their mother so that no one can hear them starvation and we could we couldn't find any food or anything. And I would just just very depressed and very worn it's just I even tried to find a raw and want to kill myself. And as I realize I pray again on that mountain. And when I pray and when I finished my prayer that it hurts like a samurai sword or how little cartoon or something. And this, this thing was dropping in. And out in the middle of nowhere, the soldier found out that we was escaping the camp. And so they was coming at to us. And so the gunfire was going back and forth and just is just so loud that the lay was blowing up and everything else out in the middle of nowhere. This means scoop me up. And he was shooting at the enemy. And I was scared. He was scared. And I didn't understand what was just going on. And I love as He was holding me and shooting at the enemy at the same time. And I saw the most beautiful thing that it was, say, in his shoulder. It was the red. What in blue? What stars all around it. And I didn't know what it means. Because I didn't know what the red white and blue with the star means. Oh, I know. He was a good man. He was sweet. And i It's me and him just run and we just run toward the safety.

Kimberly Hobbs  
Amen, amen. That's God. God showed up. In the form of that man that scooped you up. He chose you. Sieve he scooped you up. God says in His word, the Lord your God fights for you. Everybody listened to this Scripture. The Lord your God fights for you, Joshua 2310. Even when you don't see it, God is fighting for you. Save this is just an incredible story of faith story that you never gave up. You look to God constantly. How did you get from Thailand Civ to America? What happened next?

Siv Ashley  
What God all thing is possible in it? Yeah. Hey, work in mysterious way. The man bought me to the web a G camp in Thailand. And in Thailand, he would just, he would he know that I couldn't speak his language. And, you know, and he sat me down and he patted my head. And he's like, everything's gonna be okay. As he offered me a little package of food. And I took it from him. And as I looked up, he was gone. He was gone. And at this time, I was 14 years old. Don't know anything, don't know how to read, write, didn't know where I'm going or anything. And in doing this camp, I was I was I was able to united with one of my aunt that survived the camp. And she was in the same camp. And she came over and she she said, you know, can you tell me a little bit about yourself? Because I heard this lady say that you are my or related to me, and your whole entire family died. And so I told her and I said, and she said, You are Ma, you there was a word she used? She said, can you tell me a little bit about your name, what it means. And I told her is where a flower is a flower that you cannot find. That's what my grandmother naming. And so she said, You are my knees. And I have two young daughter and my husband and I was able to escape the camp. I'm going to take you ens my daughter, and we're going to have our whole entire family. You know, your ongoing and your cousin, which is my sister now. And then the five of us, we're gonna go to a place called America. Wow. And I thought that's what my dad said. Wow. And in 1979 That's one church in Ashe County in Jefferson United Methodist Church in Nash County, in North Carolina, adopted our fam. And it is just amazing how God just allowed them just adopt a family from Cambodia and bought them to jails in North Carolina. And at this point you know, I was about I'm 40 You're 40 years old, be 15 My birthday on September. So we came in July in Jefferson United Methodist Church, and I couldn't, I couldn't do anything I couldn't speak or anything so they got me there started a wonderful home.

Kimberly Hobbs  
Praise God, praise God. I mean, how do you not hold back the tears of joy and praise to our father? A life he brought by faith to fulfill your dad's words to you don't stop believing safe, don't give up faith. And he believed with all his heart, for you, honey he did. And again, that scripture Hebrews 11 one faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things unseen. You never, you never knew what was ahead, but God knew because he had a calling on your life sieve. And ladies, we we are going to do this in two parts. Because this is just the beginning of Civ and what God is doing in her life. Now that she's arrived to America, so please tune in next next podcast. But there's one thing that sieve wants to share with you something about faith. For you, the listener she wants to share from her heart. So sieve, go ahead and share with the listener about your words of encouragement.

Siv Ashley  
Well, my encouragement is what my dad been encouraging me all ever said, he's a believer. And the verse that that he had always shared with me was John 316. And he didn't know what is the Scripture is all you know is not know how to say it. He always said, For God so loved the world, that who shall ever believing in Him shall not perish but how everlasting life that whosoever believes in Him will have an everlasting life. And it you know, it just a fate that he has so strong and he said, anytime when you are down when you when you are or upset, or when somebody hurts you what he said you think about what Jesus go through the give your life to give his life to you the beating that he going through the Spirit not that he going through to have you have eternal life, the man and I just think about what my dad said and the picture of what Jesus had gone through for me I must say I mean perfect so I know I get so emotion when I talk about if you're out there right now our have enough heart rates and anything that goes through you right now. Believe me the Lord Jesus go through a lot more just for us. He gave His life and that was the scriptures that for me and so can I play for the listeners?

Kimberly Hobbs  
Yes please, Siv, pray for our listeners.

Siv Ashley  
Um, let me pray for you. Gracious Father. Please help us to cherish you when we are hard press. And Father God, help the one that are suffering right now. Lord, help us by healing but the healing of your love. In Psalm 118 See, sixth The Lord is with me. I will not be afraid. Thank you, Lord. For your precious name. Thank you for loving us. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen

Kimberly Hobbs  
Amen Amen Civ. Thank you from our hearts, the listeners, myself. The ministry thanks you for sharing. It wasn't easy to talk and relive some of those memories. But you believed to come on here that God called you to share this story with the listeners around the world. And we are grateful so I thank you From my heart, but as, as I shared earlier, this is not all. This is not all, there's part two, next week and we pray that you'll join us, we pray that you will share this with others to hear the story. Sometimes we take our life for granted. And we think we've got it bad here in America, or maybe where you live in other countries, we think, how am I going to get through this, this is bad. But then God gives us a story like this to listen to a faith story that she never gave up. And she kept trusting and believing that those words, and that Jesus that her dad introduced her to, would help her and get her through this. And so wait until you hear next week what God is doing with this amazing woman's life. And we are so grateful to call her sister to call her friend, sieve we look forward at women were leaders to what God is going to do with you through this incredible ministry and a ability to share your story not only here on the podcast, but lady she's going to most probably share in voice of truth magazine with her story. And that is our publication that comes out. And every edition can be viewed on our website for free around the world digitally. And it's you can read it just like it was in your lap. And ladies, we also have it available to be sent to you by mail if you become a monthly donor of any amount to the ministry, and we will graciously send you every copy of voice of truth that comes out. It's amazing. It's beautiful. It's full color. It's copy coffee table quality. Ladies sieve also has a book out. And her book is a teenager's survival. Let me tell you, she can go into more detail in this book. So if you would like to receive this book safe, can you tell them how they can receive the book? Yes,

Siv Ashley  
They can order it and Amazon is a teenager survival by Siv Ashley, in Barnes and Noble and it might take a little while but it'll get there. to it, yeah.

Kimberly Hobbs  
Wonderful. Ladies, if you want to reach out to Siv further, or connect with her, you can connect with us at Women World Leaders to reach out to her or serve if you do you want to share a way they can reach out to you personally?

Siv Ashley  
Oh, yeah, they can go into the website or either, you know, wo dot sivashley.com and it will give you a list I have you can reach out to me and or you know, send shoot me an email. I'll get to you as soon as I can. You know, it's Siv s o n [email protected]. So that my email so

Kimberly Hobbs  
s i v s o n k.com

Siv Ashley  
lot? Yeah.

Kimberly Hobbs  
Yeah. All right. At [email protected] I'm sorry. gmail.com. Yeah. All right. So we close out today and I thank you again, listeners for joining us today. We love you and from his heart to yours. We are women, world leaders. All content is copyrighted by women world leaders and cannot be used without expressed written consent. God bless you all have a beautiful day and look for us next week with part two of SIV Ashley's interview. God bless you.