After Vaneet’s graduation from high school, life changed drastically—a disease caused him to lose his eyesight. Now as a blind man he learned to earn a living by going from shop to shop around town sharpening knives. Although Vaneet now had to live his life without physical sight, the Lord was not content to leave him spiritually blind. Vaneet first heard about God in 1998 but remained in spiritual darkness, choosing instead to continue as a Buddhist, as the majority of Cambodians do. Four years later, a friend witnessed to him about God and they briefly studied the Bible together, but Vaneet was still unwilling to surrender his life to Jesus.
The Lord did not stop knocking on the door of his heart, however. In May of 2004, Hubert and Mary Broeckert, newly arrived in the town of Koh Kong, called at his house and invited him to attend their church services. He took them up on their invitation and started attending often. In August, just a few months later, Vaneet finally became convinced that the God of the Bible was the one true God, and he believed on Jesus Christ. This time he was changed into a new creature in Christ. After living so many years in darkness, his spiritual eyes were opened to see Christ, the true Light.
God provided the Bible recorded in the Khmer language for him to listen to, and he also enjoys listening to Khmer Christian songs on CD, some of which he has memorized and sung as special numbers in church. Vaneet has continued faithfully attending church, always the first person to arrive each Sunday morning. He has been used by the Lord in witnessing to his relatives, and recently his wife came to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. He thanks God for his wife and son and gives all the credit to God for his new heart and life and for helping him study the Bible.