Sokreaksa S. Himm (BRS, 1993)

Sokreaksa (Reaksa) Himm was a member of a large family in Siemreap City, Cambodia when the country fell to the Khmer Rouge on April 17, 1975. Forced to join the exodus to the jungle villages, the whole family was marched to a grave and killed one by one. Young Reaksa, gravely wounded, was covered by the bodies of his brothers and sisters. In time, he escaped the killing fields and fled to a Thai refugee camp.

He eventually made his way to Canada and attended Tyndale, graduating with a Bachelor of Religious Studies degree in 1993. Continuing his studies, he earned a Master of Arts in Christian Education (Providence Theological Seminary, 1996) and a Doctor of Psychology (Southern California University, 2004). He was awarded an honorary doctorate from Providence Theological Seminary in 2007. He is the author of The Tears of my Soul, which describes his journey to freedom, faith and purpose, and After the Heavy Rain, which tells of his journey of forgiveness and reconciliation to the people who killed his family.

Dr. Himm and his wife Sophaly Eng have two children—Philos and Sophia—and together serve as church planters in Cambodia. One of the churches they founded is in the village where his family was killed. Knowing too well the suffering of his people, his message is clear: “Nothing will ever make them whole again except the healing message of the hope, love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ.”