For security reasons, we are unable to disclose any identifying information about “Aaron,” including his real name. “Aaron” is a pseudonym used to protect him and those connected to his ministry.

“Aaron” is a Chinese national sent out by the Chinese underground church and has been serving in Cambodia. He is in his late twenties and single. Despite his young age, he is deeply faithful, teachable, and marked by spiritual maturity beyond his years.

Aaron’s life has been shaped by prayer, endurance, and a strong moral compass. Through frequent transitions, hardship, and seasons of isolation, he learned resilience, self-discipline, and integrity. During his teenage years and university education, God steadily formed his leadership capacity through mentoring relationships and participation with Christians. Over time, this led to a growing sense of calling toward cross-cultural mission and disciple-making.

Aaron currently serves in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, within a predominantly Buddhist and urban ministry context. He has been leading a ministry working with orphan children who live at the landfill. More recently, and in response to the guidance of this leadership, he has made a decision to also focus more intentionally on his local church.

This addition has brought both challenges and new opportunities. At the invitation of his pastor, Aaron has begun serving through Chinese language teaching as a bridge for evangelism and discipleship. He is now leading small groups (some of which have only just begun) using language instruction as a relational entry point for gospel conversations.

His ministry posture emphasizes presence, consistency, and care rather than event-driven activity. Local church leadership has taken note of his character and faithfulness, and his pastor has invited him to assist more closely with evangelism and church-planting efforts, observing that Aaron’s giftedness in these areas.

Aaron understands Christian spirituality not merely as knowledge or communication skills, but as a lived practice of listening to God, seeking the Holy Spirit’s daily renewal, and allowing character to shape ministry effectiveness.

He consistently practices prayer as a personal discipline before making decisions—whether in ministry or everyday life—and models this rhythm naturally to those around him. For example, during evening activities with children, he would invite those who were willing to pray together before resting, not as a formal program but as an organic expression of faith. Over time, this approach has influenced others and opened doors for deeper trust and ministry responsibility.

Alongside his calling and giftedness, this emphasis on character, discernment, and obedience has been a key reason local leaders have invited him into greater responsibility.

Together with our global partners in the Chinese underground church, the Equip Institute is supporting “Aaron” through formal theological training in an accredited Master of Arts in Theological Studies program.

Aaron has demonstrated exceptional faithfulness and a clear sense of calling at a formative stage of life. He has already given himself fully to gospel service and has many decades of ministry ahead. Leaders within the Chinese underground church have identified in him strong biblical character, leadership potential, and relational giftedness.

He possesses excellent people skills, connects naturally across cultures, is fluent in spoken Khmer (the dominant language in Cambodia), and has an evangelist’s heart. At the same time, Aaron humbly recognizes his need for deeper training, particularly in formal theology, discipleship practice, and cross-cultural ministry. He is eager to learn how to contextualize disciple-making approaches that worked in Chinese contexts for the Cambodian setting in which he now serves.

Church leaders believe Aaron has the potential not only to make disciples who make disciples, but eventually to help plant churches that themselves become church-planting communities. An investment in his training will multiply far beyond him, blessing the many people and ministries he will faithfully serve over a lifetime.

• Pray for wisdom, patience, and spiritual fruit as Aaron serves in an urban church context, learning to navigate new challenges and opportunities while remaining deeply rooted in Christ.

• Pray that God would use Aaron’s relational gifts, language teaching, and small-group leadership to open hearts, foster trust, and lead to genuine gospel conversations and transformed lives.

• Pray that Aaron’s consistent practice of prayer, discernment, and obedience would continue to deepen his walk with God and visibly shape his character, influencing others through his daily life.

• Pray for strong, life-giving relationships with mentors and church leaders, marked by honesty, mutual trust, and spiritual discernment as Aaron continues to grow in leadership capacity.

• Pray for spiritual protection, physical health, and emotional resilience, that Aaron would remain steadfast and encouraged as he serves faithfully in a complex ministry environment.

• Pray for Aaron’s safety. Some of the people in his apartment complex are “gangsters,” and there is concern for his safety, and he has been warned that he could be targeted by these “gangsters” for abduction and sold into human trafficking.