May 1, 2011
Dear friends,
The last time we sent you an update we asked you to pray for Koon to be saved. We are happy to let you know that this past week she made a profession of faith. Bro. Keo and some others have spent many hours explaining the Gospel to her in her home. This past Thursday she prayed to accept Christ as her personal Saviour. She faces much opposition from her family and neighbors but she is not concerned about that. Please pray that she will be able to get involved in the ministries of the church and that she will begin to grow in the Lord. It will be particularly challenging to work with her because of the fact that she can not read her own language. Pray that we will be able to use other creative ways to help her grow.
This past month there were four new young ladies who moved into an apartment across the street from the church. Three of them visited the morning service last Sunday. Phande returned again on Sunday evening. Miss Eng and Miss Sok have reached out to them and are trying to find ways to connect with them in order to see them saved. They are staying in Phnom Penh in order to be able to attend university so we never know how long they will be here. Many times young adults like them run out of money and have to return to their village. Please pray that Deana, Phanny, and Phande will open their hearts to the Lord as our workers seek to win them.
For months now we have asked you to pray that Sopheap would accept Jesus as her personal Saviour. Her husband, Sinath, was saved several months ago and has been very faithful. He has done his very best to serve as a good example for the Lord in his home and in the neighborhood. We are so happy to let you know that Sopheap yielded her will this past week and placed her faith in Jesus Christ. Since she has been saved her whole demeanor has changed. This is such a blessing to Sinath and to our new church. Please pray that Sopheap will remain firm in her commitment to follow Christ. No doubt there are those who are trying to discourage her but even as a new believer she is taking as stand. She was touched to learn that people all over America have been praying for her salvation. Thank you for being faithful to pray for Sopheap and others.
This past Saturday we took a trip to Sinath’s home village which is 2 hours from Phnom Penh. We have been looking for a good time to go and help him witness to his family. Before Sopheap was saved she stood in his way and tried to prevent him from witnessing to his mother and older sister. Once she was saved she immediately agreed to help Sinath witness to his family. In fact, she invited her own unsaved mother to go with us. There were 8 of us who went on this evangelistic outreach and it was a blessing to hear our new Christians share their testimonies of why they have trusted Jesus as their personal Saviour. We will likely be returning to this village in the near future. It is a long trip when taken on moped. One of the mopeds broke down along the way but everyone remained safe. We were gone for nearly 9 hours and returned to Phnom Penh exhausted but looking forward to the next trip. Please pray for Sinath’s family to open their hearts to the Gospel.
While in Sinath’s village I had the opportunity to see his property. He shared about his memories of growing up and tending his father’s cows. He took me to the edge of the property where there is a graveyard. Buried on his land is three generations of his ancestors with the oldest grave going back nearly 70 years. His unsaved family members still perform various demonic ceremonies at these graves. He recalled how, as a young boy, he would return from tending to the cows and would dread having to walk past the graveyard. He was scared of the ghosts that everyone believed haunted that ground. His father knew that he was scared of the ghosts and he would often go to the edge of the property and walk him back home. Sinath told me about how relieved he was when, from a distance, he would see the light from his father’s cigarette as his dad waited for him under the tree at the edge of the graveyard. His father died three years ago and is now buried under that tree. Sinath stood there with me at his father’s grave and the grave of his grandfather and great grandfather and thanked the Lord that he has been delivered from the power of darkness. Thank the Lord that the bondage of evil has been broken in this family. We hope to see the entire family come to know the Lord! Please help us pray to that end.
1) Please continue to pray for the Cham believers who are going through some issues in their village. As I mentioned last week, the Muslim leaders are very much opposed to their decision to follow Christ but more than that they are opposed to their witnessing in the village.
2) Please pray for the new children’s ministry that will begin, Lord willing, on Sunday, May 29th. We are hoping to have the majority of this ministry lead by nationals. It will be a great opportunity for them to grow in the Lord as they are forced to teach these young children. At this point we have 8 national adults who have decided to get involved. For the time being, our goal is to reach out to 23-35 children in this new ministry. Pray that we will continue to enjoy the favor of the leaders in our community as we reach-out to the children.
Because of God’s grace,
Dave, Debbie, Joshua, Jeremy, and Jason
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