March 18, 2012

March 18, 2012

Dear friends,

We want to thank you for the many email responses we have received from all around the United States in regard to the situation with the village church.

The situation continues to be a serious one. The meeting that I referenced in the update last week took place as scheduled. (If you did not have access to the update from March 12th please email me for the password. In that update you will learn of the persecution that is taking place in the Cham village)

The leaders at the Mosque have given the Christians until this coming Friday to renounce Christianity and return to Islam or face the consequences. Despite the threats that have been made, we have only seen one adult back down. Please pray for the one young adult man who is having a very difficult time taking a stand for Christ. His mother knows just how to pull at his heart strings.

So many of the adults have been emboldened in their faith and witness for the Lord. We are so humbled by their example. You may reference the update from March 12th to see some of their photos. Please pray for them as this week is going to be very difficult for them.

We have many stories that could be shared but I will only take time to share two of them. Three of our young girls were commanded by their Muslim parents to burn their Bibles. All three of them refused and have secretly stashed their Bibles in a safe place. They said, “We love Jesus and will never burn His Word.” If their parents find the Bibles they will no doubt pay the consequence for their refusal to obey their parents unrighteous command. Please pray for their safety.

One of the young adult men who is taking a strong stand for the Lord is the son of one of the Imams at the Mosque. (We are not sharing his name at this point) He is under a great amount of pressure by his father to renounce Christianity and quit causing “shame” to the family. He has been hiding in the woods for the past two days after being told by his father that if he still desired to believe in Jesus he had to move out of the house. This young adult man has spent the past two days counting the cost of what it will mean if he choses Christ over his family. TONIGHT HE SHOWED UP AT CHURCH WITH ALL OF HIS WORDLY POSSESSIONS – Two small bags. Please pray that this young man will have courage and stand the way that he should. So far he is refusing to betray Christ.

These are all the details that we are able to release at this time. Thank you for your faithful prayer for the church in the village as well as the church here in Phnom Penh.

Because of God’s grace,

Dave, Deb, Joshua, Jeremy, and Jason