Sharon, Dave and Joe are on their way home after a very profitable time in Cambodia. Almost every text message from Sharon brought another answered prayer. The team members have been well, have taken good care of themselves in the heat, and a great deal of powerful ministry has taken place.
Tuesday from Sharon:
We are living it up in Siem Reap after a good service in Knarosey. Hoy has a cousin that runs a boutique hotel called La Niche; that’s where we are staying, so nice. We had an abundant buffet dinner then saw a musical show called Smile of Angkor and then went to the night market. So we are all tired. Chiv is taking Joe to Angkor Wat in am. We get to sleep in; will drive back to Phnom Penh tomorrow afternoon. Ministry is done – what a blessing to see all the churches!!”
[My question: “It sounds like the churches are getting more self-sufficient, which is so great. Leaders are strong?”]Sharon: Yes, even though some of the congregations are a little transient* the leadership has been stable. Chiv also realizes that the children are a focal point because they don’t move to Thailand like the parents. A lady in Knarosey asked if they could do school one day a week.
Chiv is planning to visit each church for 2-3 nights to work with the leaders. [Hoy will go with him and Emara plans to spend the days there and back to the city at night.] Chiv is very firm with the leaders. I think Kun Domrey is the only one doing school; the others only Sunday school stuff.
The two children’s leaders in O-Khmom just moved because they married and husbands got jobs in different areas. He wants to raise pay for the ones in Kun Domrey and Prey Tom to keep them.
Hoy has been an asset. He did some translating but feels insecure. He actually paid for the food we took to several churches; yesterday he had given the leaders money for the food to be cooked. It was good.
Wednesday:
We made it to Phnom Penh yesterday. Playtime today at market, tuktuk rides and boat ride.** Everyone doing great. The new area is really wanting a church. Ban Ho’s brother lives there & would donate land. Dhiv will visit & talk some more.
Notes from Lindy:
*Employment is a challenge in the villages we serve. Many parents go to Thailand to find work, leaving their children behind for varying periods of time with neighbors or grandparents. Over 30% of the population in Cambodia is under the age of 14. Ministry to children is vital and promising for the future.
**”Playtime” is an important part of a short-term mission. There is an intensity about all you do: addressing needs, living for a time in another culture, being aware of all the needs you’ll soon leave behind. It is very beneficial to be able to unwind together as a team and begin processing all that has taken place before heading home.