Wednesday, May 21, 2014

May Update


Dear Praying Friends,
Just want to tell you that the celebration for Mrs. Moum’s release went really well!  67 people from around the northwest region came!  It was so moving to the points of tears as concerned friends took turns to share and reflect about the impacts that Mrs. Moum had on their lives.  All of them seemed to acknowledge of her deep love for God and of her caring and concerns for others around her.





Recalling to our first visit with Mrs. Moum at the Svey Sisophon Prison, shortly after her arrest (May 2011), we had cried with Mrs. Moum wondering what God had in plan for her life.

Before we left that day, despite of the uncertainty of her future, we’d encouraged Mrs. Moum to bloom where God planted her.  And throughout the years that followed, Mrs. Moum did bloom!  She courageously took her strong Christian faith into that prison!  She boldly shared the Gospel with the inmates.  At the end of her captivity (three years later), Mrs. Moum led 61 people to the Lord!  Not only that, Mrs. Moum started the first prison children!  Upon her release on May 9, many Christian inmates expressed a sense of great loss, as Mrs. Moum, their key leader in their weekly Bible studies, is no longer there.  Even the head jailer was concerned of what might become of the children ministry after Mrs. Moum leaves.  But she promised her friends that, as soon as she settles her family affair in Malay, she would find ways to go back to prison, as a free person, to keep the ministry going.  Such courage!

During the service, Soeuth spoke encouraging word to Mrs. Moum (and to her unbelieving children) by comparing a story of a young man named Joseph, who, like Mrs. Moum, was falsely accused and imprisoned.  As God was with Joseph, however, He was also with Mrs. Moum helping her to endure the darkest times of her live.  And as God has a plan for Joseph sending him to Egypt ahead of time in order to prepare the way to save his family, so God also sent Mrs. Moum prison to lead those 61 inmates to the Lord, and to start the children ministry there!  Reflecting on the promised word from Jerimiah 29: 11, Soeuth challenged the listeners that God still has a plan for each of our lives.  Please continue to keep Mrs. Moum in prayer.

Thank you for praying for the recent motor bike tours among the northwest region youth ministry.  Altogether, we had 31 people went on this trip with 15 bikes!  During the trip, we encountered one accident with few minor injuries.  Having to deal with two broken bikes on the ways, the trip was a bit delayed.  At the end of the first day, just minutes before we reached the designated village, heavy rains began to pour down us!  Everyone made it safely into the houses, but all was soaked to the core! During the evening service that night, about 10+ people took turns to share what they had learned from this experience.   It was encouraging and humbling experience to the young people seeing villagers, though poor as they were, these villagers had welcomed the visiting group with their best of everything!  Many of them live in such remote distant places, that they long for any kind of visitors.  One dear lady from a very isolated village, in her excitement for finally having guests into her house, had given 3 of her best chickens and a duck to the visiting group!  And she prepared a feast for the hungry crowd!  Last week, we had asked you to pray that this would be a good learning opportunity for the young people.  And it did!  Thank you for praying!

Blessings,
 Soeuth and Syna


Friday, May 9, 2014

May Update

Dear Praying Friends,

Many of you have been praying for Mrs. Moum, and we want to give you updates on her case.  According to the local authorities, her times of captivity will come to a completion this month.    She is scheduled to be released from the Svey Sisophon Prison on May 12.  Some of the KEC church families of  the northwest regions will come together on May 13, at Bontey Meanchey Province, for a celebration of her release.  The leaders are planning to raise fund, through a love offering on that day, for her needs.  During her three- year time in prison, her children had sold most of their family valuable goods and heirlooms, and they even sold some properties in order to survive!  Except for the empty house remained, Mrs. Moum is going home, to start a new chapter of her life, empty hands!  Pray that the giving would be generous.  Pray also that the authorities would keep their promises and that they would drop any other charges against her.


So much is happening lately among the church families!  It seems like Satan, our archenemy, is working overtime against the Body of Christ!  The believers are being tested in every way.  In respond to the needs, the Poipet church leaders are gathering for a day or Fast and Prayer on May 12.  Please pray for the good outcome of those who plan to attend.


May 17-18, the KEC youth from the northwest region areas will take a motor bike tour visiting about 10 KEC churches in remote areas of Battambang Province, Malay and Pailen Districts.  Please pray for safe traveling for all.  The main purpose of this trip is for learning experiences for young people.  Pray for opportunities to encourage the local churches as well as opportunities to share the Gospel with those who are in need of salvation.  We are expecting about at least 20 bikes with two people on each bike will go on this trip!  We are praying that from this experience, the youth would have a revival of faith, develop a new commitment and an increasing passion for following Christ!

In responding the needs, the National youth committees have strong desire for the KEC youth to resume Bible quizzing ministry this year.  Unfortunately, the last time we had any quizzing activity was in June 2002!  And out of the 7 committees, only two of them had any quizzing experience!  Nevertheless, the committees, out of faith, are moving forward with the plan!  For a start, the first quizzing match is scheduled for August 30, for the northwest region churches, covering the Book of Mark chapters 1-3.  Many young people are already very excited about this quizzing event!  Pray that God would raise more interests from among youth, especially from the other regions.  Pray for wisdom and encouragement on the committees as they are putting things together, learning about the quizzing procedures and rules, writing questions, and so on.

We look forward to seeing our boys at the end of the month!  Justin will graduate from Dalat school on June 2.  After that he will have about one month left in Cambodia before he will head back to America for re-entry seminar.  It will be a huge change for all of us this summer!  We appreciate your prayers for our children.


Blessings,
Soeuth and Syna