Tuesday, December 16, 2014

December Update

Dear Praying Friends,
For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders.  And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father,  Prince of Peace... (Isaiah 9:6).  As you are getting ready for the Christmas celebration, we wish a blessed and joyous holiday season.  Jesus Christ is the reason we celebrate this season!


You have been praying for the Poipet ministries, and here are some events that took place as a testimony that God is at work.  On Dec. 10, we had a regional quarterly youth rally at Living Water Church.  About 240+ people from three different provinces attended.  The Living Water Church was packed!  We ran out of plastic chairs to seat everyone.  And because there was not enough space for all the chairs, all the youth decided to sit on the tile floor throughout the entire service!  As usual, the youth from different villages had carefully prepared and rehearsed their special songs and or dramas to perform on this special event.  And every group did a great job at their performance!  During the service, opportunity was given to those who wish to share about what God is doing in their lives.






A young lady from Batthambang Province went up to the stage and boldly told the crowds about a miraculous healing (from asthma) and how her life has been effectively used by God for the past few years!  Another young lady from Malay, (a successfully professional wedding singer), has recently felt convicted that her life style was not honoring God.  So she decided to quit her current job in order to live a life worthy of God's calling. She is praying for clear directions for "what's next" in her life.  After the sharing, Soeuth spoke a Christmas message based on Luke 2.  "Of all the people in all Judah", he told the group, "The good news of the Messiah's birth was first announced to the shepherds, the most ignored and the lowest of the people group!  Yet the Savior of the world chose to make His announcement to them".  Comparing to the shepherd story, many of the youth felt they were among of the left outs, the ignored ones, due to their poor decision making and peer pressure.  But the message encouraged the young people that they are NOT forgotten by God!  Because of His great love and His concern for their salvation, God chooses to reveal Himself to them!  So, upon altar call, about 20 youth went forward to recommit their lives to the Lord Jesus.  Many broke down in tears as they confessed their short comings before God.  Please pray for the youth ministry as God is at work in their lives.

Shortly after lunch, Dec. 10, the youth committees quickly arranged for the Bible quizzing session  in the afternoon.   Some groups left after the morning service, but many chose to hang around to cheer  and support the quizzer friends.  Altogether, we had 6 teams from Battambang and from Bontey Meanchey provinces.  Once again, the youth did exceptionally well.  We are especially proud for those who were first time quizzers!  Seeing how things were done, many new kids are being challenged to try on the next quizzing meet!  Please pray that the Word of God would take deep root in the hearts and lives would be transformed as young people memorize verses for the competitions.
For the past few weeks, all of us experienced some kinds of spiritual attacks in so many different ways.  December 3-6, we drove to the capital city, Phnom Penh, to join some team members there for a discipleship conference and a team Christmas party gathering.  While there, one team member (International Worker)felt very sick with high fevers and the "worse headache" in her life!  When taken to a local clinic with some blood works done, the illness was ruled out to be viral meningitis!

At about the same time, another team member, back in Poipet, also felt very sick.  Our team in Phnom Penh took time to pray for two IWs.  And God heard our prayers.  Now, a week later, both IWs are back on their feet again.   Praise the Lord!!!  At about the same times in different locations, however, our KEC church families also experienced spiritual warfare.  One home-alone elderly lady in Svey Sisophon was drugged and robbed in broad day light!  Still in another location, one KEC key church leader was on a night bus going toward Phnom Penh, when at 1 am, while the bus was in full speed and loaded with sleeping passengers , one of the tires had a blow out!  The bus driver managed to take control of the steering wheel and was able to stable the bus to a safely parking position! On Sunday morning of Dec. 7, at Living Water Church, right before the service began, a few church members experienced a number of medical problems and had to be rushed to the hospital!  Then at 4 pm on the same day, two church leaders, in an attempt to clean up the church yards (as preparation for the Dec. 10 youth event), got deep cut wounds that required immediate stitches: one person was had a cut between his eyes, another person with a cut on his forearm!  And the list of incidents keeps adding on as we are getting closer to the Christmas events...  At times like these, we could hardly wait to see what God is going to do within the next few weeks as the church families are coming together to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.  In every village, people are being invited to join the Christmas celebrations!  Believers are encouraged to invite their friends and relatives to join the celebration.  We strongly believe that God is going to do some amazing thing in people lives these next couple weeks.  And Satan, our arch enemy,  knew this as well.  That is why we are being attacked.  PRAY that we would overcome these hard times.  God is victorious!  He is on our side.  And He has already overcome it all.

Many of you who have been financially supported the Bethlehem KEC Church building project, thank you!  The generous donation you gave now reached to 47% of the total amount need!  Meing Pheap and the Bethlehem church committees are very grateful to your support!  And they wish to extent their gratitude to you all.


We are very grateful to God for you!  Thank you for Living Call together in partnership in the effort of bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to lost people in this part of the world.  Your continual support to the Great Commission Fund enables us to keep on serving here.  Thank you!  No matter what the world is saying, Jesus Christ is still the Reason for this Christmas season!  As you come together in celebration the birth of our Savior, may you truly experience the meaning for  this season.
Merry Christmas!
Soeuth and Syna Lao

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