July Update (Part 2) 2018

Dear Praying Friends and Family,

Although we just sent you a July update, there were other exciting stories that needed to be included as well but not enough space to write then.  Here are a few more stories that took place recently…

Sarom And His Radio

With only some help for fuel cost and other travel expenses, Mr. Sarom, a resident of Andong Chan village, drives his raggedy old motorbike to Ksaach Ampel village (around 12 km from his village) three times a week. Mr. Sarom does all this to teach 40 plus children how to read! Being a passionate lover of Jesus Christ, Sarom always shares his faith with anyone he meets, especially the children. To support his ministry, we often supplied him with coloring papers, crayons, other classroom supplies, in addition to some small toys and soccer balls.

Sarom teaching children at Ksaach Ampel village

Rain or shine, Sarom commits to going to Ksaach Ampel to teach children literacy classes. He always brings along his small MP3 radio device so the children could listen to Bible stories. Every day children returned home and reported to their parents what they learned. They often told their parents about exciting Bible stories they heard from Sarom’s small radio! With only fractions of the bible stories retold by the children, some parents became interested and started to show up at Sarom’s literacy class, not to learn literacy, but to hear the whole Bible stories!

The actual discounted price sold at the Alliance Literature book store is $11.50 for each radio (about two days earning for a local labor worker). But even with this lower rate, most poor families could not afford it. We often considered giving them away for free (and we had done so many times already), but this practice might be a more harmful type of “helping.” Instead, we encouraged the interested families to save up their money and make a weekly “down payment” at as low as $0.25 or $0.50 per week to add up to a total amount of 200,000 riels (about $5.00 US dollars) for each radio. With this reduced price, Sarom already “sold” more than 30 radios to interested parents at Ksaach Ampel Village! This week Sarom ordered 20 more radios! Thanks to the available money in our Work Special account (which some of you are our regularly and generously financial supporters), we can apply the same reduced rate for every interest buyer in every village we visit. It is a joy to hear that even people who live in the most remote and isolated places are having opportunities to learn about God through listening to Bible stories played from these radios!

Sarom in plain white sitting with Pastor Dy at Israel Nouy village

Marb From Maat Khlaa

Marb and Syna inside a floating house at Mart Klara village

Her name, Marb, means ‘chubby’. Marb (in her early fifties) is a resident of Maat Khlaa floating village, is a young believer who loves God dearly. She is among the many frequent callers who call us with questions about her faith in Christ (we encourage young believers to call us for any question related to their faith). In addition to her excitement and her genuine love for God, Marb has such a joyful and bubble personality! In her weekly phone calls, she always reports about exciting news on what God is doing in her own life, her family’s life, and the lives of the villagers around her.

She already bought two radios: “One for me and one for my husband!” In addition to radios, Marb often requests for extra pairs of reading glasses because, “I kept dropping them in the water!” Living on a cracked bamboo floor inside a floating house, one could easily lose small precious items, if not carefully kept. Syna can testify to this fact because she had also lost a pair of her most needed reading glasses during our last visit to Maat Khlaa! Recently, Marb and eight other believers braved their ways across the great Tonle Sap Lake, riding for three hours on an open-motor boat to join the funeral service at Kampong Klang village!

Marb, in striped blouse, traveled 3 hours on a motor-boat from Maat Khlaa floating village to join a recent funeral service.

                                                                 Seng’s Story… (Toul Prich Village)

Seng (in her early forties) is a young believer living in Toul Prich village. Although Seng has been coming to church on and off for the past six years, she was not growing spiritually. One reason for her lack of spiritual growth was because she could not read and had not been trained in God’s words. Another reason was that, like every “Christian” in her village, Seng (back then) only showed up at church every time visitors (from across the Thai border) came hoping to receive some hand-me-down gifts.

Seng (giving a peace sign with her hand) and Seingly at Toul Prich village

Shortly after we came to Anlong Veng, we made three trips a week to Toul Prich for literacy classes, discipleship classes, and for Sunday church services, but lately most people stopped coming to classes.  Only children and a few adults showed up at Sunday church. It was discouraging and we were wondering what to do with this village.

However, this past week, three adult ladies and some 20 plus children came to church! While Syna worked with the children, Soeuth began the “church” service with the three ladies. During a share & prayer time, one young mother, Seingly (in her early twenties) said that she wanted to give her life to Jesus! When asked why, this is what she told us…

Children ministry Toul Prich village

Toul Prich kids riding in our pick-up truck

Syna and the Toul Prich children ministry

“I have been watching Seng for a long time. She and her husband seem at peace with one another. Seng is always smiling and kind to everyone in my village. She and her family would always listen to Bible stories together every night. Sometimes, I came by their house to listen to the stories as well.  But I didn’t want to be a burden to them. I really liked what I saw in Seng’s life. I want what she had as well. Seng sometimes encouraged me to talk to Jesus, especially when I was feeling sad or afraid, but I didn’t know how. Seng kept asking me to come to church with her and that is why I came today… because I want what Seng has…”

Seng reading her Bible at the Lao's house

Since fall 2017, Seng has been studying a Bible-based adult literacy class with Syna. She has recently completed the 80 lesson course and is reading very well on her own! While being discipled by Syna, Seng often had many questions for her. Recently, Seng,  Seingly, and another young girl were studying in Syna’s Living Water Course for new believers…

At a crucial time when we were so discouraged and anticipating what to do about the Toul Prich ministry, God, in his great love for the people there, gave us another glimpse of hope. He assured us that all hope is not lost at Toul Prich. For the sake of the little children and for these few seekers, we will continue with Toul Prich ministries.

Every Monday, we go to Andong Chan village for weekly classes. Syna teaches an Abundant Life class- 14 students and Soeuth a Pentateuch class (3 students). In our weekly discipleship classes recently, Pastor Dy from Srae Nouy came to Soeuth’s Pentateuch class feeling stiff and severe back pains.  During a joined prayer & share time, Soeuth anointed him with oil and we prayed for Pastor Dy’s back. Immediately afterward, Pastor Dy was able to bend down and touch his own toes! Those in attendance, about 25 of us, all testified to this healing event!

Discipleship class at Andong Chan village

It is such an exciting time for church ministries in Anlong Veng! It is a joy to work closely with new and young believers! Through their sincere, basic faith and fervently prayers, we are seeing evidences of how God answers prayers!

Prayer requests:

Please pray that God would send workers to help us with the Anlong Veng growing ministries. The harvest is so plentiful here but there are only a few workers. Please pray to the Lord of the Harvest to send us extra helping hands.

Please pray for new/young believers to remain faithful in their walk with Christ even in the midst of testing time. Because of their professed faith, many of the church families are going through hard time of persecution.

As always, we are grateful to God for you and your faithful prayers and financial support to our Work Special account (which allows us to purchase radios and other Christian literatures) and to the Great Commission Fund (GCF) which enables us to keep serving God here in this part of the world.  THANK YOU for partnering with us with the Cambodia ministries.

Blessings,
Seouth & Syna Lao