January Update 2019

Dear Praying Family and Friends,

Happy New Year! We trust you had a blessed and merry Christmas.

So many exciting things happened since our last update. Obviously, we cannot share everything with you now, but here are a few highlights…

Overall throughout December 2018, we participated and attended 13 Christmas celebrations at various villages and provinces! Since most of the people who attended these celebrated events were first-timers, Soeuth had purposely focused his messages based on evangelism outreach. There were altar calls at the end of each message. As a result, we saw 17 people come forward to receive Christ!

A well respected leader received Christ during a Christmas celebration at Srae Kandal village

Two new believers are now members of Andong Chan village church

Attendance was double at Toul Prich Firm Foundation class

Church attendance was double at a recently Srae Kandal village church service

January 5-18

After attending the GUIDE meeting in Colorado Springs, Syna was able to visit her mother and family in Tacoma, WA for a few days. She then spent a week with Justin and Katie in Minneapolis, MN. It was quite an adjustment for her to acclimate to the extreme changes of weather moving from 96 degrees F of Cambodian tropical weather to below freezing -14 degrees in Minneapolis! While Syna went away, Soeuth and Jonathan held the fort at home enjoying the rest of Jonathan’s winter break. Jonathan returned to Dalat on January 14.

Syna visiting Justin and Katie

Syna visiting with mom and sister in Tacoma, WA

January 23-24

Syna attended a national KEC women prayer retreat that took place in Phnom Penh where 600 plus people attended! In keeping with the retreat theme, “Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith…”, four different guest speakers shared similar encouraging messages and challenged the audiences to come to Jesus directly for their every needs and struggles. During the first evening service one speaker gave an altar call and at least 85 ladies came forward to receive prayers!

Around 85 KEC ladies responded to an altar call during a recent prayer retreat

600 plus KEC women attended a recently prayer retreat

Although Christmas holiday is behind us and January is nearly gone, it took us a while to finally regroup and resume weekly discipleship classes. Once resumed, everyone seemed excited to be back in the weekly class routine. At a recently “prayer & share time," we learned that during the long Christmas breaks, some believers have been busy sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ to their friends and families! As a result, more numbers are being added to the group of believers in every village! Pastor Dy from Srae Nouy shared, “Sometimes, I feel so ashamed for not doing my part; I did not even get a chance to evangelize yet, but people are coming to the church every day asking to be prayed for and to receive Christ!” As more and more people are experiencing healing and freedom in Christ after being prayed for, words are spreading at a rapid pace among local unbelievers! This past week, the attendant was double in church services as well in weekly classes!

January 27

Although a group of believers at Andong Chan village have been meeting together regularly for bible studies and family devotions,  they had never held a church service until recently. This past Sunday at 3 pm was the official FIRST CHURCH service! To support the group, local believers from four other surrounding villages attended the service. Altogether about 50 people participated in this first-time church service. As in other villages, curious not-yet-believers joined the service “just to check things out." Among the many visitors were Nancy, Noun’s mother (see her story in our December update) and her friend from Toul Prich! Soeuth spoke a message based on Matthew 4:18-22 and challenged the congregation to be “Followers of Jesus and Fishers of men."  Afterward, a few new believers asked if they could share their stories. Among the brave new believers, Noun from Toul Prich shared, “I know without a doubt that Preah Yea-sue (Jesus) is alive and real. I was sick and bedridden for more than three months. But when I asked Jesus for healing, He did! I am alive and well today it is because of Jesus!”

Nancy and a friend from Toul Prich village attended church service for the first time

First church service at Andong Chan village

New believer attended first church service at Andong Chan village

As God is at work stirring the hearts of the people, our Enemy is also busy at work. Please pray for protection for Mr. Kong who is one of the designated leaders for Andong Chan village church. He and his family are going through some testing time. Please pray also for the new believers who are studying and preparing for the first baptismal service which will take place in February.

Dates and events needing prayers:

- February 15-16: National KEC men prayer retreat in Thmar Koul Eden Center.
- February 18: First baptismal service in Andong Chan village.
- February 21: First Christian wedding in San Chey village in Preah Vihear province.
- March 8: Northwest regional quarterly youth rally at Thmar Koul Eden Centre.
- March 21: First Christian wedding in Andong Chan village.

We are very grateful for your faithful prayers. Thank you for supporting the Cambodian ministries through your generous give toward the Alliance Great Commission Fund. Your donation to this fund enables us to keep serving our King in this part of the world sharing the Good News of Hope of Jesus to lost people in Cambodia and all over the world.  Please share with us what God is doing in your life.

Blessings,

Soeuth & Syna