March Update 2021

Dear Praying Friends and Family,

A LOT has happened since our last update. In most of the remote village churches from around Srae Nouy and Anlong Veg regions, there were significant ministry reports about church growth, especially in the weekly church attendants. The beauty of it all was that many believers demonstrated genuine growth as evident in their continual hunger and thirst for God. Despite constant daily life difficulties, many Christ followers found creative ways to come to weekly discipleship classes. It is a true joy and blessing for us to see such hunger from God’s people! At the same time, we are also facing a season of hardship. When new believers were flooding to join small groups these past few months, we were excited about the overwhelming growth while anticipating that hardship and persecutions would eventually arrive. But we had never expected that the challenges would be coming in HUGE waves crushing down on our dear friends, one heart-wrenching hardships after another. Below are some of the blessings and challenges that our dear friends recently went through…

A Season for Everything

Phearum and family standing in front of the recently burned field

Early February, while clearing the rice fields and burning away many small spots of dried grass, Phearum (Pastor’s Dy son, who is also a designated spiritual leader to oversee three local house churches) from Srae Nouy Alliance church had accidentally started a fire which spread by strong winds resulting in much damages to the neighbors’ fields and their precious destroying crops. Phearum and his wife, Poev, had to pay a large sum of cash to compensate the lost crops. In response to the need, local church families not only offered their grieves, they also took a collection, a love offering, to help this family in their time of crisis. Praise God that no one was physically hurt. Despite life's difficulties, this dear couple chose to cling tight to God’s faithfulness for their lives. One of Phearum’s favorite verses is Ecclesiastes 3:1, “There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven," which he often quoted when facing a hard situation. The past 11 years, Phearum and Poev had prayed for a baby. They went through a long season of waiting and of losses in multiple miscarriages that included a scary ectopic pregnancy. But recently, God gave them a desire of their heart—a healthy baby girl, Johanna, who is now 6 months old! Recently, after sharing about the fire incident while holding his happy bouncy daughter, Phearum once again gave his favorite one-liner message, “There is a season for everything."

Rate (please refer to detailed information about Rate in Feb. 2020 update--- "Rate & Her Neighbors") a two year-old believer, in her early 40’s, a devoted mother of four adult kids, also a designated spiritual leader for Ksach Ampel village, has been locally known for her bold and courageous evangelism outreach abilities. She loves God dearly and would “hold nothing back” whenever there was an opportunity for her to share the Good News! In the past few months, she won at least 40 plus people into the kingdom! But on February 23, while on her way to a weekly discipleship class, Rate encountered problems with her "mechanical cow (wagon)." This was Rate and her family’s most precious earthly possession. 

A multi purpose 'mechanical cow' wagon commonly used by local farmers

As the problems got worse, the entire engine was engulfed with fire and had destroyed the entire engine! Her family had depended on this engine as a generator, for plowing the fields, for pulling a large wagon loaded with family members and church people, for pumping water, and for so many other needed activities. Now, the family is praying for a miraculous provision for the next upcoming season of plowing…

Rate, middle in floral blouse, prayed at recent evangelism outreach

Poipet Sport Ministry

After a long season of setbacks, the Poipet soccer ministry had finally resumed in mid-February, this time under a leadership of Rong Makara, a member of the Poipet Living Water Alliance church, as the head coach overseeing some 60 plus kids; the kids’ aged 11-16 years old. Poipet is still commonly known as the ‘Sin City,' a high-risk location for youth and young adult to be exposed to many crimes and violent activities. Pray for Maraka and for few other sport leaders for wisdom and directions as they work with kids not just in sport activities but to introduce the kids to Jesus. 

Visiting Floating Villages

Kean, in blue t-shirt, explaining how the two new churches were planted

Feb. 18-19: We had the opportunity to accompany five members of the northwest regional church committees (RCC) to visit four floating villages in the Tonle Sap Lake region. It was an eye-opening learning experience for the RCC—the leaders’ first time to visit these floating churches! Under the faithful and devoted leadership of Mr. Kean (Kong’s younger brother), all six small groups floating churches thrive well (two of these floating churches were planted during the Covid restriction). Kean, a chief of the police by occupation who is in charge of overseeing 9 floating villages in the Tonle Sap region, and with a “C&MA DNA in my blood” mind set, guards these small groups believers “like a mother hen” against any potential sheep-stealing false groups! Kean, a faithful and committed learner of the biblical teachings, called Soeuth very frequently, sometimes in the late hours of the night, with any questions or concerns about bible passages he was studying. During the recent visit, local believers came together (by many motorboats) to dedicate a new boating ‘church’ building to the Lord. When asked where they get the money to buy such a houseboat, they explained that during Covid restrictions where many family members could not find works on land due to the closing down of factories had reluctantly returned home to their remote floating villages. While feeling restless at home with nothing much to do, “God blessed us with a good harvest freshwater snails, clamps, shrimps, crabs, and abundant supplies of fish! We sold all that was harvested, and we had enough money to buy this new boathouse! And we are using it as a ‘church’ to worship God!” Please continue to pray for Kean who is feeling overwhelmed with great demand of needs from overseeing the small floating house churches. Pray that God would raise up workers to help him…

A visit to the floating villages

A recently church dedication at one of the floating villages

After 3 hours of boat ride, Soeuth was anxious to get off the tiny boat onto a floating house church!

S&S enjoyed a beautiful sunset view from a floating house

Anlong Veng Ministry Center and Other Projects…

Filling up dirts to the Anlong Veng Ministry Center site

Taking advantage of a dry season and with on-going pandemic restriction, the works of filling up dirt onto the (future) Anlong Veng Ministry Center site had begun in late February. But due to limited funds available, the work is in progress at slow pace, as we need to watch carefully monitoring the amount of fund remains in the account. We were hoping to get as much dirt fillings as possible before the coming rainy season and while we are still here on the ground to oversee the financial aspect. There are already Approved Special Projects specifically designated for the Anlong Veng and for the northern region church ministries. If you feel led to support us in part(s) of or in any of these projects, please go to the C&MA online giving. We firmly believe that God has great plans in stores for the Anlong Veng church ministries as evident in the many amazing works He already done and will continue to do in these areas. And we are very grateful to God for YOU and for your on-going and faithful and sacrificial financial and prayer supports.

A weekly bible study and baby dedication at Rohaal village

In addition to above needs, below are dates and events requiring your prayers…

1. Two young married couples (our students) had been praying for babies. In the past few years, both couples experienced many losses from multiple miscarriages. Both couples shared with larger groups their prayer concerns. And God answered their hearts’ desire. This coming April & May—they are hoping to hold their first baby boys. The two mothers and babies are currently doing very well. Pray for good health for all and also that the expecting mothers would endure the heat while anxiously waiting for the littles boys to come…

2. Noun (watch Noun’s video recently made by Alliance Life, Feb. 2021, called, ‘The Strongest Healer’ from Toul Prich Firm Foundation Alliance church has been ‘on fire’ for sharing the gospel with friends and family at home and at a local market, where she sells home grown vegetables for a living. While selling her produce, she often shared the reasons for her faith in Jesus Christ with any interested person.  Every week while sitting to participate in a discipleship class with Syna, Noun often shared encouraging news about what God was doing through her.  Because of her bold witness, some angry neighbors looked for opportunities to attack or to publicly shame her. Please pray for protection and enduring faith for Noun and her family…

3. Pastor Chean and another church member from the Living Water Alliance church in Poipet recently had a serious accident in their attempts to clean up the church yards. Both patients were immediately taken to and treated at EMERGENCY hospital in Battambang province… During the months of January and February, two new house churches were planted around the Poipet region where about 30 plus new believers (in each new church) met regularly for weekly worship services. Pastor Chean was one of the teachers to teach two discipleship classes. Then, the accident happened. Pray for healing on Pastor Chean’s right leg. Pray also that the young believers would remain faithful with their decision to follow Christ. About 40 of new believers from these church sites are being taught and prepared for the coming baptism, March 27. Pray against spiritual opposition.

Pastor, in red shirt, sitting in wheel chair

4. Recently, because of the community outbreaks of the Covid pandemic, many of the planned activities and meetings including the IWs annual prayer retreat had been cancelled, postponed, or moved to later dates. As the result, April will be packed with church conferences, youth camp, and zoom meetings: Prayer retreat for IWs- April 1-3; Adult KEC annual conference (April 5-7); annual KEC youth camp (April 9-12); Field Strategic Review (April 19-24). Pray that all will go well…

5. Pray for time and energy we hope to begin packing up the house and to prepare for our departure in the coming June. There are so much to be done with so little time remains…

6. Please continue to pray for our son, Jonathan, to finish well. While God is doing many good things in church ministries, the Enemy has been busy attacking us in areas where it hurts the most-- our children and family…

Blessings,

Soeuth & Syna