Dear Praying Friends and Family,
Happy belated Mother’s Day to all the moms! Trust you had a blessed weekend full of love and joy surrounded by family members. Before preaching a Mother’s Day message at Toul Prich Firm Foundation Alliance and recognizing the present holiday, Soeuth asked all the mothers to stand up while the church families took turns to give their words of appreciation to the honoring moms. As the words of appreciation poured out one after another, one mother cried her tears of joys saying, “All these years of raising five children (4 teens and a toddler), this was the time I had ever felt appreciated. And I am so touched by your loving gestures."
Covid Updates…
As one of IWs teammates were saying, “It took a while for Covid to move around to our part of the world and it finally came to Cambodia, but it came like a storm!” Last year with mild strain, there wasn’t much concern and there were zero deaths. This new strain that started around early February has left the local Cambodian government a little shaky about how to weather this storm. Based on local reports, since February 2021, there have been 110 deaths. And hundreds of new cases are being discovered since then. As a result, the local government has been imposing restrictions of several kinds: curfews, travel bans, and lockdowns especially in many locations of the major city areas. During the lockdown, people were not even allowed to leave their home premises! It was especially more challenging for families with small children who needed to buy baby supplies and other basic needs…
The on-going problems also took place in Malaysia where our youngest son, Jonathan, is attending school. With less than threes weeks to the end of school year and during final exams weeks with SAT tests and all, (effective May 10-23) the Malaysian government ordered a mandatory complete lockdown of all International, public, and private schools! Because the increasing Covid challenges, as a last minute change decision, we made a quick change with regard to our family’s traveling plans this summer: Jonathan will fly out from Penang directly to New York City JFK airport, on June 3, where some kind friends from NYC will meet him at the airport and will keep him with them until we arrive, on June 18. This will be Jonathan’s first time traveling long distant alone and while this on-going Covid pandemic is still in effect. We appreciate your prayers for smooth transitions…
Food Distributions and Other Provisions…
As prolonged restrictions and travel bans continue, people whose livelihood depend entirely on daily income (which under normal circumstances were earned from labor works) were desperately crying out for help! Many families had run out of food! In partnership with some local church leaders and using the money our Work Fund account (which some of you had generously donated) we organized two rounds of food distributions for 145 hungry families (85 families from remote villages in the Srae Nouy region and 60 families from the floating villages), with each family receiving 25 kilograms of rice and bag full of cooking ingredients and dry food items.
In addition to the food distributions and upon the urgent requests from some trusted local key church leaders, we used our Work Fund to pay for the cost of tin roofing supplies in the repairing and rebuilding of the house-for-the poor construction projects for two widowed families. Before the help came, these families with small children were living under leaky grass roofs with see-through walls. But now, thanks to your generous support, they have a dry and safe shelter for their families. One elderly widow from Andong Chan village, who was also raising and caring for two orphan grandchildren, tearfully expressed her gratitude, “Thank you for giving me and my grandchildren this beautiful roof! From now on, my grandkids do not worry about putting buckets under the leaky roofs any more! This rainy season, we finally have a dry home to stay in. Thank you Jesus for giving us a new roof!”
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| Two widowed families received new roofing supplies |
Thanks also to a very generous donating church from Hong Kong. Now Mrs. Rate from Andong Chan village has a new mechanical cow! The gift arrived at a perfect time as the rainy season was upon us. This is also a season where farmers begin to plow and prepare their fields for rice planting…
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| Mrs. Rate's new mechanical cow |
On behalf of the 145 desperately needy families who received rice and food supplies, the two poor widowed families who received new roofs, and Mrs. Rate who has a brand new mechanical cow--- we want to express our deepest gratitude to you, our dearly kind, generous, and faithful supporters! Your sacrificial giving, partnership in the growing Anlong Veng ministries through prayers and financial support, and on-going partnership with the overall Cambodian ministries-- give new meanings to the poor and needy of what it's like being the heart, hands, and the feet of Jesus to those who were lost and without hope. Because of your involvement, these people have opportunities to meet and receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Thank You!
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| 145 families recently received rice and dry food goods |
Sharing Jesus At Work…
In early May, with approval from our field leader, we began the fence building project around the Anlong Veng Ministry Center’s property. Due to limited budget and availability of funding at hand, instead of hiring expensive, professional construction workers for the building of sturdy cement fencing (how it was typically done in another church building projects) this time we chose to build logged-metal-netted fencing. The decision came about with two-fold benefits in mind. The first benefit is that at the end of the project, the fence construction would not appear to be extravagantly or highly above the poor communities of the locations. At the same times, this logged fence is safe enough to keep away potential thieves and/or any unwanted stray animals from destroying plants or young trees growing inside the property area. The second benefit is that many local village people (who currently are in desperate need of hired labor works) receive opportunities to earn small incomes to support their families.
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| Soeuth and some local men putting up the logged fence |
At the end of the working week, the workers received equal payment by the number of holes in the ground they each had had dug and the number of logs they raised up. But to run this project effectively and smoothly, hiring a trustworthy Christian foreman was crucial. After much prayers, God gave us Nee, who became an overseer for the overall construction of this logged fence project. Nee (age 48) was a former Khmer Rogue soldier who after watching his wife faithfully live her Christian life for two years, decided to be a follower of Jesus in the fall of 2020.
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| Nee and Soeuth at the January baptism |
He was one of the ten people who got baptized on January 31 at Toul Prich. With his excellent background as a handyman and a wooden house builder, in addition to his dry and infectious humors, Nee keeps the work place fun and enjoyable. Nee often keeps a stack of Christian tracts available for anyone who wants to read. Although many of the workers are not yet believers, they have had opportunities to hear about Jesus from Nee. The workers also heard the gospel from Nee’s favorite’s portable MPS bible radio which he would always carry around with him everywhere.
Last week, while Soeuth joined the men in the logged fence building project, the discussion topic at that moment was, “The power of healing done by Jesus, was it real?” Seeing the opportune moment, Soeuth shared about the miraculous healing biblical stories found in Scriptures. After intensely listening to the Bible stories, Poy, one of the workers agreed, “Yea, I can see that what you are sharing is true. Anyone who lives in Toul Prich can testified that Noun and Kane were sick, especially Noun. But now, after she believes in Jesus, her sickness is no more!” After this, Soeuth invited Poy to come to church and told him “Why not give Jesus a try." Though interested in the bible stories, Poy politely declined. Please pray for receptive hearts of the workers as Soeuth and Nee look for opportunities to share Jesus with them…
Coincidence or Devine Provision?
While the men work hard digging the holes and raising up logged fence, Syna also had her “working crew." For some earning fees, local youth came to help planting small trees and flower plants in the church’s property. Like the men receiving payment from the digging holes in the ground and raise up logs, the youth dug holes and planted plants. Everyone received equal share of payment by the number of holes dug and plants planted. All flower plants were lovingly grafted and carefully nursed and cared for by Syna—all of the flower plants came directly from Lao’s yards! Taking advantage of the early rainy season, so far, we planted about 100 young trees and flower plants! But as we were planting, the growing concern was where to get large water jugs to store enough water to be reserved for days when there would be no rain. As we all were wondering out loud, there was suddenly a big truck passing by carrying 12 large water jugs! The driver drove around from province to province selling water jugs wherever there were potential buyers. In all four years that we lived in Anlong Veng, this was the first and only time we had even seen a truck full of water jugs! Bopha one of the youth shouted, “Naak (teacher)! You just said where would we get the water jugs? Now look! God heard your prayer!” At this opportune moment, Syna asked, “Was it a coincidence that the water-jug truck came by so quickly? Or was it God who sent us the water jugs? Does God care for every small detail of our requests too?” At that time, all the youth agreed that it was God who sent the truck to our way…
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| At a time when we needed them the most, God sent us a truck full of large water jugs |
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Other prayer requests needing your prayers…
- Pray for a smooth transition of ministry responsibilities for the local church leaders to carry on while we will be on home assignment. We are grateful to God for giving us many godly church leaders like that of Pastor Dy, Mr. Kong, Po, and Heng, and Aide Rose, and so many other leaders to help oversee the growing church ministries in Anlong Veng and the Srae Nouy regions. The work loads are overwhelming. Pray for God protection for the leaders against the evil schemes. Pray for the believers to remain faithful with their decision to follow Jesus no matter what…
- Pray for safety and protection as we move heavy boxes and crates into a storage place. Pray against pest and extreme heat that might destroy or damage the stored goods.
- The logged fence building project will carry on, after we leave in mid June, under the watchful eyes of Nee the overseer, Heng, and Aide Rose who will oversee the financial aspects. Pray for integrity of the workers to be good steward of God’s money.
- Pray for our coming trip to America in the midst of this crazy on-going Covid pandemic.
- Despite switching back to remote learning, pray that Jonathan would finish well and finish strong. Pray also for him as he will be taking at least a 6 month gap year to think and process what took place this past year. Pray for divine guidance and clear direction of what he should do after for continue education…
- Justin and Katie have been accepted and are preparing to join the Alliance Mission serving in the Middle East at the end of the year or early 2022. Pray for a sweet family reunion in early July and a chance for us to meet the new grandchildren…
- We had hoped that some sufficient funds would come through so the church leaders could begin the foundation works of the Srae Nouy church building project. God knows all the details. Pray that as the people come together in large groups to meet under plastic sheets as a place for worship during heavy rainy season, that they would see only Jesus and not be looking for the physical building…
- With all that is going, this may be the last prayer from us from Cambodia. Lord willing by early July if not sooner, we hope to send you another update after we arrive in America. Pray for a fruitful home assignment year…
- As we prepare to depart Cambodia, our hearts are sad from missing our dear friends who we were privileged to know these four years. PLEASE PRAY for spiritual protection of God’s tender sheep against the schemes of the Enemy.
- At this writing, some parts of Cambodia are in the RED Zone with Covid restrictions. This month, four family units of Alliance International Workers will depart Cambodia for home assignment in North America. With restriction and Covid regulation getting tighter by the day, pray that all IWs traveling including our MKs children’s traveling will go smoothly…
It has been a wonderful privilege for us to serve God in Anlong Veng during these past four amazing and fruitful years. We are grateful to God for YOU, our ministry partners, prayer warriors, and financial supporters for your commitment for the sake of the Kingdom’s course. We value your partnership for the sharing of the Good News of Jesus to lost people in this part of the world. Because of your involvement, many people had opportunities to hear about Jesus, called on Him, and have been saved. But many are still lost and without Hope. Please continue joining us in the effort of bringing Lost People back to Jesus through your prayers and financial support…
Lord willing, we hope to see some of you at the Stateside during this coming year. Please kindly share with us what God is doing at your end…
Blessings,
Soeuth & Syna
