September Update 2021

 Dear Friend and Family,

Autumn greetings! Although it is still quite early in the season, we hope you will get to enjoy the changes of the majestic and glorious colors of fall this year. While serving in Cambodia, what we missed most in America was Fall. Now that we are on the same side of the ocean as you, and while we travel around visiting churches and sharing with you about what God is doing in Cambodia, our heart is longing for and missing our dear friends in Cambodia. As we reminiscing the memories of our friends back in Anlong Veng, one story popped into my mind…

“Convenience Store…”  

It was a routinely practice for me to always bring along bags of supplies every time Soeuth and I traveled to do weekly village ministries in Cambodia. Village people who live in remote places had no ways to get necessary supplies which were normally sold in the city locations or in central markets. So, every week after classes, church people gave me a list of requested items where I was to bring the supplies to the village during our next visit. The most commonly requested items (in addition to Bibles, hymnal books, MP3 radio of audio bibles and other Christian literatures or supplies) were highlighters, notebooks, different colors of pens or pencil to mark their Bibles, reading glasses, bible bags, some off-the-counter medicines, and among other requested items. During a break or a “shopping” time, crowds of people immediately surrounded me in an attempt to “buy” their supplies. Thanks to the generous financial support that some of YOU gave toward our Ministry Fund, we were able to purchase abundant supplies of the requested items and to distribute them among church families. To avoid unnecessary potential jealousy from the local people and to promote and encourage ownership and partnership from the recipients, we asked that each person contribute a small fraction of the total cost for each of the items. Surprisingly, the village people were more than willing to participate in the suggested plan and were excite to “buy” their supplies from my “convenience store”. During a “shopping time”, people would line up eagerly waiting for their turns to buys their supplies. It was during one of these “shopping” events that we learned about Chea’s miraculous story of deliverance…

Supplies commonly requested by villagers

MP3 radio with audio Bible

“The Pond Is Clear Now…”

At the line where people waited to get a pair of reading glasses, I often started with a few questions while I searched for an appropriate pair of glasses for a person in front of me. When it was Chea’s turn, I asked, “How old are you?” After he gave me his age, I went on to show him a piece of written literature then asked, “Can you read this?” At my question, Chea looking down then reluctantly replied, “Well, I used to go to school before I was sick, up to a third grade; then I got sick”. As Chea hesitantly answered my questions, those who were standing in line waiting for their turn began to watch us. They, unashamed and openly eavesdropping to our conversation, began to call out some unusual phrases and strange remarks like, “Oh yeah, the pond is clear now. We can use the water!” Or “The pond water is clear now!” Then another echoed in similar wordings, “The people can finally come and draw the water now. The water is clear”, and “We can use the pond water”. All around me, people were grinning from ear-to-ear as they were looking at Chea then at me while blurting out these strange comments.  I thought to myself, “That's was odd. What does ‘The pond is clear now’ have anything to do with me giving Chea a pair of reading glasses?” This went on for quite a while. Finally, I shouted, “Would somebody PLEASE tell me what is going on?” Then, Pastor Dy, our Cambodian National ministry partner from Srae Nouy village, with his usual loud, booming laughter, stood up, stretched his hands as in motions to quite the crowd, then began to explain Chea’s story of deliverance… 

Chea’s Deliverance Journey…

Pastor standing between Chea and Chea's father

Since his early teen years, Chea was plagued with and was severely tormented very frequently by evil spirits which often drove him madly, uncontrollably, and physically violent causing him to throw things at people. When this happened, he would shout viciously and profanely at any one that come near him. Sometimes, the voices that came out of his lips were incomprehensible screams. And then, many times during the day or night, whenever he was controlled by evil spirits, he would jump into a family pond nearby then would swim and swim for hours without stop, until he was exhausted. Then he would come up onto the dry ground and begin to warm himself by a bon fire which Chea, in his right mind, had started and he always kept the fire going continuously. To keep him from potentially harming other family members or any unsuspected visitors, his father and some neighbors built barbed wire fences surround their property where Chea was continually locked up inside the fence. When I asked how often did these strange behaviors happened, Chea’s father who was with him at that time said, “Oh, about 2-3 times every week! Sometimes my son would calm down a bit and it happened again and again, at least 10 times every month!” At least one family member, and it must be an adult, had to be at home with Chea all the time. Then, Pastor Dy went on to tell that these demonic spirits had tormented Chea for the past 23 years! In desperation, his family, especially Chea’s father, had sold many precious livestock animals and other costly family heirlooms and used all the money they had to find help from many local “Kru Khmer” also known as witch doctors, but no one and nothing could help Chea. 

In late December of 2020, some church people from Chea’s village suggested to his family, “You should take your son to our church. Our God, Pre- yea-sue, is much stronger than all the evil spirits. You should give Jesus a try”. At their persistent suggestions, the father reluctantly took his firstborn son, Chea, to find help at Srae Nouy Alliance church. When Pastor Dy learned about Chea’s conditions, he quickly organized a prayer meeting of deliverance ministry for Chea. The church people, both young and old, came willingly to fast and pray. Initially, as people surrounded Chea in prayers, Chea began to throw fits at every direction. Some strong men from the church had to aggressively wrestle and put tight grips to hold him down. “It was a vigilant prayer that lasted two whole days. And then, he was free!” added Pastor Dy.  Amazed by what was told, I could not find a word to reply but kept staring at the man standing tall in front of me who appeared to be in his right mind and could very well carry a conversation with me…

Chea in a white standing next a church leader and his father in front of Srae Nouy church

My first encounter with Chea took place in early February this year, at Srae Nouy, during one of our Tuesday classes. Since this meeting, Soeuth and I continue to teach every week at the same village until the day we left Anlong Veng in early June. Often time, Chea came by, sat through, and participated in a class discussion that I was teaching. Although we did not see any activity personally, local believers reported about the couple times that Chea had a few minor relapses since he was prayed for, “but nothing of violent or vicious behaviors as he used to have…”

The Pond Is Clear Now

Chea sitting in a hammock making baskets to trap fish

Prayer requests for you to consider…

1. Thanks to modern technology, we are able to stay in touch with, pray for, and encourage our friends who are in Cambodia. It sounded like the number of those who are infected by Covid-19 is escalating all over Cambodia, but the country does not have adequate medical supplies or abilities to accommodate the many who are sick. Because of the increased in Covid cases, government-mandate-controlled-movement restrictions between provinces are still strongly reinforced. 

2. As a result of Covid restrictions, many village churches and small gatherings are still prohibited by local government. PLEASE pray for believers to remain steadfast with their decision to follow Jesus.

3. In addition to restrictions, many rural parts of Cambodia (Anlong Veng and Srae Nouy included) are currently underwater due to heavy rains and floods. Many church families are already short on food supplies.

4. Please continue praying as we travel around every week to visit and speak at Alliance churches for missions. Pray for safe traveling and for good health on our part. As we share about what God is doing in Cambodia and around the world, pray that hearts would be touched, receptive, and responsive the Call that God has for each of them. The mission field in Cambodian and around the world) is RIPE and READY for the harvest, but we are short on the WORKERS. Pray for the Lord of the Harvest to send more workers to join His Mission Field…

Thank you so much for your prayers and support. We appreciate your partnership in the growing Cambodian ministries. Some of you have been very faithful with your financial giving Alliance Mission for the Cambodian ministries, THANK YOU!!! But for some of you who have not been able to do so but are considering, please visit https://cmalliance.org/give/ Then choose “A Worker You Love” and type our name (s) and give. Your sacrificial giving to the Alliance Mission enables to keep on serving God in Cambodia bringing the Hope of Jesus to lost people in this land and around the world. Let us know if you have any question about Cambodia.

Blessings,

Soeuth & Syna Lao