April Update 2023

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Happy Easter! Hallelujah for the Risen King! We hope you had a blessed and joyful resurrection Day! Below are ministry updates of what took place since the last note sent to you…

Isaan Regional Youth Leaders Conference…

March 23-25: We traveled with two key members of the National youth committees for over 12 hours each way to Ratanakiri province for a one-day youth leaders conference in a village at the northeastern part of Cambodia. There, 60 representatives from 20+ different ethnic minority groups from the Isaan region participated. The purpose of the conference was to appoint/elect new regional youth workers. After prayerfully discussing and considering, 13 names were appointed by the participants and prayed for by the regional leaders. Although Isaan region has many ethnic minority groups, Jarai is considered the dominant people group for this region. Please pray for these 13 newly appointed youth leaders to have unity, a servant heart, and a Christ-like attitude in their services for the kingdom.

13 newly appointed youth leaders for the Isaan region

A Jarai lady with her daily activities

Dara: from A timid teen to a respectful leader…

While we were excited to see that many people participated in the conference, one familiar face drew our immediate attention. During a missionary term service in Siem Reap province back in 1998, we met and got to know a young vibrant teenager, Dara, who was just new in his faith but was always intrigued to learn about God. While Soeuth was concentrating on mentoring and teaching the adults in discipleship classes, I (Syna) worked closely with youth and children of young believing families. In the course of time, we saw these young people grow physically and spiritually while struggling with their ups and down moments. Few from that generation chose to walk away from their Christian faith, but many are still standing firm and walking strongly with God and are serving Him along with their spouses and children. 

In September 2015, Dara married a Jarai tribal girl named Ruth. They now have two children of their own. Because of distant locations, we only saw Dara from time to time at various conferences and in other KEC gatherings, but even in those brief meetings, we hardly had time to connect with Dara on a personal level, until recently… 

Dara and his family

During our recent trip to Ratanakiri, Dara and Ruth invited us to stay at their humble wooden home built on stilts. Through late-night talks and sleeping inside hammocks underneath the house, it was a special time to reconnect with our former student and learn about what God had done in his life. Through this time, we gained a better understanding about Dara’s devotion and commitment to serve God and heard about his passion and concerns for reaching youth and children for God’s kingdom. Through various conversation with other Jarai villagers, we also learned that Dara is loved and respected by the local people for his hardworking ethic and his devotion for loving God and loving people. Many villagers willingly commented, “Dara is a great example for all the men in the village." Currently, both Ruth and Dara are involved in youth and children ministries for their village, where they shepherd over 40 youth and 50 plus children in their community. And to our amazing surprise, we learned that their two boys, aged 8 and 5, were named after our sons, “Justin” and “Jonathan!" When asked why these names were given, Dara quickly answered: “All my life, I’d watched how you love God and how you serve Him. When we got married, I told Ruth that I want our family to serve God just like you, teachers. And I hope that, one day when my boys grow up, they would serve God just like your sons, too”.

Soeuth resting in a hammock

The First Christian Wedding in the Family…

On April 1, one of Soeuth’s nieces, Pisey, got married. She chose a Christian wedding instead of a traditional Buddhist wedding. Through friends’ invitations, Pisey went to church off and on. But in 26 years of her life, Pisey had never once bowed down to worship idols as expected by her family traditional practice. Soeuth had the honor of meeting Pisey and her fiancé three times before the wedding for pre-marital counseling sessions. At the appointed time, Soeuth preached and officiated their wedding. Although family members from both sides are not yet believers, they all sat through the entire service and paid close attention to the message. Both Pisey and her husband, Panneth, lost their father when they were very young and grew up as the youngest children in big families of single moms. Seeing how we live, both Pisey and her new husband asked if we would continue mentoring them even after the wedding. We agreed and immediately scheduled a monthly meeting with the couple. As for the rest of their families, this was the first time ever that they ALL heard the Gospel preached! The seed had been planted. In God’s timing, we pray they would soon have a personal relationship their Maker.

Soeuth officiating a wedding

Phnom Penh Bible Students Visiting Anlong Veng…

On March 31-April 3, our Anlong Veng team had the privilege of hosting 7 students and a teacher from Phnom Penh Bible School during their mission trip. Upon arrival, the visitors received a warm welcome from families of the Firm Foundation Alliance Church. During their stay, the visitors worked alongside with local families to clean up the church property. The team had opportunities to visit and interact with teachers and students at a local primary, to teach kids games/fun activities and share their testimonies at church and even at a local public school! On Sunday, the leader gave an encouraging message to church families while two other team members shared their personal testimonies. Everyone seemed to have a GREAT time. The visiting team enjoyed the interactions and the warm fellowship with local church families so much that they said, “We don’t want to go back!” As they were leaving, soccer kids came running to give them one last hug as they all said tearful goodbyes to one another. All 8 members of the visiting team seemed to agree, “We went to many other short term mission trips before, but this was the highlight of them all." From this event, two youth from Firm Foundation Alliance church decided to go to Bible school after graduating from high school while five members from the visiting team received clear affirmation concerning their Calling to be missionaries. Praise the Lord!!!

Easter Celebration and Baptism in Poipet…

On April 8, after a long day of meeting with the National youth committees in Phnom Penh, we drove 11 hours straight to Poipet for an early Easter Celebration (on April 9th) at the Living Water Alliance Church in Poipet. About 150 people participated. It was a joyful event with warm fellowship and singing. After Soeuth preached, two people prayed to receive Jesus. Church families from other village house churches in Poipet brought their own home-cooked favorite Khmer dishes to share with everyone in a pot-lock lunch immediately after the service ended. There was plenty and many varieties of delicious food. Then in the afternoon, we had another service, a baptismal service where 21 people were baptized! The long road trips driving to and from one location to another were exhausting, but it was very much worth it to see lost people returning back to God. He is Risen indeed…

21 people baptizes on Easter Sunday!

Other dates and events needing your prayers…

1. On April 8th we had a full day of successful national youth committee meetings in the capital city. This was the first in-person meeting we had since Covid! It was refreshing to be able to sit down. discuss and be able to laugh and enjoy one another in fellowship. From this meeting, we came up with a date for the next National KEC youth camp. It will be in Bread of Life Alliance Church in Mondulkiri, November 24-27, 2023. Please pray as the youth all over the country are excited and are saving up money to attend this most anticipated event. And if YOU are interested in sponsoring some of the youth people to attend this youth camp, please let us know. Our desire to see as many young to have opportunity to participate in this conference.
2. At this writing, the entire country of Cambodia is in full festive spirit celebrating Khmer New Year, April 14-16. Due to Covid-19, the all celebrations and all large event social gathers were completely cancelled. This year is the first festive and joyful celebration since April 2018! Because of long school break at this time of the hot season, we anticipate that people will carry on with wild celebration. Please pray for safety we traveling back forth…
3. Soeuth’s 6 siblings along with their extended families from around the country including a brother and his family from Florida—they all came to celebrate this joyful event. The sibling gave a special celebration honoring their 83-years old mother who is also a devoted follower of Jesus. Please pray Soeuth’s relatives many of who are not yet believers… 

   

   Lao's family reunium in Baattambang

4. 

   Soeuth's mom being honored at Khmer New Year

5. With the people are in festive mood for the celebration, all major works including any construction, mechanical or any farming or laboring works had come to a complete stop. This includes the construction works at Srae Nouy and in Anlong Veng…
6. This year, these is a new government mandate change relating to educational system that all public schools now must administer a long summer break from April 1 to May 18! While the children are excited about the long break, this change is concern for the parents about the children future education.
7. We are in the midst of a very HOT season averaging mid to high 90’s degrees every day! The matter made worse as there has not been rained since early December! Please pray for rains.

Village kids hanging out at Anlong Veng Ministry Center's property

Thank you so much for your prayers and your generous financial support toward Alliance Mission which enables us to remain serving in Cambodia, sharing the message of Hope in Jesus to lost people in Cambodia and around the world. We appreciate your partnership in the northern Cambodian ministry. Please share with us what God is doing in our life.

He lives!

Seouth & Syna Lao

At a family wedding.