Dear Praying Friends and Family,
We are constantly amazed at the way God works among new believers. As lives are being continually transformed after each encounter with the Living God, curious unbelieving friends and neighbors flocked to visit small groups that met weekly at various village church sites just to see what was going on. Humbly led by Mrs. Rate, about 18-20 vibrant young believers in Ksach Ampel (see a related story in September 2019 update) village faithfully met together a few times each week to sing hymns, worship God, and pray. As a result, their faith increased significantly while God often revealed Himself through answering prayers about their daily provisions and protection. Recently at our weekly village discipleship gathering, young believers excitedly took turns to share about miraculous stories that each had encountered with the Living God and how Jesus showed up in time of their great need …
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| Toul Prich village church |
Jetra & the Water Buffaloes…
Jetra, aged 34, a peasant farmer mother of 4 small kids, prayed to receive Christ just two months ago after watching the amazing changes in her neighbor’s life! Recently, in her desperate need to find food for her family, Jetra took her young children to a nearby almost dried up swampy rice field trying to gather small fish, crabs, snails, and other edible proteins. While her children were joyfully playing in a puddle at the edge of the field, suddenly a group beastly water buffalo stampeded at a full force running toward her direction! Panicking, she screamed and ordered her children to run and climb onto a nearby tree for protection, while she was still trapped in the knee-deep mud in the middle of the field! With no place to hide she realized her life was in danger. She bowed down in a prostate position and uttered, “Jesus help!” She then added, “And suddenly, the buffaloes came to complete stop at about 10 meters away from me! They just stood there and stared at me! Then, they all walked away!” Everyone in the room who heard this incredible story was at awestruck as Jetra excitedly described her miraculous experience. She went on to share, “And the Lord Jesus not only protected me and my children, He also gave us bucket full of fish!”
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| Jetra, in yellow top, described how God rescued her from water buffaloes |
Rate & Her Neighbors…
Mrs. Rate, a one-year old believer who is also a designated spiritual leader for Ksach Ampel village, shared how God had used her, recently, to stop two angry neighbors from hurting each other. Two of Rate’s neighbors were constantly in conflicts with each other. During their frequent fights, they often screamed and called malicious names at each other. At the sounds of their shouting and cursing, Rate would stop from whatever she was doing and pray for her friends. Recently, in a heated and explosive argument, each of the two rivals grabbed a machete and marched toward each other in an attempt to brutally hurt one another! Seeing the commotions and feeling led by the Holy Spirit, Rate rushed into the scene, stood in between the two angry ladies, and with her hands pushing each of the two ladies away from each other, Rate shouted, “In the Name of Jesus Christ, I command you to stop this fighting!” Suddenly, they both stood still! Rate went on to explain that she spent the next few minutes reasoning with her friends not to fight saying, “Think of your family. Stop thinking about yourselves. You should start to think about your children. If one of you got hurt or killed, what would become of your children?” With that, both ladies became quiet, dropped their weapons, and then walked away. And for the next few days, Rate frequently visited her friends, one after another, reasoning with them not to fight any more. She then invited both ladies to join her nightly worship services. They did. And they continue to join Rate and others in worshipping the Lord Jesus, where about 15-18 adults meet regularly at Rate’s house for nightly worship service…
At a recent weekly discipleship class in Andong Chan village, Rate and her two friends were among the 24 students who sat in and had lively participated in Syna’s Christian Family class discussions! As one of the two ladies boldly shared, “We are no longer enemies. The Lord Jesus is helping us to become friends”, and another lady added, “We are now sisters in Preah yea-sue!”
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| Syna teaching a Christian family class at Andong Chan village |
After hearing these two amazing stories, other participants in the class were also inspired to share their own unique versions of God encountering stories…
Lang: From Slavery to Freedom…
Among the 52 people who got baptized on Christmas day, some of them are on fire for God! They were very bold in their sharing and witnessing Christ to their unbelieving friends and relatives. And some of them have led others to the Lord!
Before surrendering his life to Jesus Christ, at aged 32, Lang was a party goer and a constant drunkard of the town for the past 10 years. Although he is married with two small kids, Lang was not a responsible person at all. Instead, he was always wasting away his family income through a partying and drinking lifestyle. He was a slave to alcohol. One evening in late November 2019 after a drunken party, Lang had a nasty motorbike accident. According to the police reports and based on the nature and the descriptions of his accident, Lang should have dead. How he was kept alive was beyond human understanding. While lying in a hospital bed awaiting doctor’s reports and while processing his life journey, Lang’s elderly believing parents pleaded with Lang to surrender his life to Jesus. Realized that he was kept alive for a reason, Lang surrendered his drinking habits and his whole life to Jesus. The Holy Spirit began to do some amazing works in Lang’s life. Lang found completely freedom in Christ! He not only stopped drinking, he got so excited about God! Lang was among the 52 who got baptized on Christmas Day, and he is enrolling in Syna’s weekly Abundant Life discipleship class in Srae Nouy village! In class, Lang is like a sponge, absorbing in every topic discussed! While attend the Srae Nouy Alliance church, Lang sits in the front row always taking careful notes so he could pass on sermon messages to those who are in his small group. Yes! Already at three months old Christian, Lang is leading and teaching a small group at his hometown where about 18-20 people come for fellowship every week! These people, after seeing the changes in Lang’s life, are curious about and interested to find out the “secret” of his success. Please pray for Lang and other new believers to remain steadfast with their new faith in Jesus Christ.
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| Lang, middle in light blue shirt, enjoyed a meal with friends |
On-going Persecutions Amidst Freedom in Christ…
While some of the new believers are on fire for God, many of them are facing on-going oppositions from their unbelieving friends and relatives. Sadly, because of the severe attacks of the enemy, some have already drifted away from the truth. While some, because of economic reasons, had moved away to neighboring countries in search for jobs. Those others who remain in the country are facing daily life difficulties as their basic needs are not met. And with the Chinese New Year holiday which took place recently, and due to family pressure, some young believers had turned back to their old ways of ancestor worships. While we rejoice at the many who joined the Family of God every week, we are sad to see to some of them have willingly walked away from the One True God…
Leadership Seminar…
As the number of new believers keeps on increasing every week, the need for solid biblical teachers to come along side us is crucial. While are grateful to have Aide Rose Fernandez help us with the kids ministries at Toul Prich and Toul Krous villages, we could easily use 2-3 other Khmer speaking Bible teachers to come along side us now… To train and encourage others to teach, Rev. Bo Samoeun, our national ministry partner from Sveysisophon, was invited to teach on “How to Preach/Teach” workshop to potential local key church leaders. But among the 32 workshop participants, about 20 of them could read and write at minimum levels. Because their limited education, Samoeun had to go very SLOW. And we still have a long way to go yet. We are just grateful that these potential leaders showed interests and they were willing to try. Please pray that God would either send us more workers/ helpers soon, or that he would raise ups leaders from within.
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| About 30 key potential church leaders participated in “How to Preach/Teach” workshop |
Dates and Events Needing Your Prayers…
1. Feb. 14-28: two of our dear friends from New York City will come to to help teaching leadership seminars to key church leaders in Anlon Veng & in the northwest region.
2. Feb. 17-18 is our next Poipet leadership class.
3. Feb. 10-12: Soeuth to Phnom Penh for Field Leadership Team (FLT) meeting.
4. March 12-13: Annual Prayer Retreat for IWs in Phnom Penh.
5. March 24-25: Next workshop on “How to Preach/Teach at Srae Nouy.
6. Please continue to pray for a potential piece of property which we hope to purchase sometimes this year for the Anlong Veng Ministry Center. Pray that God would direct us to the right location and with right price.
7. Pray for protection for the new believers to remain strong in their spiritual walks.
8. Pray for the seven national youth committees who are busy preparing for the coming youth conference in April 7-9.
Please share with us what God is doing in your life. We are very grateful for your on-going partnership in prayer ministries as well as through financial support through the Alliance Mission.
Blessings,
Soeuth & Syna Lao
