Dear Supporting Friend & Family,
We are so excited that the Fall season is upon us! It is one of our favorite times of the year. Sadly because of our work schedules, we get to enjoy autumn once every four years.
The Cambodian annual religious holiday, Pchum-Ben, is taking place in the fall. The word ‘Pchum ' means ‘the gathering of’ and ‘Ben’ refers to merits. Pchum-Ben is a religious holiday when the Buddhist Khmer (Cambodian) people celebrate their ancestral spirits by bringing daily food offerings to the Buddhist temples. Primarily, the belief behind and motive for celebrating this holiday are driven by fear, family obligations, and opportunities to gather merits for the “next life.” By following this holiday practice, Khmer Buddhists are hoping to accumulate as many merits as possible. At the same time, they are still alive, hoping that after they pass away, they will be reborn as a better person in their next life. As a result, even in the midst of extreme poverty Khmer people would save, collect, and even be willing to borrow a large sum of money from distant relatives/trusted friends to have enough for purchasing food supplies to prepare for these required daily offerings. They believe that this is one of the few times when the spirits of their deceased ancestors are being released from captivity and are allowed to roam around the Buddhist temples surrounding birthplaces. They also believe that these ancestral spirits are back on earth looking for food offerings given by their living relatives. Because of this belief, the surviving relatives feel obligated to bring food offerings to as many as seven temples! These food offering practices can begin a few weeks before and after the appointed holidays. The actual dates, according to the lunar calendar for this year’s Pchum Ben takes place on September 21st to 24th. To get the people up early and ready to prepare for daily food offerings, the religious leaders would (in loud, somber, and dirge-like monotones) chant their wake-up prayer songs into microphones every morning as early as 3 am. These loud “call to prayer” or chanting times often repeat every hour, throughout the entire day, and end around 10 pm! As a result, the overall surrounding atmosphere can be eerie, gloomy, and oppressive. During the daylight hours, to keep down the oppressive sounds, we often blasted out praise and worship songs. However, there was little to be done when the chanting took place at 3 am.
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| Church gathering during Pchum-Ben holiday |
Many unfortunate incidences tend to occur around this time of year such as family/personal losses, team conflicts, sudden illness among family members, major accidents on the mission field, or complicated issues within church families. Spiritual warfare is most prominent and noticeable during the Pchum Ben holiday. As a result, this is one of the most testing times for new believers in Jesus Christ because of family pressure to observe the traditions of the holiday. Needless to say, your prayers for the young believers are crucial. Pray that they would remain steadfast with their decisions to follow the One True God, no matter what.
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| Home Bible study group in Anlong Veng |
Road Trips & Good Health
We have been busy visiting churches with speaking engagements. Every week, we are off to visit a new church, driving 2-6 hours each way. Recently, we came close to a few road-rage drivers along the busy highways. We were so grateful for God’s protection over our lives. We appreciate your prayers for safe road trips and good health.
We are grateful for your faithful prayers and support. Your generous donation to the Great Commission Fund enables us to continue serving in Cambodia, sharing the message of Hope in Jesus to the many who are lost and seeking. To financially support the growing Cambodian ministries, please visit here. We appreciate your prayers and support. Please feel free to reach out to us if you have questions or concerns. And please share with us what God is doing in your life. We would love to hear from you.
With a grateful heart,
Soeuth & Syna Lao
