Dear Praying Friend and Family,
Merry Christmas! Wish you a blessed and joyous holiday time with family. Thank for your prayers for the ongoing border conflict between Cambodia and Thailand. The situation is not yet resolved.
Refugee Camps...
Over half a million people fled their homes for safety reasons. Some families from Poipet who could afford it stayed with friends or relatives, or at a discounted guesthouse in a distant province. Other displaced families settled in various refugee camps established by the Khmer government. The refugee from the Anlong Veng region took refuge at the Srae Nouy Alliance church, overseen by the local Alliance pastors and leaders. Due to the uncertainty and the constant bombing, people were afraid to venture out. While many families who have the means fled their hometowns, some poor families were still hiding in their village, inside trenches or bunkers. A friend of ours from Battambang province who recently visited one of the camp sites shared this request:
“Please do pray for safety in the refugee camp, for good health, and for medicine, because people are sick inside the camp and no medical assistants. Pray for nurses and doctors who can be in the refugee camps, assisting and providing 24/7 check-ups for everyone there. Thousands of people are settling in the Pagoda temple. All evacuees are settled in different pagodas.”
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| Refugees camping at the pagoda |
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| Refugees joined in church worship at Srae Nouy church |
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| Refugees settlement in Battambang province |
Dangers Everywhere...
We are sharing what we heard from our friends who were at the site. The recent report is that there were dangers for those who fled their homes because of bombing incidents- Dec 19, two bombs were dropped 15 kilometers away from the Poipet border! And there were also dangers for those who remained. An Alliance pastor, Rev Thoeut Chean, along with his wife, who chose to stay in Poipet to “keep the church going and to comfort the sheep,” bravely made frequent daily trips on their old motorbike to visit families in remote areas and deliver food supplies. On one of these trips, “While driving to Ang Salaa village, we saw an explosion about 100 meters ahead of us!” Chean shouted, then added, “It was scary, but we had to visit a family who needed food, and God protected us.” Earlier this week, an Alliance church family hoped to seek refuge inside a homemade trench they had dug, but they discovered a den of poisonous snakes inside the trench! Praise the Lord, no one was bitten. Recently, a friend found this link and shared it with us…
Frightened families from Poipet and Bontey Meanchey province fled to Battambang (BTB) province thinking it would be a safe place to hid. However, at 10am on December 24th, Thailand dropped four bombs in the outskirt of BTB! “Where else can we go for safety? We have no safe place to run to,” stated one of the refugees.
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| A worker visiting the refugee camp in Battambang province |
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| Pastor Chean visiting a church family in Poipet |
A Steadfast Faith in the Midst of War...
We rejoice to hear that, despite fear and war, the few families who remain to keep watch over their homes and properties remain steadfast in their faith. The church services remained even though the attendance was low. The churches are praying that God uses these dark times to soften people’s hearts toward Jesus. In a time of hopelessness and uncertainty, our prayer is that they find their way to the God of Hope…
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| Worship services amidst war zone |
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| Worship services in Poipet |
Hands of Hope...
Recently, members of the National Alliance church leaders visited displaced families who have settled in Srae Nouy and a few other nearby sites to distribute food and offer encouragement to the refugees. Please refer to this short video made by one of our CAMA Services International Workers in Cambodia… https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EEadzz4jkQM
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| Food distribution at Srae Nouy |
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| Refugee families received good supplies |
Holiday & Family...
Christmas is a time when people come home to celebrate the Savior’s birth with their loved ones. Unfortunately, because of the war, many displaced families in Cambodia were scattered in various refugee camps. Many Cambodian families from the northwestern region, who are dear to our hearts, have family members living in different places this Christmas. No matter where they are, because of Christ, they can be one in spirit…
This Christmas season, our oldest son, Justin, and his family are celebrating the holiday in the Middle East. They, too, are living in a time of uncertainty because of the ongoing conflicts in that region. We appreciate your prayers for Justin and his family as they wrap up the ministry and prepare to return to the US in the summer of 2026 for a home-assignment ministry…
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| Justin and family celebrated Christmas in the Middle East |
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| Jonathan is home for the holidays! |
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| Jonathan spending Christmas holiday with us |
Our youngest son, Jonathan, has been living and working in Hawaii since July. He is doing well, by the grace of God. We are grateful to God for working mightily in the life of Jonathan. He joined us for the Christmas holiday in New Jersey!
Both of us have been extremely busy with traveling and speaking engagements among our partnering churches. We are grateful to God for his protection as we have been traveling every week to visit a new church since early June! After a few weeks off, we will resume spring tours on January 7, 2026.
Dates & Events needing your prayers…
- Please continue to pray for PEACE in Southeast Asia.
- We look forward to having Jonathan visit us, Dec 24-31. Pray for a sweet reunion time.
- Our first spring tours will be at Mosaic Alliance church in Las Vegas, NV. We will have a full schedule of spring tours, visiting a new church every week, from January 7 to May 10, 2026. Pray for good health and for safe traveling by road or by plane. Pray for effective communication as we will share what God is doing in Cambodia with our partnering and supporting churches.
- Although the Converge Conference will be in Columbus, OH, Jan 19-21, 2026, we plan to drive from South Jersey to Ohio a few days before and after the conference so we can visit the Cambodian Alliance Churches in the Columbus area.
At this Christmas season, may you experience the true meaning of the holiday season. Whatever you are going through this holiday season, may the Prince of PEACE dwell deeply in your heart and home.
Emmanuel,
Soeuth & Syna
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| The first snow of the season |
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