One of the burden that the Lord placed in our hearts since we returned to missions full time is to take teams to the missions team to encourage the missionaries and also to expose churches to misisons opportunities. Recently, I took a team from Tabernacle of David to Battambang, Cambodia. It was such a joy for me to do that as that is the church I grew up in!
We landed in Siam Reap on a beautiful sunny day! We then were on the road for 3 hours to Battambang, our missions destination. Our tasks were to teach in pastors' conference, a teachers' training and teaching in preschool. It is amazing how the Lord put the team together and everyone was operating in their giftings and talents.
This is Mui Leng, with 17 years of preschool experience teaching in a village church. She was such a good teacher that she got me really engrossed in her story about the Good Shepherd! The kids were so attentive too. We rode about an hour on motorbike to reach the village. The Lord helped us with overcast skies and light rains so that the ride was not too hot and scorching. He cares for the little details in our lives!
Pastors' Training. Some of these pastors travelled 3 days to the training. There was a building construction going on next to this hall and during breaktime, some of the pastors took of their nice shirts and helped with the construction of the Bible school building and promptly put their shirts back on and resumed classes when break is over. What servants' hearts!
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Worshipping together before the lessons |
Pastor Irene teaching them 2 new worship songs in English. Pas Sophin is the interpreter throughout the training. He's a Bible college graduate and has many friends in Malaysia. He was such a blessing to the team. He also pastors a vibrant church.
Lian Ai, is a special ed teacher for over 40 years. She brought her expertise to the Teachers' Training and also many ideas and resources to the schools. Here, she is preaching for the Sunday Service in one of the village church about an hour from Battambang. This team is so willing to step up and do whatever has been assigned to them. They not only did what was assigned but they also did it excellently. I was really blessed by all of them.
Terence, our Malaysian missionary, addressing the congregation. He and his wife Deb, have committed themselves to be part of the ministry team in Battambang for a year. They are doing such a great job hosting teams, training young people and giving support to the existing ministries in this great city
The newly built toilets!! We get very excited about toilets when we are out in the village :)
Teachers' Training. Christine Yap, the lady in the yellow top, made this house as a visual aid for the training. The youngest "teacher" to in the training is the son of Pas Sam, a Filipino missionary who has served in Battambang for at least 15 years. Over the week, we got to know Pas Sam a little bit and were so blessed by his faith and his love for the people of Cambodia!
I had a lot of fun preaching in Pas Sophin's church on Sunday. He has many young people in his church. It's a young church which was started about a year and a half ago but it is already packed. How exciting to see God work!
Cambodia apples for snacks. Most fruit are accompanied by ths very spicy condiment of crushed fresh peppers, sugar and lime juice. It is really yummy!
Crunchy fried beetles and crickets!! Anyone up for seconds???
We all had to take pictures of the delicacy of bugs :(
Wherever you travel, you must always first locate the important places....ie. coffee cafes!
This crazy crisscrossing wiring makes me think of my other home, Kenya....and yes, as crazy and as haphazard as they looked, they all worked....the buildings we were in had electricity. There must be a method to this madness.
We spent a day in Siam Reap after the heavy schedule of ministry and had play time. The roots of these trees are amazing. I think one of this tree was the one in the Tomb Raider movie. Visited Angkor Wat, the night market, had great meals and coffee and ice cream and did some shopping
Our photo before we left for the airport to come home. A week together with this team - we prayed, we preached, we taught, we laughed, we ate, but most importantly, we were changed. Changed to be more missions minded, changed as we reflect on God's faithfulness when we stepped out in faith to obey Him, changed as we give of ourselves yet received so much more in returned! We left a different group of people than when we came - better for the glory of God!
Just before I left for Cambodia, we have something super exciting happened....Tony's book was finally printed and ready. A ten month long project is finally done and here! We can hardly believe it!
It was so surreal to finally have it in our hands. I am so proud of Tony! We had a small thanksgiving service in our home.
This teenage boy was so inspired reading the book, he told Tony that he wants to grow up to be a missionary! What a blessing that was to Tony to hear that....that was one of the reasons he wrote that book - to encourage missions and missionaries!
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