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Volume. XXXii, No. 41 Mission Series – Cambodia – Part 2 Team One Report by Sisters Joyce Gong and Purdee Yeo On the Lord’s Day (7 Jan) we worshipped at Life BPC which is at Life University, participating in the joint Khmer/English service. There were about 50 people altogether, including the children who sat in throughout the service. We assisted by accompanying the congregation (on keyboard and flute) in singing hymns. After the first hymn there was a power failure so Sis Joyce continued to play flute and people sang by mobile phone light. The power failure continued until part way through the sermon when it came back for a little while before disappearing again. Just after the sermon ended it returned once more, in time for both of us to present an offering of praise, “Always the Same”. This fit well with the sermon presented by Rev Yiew on the “Uncertainty of Life”. The song talks about the Lord Jesus being unchanging and how we can trust and rest in Him and His word, which is a comfort in the uncertainty in life. On Monday morning (8 Jan), Sis Joyce spoke to the Theology students about why we sang hymns and taught them several hymns, which they sang in the chapel session later. There were less than 10 Bible students across all the age groups. She also presented a morning devotion to Life University students and faculty about Christian work ethics, looking at the example of Ruth. Meanwhile, Sis Purdee taught Bible lessons to year 10 and 12 students, followed by morning devotions in the high school chapel (over 400 students in years 10-12). In the afternoon Sis Joyce taught a year 11 Bible class. On Tuesday (9 Jan), Sis Joyce gave another morning devotion to the Life University students about work ethics, this time looking at the example of Boaz, from an employer’s point of view. During the rest of the time at the high school, we taught conversational English and Bible lessons to different high school classes, as well as English to some Nursing and Midwifery students. Sis Purdee continued with a series on body parts in the Bible for the high school chapel sessions (Tuesday to Thursday). One day we also had the opportunity to share our testimonies with a year 10 class. Bro Reach Na had already shared with them how he came to know Christ and that he was teaching here in order to share Christ with the students. We could see that some of the students already had some Bible knowledge. Bro Reach Na is teaching them well and seems to be one of their favourite teachers, as we witnessed the students celebrating his birthday with multiple birthday cakes. We also saw the Theology department, which had moved multiple times. They had to re-furnish their room, but it was looking more like an office than when we last visited it. Rev Yiew told us that he paid for the hire of a photocopier/printer for the department. When we were there, they started looking for a keyboard suitable for teaching sacred hymns as they didn’t have one. While we were at Life University, we also had the opportunity to meet some members of the teaching faculty. Some of them are spending a few years teaching there, some of them divide their time between Cambodia and their home country. Not all the teaching staff are believers. We were able to share fellowship meals with Rev Yiew, Bro Kenneth, Bro Sambath and Bro Reach Na; as well as Bro Sen and Sis Sonida on various occasions. We also had dinner with Rev and Mrs David Koo and their youngest daughter, Sis Lydia. The Koos were very busy as they had two other Korean teams visiting at the same time. They were also preparing to go to the US for a conference. Before leaving, we asked Sis Sonida if any of the village churches needed help. She told us that Andungthmor Church needs a property which will cost about US$40,000 and Botweng Church which would like to set up a school because they have 100+ children. Do remember these churches as well as the Theology Department of Life University and the Koos in your prayers. On Friday (12 Jan), we headed back to Phnom Penh and had lunch with Sister Wiwin Baldwin and her children. She and her husband, Brother Mark Baldwin, are missionaries with the Presbyterian Missionary Union and have been serving in Cambodia for several years and have trained up local leaders. They are currently waiting for a visa for Sis Wiwin so that they can move back to the US and are seeking God’s direction for what to do next. Life University has a good reputation in Sihanoukville but it does need help in both the Theology and English departments. Almost everywhere we went we could see little altars in front of houses and businesses showing how much Cambodia is a Buddhist country and how greatly they need the light of the gospel. Would you come to Cambodia to help at Life School and University, and to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the Khmers? |
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