Final Days

It’s early Sunday morning.  We’re trying to be efficient and so I’m writing this on a word doc and will upload when we get internet access, so the post date might not say Sunday.

We arrived in Phnom Penh yesterday and had lunch at a small café right around the corner from where we’re staying.  For two nights we’re staying at an ICF housing unit which is ridiculously nice.  A good refresher after the past two weeks, with clean showers, warm water, trash cans, and flushable toilet paper.  Phnom Penh is markedly different from Siem Reap, although I had heard they were pretty similar.  It actually reminds me a lot of a big Korean city.  High risers here and there, large apartment units scattered amongst dirt filled streets and gutters.  And the road rules here are crazy.  Its basically the bigger car has the right of way and no traffic rules are in effect except to not hit another vehicle.  Berkeley kids would die here.  This was the first time we rode in a tuk-tuk, which is a carriage pulled by a motorcycle, and they do whatever they want.  At least twice we were headed into oncoming traffic and at least several times in one ride you feel like you’re going to get side-swiped by cross traffic.  However, up until now, we’ve been kept safe except for a small incident where we were caravanning and the 2nd tuk-tuk got so far behind that we lost them for a few minutes.  Our accompanying missionary nearly had a heart attack.  The group in the other tuk-tuk had no money or way of communicating to the driver, so if we had been completely separated it would have made a very interesting evening.

During our café visit we were met by a surprise guest, Sam Kang!  His group has been staying here mostly in Phnom Penh working with the same organization Hyun Gu’s friend works at, so when Hyun Gu set up a time to meet, Sam came along.  We were able to talk briefly and catch up on what he’s been doing here.  It was especially nice for me, being able to see an old friend, and a fellow CM teacher (CM4L). 

After the café we visited the S-21 prison, which used to be a high school and was later turned into a prison/internment camp during the Khmer Rouge period.  Definitely a sobering experience; walking through the cells, seeing all the pictures of the prisoners, and reading about the people responsible.  Its worth looking up, especially to see who had supported Khmer Rouge and even supplied them with weapons.  Hopefully this reminder that still stands here keeps anything like this from happening again.  I would think after the world wars and the holocaust something like this would be impossible, but just 30 years ago something as inhumane was allowed to happen.  If you keep up with world news, one of the head officials of the camps was recently tried and charged, so this wasn’t something that happened outside of our time period.  It’s happening now.

After the prison we had dinner at a place called Java.  Esther had her usual vegetables, chocolate, and fruit.  The rest of us had sandwiches, shakes, and smoothies.  I had a chicken pesto sandwich that was way too salty, but maybe they think foreigners like their food that way.  We headed back to our apartments for a time of sharing with missionary Boram and debriefed a little on how the past two weeks went.  She gave her testimony and even though it was completely in Korean and I could only understand the gist of it, its still amazing to see how people around the world are coming together to do God’s work.  There’s so much outside of KCPC that I feel we forget about sometimes.  God is moving everywhere and through all kinds of people.  The amount of work happening in Cambodia is almost overwhelming, but at the same time this country is in pretty dire conditions.  Driving through Siem Reap, seeing the Tonle Sap lake, visiting some of the Kontrak Kid’s homes, its almost too much for me.  I can’t put my finger on exactly what it is.  Part of it is seeing people live in such poverty, but I think that’s mostly the spoiled American side of me that’s used to living in a clean building with luxury utilities and gadgets but a large portion of the world doesn’t see these as necessary.  The people here have gotten by with what they have and are either content with what they have or have given up on trying to change their environment.  Maybe they don’t know or think their lives need to be changed, or maybe they’ve accepted the idea that change can’t happen.  And who are we to say they do?  Then I see the children.  The lucky ones eat 2 meals a day, of rice and soup, that they probably prepared themselves on a small fire underneath their hut.  The lucky ones have a shirt and pants to wear (for whatever reason we’ve seen just as many shirtless kids as pantless kids).  The lucky ones have one parent that cares for him/her, instead of one parent that mistreats them or two that neglect them.  Yes, there are those that are able to go to school, have clothes to wear, and some sort of a future to hope for.  But I’m beginning to see that they are the exception and not the norm.  There’s so much I wish I could write about and show you from what I’ve seen here in the past two weeks.  The kids here are freaking adorable.  For those that have been here, you know what I mean.  They’re playful and joyful and energetic, as well as responsible and independent.  Try to imagine a six year old boy riding an adult sized bike to school in America.  Or a mom dropping off 4 children from one moped, and the kids jump off and on as if it were a car, and the ages range from 3 to 6.  Sometimes they wear helmets, sometimes they don’t. 

This is getting longer than I had wanted, and I keep thinking of things I want to or maybe should write about.  There’s a balance between writing about the team members, what I’ve seen personally, and what’s going on around us from a missionary stand point.  Of course I can’t fit it all and its something we all probably need practice in.  But my point here isn’t to make people feel guilty or sad.  These are just the realities of the world.  There is suffering and poverty.  Yet, at the same time, there is hope and love.  God is doing His work throughout this country and I can see it through the teachers and missionaries here, as well as the BGU students and even some of the children that I’ve taught.  The fruits of this work probably won’t be apparent for years down the road, but at least for now they’re learning skills and practical lessons like working together, looking after yourself and others, English (which to them really is a luxury), and the love of God.  So, PTL.  His will be done. 

Kwan

Phnom Penh

Tuol Sleng Museum

Tuol Sleng (Rules from Khmer Rouge Reign)

Tuk-Tuking in Phnom Penh

BGU Students and Thugga

BGU Students

Phnom Penh

Sam!!!

Tuol Sleng Prisoners

Tuol Sleng

Send the rain Father

On Sunday, we had a chance to worship together with the Cambodian church that meets every week at the NIBC center.  Many of the missionaries, some BGU students, and even other Cambodians gather to worship God.  The praise band consisted of an acoustic guitar, drums, bass guitar, and missionary Hwa-Yun on the keyboards.  They rocked out pretty hard.  The Cambodian kids playing the instruments come by every evening to practice upstairs in the empty sanctuary even in the hot temperatures.  The Cambodian pastor preached about the fruit of the Spirit, and went over peace and patience.  We were later informed that there are no seminaries in Siem Reap area, and only one in Phnom Penh.  Though the pastor was not educated in a seminary, the message was very good nonetheless and used many different bible verses.

One type of patience that especially lingered in my mind was the patience we must have of the Lord.  Perhaps this is because we are reading through Job with the BGU students after lunch.  In our afflictions we must not lose sight of who God is, never forget that He is good and almighty, and yet cry out to Him for deliverance and for His return.

After the service, we went to lake Tonle Sap, which is the largest fresh water lake in Asia.  We went with missionaries Kyung, Sang-Won, and Bo-Ram.  The lake is famous for having these people living on the water on these floating boat houses.  There are said to be over 100,000 people living there.  We got on a boat and rode towards the center of the lake.  In one of the villages, there was a lookout point / souvenir shop, in which they raised crocodiles and cat-fishes.  When we clambered up to the thrid story of this boat shop, we could not see the far shore of the lake.  There are some people who live their entire lives on these boats and never come out.  They do not come on shore, because when they do they are subject to motion sickness.  We saw a Catholic church in the lake village that the shop was located.  While I admire such valiant efforts by the Catholic church, I am beginning to see how revolutionary "Thou shall not make graven images" really is.  It must have been a shocking commandement to the Jews who were surrounded in the pagan sea of iconoclasm.  I wonder what these lake village people believe in, whether they are subject to the same ancestoral-shamanistic-Hinduistic-Buddhism that the land-people of Cambodia believe in.  (In front of every house, there is a scarecrow that is suppose to chase away the evil spirits. )  Where is the lifeboat of true faith among this sea of sinking idols?

Upon returning to the NIBC center we went to Siem Reap and explored the city a little bit.  We had dinner at a restaraunt called Red Piano, haphazardly zig-zagged through the noon-night market, and finally refreshed ourselves in the cool air conditioned loung of Blue Pumpkin.  It was a welcome respite from the draining heat and we recharged ourselves for the coming week.

The next three days were more of the same: BGU for Danny-L and me, Rainbow School for Cone-Soo, KayKay and ShinRamen.  Lunch, bible reading, and VBS at Kontrak village.  The BGU students have been super helpful in herding the little kids around.  Danny-L and I are actually not very good at playing with kids, but they're just so darn cute when they pray, sing and play that it's hard not to pour our hearts to them.  When we talking with Missionary Ju-Hwan, he commented that these short term mission teams that do VBS actually serve a vital role in making more Cambodian villagers interested about sending their kids to Rainbow school.  They say that right after the VBS programs, the registration for the next semester balloon up to as much as 80 kids, which slowly decrease to a few kids at the beginning of the semester.  From there some of the students come out to church every week.  It was also great to see how much missionary Jin-Ho loves these kids.

On Monday and Tuesday evening, we had a chance to play some SKG (stupid korean games) with the BGU students.  Some of us have incurred bruises from spirited rounds of spoons.  It was a great bonding experience with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Today Danny's class and my class did a joint puzzle piece activity.  It was rather encouraging to see how our kids desired to see their families, friends, and the entire nation of Cambodia come to know Christ.  One kid drew a picture of heaven and earth separated by a river and how we need to fulfill our duty before we cross that river....

So far this mission trip has confirmed that God doesn't need us, the KCPC mission team.  It also confirmed that God doesn't need KCPC, or the missionaries here, or the Korean church, or the Cambodian church.  God will make himself be known through his own power, that it is Him who will do it.  All that we, the universal church, have left to do is an opportunity to be tools in his hands.  It is for His glory that He does this.  It is the Holy Spirit who lives in us who does this.  So pray for rain.  Pray that He will rain down His Spirit in this land.

HG

Some of the prayers requests are:
- All of us to keep our heads in the game, to stay engaged with the students and the kids.
- Continued health and strength. I can definitely sense the heat getting to our team...

Praise Report
- Danny-L's and my backs are doing a lot better!
- Cone-Soo says he's doing perfect and that yall don't need to pray for him.

It's Saturday!

So it's Saturday here. We made it through the week! Everyday at 530am some of us have been attending Bible reading and quiet time with the BGU students. It's quite an early morning but definitely worth it. By 630 we're having breakfast and Danny & HuGu are off to teach the BGU students by 7 until noon. The rest of us prepare for Rainbow school by 730 and stay/teach until 11. Although Rainbow school is not as long, we're still drained by the end of the day. The kids, who are mainly 3-5 years old, are incredibly cute and so bright. They're so eager to learn and it's encouraging to see that they're actually learning something from us. They'll repeat everything we say and they just love singing songs. Even when we arrived to Cambodia we still felt a little unprepared to teach but with the help of God, He has truly lead the way. The teachers there can't really speak English but so far it's been working out well. By noon we're having lunch and as soon as lunch is over we have another bible reading with the BGU students (we're currently reading through Job).

Then we prepare for VBS at Kontrak Village and we're there by 230pm. They absolutely love singing and the skits have been going well. It gets extra hot during this time but thankfully God has provided us with rain during this time both Thursday and Friday. Actually, the word rain is quite an understatement. It was POURING rain with thunder. It was impossible to hear anybody during most of VBS (with singing and the skits) so the kids were screaming at the top of their lungs to be heard worshiping Him. It was amazing. (Don't worry, Danny recorded the amazing-ness of it all.) It was encouraging to see yesterday that even some parents came out to observe the VBS.

When VBS ends around 430 at Kontrak, we head back home at the NIBC center where we have dinner and spend time interacting and getting to know the BGU students and other missionaries. So far the rest of the time after dinner we've been meeting with either the missionaries or the BGU students who live there to worship together and learn more about how they got here. It's definitely been such a rewarding experience and we've just been feeling so blessed to know the missionaries and BGU students here. We really get to see their love for Christ and it's such an encouragement...especially with our own walk with Him. Even though it may seem as if we were sent there as missionaries to teach them more about Him but I feel as if we're the ones that are learning more.

It's just so amazing to see how even though everyone at the NIBC center are from different parts of the world (US, Cambodia, Korea, China, and Thailand) that we are still able to communicate with each other and worship together as a family to our one and only Father.

Esther

Until next time, we do have some prayer requests...
- To have enough strength and energy to be able to fully give our all to the kids (both at the NIBC center with the BGU students and Rainbow school and at Kontrak Village).
- For our health (we've been good so far...no stomach problems for any of us!! Well, at least that I know of...).
- To be more open with the BGU students and the missionaries and form a closer relationship.
- To open our hearts to God and trust in Him to lead the way.

Thanks so much for reading this & for praying for us...it has truly been so amazing and it wouldn't be so without your prayers....

Missionary EunJin Kim and Baby Han Gyur

Proof that Danny landed in Seoul (we used his camera so there were no other pictures of him)

Whew.  That was a big one.

Siem Reap Market and Kevin

Where we eat and gather

There/Here

So it's Wednesday evening here, and we landed a couple nights ago.  We're staying at the NIBC site, which, when we arrived on Monday night, had no electricity so that was interesting.  They had it back on by the next evening, though, so that was good.

It's really hot here.  It's so hot I wanted to crawl into the oven just for the cool air.  Haha just kidding.  There is no oven here.

Today we started our programs in earnest - Kevin, Kwan, and Esther at Rainbow School, and HuGu and I at BGU.  After that, we started VBS at Kontrak Village which has bathrooms now!  I'm sure before long you'll get an update about Rainbow School from one of the three teaching there, but teaching at BGU is, hm, a lot.  I have found that teaching English to people who don't share a common language with me is quite difficult, and the fact that it's for 5 hrs a day amplifies the effect.  They're eager to learn, though; apparently, the students have been waiting at NIBC just for us.  No pressure, heh.  Nevertheless, we're trying to make the most of this opportunity, to serve with all we have in us while we're here.

The kids at Kontrak are so ... many.  We had about 50 today, and according to the missionaries, on a popular day, they can number up to 100.  Kevin commented on how it's "funny to watch [me] with the kids" or something to that effect.  Hey, I'm trying.  I got dizzy from singing "Making Melodies."  Our first puppet skit went ok, but we definitely have some modifications to make to our program for the coming days.

Thank you for your support in sending us here and in your continued prayers while we are here.  Please pray for continued health.  Nobody has gotten sick yet, so PTL.  Pray also for strength and energy.  Each day starts early and is full and long.  Also please pray for a quick adjustment to the climate and the routine here, without allowing ourselves to become mired in complaints.  It's been humbling to see the missionaries here who live this, in and out of season.  Lastly, we have a couple team members with some minor tp moderate back pains, so prayers for healing would also be much appreciated.

Sorry there aren't any pictures today.  We'll post some, I promise.  We just forgot to bring them this time.

-The old guy on the team (Danny)

Almost there

It is 6:34pm in korea right now. Waiting for our transfer into Siem Reap, Cambodia

Kevin

Team before departure

The Morning Of

Greetings!  From Danny Dokko's living room.  HG and I (Kwan) arrived late last night (It being 3AM right now) and we're currently finishing up our last minute preparations after hours of bag packing and repacking.  I think I speak for the entire team when I say that we're anxious, excited, tired, and hungry.  And we're still in America.  We're set to get to church early to be sent off by both the KM and the EM and then head to the airport for our 1:30 flight.  If you get a chance to read this please pray for smooth travels and no passport mishaps (HG apparently washed his with his clothes, but hopefully that doesn't cause any problems).

As the next two weeks progress we'll do our best to update this blog every 2-3 days.  The idea is to have a different team member post once or twice throughout the trip so you can get a taste of all of our personalities.  Being a smaller team, and completely inexperienced, I can only imagine what kind of shenanigans we'll get into.  But hopefully in the end, God is pleased with what we do and we're able to convey what we see and experience to you, our Body.

Please do pray for us.  We hear it so often that we're sometimes desensitized to it, but we need your prayers.  Prayers for safe travels, patience, unity, open mind and heart, efficiency, effectiveness, the ability to listen, the boldness to act, the wisdom to wait, and to appreciate the experience we're about to have.  Honestly, I don't know what to expect.  But with God, nothing is impossible, which means all things are possible. (I think I got that off a bumper sticker).  So, for now, farewell and see you later.  Hopefully you'll hear from us in about 48-72 hours.

Kwan

Thank you for praying

Hi everybody,

We are in our last hours here in Siem Reap.  The last blog post was made by Eun-Sook and can be found at

http://kcpc-cambodia.blogspot.com

We had our debrief last night and this morning with the NIBC missionaries and overall it was a great time of ministry.  We never could have done it without you.  Within the next week or so, we'll be posting some final blogs and pictures and we'll send one last email then.

Philip, Eun-Sook, Sarah, AND George will be leaving in an hour.  The Richards are leaving for Seoul, Korea a few more hours later.

God bless you and talk to you soon,

-George

The hustle and bustle of Phnom Penh!

The insane traffic jam caused by motorcyles, cars, vans, tuk-tuks, and pedestrians. Its the survival of the fittest.


The nice serenity of Siem Reap (Kontrak Village)


Dinner!

George standing on a mound of trash. We vistited the city dump and found HUGE mounds of garbage piled next to people's homes.

People picking through garbage for anything that might sellable and/or redeemable for money.

Phil's and Sarah's 7th grade class at Hosanna School.

6th graders singing "Lord, I Lift Your Name on High".

Teaching them something.....


Would you try this?

Our last day..(Eun-Sook)

Hello Everyone!

We have returned back to Siem Reap from Phnom Penh. The capital of Cambodia is crazy! Its good to be back in Siem Reap.

In about 12 hours, we will be heading back to America. Its hard to believe that two weeks have already come and gone, although I am secretly yearning for a high pressured shower, clean clothes that smell like the springtime, and Bay Area weather. Relatively
speaking, 14 days is a very short time frame to do anything, but as previously shared by my team members, we leave Cambodia having witnessed God's hands at work
throughout this land.

Up until several days ago, I was unclear as to why I had come to Cambodia. My prayer requests prior to coming were to have an open heart and to eagerly anticipate any changes/improvements within NIBC in regards to building projects. They were open-ended and vague prayer requests to say the least, but the lesson that God wanted to teach me was grossly obvious and simple. God wanted me to learn about being a faithful child, nothing more and nothing less. Boy, did He make sure that I would learn this lesson. I must have met a dozen or so people (at least one new person a day) who have faithfully answered His call to come and serve Cambodia. Their testimonies of faith, ministries that have begun on no real foundation except faith, and their obedience to God's great commission has been challenging. Moreover, the fruits of their labor are visible. I have had the pleasure to getting to know a good handful of students who have met Christ through the missionaries and the work of their ministry. This idea of having faith (or the lack of it) was being pounded into my head and I leave here knowing that God is asking me to trust Him more.

Even in regards to anticipating a new elementary school at the NIBC site was a lesson in faith in and of itself. Upon arrival, I noticed immediately that the building project for a new primary school that has begun last summer was nowhere near finished. In fact, the missionaries didn't even know if a primary school was going to be possible. To say the least, I was disappointed. It made me sad to think that after Kindergarten, many of these students would not have access to a good primary education. I think I might have actually even grown a little bitter toward the organization and started questioning their vision. Long story short -- a week later, we were informed that NIBC had decided to officially start a primary school THIS fall. They will complete the building by September and have their first class up and running. Not only was this a pleasant shock to me, but the FAITH that these leaders are taking to start up a primary school in two months is what is fascinating. Humanly speaking, NIBC is not ready or prepared to open up a new elementary school. They don't have a director, teachers, nor a curriculum. There will also be a HUGE transition in staff as long-term missionaries from various departments take their leave and new blood steps in. Yet, despite these obstacles, the leaders of NIBC took a a leap of faith and decided to serve the youth in the villages and trusted that God will provide as needed.

These aren't huge revelations and mind-blowing experiences, but reminders that God will never let go of me. He is indeed sovereign and only He knows what will happen. In the mean time, all I am asked to do is to pray and be obedient.

I will see you all soon. Please pray for our safe arrival back in the states and a safe arrival to Korea for the Richards. Thank your for your faithful support in prayer as well. We've been a little sick and we have been bothered a bit by the mosquitoes and ants, but we'll all be back home in one piece. Praise the Lord!

Eun-Sook

Cambodia: A journey of faith through Hebrews.

I had come along on this vision trip with KCPC after much deliberation both personal and theological in nature. And despite all my prior reservations about short terms "missions" and the like, God broke my pride and convicted me to open my heart and and see how He was working in this country. And in light of this conviction I went with nothing but open ears, eyes, and heart/mind. And it is in this context that I have witnessed and learned much about who God is and a glimpse into the meaning of faith.

During my stay in Cambodia I had resolved to read 1 Corinthians 13 every morning to remind myself daily of what the nature of my every action should be: the love of God. And on Monday morning this passage coupled with a hymn that a few may know:

Before the throne of God above,

I have a strong, a perfect pleas;

A great High Priest whose name is "Love"

Whoever lives and pleads for me

My name is graven on His hand,

My name is written on His heart;

I know that while in heaven He stands

No tongue can bid me thence depart

No tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair,

And tells me of the guilt within,

Upward I look and see Him there

Who made an end to all my sin.

Because the sinless savior died

My sinful soul is counted free,

For God, the Just, is satisfied

To look on Him and pardon me

To look on Him and pardon me.

Behold Him there! the risen lamb,

My perfect, spotless righteousness,

The great unchangeable I AM,

The king of glory and of grace;

One with Himself I cannot die,

My soul is purchased by His blood;

My life is hid with Christ on high,

With Christ, my savior and my God

With Christ, my savior and my God.

(I'm sure many, if not all, people just skimmed it but I do encourage you to read it in full when time permits - I started writing with the intention to stop at the first verse but I couldn't help myself :D)

-led me to browse through Hebrews, once again being reminded how amazing our mediator is. As I skimmed through chapter 9 and eventually ended up in 10:19 I was reminded of all that I had seen and experienced in Cambodia. Testimony after testimony and observing these fellow brothers and sisters in Christ doing their utmost to live faithfully starting to fall into place in the backdrop of Hebrews; namely, Hebrews 10:19 to 12:2.

"How do I live faithfully at this point in my life?"

10Often times we view faith as something we will into existence and sustain by our extraordinary actions but what we fail to see is that faith comes not from our will but from God's. Often times I would find myself trying to mimic the remarkable actions of faith of others in order to convince for myself that I too was living faithfully. Little did I know that my view of what faith was in fact so narrow and limited. Faith is not a result of action but rather it is action that is a result of faith. Furthermore, in our anxieties and uncertainties concerning our faith we need not look any where else but upwards to Christ on the cross. For it is "by the blood of Jesus" (v.19) which grants our hearts "full assurance of faith" (v.21) not our works. Faith is not conditioned on who we are but who God is. "For he who promised is faithful." (v.23) I knew that God was faithful but I didn't KNOW it. Only after meeting countless individuals who were living faithfully in radically different manners and through the Word by the illumination of the Holy Spirit did I truly realize the implications of the fact that God was, is, and will always be faithful. It is God who will carry us through with our decisions made in faith and it is God who will sustain the path we have chosen in faith. It is not our ability or competence that ensures anything but it is God's supremacy and sovereignty that ensures everything. This liberating truth eliminates all feelings of doubt and anxiety and allows us to live freely in His grace, in faith. (John 8:32)

11Another trap I often found myself in was my endless search for visible and tangible signs of confirmation by God approving or disapproving of my decisions and actions. Faith is not a journey taken on a smooth and paved road lit with the light of man but it is taken on a road set before us, prepared for us before creation, to be taken in faith guided by His light. For "faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. By faith we understand the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible." (v.1;3) Too often I find myself amazed and awestruck by examples of actions of faith being based on answered prayers. For example, "if you want me to go God, such and such circumstance will occur/not occur." Now God does in fact guide us in various means; however, take a step back from the shell shock of amazement. Consider now what is even more miraculous and amazing - the very fact that we can have faith at all despite how little and deficient it may seem. Too often we look for the extraordinary and extravagant signs but fail to see that what is truly extraordinary and extravagant is the internal working of the Holy Spirit in the lives of individuals which produces faith. Faith; particularly in missions, is less about how equipped or unequipped you feel and more about the God who humbles and equips you. In faith, "Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain,"(v.4) "Enoch was taken up,"(v.5) Noah was warned, and "Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance" - going "not knowing where he was going." (v.8) This list continues to go on and on and even the author of Hebrews feels as though he has exhausted the point in saying, "And what more shall i say?"(v.32) Great now we have examples of faithfulness, but how does this truly apply to me? As i read through the multitudes of examples listed there resided a common thread, other than faith, that became apparent: "all of these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised."(v.39)... Wait a minute, didn't Abraham receive his inheritance and was also able to keep his son? And the type of response I initially had revealed something about my view of faith and the things which I hope for: My vision was far too temporal and too fleeting. Too narrow and void of the wider and exhaustive kingdom view that God has. Faith is not about the immediate and tangible goals but about the things unseen and the eternal perspective - the kingdom perspective. For "God had provided something better for us."(v.40)

12To think that I could ever be so foolishly confident about what God had in store for me; how foolish I had been and probably will continue to be. However, I do not despair or sorrow in my inadequacy but I rejoice and glory knowing that "Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, ...is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."(v.2) This is love, our mediator and giver of our faith. What wonderful reason for praise and worship we have daily in our lives. Having now gained a glimpse into what it means to have faith and live faithfully; I come in humility, a fool relying fully upon God and His Spirit given in grace to begin to be led forward along the path lit by the Word - the light of the world - Jesus Christ.

Through my time in Cambodia God has revealed to me just how apparent it is that we are indeed "surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses."(v.1) And if I learned anything in my time here, it is that faith cannot be sought apart from God and He is wholly essential and sufficient for its' very existence. The journey of faith has been walked by many before us and will continued to be walked by our fellow saints - each will have their own paths set before them - but all will share in the light which guides them on their paths which lead them through the valleys and over the mountains home to His kingdom.

Thank you for your continual prayer and support. Let us continue to stir up one another to love in and through the gospel.

God bless,

Phil

Pictures from the last few days

Just wanted to share some pictures from the last few days.

The Kim family, who will be the eventual replacement for Ju-Hwan and Wha-yun, when they leave for sabbatical in October 2010. They have a daughter, Seh-rin (almost 2 years old) and another son coming in 4 weeks. They're a great looking family.


Seh-rin was hard to win over, but she was a cutie and Richard L. and George worked hard to befriend her




To give you a sense of how hard the Khmer language is, there are over 70 consonants and vowels, and the blue and red colors signify group 1 and group 2, which changes the pronunciation of a word, based on what group of vowels or consonants are being combined. Es muy dificil.



We visited the S-21 prison which was a former high school turned prison camp during the Khmer Rouge years. It is now a memorial / museum and a fairly depressing, but insightful place to visit.


The rules which prisoners had to live by in S21.


Several rooms are full of pictures of the prisoners of S21. Most peole who came here did not survive. It was a very dark chapter for this nation and its people.



On Sunday, after we visited the International Worship service, we happened to run into a friend who is working with Hagar International, an organization devoted to social entrepreneurship and redeeming the lives of many Cambodians. Nathan Chan is on the far left. We ate at the restaurant that Hagar runs as one of its ventures, the proceeds supports the ministry and provides employment opportunities for the people they are ministering to.



We visited a Korean missionary who is running a youth center in a village outside of Phnom Penh. We met a lot of high schoolers who were excited to follow Christ.





A picture with Pastor John, Ju-Hwan, Wha-yun, & Jarunee before we left for Phnom Penh. The night before, he challenged us to live by faith and to not hold onto treasures in this world through sharing his testimony.