God is doing great things with the Cambodian Americans in Phnom Penh. Here are some of the leaders who love Jesus Christ and are not ashamed of the gospel! Thank you all for your support and prayers.
11/20/2011
11/16/2011
Where's Waldo?
We came across a group of Japanese tourists, all wearing red. Since Fenton had on a red shirt I encouraged him to go stand in the middle of of the group so we could play "Where's Waldo" (aka Where's Fenton).
A Bug's Life
And a reptile too...photographed while traipsing around Angkor Wat.
11/15/2011
11/13/2011
Hope Now Conference 2011
One young man wrote,
"Hope Now Cambodia Conference was a blessing. Jesus was in the midst of it all today. To all my Exiled Americans, there is Hope Now in Christ, hang on to His Words and promises and He will prosper you."
And another,
"What a miraculous day of fellowship and epicurean delight. I have been repatriated nearly a decade and this is the unprecedented event I have been anticipating."
Still another,
"Thank you for the love and passion you have to help us and we will continue to pray for Hope Now Cambodia."
That was the sentiment throughout our first Hope Now Cambodia conference, held on November 12 in Phnom Penh. To date there are 311 young men (and several young women) who have been deported to Cambodia from the U.S. due to some past crime or offense. Thirty-five of them came to our conference and what a day it was.
Pastor Fenton McDonald was our speaker for the event. He presented the truth of our adpotion into God's family and how God seeks us and looks for us with open arms. Pastor Fenton dazzled us with a magic show that filled the group with amazement and lots of laughs! During his final teaching session he asked for a response of those who really want to follow Jesus. Eight young men responded and at least one made a commitment to believe in Jesus for the first time.
David Maravilla, our Senior Hope Now Counselor taught two classes from our Hope Now training program. He encouraged them to make positive changes in their lives and worked with them on how to overcome addictions.
Several young men shared their testimonies of what Jesus Christ is doing in their lives.
We enjoyed three meals throughout the day (all buffet style). The guys were stuffed after each meal, but always showed up for the next foray through the buffet line! The hotel even provided live music just for us during the lunchtime meal.
The event was highlighted by the sneak-preview showing of the movie Finding Hope Now. This movie has not been seen in the States, but I received special permission from the producer, Skin Mead to bring a copy to show during our conference. What a blessing it was and everyone enjoyed it!
I want to thank all of those who support Hope Now and have helped to make this event a reality. What amazes me is that the cost to put on a conference like this is not as expensive as one might think, yet the benefits of it are enormous and will be seen for days, months and years to come.
Our goal is to continue to love our new friends from America, now living in Cambodia. Several new deportees are being sent here weekly--they all need Hope Now. And while I strongly disagree with the deportation policy and the way the U.S. government is doing it (It is highly unethical), God has a plan. He is in charge, not the U.S. government. Our purpose is to glorify Him in all that we do.
Several young men enjoying the break
Pastor Rob Cady (right), Kim, and me during a break.
Ly sharing his testimony
Chantha sharing his testimony
Big Sam telling what God is doing in his life.
Explaining a painful, yet very popular Hope Now game called Da Whomp!
We kind of got in to painful games.
Professionally dressed and attentive. These are good men!
11/10/2011
Back In The Kingdom Of Wonder
After 31 hours of travel David and I arrived safely in the Kingdom of Wonder, Cambodia.
We were met at the airport by my friends, Kim and Sokhat, along with Chantha and Sharon. Chantha had arranged for a cab driver to meet us too in order to carry all of our luggage. It was very nice to have a greeting like that after a long day of travel.
We got to our hotel and met up with Pastor Fenton who will be our speaker at the Hope Now Conference tomorrow. It was great to see him and he looked rested after getting here a day before us.
With a couple of hours rest and a shower we all went out to dinner at the K-West restaurant. We chose that place because it's the only restaurant that I know that takes American Express (I didn't leave home without it). Pastor Rob joined us and we had good time catching up and fellowshipping.
This morning (our first full day) was leisurely in the morning. After breakfast we grabbed a tuk tuk and headed over to the Tuol Sleng prison. David was able to see for the first time the atrocities that took place in Cambodia during the mid to late 1970's. It is a sobering experience, if not somewhat depressing.
Our tuk tuk driver is a young man named Sophy. I liked him immediately since he gave me a fair price to drive us to dinner last night ($2.00). He is studying medicine and he does it from the back of his tuk tuk. Many drivers just sit around and sleep when they have no customers, but not Sophy. I wish him all the best.
I am looking forward to seeing Chantha and Sharon tonight. We are all meeting up at the conference hotel to check out the room for tomorrow and enjoy dinner together.
Tomorrow morning our Hope Now conference begins. At this time we have close to 30 guys signed up. Our prayer has been 40. But God will draw the right ones there regardless of numbers. We have a full day planned, capped off by a special showing of the movie Finding Hope Now. I'm excited that Jesus will be glorified. We are just His willing servants sharing the Gospel. He does the work in the hearts of men. Please pray for us.
10/20/2011
10/17/2011
Hope Now Conference In the Making
In just a few days David Maravilla (one of my Hope Now staff members), Fenton McDonald (My pastor friend from Ohio), and I will be on our way to Phnom Penh. The purpose of our trip is to work with Pastor Rob Cady by facilitating a Hope Now Cambodia conference.
Our prayer is that we will be able to attract 40 or so Hope Now guys to the conference to encourage them in their daily lives. Pastor Fenton will be the keynote speaker. In addition, to hearing God's Word, David Maravilla will lead the guys in some practical training of life skills that will help them as they live their lives in Cambodia.
While the three of us cannot relate to being ripped away from our homes and transported to a place we have never been before, we can still share the love of Jesus Christ with them. His love transcends every problem that life throws at us.
The crowning event for the conference will be a screening of the movie, Finding Hope Now.
This film has not yet been released to theaters, but we have received permission from the producer to show it to these young men.
Will you please begin praying for this event and for our safe travels and the safety of our families while we are away?
I'll begin updating this blog on a regular basis as the trip grows nearer.
09/05/2011
You Have to Choose
The Followers of Jesus Church is located near the famous Russian Market in Phnom Penh. The congregation is made up primarily of Khmer speaking people, but more and more of the young people speak English and it is evident that they love the Lord Jesus. So it was a privilege and a pleasure to be invited to preach there on Sunday.
Pastor Meng has pastored the church since the mid '90's. I was a little concerned about preaching with a translator, but Pastor Meng made it seem effortless. He even changed his voice inflection and used the same hand motions when I did.
My driver, Mr. Heng doesn't understand English very well, so I invited him, through a translator, to come in to the church with me. I told him that he could hear about what I have been doing and why I have been here for the past week. (I used this driver all week. He took me to meeting after meeting and he probably wondered what I was doing. Sometimes I would sit in a coffee shop for two or three hours, meeting with several people throughout the day, as he waited patiently for me)
I guess I was sort of surprised when he said "Yes!". I asked him if he had ever been in a Christian church before and he said that he had not and that he was feeling very nervous. The Christians in the church made him feel very welcome (Which is what Christians should do when they see a visitor).
My message was primarily the gospel message of Jesus Christ coming to earth, dying, being buried and rising on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Then I spoke about the marks of a Christian from the book of 1st John.
After the service several of us went to lunch and I invited Heng to come with us. During lunch he asked, "If you believe in Jesus is it a sin to go to the [Buddhist] Wat, or temple?" I thought that was an awesome question from someone who had never before heard the gospel or attended a Christian church.
I let a Hope Now guy, Sam, answer the question. Sam has been a believer for a while and I knew that he would know how to answer in Khmer. He told him that you have to choose who you will serve. Either the true God or idols. Now it is up to Heng to make the choice on his own. No one can make it for him. He has heard the good news and he has to do something with it.
[The Nice looking couple, Chantha and Sharon]
[Ly and me at the Followers of Jesus Church]
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad2
Pastor Meng has pastored the church since the mid '90's. I was a little concerned about preaching with a translator, but Pastor Meng made it seem effortless. He even changed his voice inflection and used the same hand motions when I did.
My driver, Mr. Heng doesn't understand English very well, so I invited him, through a translator, to come in to the church with me. I told him that he could hear about what I have been doing and why I have been here for the past week. (I used this driver all week. He took me to meeting after meeting and he probably wondered what I was doing. Sometimes I would sit in a coffee shop for two or three hours, meeting with several people throughout the day, as he waited patiently for me)
I guess I was sort of surprised when he said "Yes!". I asked him if he had ever been in a Christian church before and he said that he had not and that he was feeling very nervous. The Christians in the church made him feel very welcome (Which is what Christians should do when they see a visitor).
My message was primarily the gospel message of Jesus Christ coming to earth, dying, being buried and rising on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Then I spoke about the marks of a Christian from the book of 1st John.
After the service several of us went to lunch and I invited Heng to come with us. During lunch he asked, "If you believe in Jesus is it a sin to go to the [Buddhist] Wat, or temple?" I thought that was an awesome question from someone who had never before heard the gospel or attended a Christian church.
I let a Hope Now guy, Sam, answer the question. Sam has been a believer for a while and I knew that he would know how to answer in Khmer. He told him that you have to choose who you will serve. Either the true God or idols. Now it is up to Heng to make the choice on his own. No one can make it for him. He has heard the good news and he has to do something with it.
[The Nice looking couple, Chantha and Sharon]
[Ly and me at the Followers of Jesus Church]
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad2
Location:Phnom Penh
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