MissionCambodia

All in the Family of God

2012-01-16T14:54:00.006+07:00

Living far away from family and friends can be difficult at times, especially when we miss important dates like births of new babies, weddings and funerals. But we are so thankful that God has given to us the family of God wherever we go! Over the past three years we have been blessed with great friendships with other missionary families as well as deep relationships with the Vietnamese people.

Christmas Dinner with other Missionary Families

Missionary Moms Meet with MKs for Co-op Craft Time

When our family first arrived in Kampong Cham, Cambodia three years ago, we were one of four other missionary families. Of course there were more, we just had not met them yet. The year before, we lived in Phnom Penh and worshipped with other missionaries at an international church. However, once making the move to a more rural city, there was no such international church. So we started a worship home group on our home for our family and then had other families join us over time. Now we are 3 families and one single who meet every Wednesday night to sing praises, share the Word and pray for one another. What an incredible blessing this group has been to our lives and to be able to discuss the Word and sing praises to our great God in our heart language, English!

Vietnamese Adult Believers Sharing a Meal

Three years ago, there were no known Vietnamese believers in Kampong Cham. Praise God we know have a small group meeting every Sunday afternoon to sing praise songs, study the Bible and pray for one another’s burdens. The first believer, Mr. Minh was baptized May 2009. He recently married a Vietnamese woman, Mrs. Ha and they are now both helping to lead the small group of Vietnamese believers. It has been a joy to see the Lord’s transforming power in their lives and their heart to share his love with others.

First Christian Wedding Ceremony (Mr. Minh and Mrs. Ha)

Keeping the CHRIST in Christmas!

2011-12-27T17:21:00.000+07:00

This Christmas in Kampong Cham, the children with the help of Mr. Minh and Mrs. Ha put on a Nativity Christmas pageant. The true meaning of the season was shared for the believers and some of the student's parents. For some of them, this is the first time they have heard the wondrous story of Jesus birth.

Vietnamese believers in Kampong Cham, Cambodia (Dec. 2011)

The angels share "good tidings" with the shepherds.


The Wise Men present gifts to baby Jesus.

Sweet Family Reunion November, 2011

2011-12-27T17:00:00.000+07:00

Tabitha and her mom cooking Thanksgiving dinner together.

Tabitha's mom (Brenda) traveled to Cambodia Nov. 14-30, 2011. It was a sweet time had by all that is for sure. Brenda was a real trooper joining in on adventurous boat ride on the Mekong to visit a nearby village, shopping at the outdoor markets and eating strange food. Tabitha and her mom enjoyed cooking a delicious traditional Thanksgiving meal together for family and friends to enjoy. For some of our Vietnamese friends who joined this festive holiday, it was the first time they had ever eaten a roasted turkey.

Tabitha's mom takes a brave walk on the plank to visit some poor Vietnamese living on the floating village

The girls really enjoyed playing games, having sleep-overs in Nana's room, roasting marshmallows and swimming in Phnom Penh. Lots of memories shared and made in just 2 weeks! Nana even helped out with some home-schooling while she was with us. It was a fantastic visit and hope to see more of Nana's visits to Cambodia in the near future.

FLOOD WATERS IN CAMBODIA

2011-10-15T13:33:00.008+07:00

I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold. I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me (Psalm 69:2). The past months have been rainy season in Cambodia and with the heavy rains have come flooding to many villages. With the severe flooding, many rice crops have been damaged. This is a great devastation to the farmers as they depend on this rice crop to feed their families the rest of the year. It has also been forecasted that there will be rice shortages this coming year and thus a high increase in the price. This will mean hard times for many of the poor living in Cambodia.

The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD thunders over the mighty waters (Psalm 29:3).

ChiHae is a village about 45 minutes from where we live in Kampong Cham. We have visited this village several times over the past few years and built relationships with the Khmer and Vietnamese living there. This village has suffered with severe flooding where the homes of more than twelve families were washed away with the flood waters. Even now after the flood waters have receded in some places, some houses are leaning and in need of desperate repair.

He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters (Psalm 18:16).

This past month, Don and some local Vietnamese believers traveled by boat to ChiHae two times to distribute rice to the families there. As we help these desperate people in Jesus name, we hope and pray that they would come to know the great power and awesome love of God. Currently there are five Vietnamese families living in ChiHae who have professed faith in Jesus. They are currently attending a Khmer church, but they long to have a church in their heart language.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS!

2011-08-29T14:18:00.009+07:00

Maria, our youngest just celebrated her 8^th birthday this month. Wow, how the time really does fly. We had a fabulous day spent in Kampong Cham, Cambodia. Maria liked her birthday “ tuk tuk” ride and special treat of ice cream at a local shop. Later we enjoyed games and brownies with green icing. It is great to celebrate family birthdays and to think of all the Lord has done in our lives.

As missionaries we are also blessed to celebrate “spiritual” birthdays with new believers. Just this past week, three Vietnamese made decisions to follow Jesus. How wonderful to see an eagerness in their heart of brand new believers to study and learn His Word. All three joined us for church and enjoyed singing praises to God and hearing the Word of our Lord. Jesus said, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again” ( John 3:3).

When a baby is born, most cultures have a celebration to announce the exciting news. Likewise, Jesus also says that, “there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents" (Luke 15:10). Recently, a family baptized this past April held a celebration when their youngest son turned one year old. It was awesome to see them testify among unsaved friends and neighbors and offer a prayer of thanksgiving to the one True God.

What is a church really?

2011-07-21T09:53:00.009+07:00

Have you ever asked the question, what is a church really? For example, do you need a church building? Here in Cambodia, you will not find a church on every street corner. But you will find a Buddhist temple in every village! As missionaries, we desire to see a church in every village, but this does not necessarily mean having a building. For the last 2 years, our small group of believers have been meeting together in our Vietnamese literacy classroom. We sing praise songs, pray for one another and study the Word together. See picture on the right.

Every Sunday morning, other missionaries working in Kampong Cham gather together to worship in English, our heart language. We sing praises accompanied by MP3 players, share communion together with grape juice and crackers, share prayer requests and pray together, and then have a Bible lesson. Since we do not have a pastor, we take turns in facilitating the Bible discussion. What a meaningful time and lively discussions we have shared together!

The lady on the left in the pink jacket is a Khmer believer who lives 10 km away from a church. The road is very difficult to travel, so she decided to open her home to have Sunday worship service for the few believers near her house. Each member takes time off work to gather together to study the Word and pray together.
Here Don is supplying these believers with simple teaching booklets and sharing communion using water and a small cake.

This man on the right is another Khmer believer who is also leading a small group of believers to follow Jesus. They were meeting in a small shack near his house. God blessed this man with the money to build a new house for his family. So he decided to add this extra room so the believers could have a bigger and brighter place to worship. What a privilege to meet believers with true hearts to worship and a desire to serve the Living God!!

Partnership in Sharing the Gospel

2011-05-24T11:23:00.008+07:00

I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ. Philemon 1:6

We are thanking God for raising up partners in sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with the Vietnamese. We have many many people partnering with us in many different ways. In the past people have given money for building houses for the poor, medicine for the sick and rice for the hungry. Recently, one home church in Wisconsin wanted to partner with our literacy classroom so they gave money so we could buy school supplies and official school shirts for the kids attending our literacy classroom. We bought the shirts and had them printed in Phnom Penh. The kids attending our Vietnamese classroom rarely receive a new shirt, so this was a very special gift for them.

This past week, we have been blessed by a group of Vietnamese American who gave up 2 weeks of summer vacation to come along side of our ministry. They have been teaching English, playing games with the students, visiting people in their homes, praying with us, and helping with teaching of the Word and discipling of new believers. They have gotten a taste of the fresh fruit, dust, heat, mosquito bites and riding around on bicycles.

We thank God for also raising up Cambodian partners who share a love for the Vietnamese people. Most Cambodians still dislike the Vietnamese, so most Cambodian churches have little heart to want to help the Vietnamese come to know Jesus. Don had the privilege of meeting with a Khmer pastor who lives in a village about 45 minutes away from Kampong Cham. His church is right next to a Vietnamese village that we have targeted in the past. He was excited to meet a missionary who is fluent in Vietnamese and has opened his church for the Vietnamese and hosted us to share presentations at his church for the Vietnamese living near his church.
God’s church is world-wide and truly we can all work together in order to bring hope the hopeless and love for the broken! Thanks for partnering with us so that the Vietnamese living in Cambodia may have a chance to hear and experience God’s great love for them.

Nguyen Girls Receive Baptism!

2011-04-25T15:56:00.011+07:00

Abigail (age 10) and Kayla (age 8) both were baptized last year on January 10, 2010. It has been a joy to see both grow in their faith. Both are enjoying leading inductive Bible studies for other missionary kids Sunday mornings in our home during our home church.

Maria was just baptized on Easter Sunday, April 24, 2011 (age 7). She shared her testimony that Jesus is her real friend who comforts her when she is sad. She wanted to be baptized because she understood she was a sinner and that she wanted to start a new life with Jesus!
As parents we are so happy to see our daughters walking with Jesus more and more every day. It has been a joy to see them eager to do Bible devotions and to be praying with and for their friends. Thank you God for the gift of our daughters. May they continue to walk with Jesus every day of their young and keep the Word of God hidden in their heart so they would never depart from the truth!

What our missionary kids do for fun!

2011-03-22T09:48:00.006+07:00

It is that time of year when things are really starting to heat up around Cambodia. When there is not time to hit the pool, the girls are happy in their mini-pool. On really hot days, even mom and dad have been willing to join them. Earlier this month, the girls also enjoyed a swim in the Mekong River as well. When it is not too hot outside the girls enjoy biking around the yard and playing soccer or basket ball.

Having time with some Khmer friends is also a highlight. The girls practice their Khmer and their friends like to practice their English. We had Khmer friends over for a real American meal of spaghetti and home-made bread. They really liked the bread, but they did not "know how" to eat the spaghetti. Needless to say, we had lots of left-overs. In Khmer and Vietnamese culture, it is not polite to say you don't like something served to you. You simply state, you don't know how to eat it.

Bible Study in Vietnamese Believer's Home

2011-02-17T13:20:00.008+07:00

Three weeks ago, we started a home Bible study in Mrs. Hai's house. Her son, Mr. Thi who 2 months ago would not permit her to attend church, has agreed for the Vietnamese believers to meet in his home once a week.

It has been exciting for all of us to discover Bible truths as we explore the Bible together! We also have enjoyed learning new songs together and having an extended time to pray for one another. The new believers are beginning to learn to ask inductive questions as we study a Bible passage. For example, where does it take place, who is in the story, and what do they say. Afterward, we talk together about what the passage means and then try to apply the truth of the story to our daily lives. This sounds easy, but it has been a challenge for them as they are very uneducated and have poor literacy skills. It has been amazing to sit and watch the Holy Spirit at work and see the everlasting truth of the Holy Scriptures be revealed to these young believers.

Tidings of Great Joy!

2011-01-03T14:36:00.006+07:00

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11). What wonderful news of peace for all people. In the midst of many uncertainties around us, we who put our hope in Jesus Christ can be assured of being with Him forever and having an everlasting peace that will not fade or perish! There are so many of our friends here in Cambodia who live in daily fear. They must appease the spirits so they will not be punished. We bring a message of hope to the lost and the broken that there is hope and peace to be found in Jesus, our Savior who is Christ the Lord! We had a wonderful Christmas celebration on December, 18th with some of the missionaries in our town. We sang Christmas carols, read the Christmas story, and enjoyed some delicious shared Christmas goodies. It was a fun time shared by all!

On Christmas Eve, we had a blessed fellowship time with the Vietnamese believers at the literacy classroom. All the kids showed up to participate in the singing of Christmas carols we had been practicing for over a month. Thanks to some generous supporters each child enjoyed receiving a new t-shirt and a small treat bag filled with chocolate, candy, colored pencils and a pencil case. For most of them, this would the first new shirt they have ever owned. Afterwards, the kids had lots of fun playing games in the school yard. All the believers and guests also enjoyed a pork meal together. As we look back, we are so thankful for God’s faithfulness in providing a new spacious location for our classroom. Last year we were spilling into the street! Thanks to all who have been praying for Mr. Thi. Although he has not returned to church, he has given permission for his mother to attend our worship services. Mrs. Hai has been joining us for 1 month already and is so happy to be back worshipping with us all. It was a joy for her to also lead us in our special Christmas song this year! Mr. Minh's wife returned from Vietnam just in time to celebrate Christmas with all us as well. Praise the Lord!

On Christmas Day, we had a small family celebration with our team-mate, Amy. The girls had made beautiful home-made cards. After exchanging small token gifts, the girls enjoyed candy-canes. Later, we had a delicious cooked ham meal with all the fixings (Scalloped potatoes, corn on the cob, pumpkin pie and whipped cream! YUM, YUM!! Later we enjoyed a relaxing time playing games and watching The Nativity Story. Our family headed to the beach for 5 days. We had a relaxing and refreshing time and the girls enjoyed swimming every day. It has become a family tradition to swim at Christmas, and none of us are really missing all that snow very much!

LOOKING BACK

2010-11-22T15:49:00.016+07:00

January, 2010 we had the great joy of witnessing 7 people give their lives to Christ and make a step of baptism. We just want to give you a glimpse of where some of these believers are almost a year later.

Mrs. Sok-Paula was re-located by the government while we were on home-assignment last year. In this new location, she has been on fire for Christ. She has a heart for her Khmer neighbors to come to know Jesus so she has opened her new small home so that she can share Jesus with them. She is illiterate and has a very low education. Her faith is simple: Trust God for all things. He loves you so much and He will provide for all your needs. He really wants a relationship with each of His children. Currently her son and daughter-in-law have moved in along with her baby grand-daughter. She is teaching them what she knows about God and leading them to Christ. With a small monetary loan from Vietnamese Americans she has started a small business in her home to sell desserts, soap, shampoo and coffee.

Mr. Bay has struggled for many years on how to make a living and provide for his family. He has not attended church regularly, but has agreed for Mr. Minh to come to his house every week to study the Word together. He says he prays every day for the missionaries and for others to know God. He has showed a slow but steady faith in God. He wants his family to follow Jesus and has agreed for a Khmer young lady to come and disciple his wife and kids as they are Khmer.

Cheo continues to meet with Tabitha to study the Scriptures and learn Bible stories. She is excited to have more understanding of the Bible stories and has shared them with some other Vietnamese women and the children at the classroom. Cheo shared that before our family moved to Kampong Cham, she wanted to worship in Vietnamese, but there was not a Vietnamese church in this city at that time. She was excited when her husband heard that there was a missionary family had just moved to town. Once we were introduced, she started to join our small worship gathering and later started to help Tabitha with language. Now Tabitha and Cheo study the Bible 2 times per week together and then teach the children what we have studied via felt pictures or a puppet show.

BUILDING HOUSES THAT LAST

2010-09-25T19:38:00.007+07:00

Generally people are quite excitable when they have their house built! To watch it unfold and become a reality is fascinating. Well, thanks to some generous donors, we were able to come along side of some poor Vietnamese living in Kampong Cham and help them build a new house! One man we have built relationship with picks up recycling all around the city was in desperate need of a house. He and his family were living in a frame of a house using a tarp as a roof. Because this is rainy season, it was quite cold for this family. He was very grateful to have walls and a roof added to his already existing frame. It brings joy to our hearts to help the poor to build a home. But it brings greater joy to our hearts when we share with them about an everlasting home after this life.

Many Cambodians and Vietnamese have a Buddhist background which believes in a place called Nirvana. At first glance, it seems that this would be the same as what Christians would call heaven- a paradise of bliss and happiness. But on a closer look, this is not really the case. Nirvana is a temporary place after this life for those who have earned enough merit from doing good work. It is a mindless state where there is no more suffering. However, one cannot stay in Nirvana forever, but only as long as one’s merit lasts. According to Buddhism, life is a cycle of reincarnation depending on how good one was in the previous life, with human beings as the highest level and other insects or animals as lower levels. Further, if one is reincarnated as a human being, it is believed that a rich person must have been a very good person in the previous life and a poor person must have done something wrong to pay for the bad deeds committed. The poor man must suffer to pay for his bad deeds so that in the next life he could improve his situation. Therefore, helping a poor man is really doing him a disservice!

We see how these beliefs are so opposite of Jesus’ teaching. Jesus cared for the poor and he healed their diseases! This is our hearts’ desire to help the poor and needy around us as we help them build a small home to live in. We are so thankful for our generous donors who make this possible! Yet, we also share with the poor in Cambodia that they can look forward to a new and better home in heaven. Jesus told us before he left the earth that He was going ahead to heaven to prepare a home with many rooms for those who would come and follow Him.

As Christians, are you excited about your new home in heaven? We have the assurance to know we will be with Jesus forever in paradise. Jesus told the man on the cross, “Tomorrow, you will be with me in paradise.” O blessed assurance, Jesus is ours!!

Let the Little Children Come

2010-08-30T17:18:00.004+07:00

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (Matt. 19:14).

It is hard to believe “The School of Truth” has been opened for over one year. Praise God for His many provisions. Before we had come to Kampong Cham, we had not anticipated opening a literacy classroom, but God made it very obvious that this was His plan. Thanks to many generous donations from partners, we were able to move the class to a larger facility. Over 50 kids can now read and write Vietnamese. Mr. Minh, who is their teacher, has also begun to give math lessons to help those who are struggling in this area. This month we have also started to teach English. The kids are really excited about learning English, as this will help them get jobs in the future.
These children are also learning more about the true Living God and His Word. It has been such a joy for our family to meet at the literacy classroom every Sunday and see the children’s smiling faces. Although none of the children's parents are believers, they are learning to pray simple prayers to God. They typically thank God for their teachers, ask God to grant good health and for God to help them study well every day. These past 2 Sundays, Tabitha has been sharing Bible stories with them. They are learning that God alone has the power to heal and the power to forgive sins. Afterwards, Mr. Minh will ask the children questions about the story and have them re-tell it in their own words. We pray that the seeds of the gospel message will be planted in their young hearts so they would yearn to learn more and one day receive God’s wonderful gift of salvation.

Coming Home and Happy Reunions

2010-07-17T13:08:00.006+07:00

We landed safely to Cambodia on July 4th, 2010 after 5 months furlough in the US. It is hard to believe we have been here for 2 weeks already. Praise the Lord for a smooth transition back to life here. The girls have been happy to get unpacked and settled back “home.” When asked if they want to go anywhere, they quickly reply, “No thanks” and are happy to unpack and simply play at home these days. They have enjoyed getting back to our Asian style breakfast almost every morning and reconnecting with Khmer friends in the neighborhood.

Mr. Minh has been faithful as the leader and shepherd among the Vietnamese new believers. He continues to teach the children at the literacy class while we were state-side and even added mathematics to his teaching schedule. He is encouraged to have us back as we are equally thankful to be co-laboring for Christ with him.
It is also encouraging for us to see that God has opened more doors since we were away. Several months ago, we had come to realize the need to change location for our literacy classroom but there were no opportunities at that time. However, since then God has put it in the heart of a non-believer Khmer landlord to want to rent his building to a Christian group for a reasonable price. Upon our return, Mr. Minh and Don went to look at the building and it turns out to have great potential so we agreed to rent it. This rental property is located in the heart of the Vietnamese community and just across the road from our current classroom. It has a large teaching room, 6 smaller rooms, and a large yard with trees for the kids to play in. We praise the Lord for His sovereignty and provisions!

We praise God further for caring for the new believers although some of them have had to face hard changes. Mrs. Tu and Sok-Paula who lived along the Mekong River were relocated by the Cambodian government to a different location far from the Vietnamese community about 2 months ago. Mrs. Hai and her son have moved back to Vietnam to make a living and they are not sure when they will return. Other believers have had a real tough time of making ends meet these days. It was a great encouragement to see them and hear that they are still following God and praying to Him every day to provide for their many needs.

Transitions and Third Culture Kids

2010-04-30T08:39:00.010+07:00

While the time in the US has been great to connect with friends, supporters and family, it also means a lot of transitions for our family. How would you like to attend a different church every Sunday? You have to learn to make friends quickly and then very soon have to say goodbye. Sleepovers are a common occurrence for our family, as many as 2 to 3 times per month. Our girls have learned to have their bags packed at short notice and usually they can pack all they need in just one small back-pack.

As we have been back on our first home-assignment, our girls have been asked “How is your time at home?” Home can mean different things for different people. For our children, even though we have only lived in Cambodia for 2 years, it has started to feel more like home. We have built a lot of memories there and our family routine happens there whereas it has not been the case while we are back in the US. Even though Abigail, Kayla and Maria were born in the United States (their first culture experience), they feel some-what unattached to the American culture. While living in Cambodia, they have learned to speak the Khmer language, eat the Khmer diet, adjust to hot weather and get accustom to sleeping with mosquito nets (their second culture experience). Although our children have learned to love life in Cambodia, they are not native to this land. Therefore missionary kids neither belong to their country of birth nor their current host country but they seem to belong somewhere in between (a third culture experience ). That is why missionary kids are referred to as third culture kids!

Transitions are very much a part of most third culture kids’ lives. Despite all the changes and challenges, our children have learned that God is their constant companion who never changes and promises to be with them always! As Christians we are all sojourners on a great and exciting journey with God. For all of us, this world is not really our home, but our citizenship is in heaven. Let us all keep looking up for when Jesus will return and take us all home to be with Him in heaven!

HOME AT LAST : FURLOUGH TIME

2010-02-23T23:47:00.004+07:00

As we have been home in the US for one month now, many of you may be wondering what we have been up to. Well, we are getting re-adjusted to life in America. After being away for more than 2 years we are taking the time to get used to the technological advances since then such as I-phones, I-pods and many other I's . Also we are enjoying the pleasures of walking through an acclimatized mall and shopping in all-in-one department stores. Further it is a treat to be speaking in English wherever you go. Getting directions is so much easier too. Of course catching up with our family and friends is the hightlight for all of us!! Not to forget all the fluffy white stuff ; we have enjoyed 3 snow storms since arriving home. Many local Lancaster people have said that they haven't seen so much snow in 50 years.

Many of you may also be wondering what does furlough look like for a missionary family. Well, it is mainly about connecting with many our our supporters who have been faithfully praying for our ministry and our family over the past 2 years. This means lots of travel for us but we are so excited to share all that God has done in and through us during our time in Cambodia. Connected with 22 churches in US and Canada, our family will be worshipping and sharing at a different churches service every Sunday. In addition during the week, Don is making appointments to see individual supporters as well as preparing messages and materials to share with the churches. Tabitha continues to home-school our children. The girls have enjoyed regular trips to our church library and the public library and treat themselves to reading as many books as they want!

While we are home, it is our desire to inspire many others to share Christ to the lost around them. It is also our hope that some will also join us in the task of sharing Christ over-sea to the many who have not yet heard.

SOUNDS, SIGHTS, and TASTES OF CHRISTMAS in Cambodia

2009-12-28T10:02:00.012+07:00

SOUNDS of Christmas: Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests (Luke 2:14).” The Vietnamese children have been practicing Christmas carols this past month and it was a joy to hear the children singing in their native language of the wondrous birth of Jesus. Another joy for our family was to hear Abigail and Kayla playing the Christmas carols on the piano and leading our family in worship time. Also hearing Maria read the Christmas story out loud was a great blessing!

SIGHTS of Christmas: When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about (Luke 2: 15).” When living overseas, outward signs of Christmas are not always so evident. While the hustle bustle of Christmas shopping and Christmas caroling are not very common, you may glimpse the occasional Christmas tree in the local bank or milk shop. Furthermore, the true meaning of Christmas in not yet well known here in Kampong Cham and throughout Cambodia. On Christmas Day, we had an outreach event for the Vietnamese community. About a dozen kids acted out the Christmas story as it was being narrated by Mr. Minh. Praise God almost 70 people attended and the gospel message was presented and the joy of the Lord was very evident in our presentations.

TASTES of Christmas: Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him (Psalm 34:8). While living overseas, we feel it is still important we maintain some important family traditions, especially at this time of year as we aim to be a light for Jesus. On December 20th, we enjoyed a fellowship time with other missionary families in our home. We all participated in baking for this special time together with a dozen different kinds of goodies. On Christmas Day, our family and Amy enjoyed a traditional dinner of roast chicken, corn on the cob, baked squash and pumpkin pie! YUM! YUM!

Bridging the Gospel with Medical Care

2009-12-05T17:05:00.016+07:00

Although the situation is different here than in his private practice in Lancaster, it is still about hurting people, meeting a need and administering medical care in love with the hope of also sharing about God’s love with the patient. Since arriving in Cambodia, it has always been Don’s desire to visit the poor and sick in their homes in order to build relationships and share the gospel with them while also providing medical care.

It has been neat to see God open doors for Don to use his medical skills in order to share the love of Christ with many of the poor living in Cambodia. For example, when trying to rent a place to host the literacy class, Don was able to treat the landlady’s diabetes. While visiting a widow, Don was able to give some formula milk to the baby who was quite malnourished. A Khmer neighbor who is also a teacher has been meeting with Don to help Don to read Khmer. They have been reading through the New Testament together. Just this week, his daughter had an infectious rash on the face and Don was able to care for her. Don has further used his medical skills to build relationship with the men by treating their bronchits as so many of them are heavy smokers.

Don is also acquainted with a Khmer doctor at the local hospital and he occasionally is called when a Vietnamese patient is admitted so Don can follow up with the patient in his home. A couple weeks ago, a Vietnamese patient was referred to Don after being discharged from the hospital with HIV and tuberculosis. When Don visited this lady in her home, he was able to give medical advice and also share the gospel with her. She is now attending our small group Sunday worship. In addition, there is a clinic in Kampong Cham provided by medical workers from Vietnam. Don has been able to build relationship with the Vietnamese doctors at this clinic and has referred some patients to this clinic.

These are just some of the ways God has used Don’s medical skills to be a blessing and to open doors for Don to share Jesus love in a practical way. Since he is not working in a clinic every day, he has time to visit with people in their homes and build relationship with the whole family.

The Greatest Story Ever Told

2009-11-07T09:21:00.013+07:00

Who doesn’t like a good story? Story-telling is very much a part of the Cambodian culture. Many historical stories have been passed down from one generation to the next simply by re-telling it. For the Vietnamese in Cambodia, there are very uneducated so very few can read neither Khmer nor Vietnamese. For those who can read Vietnamese, comprehension skills are still very low. Therefore many missionaries are using story-telling to explain about God and to introduce Jesus to those who have not yet heard.

As Don and Mr. Minh have been visiting people in their homes, they have been able to share Bible stories with the Vietnamese community over the past 3 months. Starting with Genesis, they explain how God created the world and everything in it. For many of them it is their first time hearing the creation story and how sin entered the world. It is not hard for the people to see that much of the trouble in their society is due to man's problems such as drinking, gambling and stealing . Although the majority of the Vietnamese are Buddhist, they always welcome us "the story-tellers" and listen quite politely. Some have asked for further visual and audio resources such as CDs and VCDs. A few others have accepted the invitation to study more of what the Bible has to say.

Jesus did not call the learned and the educated to walk beside Him and learn how to share the Good News with those who had not yet heard, but He called regular, ordinary men. Many of the Vietnamese in Cambodia are fishermen. Hearing about stories of Jesus calling fishermen to be His disciples, it is a pleasant surprise to them !

Just this week, Tabitha was reading about Jesus encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well with her language tutor and another unbeliever woman. The parallel of the Samaritans who were disliked by the Israelites to the the Vietnamese who are also disliked by their Khmer neighbors helped them to appreciate God's love for all people.

Please pray for the seeds of the gospel to spread and the hearts of the people to be opened to the truth. May the Lord use His Word to draw many to Himself and may the wonderful stories in the Bible enlighten sinners to repent and receive Christ so they too can worship God today and forever in heaven !

Divine Appointments

2009-10-08T20:51:00.012+07:00

Don visits with the Vietnamese people everyday and trusts the Holy Spirit to guide him to talk with the right people. While visiting the Vietnamese on the water, it can be kind of tricky with the water being so high during the rainy season. As you can see from the picture, the water has risen to almost the level of the road. So the people have to put out long walking boards to reach from their house to the road to come on land. Please pray for safety as the water is quite high this year.

Just this week while visiting a man who is very ill with liver disease, Don and Mr. Minh were able to share the gospel with 5 neighbors who came to see him. Praise God that the sick man accepted Christ and he has been a testimony to his family and friends.

Another divine appointment, Don and Tabitha came into contact with a young Vietnamese girl who recently moved to Kampong Cham and is a young believer. This young lady has been very openned to discipleship and it turns out that she also able to help Tabitha with Vietnamese language 3 afternoons a week. We praise God for he is good to everyone!!

Here is another divine appointment that is not so obvious initially. While living in Cambodia we make relationships with various sellers as we go about and do some of our daily tasks. We desire to buy from the same sellers in order to build relationships with the hope of sharing the gospel. Since arriving in Kampong Cham, we found a fruit seller to buy our fruit regularly. The husband and wife team are very friendly and they sell very good quality fruit. After shopping there for about 6 months, one day we happen to meet their son who just came back from studying in Vietnam. He was talking Vietnamese to his parents and Don started to join in. They all looked shocked as we previously always conversed with them in Khmer. This whole family is actually Vietnamese so now when we shop we always talk in Vietnamese. We have built a relationship with them and hope to have an opportunity to share some tracts and DVDs about Jesus with them. Please pray for this relationship and that their hearts would be opened to learning more about Jesus.

The Day in the Life of our Missionary Family

2009-09-21T16:22:00.012+07:00

Have you ever wondered what it must be like for a missionary family living overseas? We want to help you get a glimpse in our world and describe one of our typical days. Most of our household is up by 6:30 am. Don and Tabitha wake up before the children at 6 am to have a quiet time with the Lord and a time of individual and/or couple prayer. At about 7am our house helper arrives and Don and Tabitha go for a daily morning exercise walk near our house. We enjoy this time to talk about the day’s activities and share about our plans.

Every morning Tabitha prepares breakfast and we eat breakfast as a family around 8am and then the girls head upstairs to get ready for school. Home-school starts with Bible devotions at 8:30 am and school finishes up around 12:15 pm. Abigail and Kayla (Grades 5 and 4) share a lot of subjects and most days they enjoy studying together. Maria is in Grade 1 and joins us for our read-a-loud times and craft times. Thankfully once done school, our house-helper has prepared lunch for the family.

After breakfast, Don will sometimes catch up on e-mails and further continue in Bible study. Every morning, he meets Mr. Minh at the school to encourage him and when the class is ended, he meets with Mr. Minh for prayer and Bible study several times per week. After class Don and Mr. Minh also visit Vietnamese families living on the water. Usually one of the students will take Don and the teacher to visit their family. Don and Mr. Minh together share testimonies and Bible stories beginning with Genesis.

Our family meets together again for lunch. Every afternoon is play time for the girls, but they also have one hour of practicing piano and homework everyday. Twice per week, the girls study Khmer between 5 and 6pm. During the afternoons, Don tutors Tabitha for one hour and later she does her best to study Vietnamese for 2 hours every day. She joins Don at the school three afternoons per week to help teach songs and practice language with the students. Don tries to visit one more family every afternoon with Mr. Minh.

After study time, Tabitha prepares an American meal for the family and several times per week we enjoy a family bike ride around the country side near our house. We eat our supper at 6pm and then it is time for showers and getting ready for bed. The girls enjoy sharing a room and read quietly every evening for about 1 hour. After kitchen clean-up, Tabitha and Don may catch up on e-mails, play a game or watch a video to relax.

Introducing "THE SCHOOL OF TRUTH"

2009-09-06T16:24:00.005+07:00

Thanks for praying for our Vietnamese Learning Center! The Lord has been good to us. We have over 50 children registered. About 25 meet in the morning and 25 meet in the afternoon. Mr. Minh is teaching 2 classes every day plus he has started to teach 5 adults in the evenings. We are already out-growing our current classroom! WOW! This was unexpected, but we praise the Lord for these kinds of surprises. It has been a joy to see Mr. Minh interaction with the kids in such a loving, fatherly way. This is very unlike the classroom situation in most of Cambodia. Most teachers receive a very low salary so they do not always show up to teach. Furthermore, some of the Vietnamese students have stopped attending Khmer school because the teacher hits them too much. Please pray our little class would be a light and a beacon in this community and that we would have many opportunities to share Jesus’ love with the children.

Over the past 3 weeks, Don has helped Mr. Minh gathering materials and setting up a teaching schedule. As Mr. Minh is now completely in charge of the teaching, Don is free to visit with the families of the children in their homes with the hope of sharing the gospel with them. This past week, Don had an opportunity to share about God’s love with one family. Please pray for opportunity to return with a follow-up visit and giving of the Jesus DVD to this family. They were quite receptive in hearing about God and His Love and said they would watch the video of Jesus.

Tabitha also goes to the class three times a week to interact with the kids and practice speaking Vietnamese. The students and Tabitha have been memorizing John 3:16 and the Lord’s Prayer. Along with learning to read and write Vietnamese, the children are taught bible stories starting from the beginning with the Creation Story. Don and Tabitha have been teaching the kids some Vietnamese praise songs . They like it when we add actions to the songs. It is awesome to see that "From the lips of children He has ordained praise." (Psalm 8:2)

The Missionary Experience from Two Points of View

2009-08-21T19:39:00.003+07:00

Have you ever thought what it would be like to live in a different country? Life as a missionary is exciting and also has its challenges. Living overseas means you will likely have to learn another language and have to live far away from family and friends. Amy Uecker has just arrived on the field and it is an exciting time. She is 28 years old and has a bible degree and is a licensed practical nurse as well. Some have a strong desire to serve God cross-culturally from a very young age. After reading another missionary’s story serving in Cambodia, Amy knew she wanted to go to Cambodia some day. After hard work and perseverance, a supportive church and family and ten years later, she has finally see her dream become a reality. Living in Cambodia, Amy wants to serve among the Vietnamese people group, thus meaning she has 2 languages to master. The verse, I can do all things through Christ, is a great encouragement!! She will begin to make friends, learn the language, shop in an outdoor market, eat strange and interesting food, worship regularly in a foreign tongue and ride her bicycle to get around town. The first year is full of knew sights, smells and emotions. Please pray for Amy as she transitions to life in Cambodia!!

Being a missionary kid is a lot of fun, but also has its challenges too. Maria was 4 when she left her home country. She remembers her house there and misses life in America. Learning to play with other kids who do not speak your first language is frustrating some times. Having people pinch your cheeks because you’re so darn cute is not fun after 1 ½ years of it! With a lot of encouragement, Maria agreed to join her sisters for Khmer language study and the other day a light bulb went off and she said, “Mommy Monday is Chan in Khmer. It’s the same day, just a different word!!” She was thrilled to finally get it and sang the word over and over again. Maria asks questions like, Do my friends at church remember me?” Learning to share your bike with the neighbor kids who have so little is a really big deal to a 4 year old! We have watched Maria grow over the past 2 years and she has just turned 6 ! She has learned to appreciate life in Cambodia. She loves the fresh fruit (still doesn’t like her vegetables) and she enjoys playing outside everyday because it is always nice and warm. She is also enjoying having a pet dog and riding in the car not having to wear a booster seat! In the last few months Maria learned to swim, ride a two-wheeler and read short books. It is so important to be making fun memories here in Cambodia! We still talk about life in America and she is really looking forward to returning next year for a few months!

Planes, Overnight Bus and Taxis Galore!

2009-07-29T19:53:00.009+07:00

Thank you for all who were praying for our time in Vietnam. We had a very fruitful and yet some restful time as well. We were able to meet with Don's cousin, his aunt and 92 year old great aunt. Don has not met up with his relatives for more than 30 years so it was a really sweet reunion! We were happy to meet some of our Lancaster friends who are currently living in Ho Chi Minh. We once had a bible study with them so we worshipped together and it was so encouraging to our souls. We also had fun at the waterpark and the zoo. After our time in HCM, our family was blessed to have 5 restful days at the Nha Trang beach. It was refreshing to be so near the ocean. We were surrounded by magnificent mountains and all of God's creation. The girls loved swimming in the ocean and Abigail and Kayla learned to snorkel a little. Maria learned to swim without using her life jacket as well. Don enjoyed eating fresh seafood everyday and Tabitha enjoyed the break reading leisure books by the poolside! Later on our return trip to HCM we were able to purchase needed supplies for our ministry: books, bibles, music CDs and Christian DVDs. We thank God for all the safety in our travels as we travelled by bus, many taxis, and airplane. We even tried out a night sleeping bus equipped with beds. The girls loved this adventure, but a little claustrophic and bumpy for mom and dad. While in Vietnam, Tabitha was able to practice talking Vietnamese and listening to a lot of conversations too. Don had the added blessing to witness to several taxi drivers as well. We were so grateful for safety in all our travels, good connections and fun family memories made. Thanks for praying!

GIVING IN JESUS NAME

2009-06-30T13:41:00.006+07:00

What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has not deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action is dead (James 2:14-17).

This past week we had the privilege of visiting 2 Vietnamese villages. Now that the rainy season has begun, the Vietnamese are no longer permitted to fish as the fish have begun to lay their eggs. Many are not working and have little money for food during the next 3 months. Thank you to all who have given fund towards helping the Vietnamese in Cambodia. We were able to share some rice with the poor Vietnamese villages and help them in their time of need. Many were very grateful and were glad that they have not been forgotten. The local Vietnamese village leaders helped us in distributing the rice and it proved to be very helpful as they understand their communities better and know who are very needy. Afterwards we were able to visit with several families and share the love of Jesus with them. We are praying about opportunities to visit many more families in the days ahead and that many will be opened to hear the Gospel.

TRUTH ENCOUNTER

2009-06-08T20:02:00.002+07:00

Mr. Chung: I have lived in Cambodia for more than 30 years and I am Vietnamese Buddhist. I have a small recycling business and my son also sells DVDs to help support our family. Five years ago I had to have an operation where I lost one of my legs due to an infection. During my stay at the hospital, a Christian doctor shared with me about Jesus. After that I have met with a Vietnamese pastor from Phnom Penh on occasion and he has shared with me some Christian books and CDs. About 5 months ago a Vietnamese American missionary and his family moved to Kampong Cham and has been meeting with me once a week to discuss more about Jesus. I understand that there cannot be more than one way to heaven, but the TRUTH only reveals one way. I want to make a decision for truth, but I know if I decide to follow Jesus that I must forsake my idols and this will be hard to do as my family have been following Buddha for a very long time. I continue to read the Bible and meet with my missionary friend on a weekly basis to talk about following Jesus. He has encouraged me to place my hope and trust in Jesus and I replied that “as a tree already bends to one side it will eventually fall to that direction. ” In my heart I believe that Jesus is the TRUTH but I want to prepare the way for my family and my friends as I desire us all to believe together.
Two weeks ago my first grand-daughter was born. This is a very significant time for my family and we will celebrate her one month birthday soon. I desire blessing for my family as well as my Vietnamese community in Kampong Cham city. I am thankful that God continues to reveal to me more about myself and more TRUTH about His Son Jesus!!

PRAYER WALK

2009-05-23T15:30:00.008+07:00

Over the past 3 months we have enjoyed weekly prayer walks with a local Khmer Church. In small groups of 2-3 people, we attempt to cover the city of Kampong Cham with prayer. We believe in the power of prayer and that the stronghold of Satan will not be broken and the gospel will not be received without PRAYER!! With less than 1% of Christians in Cambodia, we desire to lift the name of Jesus on high. As we walk past schools, government buildings, hospitals, hotels and homes, we pray that God would pour out His blessings and open hearts to the gospel.
As we have pass by the cell-phone towers, we praise God who is our great tower and refuge of strength.
As we pass by the large banks, we pray against corruption and that the rich would put their trust in God alone.
As we pass by the government buildings, we pray for God to raise up Christians to positions of power in Cambodia.
As we pass the Vietnamese floating village, we pray for the Spirit to soften hearts and provide an openness among the people to receive the Gospel message.
As we pass by so many poor homes, we pray for God to provide for their many needs and open up ways for Christian workers to show the love of Jesus.

On some walks we have met up with other Christians and have been able to encourage them in their faith by praying for them. On other walks we have had the opportunity to witness and share our faith with those who have asked questions or wanted to practice their English.

MILESTONE MIRACLES

2009-05-04T21:00:00.015+07:00

On Sunday, May 3rd the first Vietnamese believer in Kampong Cham city, Mr. Minh, was baptized and publicly identified himself with Christ.

One week before we were not sure if we would have a place to gather, as the lady who had originally agreed to rent a room to us changed her mind. After we visited with her and found out she is suffering with diabetes, Don offered to treat her. Her heart was immediately softened and the next day she agreed to rent to us and even lowered the rent!! Only just the day before the baptism, the previous tenants showed up and removed all of their belongings. With the help of another young Vietnamese boy, Don was able to tear down a wall to make room for the gathering!! Many curious children came to check out what we were doing and to help clean up the place. After some scrubbing, sweeping, hanging a curtain and bringing in some tables, the room was prepared.

On the day of the baptism, about 20 children showed up bright and early and were eager to find out what was going on. Mr. Minh invited his friends to attend the baptism and some Vietnamese leaders also came. In the small room mentioned above, we worshiped with praise songs, read the Scriptures and heard a baptisimal message by Don. After that, Mr. Minh shared his testimony stating that he had accepted Jesus as his Savior and wants to live a new life in Christ. Then everyone took a short walk to the Mekong River and sat on the rocks while Mr. Minh was baptized by Don. The children were ready to jump in and have a swim, but were reminded of this special Christian ceremony. Praise God for this milestone reached in Kampong Cham for God’s glory.

In July, we are preparing the rented room above to teach the Vietnamese to learn to read and write since many of them are illiterate. This will open up many opportunities for evangelism to both children and adults. Moreover, we will use it once a month to have a seeker service for the Vietnamese community as it is ideally located near to the water where most of them live. We anticipate the Lord to do great things in the days ahead.

ONE FACE IN A CROWD

2009-04-06T13:50:00.003+07:00

Sometimes as we pass along the streets of Cambodia and see the many faces, we can see the many needs. We want to bring you up close to some of these faces who have become good friends to us and we ask that you join us in praying for them.

Mr. Minh: I am an ice cream man and I push around a cart filled with my home-made ice cream. Everyday I wait outside the school to try to sell my ice cream to the students. On a very good day I can make $10. I have not always been an ice cream man. I once was a soldier and later became a lieutenant. I have one son who is studying to be a lawyer and I try to work hard so I can help support him. I am Vietnamese, but I have lived in Cambodia for more than 20 years. I can speak Khmer, but I do not know how to read and write. I am not a Buddhist but I am a Catholic. Until recently I did not understand about the gift of salvation through Christ, but I met a missionary who explained to me that Christ died for me so I might have forgiveness of my sins and go to heaven. I have been meeting with this missionary and I am growing in my faith through bible study and prayer. I will be baptized on April 19th.

Panh Nha: I am 21 years old and I am currently a dentist student studying in Phnom Penh. I became a Christian when I was about 10 years old. My mother and brothers are also Christians. One year ago, my father left my mother for another woman and this has made it very difficult for my mother to support us children. Right now I live at a Korean student house with 6 other Khmer University students. Last year I met a missionary family with 3 beautiful daughters and I started to help the couple with Khmer language study while they helped me with English. We became good friends and they have encouraged me in my faith with God. I miss them as they have moved away to Kampong Cham, but we still keep in touch. Recently I have become involved with Campus Crusade for Christ and I am learning how to witness and share my faith with other University students on campus. Last week one girl I shared with said she would like to accept Jesus into her life. I thank God for an opportunity to go through dental school this year but I am not sure what the future holds for me next year since my family is very poor. Still, I thank God for all his many blessings in my life and I pray that God can use me as a dentist in the future to help the many poor people living in Cambodia.

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS

2009-03-16T20:29:00.001+07:00

Praise: Don had good meetings with World Team leadership 2 weeks ago in Siem Riep. He was able to also connect with other field workers in other Asian fields such as Taiwan and the Philippines. Thanks for also praying for Tabitha and the girls as they were home alone. There were no accidents and overall a lot of contentment.

Survey Update: Don continues to meet with people everyday. Please pray for the Lord’s leading in these meetings. On March 6th, our family had the opportunity to attend a wedding in another Vietnamese village ( second one so far). The village is about 45 minutes from Kampong Cham. This is the second time Don came to the village and there is openness to the Gospel.
Please pray for Mr. Chung, as Don has been meeting with him every week for the past 6 weeks here in Kampong Cham city. He is a key leader in the Vietnamese community here and has heard the gospel and continues to be opened to learn more about Jesus but has yet to make any commitment. He is coming close but we believe that persistent prayer and intercession for him is key for him to yield to Jesus.
Survey for ways to reach the Vietnamese ministry continues and this week Don is checking into HIV-AIDS patient visiting ministry at the provincial hospital in Kampong Cham. There are Vietnamese patients from all over the province admitted there.

Language Update: Tabitha continues to study Vietnamese and meets with a tutor 3 times per week. Please pray for her tone to improve and opportunity to practice language and the courage to speak it! Please also pray as she still needs to use Khmer to speak with neighbors and house helper everyday. The girls also continue to study Khmer twice a week and seem to enjoy it very much.

Refresh Weekend: This weekend (March 20-23) our family will travel to Siem Riep for a time of rest and relaxation. Please pray for travel safety as we travel by bus from Kampong Cham.

MOVED FROM PHNOM PENH TO KAMPONG CHAM

2009-02-07T14:00:00.001+07:00

We had a very successful move to Kampong Cham on January 6th. God has provided a wonderful new home for our family with a large yard for the girls to play in. Our house is very comfortable and spacious with a school room and family room on the top floor. Our landlords came to help us install our appliances for the first 2 days!! They were very caring and they wanted to make us feel welcome and comfortable in our new home.

The very first day Khmer friends came to play with our girls and they have been coming to play in our yard everyday after school since then. The neighborhood children are very sweet and our girls are all enjoying time with their new friends. All of our new friends are Buddhist so we are praying for opportunity to share the love of Jesus with them.

Everyone is feeling healthy. The girls have really enjoyed playing outside everyday in our big yard. They are riding their bikes, playing ball and badminton almost every day. Tabitha and Kayla’s allergies have improved significantly. Kayla is weaning off her allergy medication and Tabitha has stopped taking medicine altogether!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2008-12-27T11:46:00.001+07:00

The angels reassured the very frightened shepherds at the time of Jesus birth, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11). The wonderful story of Christmas is indeed for all people. This past year, we have studied Khmer language diligently, in order to be able to share about God’s love to the Khmer people. Today we had the privilege of worshipping and celebrating Christ’s birth with our Khmer brothers and sisters! One year ago we could understand so little, but today we were encouraged by the message shared in Khmer and rejoiced with everyone in this wonderful celebration. What a blessing that we now be able to sing Khmer Christmas carols such as Joy to the World and Silent night. It was a joy to see Khmer dancing and to hear traditional singing about the Christmas story. Praise God for good progress in language and for relationships built this past year.

Hope for Buddhists

2008-12-08T18:53:00.003+07:00

We thank God for the progress in the Khmer language. We reflected back that when we first arrived all we could say was “hello” and we could not communicate with our Khmer house helper. Now praise God we are able to communicate with our current Khmer house helper and even encourage her in the Lord!!

This past week we have been learning about different Buddhist celebrations. It is important for us to understand the culture of the people here as it is so intertwined with their daily lives. In order to share the good news of salvation in Christ alone, we need to first understand where they are coming from and why they might believe what they believe. Have you ever asked yourself why do you do the things you do? Why do you celebrate a certain day? What makes it special? For a Buddhist to earn merit, they must honor the dead by bringing food to their dead ancestors. We have heard many times a parent will give permission for their child to follow Jesus, but they will continue to follow Buddha so someone can help the ancestors. May God open their eyes to see we have merit alone in what Jesus has accomplished at the cross.

Our First Family Road Trip to the Province

2008-10-19T14:45:00.002+07:00

God has surely heard your prayers as we have traveled to Kratie. As many of you are aware traveling in a foreign country is never easy, but we are so happy to report that we had no car problems or road difficulties while traveling to the province. We even ventured on a short cut which turned out to be a very bumpy ride for about 20 km. It really was a great family road trip and we know so many of you were praying!! Our family had a wonderful time getting out of the busy city of Phnom Penh and enjoyed the change of scenery as well as the fresher air. Thank God that there were not too many mosquitoes! Thanks for praying for the girls too. We were able to do some home-schooling while we were there and some fun dancing around the hotel room as well. They all said it would be great to live somewhere in the province!

While in Kratie, we found out that many of Vietnamese living there are referred to as Kampuchea Krom which means that they have Cambodian origin. Their native language is Khmer but they know Vietnamese. However, they are discriminated by both countries in some ways: in Vietnam they are considered as Cambodians and in Cambodia they are considered as Vietnamese. They are treated as though they do not belong to either country!!

On the way to Kratie, we were also able to stop at another town, named Kampung Cham about 2 hours north of Phnom Penh, and stayed there for one day. There are a good number of Vietnamese in this town as well. By divine appointment we met a Vietnamese man who told us a little about the Vietnamese in the area. He took us to see a Vietnamese coffee shop and we saw many of the men hanging out there. However, most of them are fishermen and live along the river which runs through the town.

BIG FAITH for OUR BIG GOD

2008-09-07T15:06:00.002+07:00

Thank you for remembering to pray for our training time this past 2 weeks. In 1 Samuel 14, Jonathan bravely faces the enemy with only his armor-bearer despite the fact that they were outnumbered and surrounded!! It is the hope of this program to raise up many Jonathans: men and women of faith who are willing to bring the gospel to the unreached and to be diligent and strategic in their efforts.

One of the emphasis of the training is to always keep in mind that everything we do in church planting must be reproducible by the nationals in order for a church planting movement to occur. We are reminded as church-planters that we must commit ourselves to TRAIN nationals to catch the vision of sharing Christ and training others (2 Tim. 2:2).

We were also encouraged to PRAY for our people group. Thank you for your faithful prayers. We appreciate all of you. Thank God we have over 600 people praying for us and 9 churches!! It is our prayer that we could have 1000 prayer partners for our ministry to the Vietnamese.

We have a large task before us and at times it seems impossible and over-whelming, but we serve a GREAT God who is more than able. Many times we forget that “our resources are in the HARVEST and that God is Jehovah Jirah, our great provider!! It was a great time of learning for us as we participated in this course along with many experienced missionaries who have been serving in Cambodia for 10 years and more.

Showing Jesus Love

2008-08-12T20:46:00.002+07:00

“Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness (Matt. 9: 35). It is our prayer that we will be able to teach the good news and through medicine also heal all kinds of diseases. In order to teach well, we need LANGUAGE!! Please do not forget to pray for our Khmer language study. This week we were able to share our testimony (story) with one of our Khmer friends. Praise the Lord for all His faithfulness in helping us study the language.
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matt. 9:36). Please pray we would see the people of Cambodia and be filled with compassion as many are truly without hope. Please continue to pray for our relationships with nationals here that our family would be a light and a testimony of God’s love!! It is easy to grow calloused when surrounded by so much poverty. Please pray we would see the people with God’s eyes and be moved with compassion to serve them and share the love of Jesus.

Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” (Matt. 9:37). Please pray for one of our future teammates, Amy Uecker. She is currently in the United States and is speaking to churches and individuals about her desire to come to minister in Cambodia. She is raising funds and hopes to arrive in Cambodia sometime at the end of this year or early next year. She is also with World Team and has a burden to bring the hope of Christ to the many Vietnamese living here.

An Unforgettable Trip to Siem Riep

2008-07-19T16:03:00.003+07:00

Our home church, Calvary Church, in Lancaster, PA sent a short-term team to Cambodia to help with teaching English. Our family had the wonderful opportunity to travel with the team to visit Siem Riep and the famous Ankgor Wat Temple. After traveling about 8 hours in a rented van, we finally arrived at about 5pm. We enjoyed a dinner with the team and got to know each other a little bit better. After a good night sleep in a hotel, we spent the next day walking and visiting the many ancient temples. Some of them are dated back to the 1200's. There are also some temples which have broken down over the years and trees such as the one shown in the picture has grown on top of the temple. These giant trees are such rarities and they are about 300 years old. It is interesting to encounter the ancient temples but we can't help but to think that our God is called the Ancient One. He is older than anything we know and he is the Alpha and Omega!!
After a hot day of walking and touring, we enjoyed a cool swim in the hotel’s pool. The next day we were on the road again. After traveling about 3 hours we stopped for lunch and the van also stopped working!!! The driver decided he could not get the van repaired in a timely manner, so he hired another van and driver to take us back to Phnom Penh. We finally made it back home at 7pm. It was a long travel day, but the girls did very well and it was great time had by all. Praise the Lord.

Birthdays and New Friends

2008-06-08T19:10:00.003+07:00

We celebrated Kayla’s 7th birthday this past week and she learned to ride a two-wheel bike without her training wheels. Our little girls are growing up!! We enjoyed a lunch out, our first burger and fries in Cambodia at “The Lucky Burger.” This is very close to the McDonald’s chain in America. Afterwards we enjoyed the afternoon at the pool. To our surprise 2 other World Team families had decided on the pool that day, so Kayla had fun swimming and playing with her friends. Afterwards we enjoyed a meal at home with cake and ice cream. Thank you for remembering to pray for our girls. They have adjusted really well and seem to enjoy living in Cambodia. Please continue to pray for our girls as we make this our new home and we build happy memories for them!!

We have had the blessing to get to know a young Cambodian Christian medical student. She lives at a youth type hostel with a Korean missionary family and lives just across the road. We have been meeting with her about 3 days a week to practice our Khmer language. She is also learning English so we make a good team! She has really helped us to learn to speak Khmer “the way they really say something” as oppose to the way we learn it from a book. We hope to take a trip to her home village at the end of the summer to meet her mother. We have also been meeting weekly with our house helpers for Bible Study. Please pray about our relationships with these nationals and that we would be a godly example of a Christian family.

FROM WATER FILTER TO LIVING WATER

2008-05-10T09:04:00.002+07:00

We have a wonderful opportunity to share a love gift in the name of Jesus with some of the poor Vietnamese living in Cambodia. We were given a monetary gift from a believer while we were visiting Vietnam last month, asking us to help some poor people . Don and I travelled to a remote area along with some friends to visit some Vietnamese families who are living on a floating village about 3 hours northwest of Phnom Penh. We gave out water filters to approximately 30 families. Many of these families have little or no access to clean drinking water, so we pray these will be a blessing. We spent time showing them how it works. We asked each family if we could pray, and they gave us permission so we prayed in Jesus name they would receive his life-giving water for their eternal souls.

HAPPY NEW YEAR...AGAIN?

2008-04-20T15:17:00.004+07:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Again? Yes, we are blessed to celebrate New Years 3 times a year while living in Cambodia. We celebrated on December 31st as part of our American heritage and later in February we celebrated Tet (Chinese New Years) with the Vietnamese local church in Cambodia. Cambodians celebrate New Years every year for 3 days during the month of April. We returned from Vietnam to enjoy some of the local celebrations in Phnom Penh.

The girls did very well on the many bus rides to Vietnam and not one was nauseous even though the roads were very windy and had lots of hills...Thanks for praying! Praise the Lord for His faithfulness. While in HCM City, the girls enjoyed going to the water park, the zoo and to play at the park.

While in Vietnam, we had a wonderful time of connecting with other believers and pastors. We also had the privilege of attending the Easter celebration in Ho Chi Minh City. Hundreds came out to hear praise and worship to Jesus and there were over 400 new believers! Praise His glorious name!

While in Da Lat, We met up with friends and enjoyed visiting the former King’s palace, walking in beautiful gardens and taking a horse and carriage ride. The cool weather was a real welcome. We even had to purchase spring jackets while there, as the evenings were a bit “chilly.” We got a great deal at $2 per jacket. We also enjoyed eating strawberries for the first time since leaving Lancaster...an extra special treat!

After traveling for 10 days, it was very good to finally be HOME. Praise the Lord, even though we have only been living in Cambodia for 4 ½ months, it really felt like we were coming home. Home is now always the coolest or even the prettiest, but we are learning that home is when you are resting in the complete peace and comfort of God’s will.

Road Paving & Allergy Update

2008-04-02T10:19:00.000+07:00

This week they started to pave the road outside our house!! This is a big praise as this will cut down the dust into our house considerably. Thanks for praying for Kayla’s allergies. We wanted to let you know that God has really answered your prayers!! We have reduced her medication to every 3 days and she is almost symptom free. For the first 3 months, she had an allergy attack almost every day!!! We thank God for His healing power and let us exalt His name together!!!!

Language Study Is Coming Along Well!

2008-04-01T10:17:00.000+07:00

Many of you may be wondering what it is like to study another language. It is challenging and very much like hiking a big mountain. If you keep looking on how far it is to the top when you have just begun, it can be very discouraging. But when you look back and see how far you have come, it is truly encouraging. When we first came, all we could say was hello. Now we are able to talk with Khmer people and share a little about our family and why we have come to Cambodia. For example I (Tabitha) can say:

"My family is from America. My husband is a doctor and I teach my children at home. I have three daughters ages 8, 6 and 4. We have been living in Phnom Penh for 4 months already. I have been studying Khmer for 2 months and I like living here. I enjoy eating Khmer food and buying food at the market. I am learning to speak, read and write Khmer so that I can tell Khmer people about God."

Hot Weather & A Family Day

2008-03-26T09:53:00.000+07:00

This past week, our house helper told has she "has baby". Because she is so sick, she is not able to work for us anymore. The Lord has miraculously provided a helper the very next day. A lady from the VN church was looking for work and called us the very next day!! She is a very hard worker, a great cook (Vietnamese food, YUM, YUM!!!) and she loves our girls. We feel so blessed as the Lord has so richly provided for our needs!!!

Things are heating up here, this week we will have high of 104 degrees F (40 C)!! This past weekend we had a family day today. There is a mall nearby that has a nice indoor playground and has soft ice cream there. The girls enjoy this simple treat!! It only costs about one quarter to play on the playground and about 50cents for the ice cream cone!!

Many of our team-mates and their families are sick this week. Would you pray for healing and restoration? Please continue to pray for spiritual protection for all our teams and families here in Cambodia. As we celebrate Easter this week, let us remember that Jesus has already won the victory at Calvary and we serve a RISEN Savior!! "Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, Because HE lives all FEAR is GONE!!!! "

Thank you for all your love and encouragement this past week!!!

Everyone's Feeling Better - Yay!

2008-03-21T09:52:00.000+07:00

Thank you for your prayers for our family this past week. We so appreciated all your prayers and notes of encouragments!! Thank the Lord that we have had a healthy week and God has healed all that were sick. Kayla also has had a great week with her allergies and has needed no medicine. We felt the Lord's encouragement tremendously in the past week and we also felt the assurance of His will for us to serve Him in Cambodia . We know God has answered because of your prayers. THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts.

Language study continues to go well. We are able to say more complex things like:
"This week our family is not sick, thank God!! I cannot go to school today, but I will go to school tomorrow. My teacher comes to my house to teach me Khmer every day!! "Praise the Lord with our progress and strength and health to continue!!!

What To Do When Everyone Is Sick In The House...

2008-03-16T09:50:00.000+07:00

We spent time meditating on 2 Cor. 12: 9-10 where Paul pleads with the Lord to take away the thorn in his side. Do you currently have a thorn in your side? Although God was very capable to take away Paul’s thorn, He replied, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” How do you respond when God doesn’t take away your thorn? It is humbly to read Paul’s response: “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” I don’t know about you, but earlier this week, I WAS NOT delighting in all members of my family being sick!! We were gently reminded through the Word that it is when we are weak that Christ’s power rests on us. We are certainly very weak ministering here in Cambodia and we need the Lord’s strength and wisdom to minister in this land. Please continue to pray for our health and that we would not grow weary!! Thank you all. We have enjoyed hearing from you and we do pray for the Lord to strengthen you and we trust that His grace is also sufficient for you!!!!

Language Study Update

2008-03-11T09:48:00.000+07:00

Thank you for remembering our Khmer language study. We have graduated from Kindergarten and have started Grade One!!! This means we have learned the 33 consonant sounds and 37 vowel sounds!!! Although we will not say we have mastered them, we have covered the sounds initially and most of the time we can say them correctly. The tricky part is remembering the symbols to go with the sound!!! We are learning to ask practical questions like: What is your name, where do you come from, where do you work and how old are you? In Cambodian culture when you ask what your name is, it is equally important to ask what your last name is because ties to the family is very important. Most Cambodians also want to know how many brothers and sisters a person has as well. We thank God for all that we are learning. Please pray for stamina and perseverance!!!!

Medical Clinic Update

2008-03-09T10:40:00.000+07:00

Thanks for remembering the medical clinic this past week. The team saw 50-80 children every day. There were 2 clinics every day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. God provided a baby-sitter for the children so Tabitha was able to join the clinic for three days to help with some translation, as the team was short on translators. It brought back wonderful memories of our short-term trip to Panama in 2005!! God used this trip to show us God was calling our family to serve in long-term missions. It is hard to believe that we are now serving our Lord in Cambodia and were blessed to participate in another medical mission together!! We were able to visit a village 3 hours outside of Phnom Penh situated right along the Mekong River. Most of the villagers are very poor and rely on the fishing industry for their livelihood and most of the children have to get up very early in the morning (2-3 am) to help with the daily catch of fish.

After 4 days of clinic, Maria came down with a very high fever on Thursday and starting coughing a lot by Friday. Don went to help with the clinic on Friday, while I stayed home with Maria. On Saturday, Don woke up with low grade fever, body aches and a cough as well. Abigail also started with a fever. By Monday, Kayla had major allergies and joined the “sick party”. Unfortunately Don was not able to join the last 2 days of clinic since he was still fighting the virus. Praise the Lord, Tabitha remained healthy and God gave strength and grace to care for the family during this time of illness.

"Squiggly" Letters

2008-02-21T11:08:00.000+07:00

Thank you for your faithful prayers for our family. We appreciate all of you and we know we could not be here in Cambodia without you!

It is hard to believe we have been in Cambodia nearly four months.We have already completed 8 weeks of language study. We are blessed to have a private tutor come to our home everyday to help us in our language study. Thank you for remembering to pray for our language and culture learning!! Although we are far from mastering the 33 consonant sounds and 37 vowel sounds, we can now decipher the “squiggly” letters and sound words out with some accuracy. For most western learners, the Cambodian vowels provide the most challenge in pronunciation. We trust that our pronunciation will improve over time!!

We are glad we are also learning to spell words in Cambodian script, as this helps to clarify pronunciation, as many sounds are foreign to the English language. It has been encouraging to speak and have Cambodians understand us!! We are learning how to ask questions such as: how are you, how old are you, where are your parents from, and is this your daughter? Of course we are also learning valuable survival phrases such as: please repeat, I do not understand, what is that? For this coming year we will concentrate on language and culture learning and we will begin some preliminary research and survey in 2009!! Please pray for the Lord’s guidance!

Time Really Does Fly By...Even In Cambodia!

2008-02-18T10:39:00.000+07:00

Dear Praying Friends,

It is hard to believe it has been two weeks since we have written, but the time really does fly by in Cambodia!!! Thank you all for your faithful prayers these past weeks. God is answering your prayers!!! We have been meditating on Ephesians 4 this past week and Paul urges the Ephesians to “live a life of LOVE” and to “live as children of LIGHT.” Would you pray with us that we would live lives of love and to live as children of light in Cambodia!!!!

Thank you for praying for Kayla. We praise God that her ear is healed from infection. We are thinking that the ear infection was related to her allergies. Would you please pray that God would protect Kayla from sickness and grant us wisdom to figure exactly what she might be allergic to? We are confident that God is able to heal her!!!

Language study continues to go well for our family. Thank you for your prayers!! Don tries to study 6 hours per day while Tabitha studies about 4 hours per day. We continue to work hard on pronunciation and we are learning some phrases like: “I am studying Khmer,” “God bless you,” “Meet you tomorrow,” “I like to eat rice and fish,” and “Please cook fish today.” The girls are progressing in their studies at home with Mommy and they continue to enjoy their time at the Vietnamese school. Please pray we would be diligent and patient in our learning of language and culture!! We had the blessing of attending our current house helper’s wedding yesterday. It was an extra blessing to witness a Christian Khmer marriage!!! Although we did not understand a lot, we heard the Name of God mentioned over and over again! PTL!!!!

Next week, (Feb. 24-29) Don will participate in a short-term medical team coming from America to assist in giving physicals to over 500 Vietnamese school children in Phnom Penh. Please pray for the medical team who will travel this week in that they would have safe travels and good health as they come to minister. Don is the only medical doctor joining the team, so please pray for strength and health!!!

Thank you for your vital partnership with us. We feel you are all with us as we minister in the precious name of our Lord and Savior. We have appreciated hearing from so many of you personally. We have tried to respond to many of you, but please forgive us if we cannot respond to every e-mail personally. Please know we so appreciate all of you and our family cannot minister here in Cambodia without you!! May the Lord bless you all and keep you in His perfect peace!!!

"Let Us Not Become Weary..."

2008-02-02T10:37:00.000+07:00

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Gal 6:9 Thank you for prayers as we try to do good and not to give up. Juggling language with all the other tasks and challenges of life in Cambodia has proven to be quite demanding. But we thank God for grace and strength every day. Also we are thankful we have all enjoyed good health. Although Kayla has had an ear infection the last 2 weeks and is not responding to the medicine so please pray for complete healing.

We have now completed 2 weeks of language study and praise the Lord we have learned a lot already. We continue to practice the 33 consonant sounds and have added 11 vowels to our list. A lot of sounds are similar to the Vietnamese language so we thank God for some preparation!!! Thank you for praying for the girls’ language as well. They just had evaluations this past week at school and the teacher was shocked how well they did considering they knew hardly any Vietnamese when they arrived and they also started at the end of the fall semester. We can just give credit to God and thank you for your prayers. Maria is growing in her understanding of Khmer as she spends time with our Khmer house helper.

Thank you for praying about our house helper situation. Our new Khmer helper is really great. She is a believer and is a good cook and cleans very well. This is not something we take for granted, as many foreigners have to spend a lot of time training their house helpers to clean properly and cook the way they like. She will get married next month and has invited our family to the wedding!! We look forward to this cultural experience and celebrating with her.

We have opened up our home to the Vietnamese youth every Saturday for a time of worship and praise. Please pray for these relationships and our time with the youth. Our girls have really enjoyed this time to sing Vietnamese and spend time with the youth!! This coming week we will celebrate Chinese New Year with our Vietnamese brothers and sisters.

Many are curious of what our house looks like so we have attached a photo of our home in Phnom Penh. We are so thankful for your vital partnership with us and your faithful prayers!!! May the Lord bless you and keep you all in His perfect peace!!!!

In His Love,

Don and Tabitha

Prayers Answered Every Day

2008-01-21T10:34:00.000+07:00

Although we are missing the familiar of our home in America, God has been so gracious in supplying all that we need in abundance!!! We have been pleasantly surprised at many things: English speaking neighbor friends for the girls, language tutor coming to our home daily, a wonderful house helper, hot showers and not to forget to mention great tasting chocolate ice cream!!! On the other hand, life here as a missionary has many challenges as well, such as frequent power outages (and usually at the most inconvenient time!), lots of mosquitoes if you keep the screen door open by accident, major traffic jams when you really need to get some where in a hurry (we have learned it is best NOT to be in a hurry), things take a long time to get fixed when they break, and certainly not to forget to mention spiritual warfare. When we made the step of faith to move our family to Cambodia, knowing and trusting that this was God’s will for our family, there was still a lot of unknowns. But we were reminded from one of our partners this week that “You don’t need to see the way if you follow the One who is the Way.”

Thanks for continuing to pray for our family as we make adjustments to life in Cambodia. We thank the Lord for grace and that our transition to living here has been relatively smooth and we know this is because so many of you are praying. THANK YOU!!!!

GOD HAS ANSWERED YOUR PRAYERS!!!The Lord has provided us with a wonderful Khmer house helper for the next 2 ½ months. She has experience and came to us with a very good referral. This is a great opportunity for us to practice language as she speaks hardly any English!!! This past week we had some great language sessions. We learned the 33 consonant Khmer script, counting 1-100, about 25 vocabulary words and some important “survival phrases,” such as: hello, goodbye, see you tomorrow, please repeat, and how much is this. We are very blessed to have a market just down the road from our house, so we were able to practice some of our language over the weekend!! Thank you for praying for our language study!!!

New Friends, New Church, New Work

2008-01-19T11:01:00.000+07:00

We have begun studying Khmer with the help of a tutor in their home five days a week. We thank God for providing experienced tutors for us (please pray for these relationships). We remember sharing with many of you the challenge of the Khmer script. Lord willing at the end of this month, we will be able to decipher the squiggly lines and begin to interpret their meaning. Please pray for our language and culture study in that we would be great “learners” and diligent in our studies.

We have had the privilege to meet with many of our fellow World Team missionaries during this first month and other missionaries who serve the Vietnamese. We hope to learn from these experienced missionaries about the people, culture and church planting in Cambodia. Please pray for these relationships and for us to be humble learners and that we might gain some insight of our future ministry and where God might desire for us to serve.

We have been attending a local Vietnamese church on Sunday afternoons and we hope to soon start attending a Khmer church on Sunday mornings. Don will continue to build relationships with the national leaders and missionaries among the Vietnamese opportunity to make friends with Vietnamese children and immerse in the culture.

Maria is in kindergarten and learning to read and write with mommy. She is also learning some Vietnamese from our house helper. Don is handling all the main driving for our family and is getting used to locking the house using five locks every night and every time we leave the house. Tabitha gets lots of opportunities to practice her Vietnamese as well as making new friends. Our family is enjoying Cambodia and we thank the Lord for all His provision and guidance.

Annual Field Conference & House Help...

2008-01-13T10:32:00.000+07:00

Thank you for praying for our time at our annual field conference. This was our first trip outside of Phnom Penh and it was truly a beautiful drive. It was nice to get away from the busy life of the city. While at the beach, we had some relaxing time and a wonderful study in Exodus. Like Moses, we all have our times when we feel inadequate and insecure. When God called Moses to go back to Egypt to speak to Pharaoh, he did not take away his fear, inadequacy, or insecurity. He simply called Moses to TRUST God in his fear, inadequacy and insecurity. Likewise we need to TRUST God in these moments of struggles and not put our faith in our shifting doubts and emotions!!!

We found out this week, our house helper is planning to move back to Vietnam next month to be with her sick mother-in-law. She desires to care for her and to have opportunities to share the love of Jesus. Please pray for all these details and for her mother-in-law to be open to the gospel. Also please pray for her husband who is also an unbeliever. We are so thankful for Mrs. Phuong as she has helped our family so much in this first month of adjustments. Please pray for us to find another house helper of God’s choosing!!

The Lord Provides...

2008-01-11T11:00:00.000+07:00

We thank the Lord for providing us a comfortable 4 bedroom town house to live in only after being in Cambodia for one week!! We are finally settled after 6 months of living out of suitcases and it was a blessing to celebrate Christmas in our new home. God has blessed us with a wonderful Vietnamese house helper this past month to help with shopping, cooking, cleaning and laundry. Our family has adjusted well to the food and we eat Vietnamese food everyday for lunch and for supper. However, when the girls get a chance to eat spaghetti at another missionary’s house, they enjoy it thoroughly and eat a whole lot of it!!!!

I'll publish a photo of our home in an upcoming post.

Hello From Cambodia!

2008-01-02T10:58:00.000+07:00

We miss you all and we have enjoyed hearing from many of you since arriving in Cambodia. It is hard to believe our family has been in Cambodia for 6 weeks already. We praise God for a relatively smooth transition the first month and for good health for our family. Thank you all for your prayers and support!! November 18th was a special time for us as we were officially commissioned by our home church, Calvary Church. It was so encouraging for us to see so many of you and to say goodbye in person. We miss you all very much!!!

During the first month, our main job was to adjust to Phnom Penh and to set up our house. We thank God that He provided us with a car from another missionary to borrow and that Don was able to learn to drive in the crowded city in less than a week. Driving in Phnom Penh requires a lot of patience as there is so many vehicles and constant traffic jams. More patience is required for shopping as there are very few shopping centers. You have to go to a different store/ market for every item and then continue to bargain and haggle over the price you want to pay (or what you think it is worth). Needless to say setting up a house does take at least one month for every long-term missionary that arrives in Cambodia.