Cambodia Report 2014
Truth B-P Church Report of Missions Trip to Kampot, Cambodia (31 May to 7 June 2014) by Carol Lee It is with much joy and gratitude to our Lord for His manifold blessings that I write this report of my first missions trip to Cambodia. Although I have been invited by our three Cambodian preachers to visit them many times, this was the first time that Pr Sopheak, Principal of True Gospel Bible School (TGBS) in Kampot, invited me to minister to them: to conduct a 20-hour Daily Vacation Bible Course (DVBC) on “Youth Christian Education” at TGBS. And so, in obedience to our Lord’s Great Commission (Matt 28:19-20), I gladly accepted his invitation, thanking God for opening yet another door of ministry in the missions field for me (besides the one into Kenya). Sister Magdalene Kim and I left Singapore on Saturday (31 May). The following day, we worshipped at True Gospel BPC and, later that afternoon, visited their Sunday School outreach at Pom Grang which was attended by almost twenty children. From Monday (2 June) to Thursday (5 June), I conducted the DVBC, with five hours of lectures per day. The objective of the course was to introduce the participants to the area of ministering to young people in the local church. There was a total of sixteen participants, out of which eight were TGBS students. I thank God for their attentiveness and for the team of four faithful translators who laboured hard to orally translate my teaching into the Khmer language: Prs Sopheak, Liv Rotha, Thaven and Sister Leakena. On Friday (6 June), twelve participants sat for the two-hour exam (in English).
May our Lord be gracious to use these participants to build up the youth ministry in their own local churches. I thank God that in the course of the week I was able to get to know Brother Tan Bun Kouy (Pr Tann Heng’s brother), one of the course participants, who will be coming to Singapore this July to begin his FEBC studies. While Brother Bun Kouy’s FEBC studies will be supported by Bethel BPC, Melbourne, he will be worshipping with us in Truth BPC. Do pray for him as he prepares himself for his studies here. There were also opportunities to fellowship with the TGBS faculty members individually: Prs Sopheak (Principal), Liv Rotha, John Saray (who came from Sihanoukville to meet with us in Kampot), Sister Leakena, and the two matrons Thavy and Saron. Those were precious times of discussion about, and prayer for, their work for the Lord in Cambodia. Truly, we can “…consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works” (Heb 10:24). Amongst others, the following are three specific prayer requests from the following preachers: (a) Pr Sopheak: Funds needed to replace the engine of the tuktuk of the True Gospel BPC. the Faculty (b) Pr Liv Rotha: The three young people in True Faith BPC whose parents do With not allow them of to TGBS attend (all alumni of FEBC) Sunday Worship. (c) Pr Saray: The need for a full-time worker to assist him in Lively Hope BPC. Will you pray for them?
Immediately after the two-hour exam on Friday (6 June), and upon completion of the marking of the papers, I submitted the grade sheet to the Principal. Following lunch, we were “rewarded” with an outing to Mt Bokor. It was an hour-long drive from the foot of the mountain to the top. There we enjoyed the coolness of the rushing waterfall, the fresh mountain air, saw the interesting but strange formation of black rocks (at “100 Rice Field”), the large pitchers of the wild, carnivorous pitcher plants, and we had a spectacular, breath-taking view of the valley below and, in the distance, the seemingly calm sea (the Gulf of Thailand). All too soon, our missions trip came to its final day, Saturday (7 June). On the way to the airport, as we went into Phnom Penh to drop Sister Leakana off, her brother Pr Sun Sokha and wife Nam Soon (both FEBC alumni, serving in Phnom Penh BPC) insisted that we have lunch in their home. Thank God for yet another blessed time. Truly, my first missions trip to Cambodia was filled with God’s manifold blessings. Besides the abovementioned blessings, God also blessed me in the following ways: (a) A travelling companion for me at the last minute and she (Sister Magdalene) agreed to be the trip photographer! (b) Authentic Cambodian home-cooked meals all the way. (c) An inexhaustible supply of the famous Kampot durians. (And God miraculously kept my throat and voice in good working order!) (d) Good health and strength: No food poisoning, no mosquito bites. (e) Safety in all our travelling. (Even when I was a “helmetless” pillion rider on a motorbike.) (f) A very pleasant guest house: clean, comfortable, and air-conditioned. What more can I ask for? Our Lord has looked into everything! Knowing our every need, He has provided accordingly and much more! While I went with the intention of blessing the people at Kampot, the Lord instead
blessed me beyond measure when I was there. He truly is debtor to no man! Won’t you also trust Him and obey the Great Commission? Won’t you enter the missions door should the Lord open one for you? Fear not, He will provide and bless. Just obey and go where He leads. All praise, thanks and glory be unto God!
With the course participants
Pictures
May our Lord be gracious to use these participants to build up the youth ministry in their own local churches. I thank God that in the course of the week I was able to get to know Brother Tan Bun Kouy (Pr Tann Heng’s brother), one of the course participants, who will be coming to Singapore this July to begin his FEBC studies. While Brother Bun Kouy’s FEBC studies will be supported by Bethel BPC, Melbourne, he will be worshipping with us in Truth BPC. Do pray for him as he prepares himself for his studies here. There were also opportunities to fellowship with the TGBS faculty members individually: Prs Sopheak (Principal), Liv Rotha, John Saray (who came from Sihanoukville to meet with us in Kampot), Sister Leakena, and the two matrons Thavy and Saron. Those were precious times of discussion about, and prayer for, their work for the Lord in Cambodia. Truly, we can “…consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works” (Heb 10:24). Amongst others, the following are three specific prayer requests from the following preachers: (a) Pr Sopheak: Funds needed to replace the engine of the tuktuk of the True Gospel BPC. the Faculty (b) Pr Liv Rotha: The three young people in True Faith BPC whose parents do With not allow them of to TGBS attend (all alumni of FEBC) Sunday Worship. (c) Pr Saray: The need for a full-time worker to assist him in Lively Hope BPC. Will you pray for them?
Immediately after the two-hour exam on Friday (6 June), and upon completion of the marking of the papers, I submitted the grade sheet to the Principal. Following lunch, we were “rewarded” with an outing to Mt Bokor. It was an hour-long drive from the foot of the mountain to the top. There we enjoyed the coolness of the rushing waterfall, the fresh mountain air, saw the interesting but strange formation of black rocks (at “100 Rice Field”), the large pitchers of the wild, carnivorous pitcher plants, and we had a spectacular, breath-taking view of the valley below and, in the distance, the seemingly calm sea (the Gulf of Thailand). All too soon, our missions trip came to its final day, Saturday (7 June). On the way to the airport, as we went into Phnom Penh to drop Sister Leakana off, her brother Pr Sun Sokha and wife Nam Soon (both FEBC alumni, serving in Phnom Penh BPC) insisted that we have lunch in their home. Thank God for yet another blessed time. Truly, my first missions trip to Cambodia was filled with God’s manifold blessings. Besides the abovementioned blessings, God also blessed me in the following ways: (a) A travelling companion for me at the last minute and she (Sister Magdalene) agreed to be the trip photographer! (b) Authentic Cambodian home-cooked meals all the way. (c) An inexhaustible supply of the famous Kampot durians. (And God miraculously kept my throat and voice in good working order!) (d) Good health and strength: No food poisoning, no mosquito bites. (e) Safety in all our travelling. (Even when I was a “helmetless” pillion rider on a motorbike.) (f) A very pleasant guest house: clean, comfortable, and air-conditioned. What more can I ask for? Our Lord has looked into everything! Knowing our every need, He has provided accordingly and much more! While I went with the intention of blessing the people at Kampot, the Lord instead
blessed me beyond measure when I was there. He truly is debtor to no man! Won’t you also trust Him and obey the Great Commission? Won’t you enter the missions door should the Lord open one for you? Fear not, He will provide and bless. Just obey and go where He leads. All praise, thanks and glory be unto God!
With the course participants
Pictures
