Cambodia Border Ministry

Pizza in K 13 Village

2011-10-07T02:09:00.000-07:00

Normally I have blogged about spiritual things at this site, but I wanted to tell you about some fun things we did this month. Sophan, Sopheap, and Ezra all love pizza, but there hasn't been any way to make pizza locally. Recently Sopheap found this little toaster oven second hand and bought it. So this month I took flour from Bangkok, as well as yeast and oregano and we made pizza!! We didn't have any tomato sauce or cheese, but ketchup was substituted and we did without cheese.

pizza beginnings

Baking the tiny pizza in the toaster oven.

Kilometer 13 Village's first pizza....probably the first pizza ever made in the entire district of Sompovloun!! The final product was quite the interest for everyone as it smelled delicious. Sopheap gladly shared with everyone that came around. It was good!!

VBS 2011

2011-08-24T04:00:00.000-07:00

Here are some additional photos from the VBS:

Teaching English with a Bible curriculum.

Boys in Kilometer 13 village sitting on the camping stools they made!!

Scenes from prayer walking:

The muddy village

Houses along the way.....families we prayed for.

Praying for Granny.

Additional photos from Ou Thmaa

Girls hand sewing bags.

Final program for the parents

August 2011 VBS Prayer Requests

2011-07-15T00:46:00.000-07:00

VBS 2010 video clip

The August VBS will be here soon, and we'd love to have lots of people involved. Even if you aren't able to join us in person, would you pray for us? We really need it! The rains and the roads are major needs, but above all, we want the Lord Jesus glorified in all that we do.

Please remember that Thailand and Cambodia are 12 hours ahead of central time, and 14 hours ahead of pacific time.

- Pray that the Lord of the Heavens and the Earth will control the rain. The crops need the monsoon rains. So we ask for prayer for God’s timing with the rains…. that the farmers get what is needed for a great crop, but that the rains won’t interfere in our travel or for the VBS activities.

- Pray that all that is said and done through this week of VBS will bring honor and glory to the Lord.

Here is a daily schedule you can be praying over:

August 9th: Team departs from Seattle

August 10th: arrive in Bangkok - please pray for a good night’s sleep …and for quick jet lag recovery

August 11th and 12th: orientation and preparation for VBS in Bangkok; sightseeing. Please pray that our team will get to know one another and be united as a team.

August 13th: leave for Cambodia. Please pray for safe travel…..and that the dirt road will be passable to Sompovloun.

August 14th: Worship with believers at the ministry center. Please pray for a sense of “oneness” as we worship – even though the team won’t understand what is sung or preached.

August 15th-18th: VBS at the ministry center

-please pray for the children that come….that they would be attentive and listen to the Bible lessons, that God’s Spirit will work in their hearts to draw them to Himself if they don’t know Him yet. And if they already have put their faith in the Lord, that they will grow in their faith and trust in Him. Pray that the kids will have fun with the activities.

- please pray for God’s protective Hand over all the ministry center. Pray that everyone who comes to the center will sense that this is a safe place….a place to learn and know about God. Pray that the enemy would not be able to disrupt anything that God has planned for this week of VBS.

- please pray for the team to have the energy and strength to work effectively in the heat, and culture and climate changes. Pray for good sleep each night. Pray that they will love the kids and be able to communicate the love of the Lord to them – even though they don’t speak the same language! Pray for good health for each team member. Pray for safety as we travel on motorcycles every day on slick muddy roads.

- Pray for Sophan and Sopheap as they teach the Bible lesson each day, lead daily memory verses, and lead the singing. Pray that God’s Spirit will speak and teach through them. These are tiring days for Sophan and Sopheap, too, so please pray that they will be encouraged by the team being there, and energized by God working in them and through them…strengthening them. Ezra, their son, is two years old now, so please pray for him as his mom and dad will be busy.

- pray for our national helpers – Pei, Dee, and Ravy. They are the ones that can speak directly to the students. Pray that their words and actions would be pleasing and honoring to the Lord, speaking clearly how to believe and trust Christ as Saviour.

- pray for the English teaching that the team will do in the afternoons. We will be teaching English using a Bible curriculum. Please pray that God – by His Spirit – will touch the hearts of these students. Pray for the teachers to have clarity and teach effectively.

August 18th: final day of VBS at the ministry center. We will hold a closing program and invite the parents to attend. Some of these parents have never been to the church before, so this is an important time for them. Pray that they will feel welcomed and loved, and sense the presence of the Lord. Pray that they will desire to know Him.

August 19th and 20th: VBS in Ou Thmaa. This is the first time to have a VBS here. We will be traveling on motorcycles and motorcycles with side-carts, for 45 mins each direction to get to Ou Thmaa. Please pray we’ll be able to get through on the dirt roads, and for safety in travel. Most of what we will do in Ou Thmaa is very dependent on it not raining. Please pray that God will hold back the rains so that we can get in and out of the area, and also be able to teach the lessons and do the skills development. Please pray all the same for Ou Thmaa as for the VBS at the ministry center. None of the parents are believers yet that we know of, so please pray that God’s Light will shine here in Ou Thmaa and that many will come to know Him as a result of His working through the VBS.

August 21st: travel back to Bangkok. Again, please pray the road will be passable -that we can get to Bangkok that day. In the evening the team will debrief together and pray together.

August 22nd: leave for the US early morning flight. Pray for safety in travel- and for rest. Please also pray for each member’s ability to process their time here. Give praise, thanks and glory to the Lord for all He did and accomplished.

“Father, thank you for the opportunity that you are giving this team to serve you in Cambodia. Prepare us- your team - for acts of love and good deeds. We pray that the team will be the aroma of Christ through all that is done each day. We pray that at every place of ministry where we serve, that Jesus would be seen in us, and the love of Jesus expressed through us. May your name be great in the streets and homes of Sompovloun and Ou Thmaa. Anoint our lips and prepare our hearts that we might be prepared to give the reason for the hope that we have with gentleness and respect. Use this week of serving together to further unify us, your people, and to further your Kingdom. May those we serve see how we love You and one another, and may their hearts be drawn to You. May Jesus be exalted and darkness pushed back in His mighty name.

Father, we pray that the seeds of the Gospel that are sown in Somvpovloun and Ou Thmaa, will be watered by Your Spirit and produce an eternal harvest! Bless each member of the team with the presence of Jesus. May many come to know You, oh Lord. Amen!!!”

Thank you so much for joining our team by committing this work and these people to the Lord in prayer.

Gayle

June 2011

2011-07-14T06:56:00.000-07:00

Recently we had a young man from Phnom Penh come for two weeks to teach basic music to several of the youth at the church in Sompovloun. He arrived in time for worship on Sunday, so he played his guitar for the service and Sophoan led the singing. Here is a short video clip of the music:

Parent's Day in Sompovloun

2011-04-28T09:18:00.000-07:00

Thal with her brothers and sisters washing their mom's feet.

I made a special trip to Sompovloun mid-April, with the idea of wanting to be a blessing to Sophan and his sister, as I knew they were keenly feeling the loss of their mom with the Parent's Day celebration. The youth had invited their parents to come to the church for this celebration and a number did come. Just as Sophan began to preach (from Eph 6:1-3) in walked an army man in full fatigues with a very serious unfriendly face. He had his revolver in the holster, walkie-talkie, and various army paraphernalia on him. He walked right up to the front and sat down. I was thinking...Oh no. What is this? And just started praying... But Sophan was very cool about it...stopped his sermon that he had just started and told the man what we were doing and why, and welcomed him to join us. Sophan then preached from Ephesians about children honoring their parents. This was a wonderful message to share as Buddhists often say that Christians don't honor their parents. At the end of the sermon, the older youth had a skit and the younger kids sang several songs. As Sophan then started rearranging the front area I assumed we would have a snack and fellowship time. But instead, he said we were going to have a foot washing time!!! He talked about the loss of his own mom and how painful that has been for him...and shared how I was his mom in the Lord and asked me to come up to wash my feet! I was stunned. I had no idea this was going to happen. Sophoan wept as she and Sophan washed my feet (oh how humbling that is to receive!!). And then they presented me with a gift. From there, Thal and her siblings washed their mom's feet - again with many tears and many words of endearment to her....and on it went as one by one the youth washed their parent's feet. It was mostly moms that were there, but a few dads, too. As it turned out, the army man was the dad of one of the youth...and the young man washed his mom's feet and gave her a gift...but the dad didn't participate. There were many precious washings....and many tears. It was such a God honoring time and I was just amazed at the service they had put together. We have NEVER even talked about foot washing before so this came clear out of the blue for me. After that came the snacks and fellowship time, and then as the parents went home, the kids all hung around and played Christian music and danced and danced and had such a good time....from little ones up to the 30 year old "youth". It was just so wonderful to witness all this.....and as I told Sophan and Sophoan: I had gone wanting to be a blessing to them, but instead they were a blessing to me!!

Thu (the explosion boys' mom) and her children.

The youth having fun after the service.

April 2011 Updates

2011-04-04T07:48:00.000-07:00

With the new road preparation, we lost the entire front of the ministry center land - almost right up to the porch of the center. That meant that the swingset the Highlands work team created several years ago had to be moved.

Phoan digging up the swingset

The land behind the ministry center is producing much better this year. Sophan has worked hard to improve the soil, and it has paid off in a better fruit crop this year.

Pomelo tree

sapodilla tree

king grass growing to feed the goats

We also were able to dig three wells in Ou Thmaa this past week. This community did not have any wells at all, so this has been a precious gift.

digging wells in Ou Thmaa

the first well capped

We still hope to be able to dig more wells in this community and have requested a local organization to help with this.

Thanks for all your prayers. It's exciting to watch God working and moving!!

Blessings,

Gayle

VBS September 2010

2010-09-28T21:54:00.001-07:00

Dear Friends,

Here are some more photos from the VBS in Cambodia this past week. If you did not receive the newsletter telling about the VBS, send me an email at: bkkbeck5@gmail.com and I'll get it to you.

Our team

Daily Bible lesson

Singing Bible songs together

T-shirts with the memory verse theme Romans 8:38-39

"Nothing can separate us from the love of God"

A guest appearance from Kristin's camel

Decorating "Joseph" with his colorful coat

Painting for the timeline of Joseph's life

Girls' skill-hand sewing a blouse

Boys' skill making a stool to take home, and making three school desks for the ministry center.

End of the week program for the parents.

Singing for the parents, reciting memory verses from the week, and acting out Bible stories.

The boys' stools to take home

The girls' blouses

Having fun

Thanks for all your prayers last week for the VBS. We saw God working in wonderful ways, and felt it was a privilege to get to be a part of it.

In Him,

Gayle

Funeral for Nav Pen

2010-07-14T23:37:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos from Nav Pen's funeral (Sophan's mom).

Inside the ministry center before the funeral service.

Processional to the gravesite

Pallbearers

walking to the gravesite behind the ministry center

Placing Nav Pen in the grave

Burial site in the cornfield at the edge of the property

IDOLS

2010-07-13T21:15:00.000-07:00

The past month in Cambodia I've been reminded of the verses in Isaiah that refer to idols made by man. I will be sharing a wonderful story soon of God showing Himself to a man that was searching for the One true God.....and it reminded me of Isaiah 44:14-20

He cut down cedars,
or perhaps took a cypress or oak.
He let it grow among the trees of the forest,
or planted a pine, and the rain made it grow.
It is man's fuel for burning;
some of it he takes and warms himself,
he kindles a fire and bakes bread.
But he also fashions a god and worships it;
he makes an idol and bows down to it.
Half of the wood he burns in the fire;
over it he prepares his meal,
he roasts his meat and eats his fill.
He also warms himself and says,
"Ah! I am warm; I see the fire."
From the rest he makes a god, his idol;
he bows down to it and worships.
He prays to it and says,
"Save me; you are my god."
They know nothing, they understand nothing;
their eyes are plastered over so they cannot see,
and their minds closed so they cannot understand.
No one stops to think,
no one has the knowledge or understanding to say,
"Half of it I used for fuel;
I even baked bread over its coals,
I roasted meat and I ate.
Shall I make a detestable thing from what is left?
Shall I bow down to a block of wood?"
He feeds on ashes, a deluded heart misleads him;
he cannot save himself, or say,
"Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?"

Please pray for the people of Western Cambodia to turn away from man-made idols to the living Lord Jesus. May they come to know the saving knowledge of Christ.

May 13, 2010

2010-05-12T20:28:00.000-07:00

Dear Praying Friends,

I have posted the baptism photos below, but would also like to update you on Sophan's mom. When I left Cambodia the end of March I didn't expect Sophan's mom had much time left on this earth. When I returned in April, she had improved and had a very interesting story to tell. She said for three nights in a row, she dreamed a man in whitish clothing came and sat with her all night long. He never spoke, but he smiled and comforted her. After the third night, she woke up and was very hungry. She has been eating normally - and very well - since then. She is able to get herself in and out of a hammock now - which she much prefers for sleeping. And last week, she tried to walk. Her knees are still quite weak and she wasn't able to bear much weight. We are amazed at her change - and are wondering what God is going to do!!! We continue to pray for her and seek what God wants to do in her life. Praising Him!!!

Baptism April 25th, 2010

2010-04-29T05:21:00.001-07:00

We had the joy and privilege of witnessing the second baptism from Sompovloun. Pastor Sophan decided to have the baptism at a large pond near Kilometer 9 Village as it was a location that everyone could relax and enjoy after the baptism. Everyone rode out on motorcycles or a side cart. There were 25 people baptized last Sunday and I have posted photos of some people you have gotten to know over the past three years.

Part of the group waiting for the baptism.

This is Meng's mom. She has come to know the Lord, and has also experienced healing from serious kidney disease.

"Granny"

Sok - one of our sewing ladies

Vung - an HIV patient that shares his faith at the hospital.

Sokheun - another one of the sewing ladies.

Naan - the mother of baby Pheaq (that some of you helped support).

Relaxing after the baptism. Many of the youth and children swam and played in the water, and we enjoyed sodas and fruit together under the shade of this tree. It was a marvelous day. And as we reflected to three years ago when there were no believers in this area, we couldn't help but praise and thank God for the way He has worked and moved in the lives of these people. Thank you for your part in sharing in this event!

Blessings,
Gayle

April 2010

2010-04-13T08:35:00.000-07:00

I would like to add an update on Sophan's Mom. She continues to decline in health, and apart from God's intervention, isn't likely to last much longer. Please pray for Pastor Sophan and his family as they care for her. Please also pray that God will reach down and touch her in a special way as she prepares for heaven. The photo below is a little hut that Sophan built for his mom behind the ministry center. This allows her to be closer to everything happening at the center and closer access for her care.

We are also planning the second baptism in Sompovloun at the end of April. Please pray for these new believers as they step forward in faith for baptism. Please pray for safety from the enemy, and that this will be a testimony to the community of our wonderful God.
Next month I hope to have photos of the baptism for you.

Blessings,
Gayle

March 2010

2010-03-17T01:20:00.000-07:00

We are well on our way to getting the Scriptures into the hands of more Khmer. I have received 12 Proclaimers from the US recently, and will start taking them into Cambodia. I have also (with Glenn's handy IT assistance) recorded some of the MP3's and have five ready to go to the new groups that are meeting in Cambodia. Praise God for this progress!!

Some of you may remember Chan - often referred to as "the skin lady". We worked with Chan for the past several years - really even before Pastor Sophan came to Sompovloun. When we first met Chan, she had such terrible skin disease that she had not been able to work for years and was too poor to go to the doctor.

Praying with Chan

We worked with her over the years in getting her medical care, providing moringa for her, and helped with her skin care. And she was also one of the first people that received a micro-loan and started raising pigs. She was very successful with that and for the first time was able to survive above bare subsistance. Her husband, an alcoholic that didn't work, died last year. Last September, our VBS team put in a garden for her as she had broken her wrist and couldn't get her garden planted.

Planting Chan's garden

When I was in Cambodia 3 weeks ago, Chan was very sick. We got her medical attention again. However, within a week, she died in the hospital in Battambang. Please pray for her youngest daughter, 15 year old Srey Laa, as well as the rest of the family. I'm not sure where Srey Laa will end up living as many of her siblings live and work in Thailand, but I pray that she will live in a place that she will have opportunity to grow in her faith.

We've seen God work miraculously in the lives of others who are sick. One lady with severe kidney disease, has come to Christ, and her kidney disease has almost disappeared! We praise God for that.

These people face countless issues in life with little help or relief. Please pray that they will learn to lean on the One who can comfort, heal, and save.....that God's Spirit would work and move among them and be their strength.

Thanks so much,
Gayle

December 23, 2009

2009-12-23T18:37:00.000-08:00

For those of you that want more detail of what's going on in Cambodia, I'm going to start adding additional information at the blogsite and keep the newsletter more brief.

Many of you have been praying for baby Pheeq and I wanted to update you on him. He continues to struggle physically, and reached another crisis last month. We sent him to a children's hospital in Siem Reap where he was diagnosed and treated with TB. He is now back home and improving, but still needs continued prayer for God's Hand on his life. His dad has started working some as a carpenter's assistant, but it's only part-time work whenever the carpenter needs extra help.

Baby Pheeq and his mom

Our children's worker was married to the Buddhist man at the end of November. Apparently there were a number of issues at the ceremony, and when I talked with the worker and her family a couple weeks after the wedding, no one seemed very happy. This worker has stopped coming to church since the wedding, and I would ask that you pray for her. I don't know what the situation is, but Pastor Sophan will be visiting them and checking in with them this week. Please pray for this worker and her new husband, that they both will desire to follow Christ, and take the steps of faith to live for Him.

The political situation has improved some since November, but there are still many rumblings and talk of problems. I am grateful that the borders have not been an issue for me to cross, and I have been able to come and go as I have needed to. Please continue to pray for this country.

The Christmas outreach was a wonderful time this year. As I looked out across those attending, I was struck with how natural it now is to have men in the group!! It's no longer just women gathering together. Men are now very much a part of the congregation. Praise God!

I was also really burdened for the need for audio Bibles during this trip. We had several situations of new believers- briefly in our area, and as they went back to their village we had no audio Bibles to give them. Most of these people are illiterate, so giving them an actual Bible doesn't help them. One of the projects I am working on right now is obtaining more audio Bibles - and trying to get the recording on small mp3 players that we can distribute throughout the area. If anyone is interested in helping with this project, please let me know.

Sok and her audio Bible - Proclaimer

Some of you prayed for Pheap - a young man that wanted to go to medical school in Phnom Penh. He wasn't accepted in Phnom Penh, but he has been accepted into a 3 year diploma course in Battambang. At the end of this course he might be eligible to continue on in Phnom Penh at the medical school. We are grateful for God's provision into this course, as well as the funds for him to study.

We still need to work more on job creation in Somvovloun. Sophan is looking at mushroom growing and hopes to get some training for that done soon. We'd like to start it as income for the ministry center, but also use it for training for income for others in the community. Please pray that God will guide our steps and show us how to progress in this area of job creation.

Thank you so much for your continued prayers. In spite of the challenges and difficulties at times, it brings us great joy to watch God working - and it's wonderful to get to be a part of that. Thank you for joining us and being a part of our team!

Blessings,
Gayle

Financial support should be sent to:
Mission to Unreached Peoples
PO Box 30947
Seattle, WA 98113

Please write our name and account number:
GGBTH1 - for personal support
GGBTH75- for Cambodia Border Project

September 2009 VBS

2009-09-17T22:20:00.000-07:00

We just had a great week with our VBS in Sompovloun, Cambodia. We had an eclectic team this year - two people from Seattle, one person from Nebraska, 3 people from Phnom Penh, and myself. We also had some of the youth helping the younger kids with their projects. So it was a great team effort - and fun to have such a diverse group.

Our team:

Every morning we started with singing, memory verse, and a lesson on the armor of God.

We had a daily craft putting on the armor we learned about
each day.

After Bible time, the boys worked on their skill - carpentry.
They spent the week making a box with hinges and a lock.

The final product:

The girls each made a small quilt by hand:

In the afternoons the team had various projects.
Two afternoons they put in a garden for a widow that
had broken her wrist.

Two other afternoons the kids and the team
went throughout the community picking up
trash.

And the final afternoon we had a program for the
parents. They learned all about the armor of God,
saw the children's projects from the week, and then
shared a snack.

We praise God for many answers to prayer this week: the rain did not interrupt any of our activities, no one was injured from the tools or projects, the children learned how to stand strong in their faith and how to stand against the enemy, they gained knowledge in lifelong skills, and they helped their community.

Thanks to many of you who prayed for us through this week, and for giving financially to make this week happen.

Blessings,
Gayle

April 2009 Baptism

2009-04-09T21:02:00.000-07:00

Praise God!! April 4th, 2009, marked the first baptism in the entire border region of Sompovloun, Cambodia. It’s amazing to look back to two years ago when God opened a way for us to work in Sompovloun. We had no idea what God was going to do. He took us to an area of Cambodia where there had never been a church, and there were no known believers. Last Saturday, 27 adults, youth, and children publicly professed faith in Christ and were baptized. We first gathered together at the ministry center and Pastor Sophan reminded everyone of the significance of baptism. Then we all walked together to the river behind the houses of K13 Village. It was raining softly, and the lightening that had threatened earlier was gone. One-by-one, Pastor Sophan baptized each person and we sang and praised God together. As I witnessed this event, I was reminded of the Book of Acts where we read of a person becoming a follower of Christ, and then they and their household were baptized. We had a group of five siblings that were baptized; a husband, wife and their child; moms and their children; and a number of individuals. It was a precious time of witnessing what God has done. We would like to ask you to pray for these newly baptized believers – that God’s Hand of protection would be over them, that they would grow in their faith, and that they would stay strong in the Lord.

Meeting together for teaching and prayer:

Walking to the river:

Several of the 27 that were baptized:

Chandra:

and his wife Samnag:

One of the youth:

Thang - an abandoned boy that lives at the minstry center:

Chanthu (the explosion boys' mom)

Teacher Mom

Pastor Sophan's mother:

Rein and her children:

Teacher Chantha:

Pastor Sophan baptizing his son Ezra:

Our group of newly baptized believers:

Praising God,

Gayle

January 2009 Update

2009-01-26T04:48:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful way to begin 2009 - finalizing the purchase of the ministry center in Sompovloun, Cambodia. We are praising God as the purchase went through, and we are awaiting the finalized title in our name.

In addition to that, we are also praising God for the arrival of baby Ezra - Pastor Sophan and Sopheap's first baby. He arrived 3 weeks earlier than expected, but is well and healthy. Here are some photos:

Baby Ezra:

Pastor Sophan, Sopheap, and Ezra:

Christmas 2008

2008-12-31T20:13:00.000-08:00

December 21st we celebrated Christmas with 300 Khmae from Sompovloun. It was a great celebration with 200 children, 50 adults, and 50 youth. We had a worship service that included some skits from the children and youth, then gathered for a delicious meal of bread dipped in curry. At the end we gave out small gift packs to the children. It was a wonderful time of seeing those in the church doing all the preparation, and everyone helping deal with the clean-up afterwards. Here are some photos of the day:

decorating the children's study area beside the center:

preparing for the skits:

Worship service:

Eating curry under the trees:

Thank you all for your support and prayers through this last year. God is working and moving in this community and people are coming to know the Saviour. Some highlights for prayer for this next year are the finalization of the purchase of the ministry center, and Lord willing our first baptism in April.

Thanks for being a part of the team!!

Gayle

September 2008 VBS

2008-09-19T02:38:00.001-07:00

Here are photos from our 2008 VBS in Sompovloun, Cambodia. Hope you enjoy them. Thanks so much for praying!!

Our VBS Team:

First morning gathering:

Bible lessons:

Girls hand sewing:

pillow project:

Boys carpentry:

sawing and playing in the rain:

Finished stools:

Little boys playing with wood scraps:

Afternoon house repairs:

One finished roof:

and another finished roof:

Teaching english late afternoons:

Closing ceremony:

a few random photos:

July 1st update

2008-07-04T21:50:00.001-07:00

It's been awhile since I've update this blog. We've had a lot going on and I would like to share some of that with you.

We have seen God working and moving in many lives in K13 Village. One of our sewing ladies came to faith in the Lord Jesus and her children are hungry to know the Lord as well. We praise God for this! We've also seen God miraculously heal a little boy in the village. He was in a Thai hospital and the doctors had lost hope that he would live. Just after we prayed in the village for this boy, we received a phone call that this 2-year-old suddenly woke up and his body was working again! This was a tremendous testimony to the village - and we again praise God. The boy was home in two days and was totally well. I look around and see gardens started in the village and I can see many improvements in the lives of the villagers from one year ago - both physically and spiritually. Very poor people are getting health attention they've never been able to receive and are able to work for the first time in years.

At the same time we also see opposition from the enemy in regard to our present location. The owner of the property has been very difficult to work with, and he has only given us a few months contract at a time as he wants to sell the property. We hardly know from one month to the next whether or not we'll be able to continue on at the present location. This has made it challenging to improve and develop our own center. There are virtually no other suitable locations in K13 Village, so after much prayer and discussion, we have made the decision to formalize ourselves into a local NGO and have started fund-raising to purchase the center. We would very much appreciate your prayers with us as we undertake this huge step. We need to raise $45,000 to purchase the house and 2.5 acres of land.

The largest enemy we see in the village is the addiction to both alcohol and gambling. You would think that people that are very poor wouldn't have the money to drink and gamble, but the truth is, because of their addictions, they gamble instead of feed and care for their families. If they do make a bit of money, they use it in wrong ways - compounding this spiraling problem. So we are asking for prayer that these chains of bondage will be broken and that they will experience freedom from these addictions.

Here are some photos from the past couple of months:

Pastor Jim visiting the center

afternoon literacy classes:

Praying at a villager's house:

2008-04-03T22:03:00.000-07:00

This past month God has provided for us to put in 7 more wells into Kilometer 13 Village. The wells have all been dug, and now the villagers are working to put in the cement around the pump and getting them running. Here are some photos from a few of the wells. They were obviously very appreciated. One particular well that I walked by frequently had many people using it constantly - some bathing and some washing clothes; all at the same time!

Our first "kid" was born on my last trip in. Our goat herd is growing already!

He was so cute!!

Goats at the Ministry Center

2008-03-06T21:26:00.000-08:00

This month we purchased 12 goats for the ministry center. Our plan is to raise goats to sell to help financially support the ministry center. In addition to selling the goats, we hope to start milking them to provide fresh milk in the community. Once that is established we want to help others be able to raise goats, too. We've hired a "goat boy" that takes the goats to pasture three times a day. It's been quite a challenge to train the goats, but Samnang has recruited some of his friends to help him.

Out to the pasture:

Back home:

The children love the goats:

I appreciate your prayers for the success of the goat business.

In His Joy,
Gayle

Short-term Work Team

2008-02-05T21:20:00.000-08:00

January 25th, 2008, four men from Highlands Community Church in Renton, Washington, joined us at the Cambodian border to spend ten days working at the ministry center in Sompovloun. Here are some photos from the work they did. I praise God for all that He did that week - for providing, encouraging, and keeping us through lots of challenges.

Planning the swingset over lunch - using chopsticks to illustrate:

Construction of the swingset has begun:

Making the slide:

The finished product:

Enjoying the play equipment:

Breaking up the cement floor of the Sunday School room:

Pouring cement to even the floor and make it larger:

Building the goat house:

Making the bamboo flooring:

The finished goat house and making bamboo fence:

We continue to pray that God will use the facility to further His Kingdom - to bring many to know the Saviour, and to improve the physical lives of this community as well.

Thanks for all your prayers,
Gayle

Christmas Outreach Sompovloun Cambodia Dec. 2007

2007-12-19T05:01:00.000-08:00

December 16th, 2007 we had our first Christmas celebration at our ministry center in Sompovloun, Cambodia. There were 250 people that attended - 170 children and 80 adults! We were thrilled with the tremendous response and pray that seeds of the Gospel were planted and that God will cause those seeds to grow. Here are some photos from the day:

Church ladies preparing food for 250 people

gathering at the center:

Singing Christmas songs:

Sharing a meal after the service:

Gayle and David playing Christmas music as the adults ate:

Some of the youth that attended:

Please pray that those who attended will commit their lives to follow the Lord Jesus.

Merry Christmas,

Gayle

Starting a small business in Sompovloun, Cambodia Oct. 17-23, 2007

2007-10-26T01:09:00.000-07:00

I would like to share some photos of our trip to Cambodia to begin the baby quilt business.

Priscilla and Sandy brought lots of donated material and equipment with them.

Traveling on the muddy roads of Cambodia to get to Sompovloun:

Setting up the training:

Starting one of the quilts:

Starting to sew the quilts:

Nearing the finish of the first quilts:

The finished products:

Please pray that this small business will bring jobs to Sompovloun and improve the economic status of the people in this area of Cambodia. Please also pray for the spiritual impact we hope will result through this business as well.

In His Joy,
Gayle

Ministry Center

2007-09-25T02:01:00.000-07:00

The middle of September, I traveled to Sompovloun, Cambodia, once again. We had just rented a new ministry center and it was the first opportunity I had to see it. It is an old fixer-upper, but the structure is solid and strong and there is a good piece of land as well. When I first saw the center there was already lots going on. The weekly Bible studies are now located there ( we cannot legally call ourselves a church yet), there are Khmer literacy classes for the kids in another building on the property, the sewing ladies have a place to sew and produce their quilts, and Pastor Sophan lives in the center as well. Sophan hopes to raise goats, chickens, and fish on the land, and have a garden and grow fruit trees as a model for the villagers. We hope this center will be a safe refuge for both children and adults, and that it will be a place many people can come to know the Saviour. Here are some photos of the center:

The outside building for Khmer literacy:

The yard:

On this same trip, I purchased three sewing machines in Poipet, Cambodia, and transported them into Sompovloun for our three sewing ladies to begin a quilt business. I spent several days with them helping them get used to their new machines, and also helping them with some basics on quilting. In October, Lord willing, a friend will come and teach them further on quilt making, and we will begin our baby quilt business at that time. Here are some photos of the sewing:

purchasing sewing machines in Poipet:

admiring the new material:

sewing and cutting:

a quilt in the process:

Please pray for our ministry center, that it would be a safe refuge for many. Please pray, too, that the Gospel will go out from this place and that many will come to know the One True God.

Thanks so much,

Gayle

August 2007 VBS

2007-09-01T02:24:00.000-07:00

A team of six arrived from Highlands Community Church in WA to hold a VBS on the Thai/Cambodia border with our school children. We had a daily Bible time of singing, memory verse, and Bible lesson, and then spent time each day teaching the children life skills. The girls learned hand sewing and the boys learned carpentry. At the end of the week, the girls had made pin holders, a sewing bag, and a quilted pot holder. The girls were given the sewing essentials for their sewing bag, and they were thrilled. The boys made their own tool boxes and small book shelves, and they too, were given the essentials for their tool boxes - hammer, saw, screwdrivers, tape measure, and a square. It was a wonderful week - and I'd like to share some photos of the week with you!

Bible Time

Carpentry for the boys:

Sewing for the girls:

Afternoon projects:

House Repairs for a single mom.

Wound care

Painting the school

Hope you enjoyed seeing these photos. We praise God for all the He did to make this VBS a wonderful time for the kids. We pray that they gained spiritually as well as gained life skills.

Blessings,

Gayle

Cambodia trip July 3rd - 17th, 2007

2007-07-18T00:35:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share photos with you from my recent trip to Cambodia. I've written a bit of dialogue as well. Hope you enjoy them.

Baby Mark: Some of you may remember baby Mark from last September. He was rescued from the Cambodia border in great respiratory distress. We got him medical care and past the initial medical crisis here in Thailand, and then into a home in Phnom Penh. I had the privilege of seeing Mark again on this trip to PP. He is being treated for both TB and HIV. He still has respiratory issues, but is growing and looking good, and is being well cared for.

Community development has begun in SPL! Two micro-enterprise loans were given to two families to purchase one piglet for each family. The community is meeting together regularly and discussing changes they want to see in their community. Income generation is a major issue they identified, and raising pigs was one of their solutions.

Pastor Sophan has started gardening projects in SPL. He has planted vegetables and fruits and the plots are being looked after by different families in the community.

This is the Hap family house we built a couple months ago. They have now planted some flowers by their house and are looking after one of the plots of garden.

The first two wells have been dug in SPL this month. The pump will be added and it will be in operation in a few days, Lord willing. The villagers were very excited about the water.

Some of the children watching the well-digging.

A single mom and her two children. This is one of the families we are giving relief to and hope to get set up with a job in the market.

We had the priviledge of attending the new Sunday gatherings. There were nearly 100 children for Sunday School - which is held under some trees in the community.

While the children had Sunday School, Pastor Sophan met with the adults for a Bible study. There were 9 attending the day we were there, and there are up to 12 that sometimes come.

The adult Bible study group.

At 5PM the youth ( ages 14-20) met together to study God's Word and play games together. There were 20 attending on this day with up to 25 attending at times. About half of the group were young people that have been involved with the Saturday program in the market the past few years, but the other half are totally new to the Gospel.

One of our students and his mom - in front of their home.

Micah helped put on some guttering at the hospital in SPL.

Back on the Thai side of the border, some of the students at our little school are playing hopscotch in the street.

The playgroup is meeting in an open unused block next to the classrooms in the market. One day we scrubbed the area down as it was very very dirty. Next month we hope to paint it and have it looking better for the little ones.

This is the end of my first blog entry. I wanted you to have a chance to see some of these photos from my trip - and there were too many to put into a newsletter. Lord willing, I can keep this updated from time to time.

Blessings,
Gayle