Cambodian Bible Institute

The day begins early here. The eighteen students and two staff join in the main room at 5:30 for worship. Since this is just outside my bedroom window, it serves as my alarm clock this morning. Several praise songs and a devotional led by the students begins the day with the perfect focus filling the entire building with the Spirit of the Lord. Breakfast follows with coffee, egg and French toast! Srey Mang, Sokhom's daughter,has mastered the arts of culinary skills. She juggles responsibilities maintaining a three story home/dorm/school, shopping, cooking, cleaning and laundry for twenty on a daily basis plus multiple guests from foreign cultures who come to teach for a week to a month at a time. This three-week period she has moved onto the floor to share her 10X10 room with me and all of the paraphernalia I have brought with me!her sweet spirit and welcoming smile instantly won my heart last night! Watching her in the market this morning calculating quantities and recipes in her head for the next two meals...four menus! She is careful these first days to consider the three new Americans and our dietary needs. Srey Mang has experienced a variety of likes and dislikes in serving the multitudes who have come in teaching and medical teams from all over the world. Soon she will see that we will be happy to eat from the menu she prepares for the students!Sokhom gave me a tour of the fabulous facilities here. The view from the third floor veranda of the Mekong River is phenomenal! A more beautiful place to study, worship or meditate would be difficult to find. The back yard of the New Zealand Red Cross building directly across the street slopes down to the banks. In the distance away from the river, the encroaching skyline is constantly growing as skyscrapers advance further and further into the clouds. A panoramic shot from the rooftop would amaze us all. The open verandas and dog trot style construction allows a constant breeze to cool the tile floors and walls offering a welcome contrast to the high humidity and stifling sun beating down. Three bedrooms are equipped with window units to provide comfort for sleeping for Americans including Sokhom!Survey Mang, Phalika and I drove down to the market returning in time for my first children's English class. After lunch I taught the students English and gave them their backpacks. I "helped" with dinner by taking pictures and entertaining Jon T and Phalika's son Daniel who is about 18 months. After Bible class Sokhom drove us around town before dinner. We returned to a class of ten children before dinner. Then I wrapped up the day with another English class on Family. Saturday morning will find us on the road by 5:00 to reach our destination for the house church seminar on the Vietnam Nam border.Blessings overflow!

Travel Day

We never saw Wednesday's night sky! Early in the morning I left the house traveling east, but in Dallas we turned back to the west and followed the sun across the Pacific Ocean into Thursday! As our family enjoys the last dark hours of sleep this morning, we sit in the Seoul, Korea airport watching the sun set on Thursday evening! It's sometimes difficult to know where the day went when we are home, but this day really slipped past me! We will soon board yet another six hour flight and cross back over two time zones to arrive in Phnom Penh at 10:00 this evening...all before you have lunch on Thursday. Needless to say, my sleep pattern is a bit confused! I will definitely appreciate the bed this evening! We enjoyed a King's March through the airport here as we trekked to our transit gate. Then Joe gave Garrett pointers on using the iPhone overseas.

The Word on the Street

Today I am waiting in the Midland airport for the first leg of a twenty-four hour journey to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Joe and Garrett Crabtree will meet me at the DFW airport to launch our international flight and mission to share God's Word on the streets of Cambodia. We will be guests in the home of Sokhom and Phaline Hun, survivors of the Killing Fields. There we will work with Bible students teaching scripture, English and computer skills. I will study with women in the mornings and teach Bible/English to children in the afternoons. Join us as we share God's love through the gifts you have sent with us. May God's richest blessings fall on you today.

Pepperdine

Today I have arrived at Pepperdine. I am praying that there will be many opportunities to learn, to draw closer to the Lord, to worship, to fellowship with close friends and to meet new family members!

Last night I had an amazing opportunity back home to testify to the leadership of the Holy Spirit through the paths and over the years. Oh, what an amazing tapestry He weaves!

Christian Chronicle » continuing coverage » global south » Life, death and rebirth in The Killing Fields

Christian Chronicle » continuing coverage » global south » Life, death and rebirth in The Killing Fields

This article tells about the Cambodian, Sokhom Hun, with whom we will be working in May.

Cambodia, Here We Come!

Tonight we are attending an informational dinner on the work in Cambodia. Four of us will be heading to Cambodia in May for three weeks. I'll be working with women and children as well as teaching computer skills and English to the Bible students there.

Come before Winter UKRAINE 2012

Crowned with God's steadfast love, the week together in Ukraine melted our hearts, refined our lives, annointed our souls and wove us together into a beautiful cloak of His amazing benefits in human form.  May His hesed cover you as you are sheltered within His loving care.

Monday through Friday God's cloak-passed from renewal to renewal by the tender hands of the missionary liaisons-served as a physical symbol of God's arms of compassion.  Outside the snow covered the ground and the chill penetrated the skin, but inside the mantel of God's benefits warmed us in comfort, strength and joy.  We felt the unity of the women who have experienced Come before Winter renewals in so many corners of our world since the first one in Brazil in 2001.  We stroked the emblems they placed on the cloak and lifted them in prayer as their lives united with ours. 

Throughout the week we emersed ourselves in the 103rd Psalm.  Sinking into its verses--pulling them over us as a cloak of revelation--delving into their meaning through the structure of the poetry--seeking His meaning for our lives through meditation--opening God's plan for humanity through a theological exegesis of the chapter--submitting to the Father's hesed in prayer--we approached the Kingdom's throneroom to draw closer to The One who through eternity has drawn us into His loving shelter.

Each step of the renewal has been intentionally planned to honor both God and women called to serve Him in diverse settings and programs.  From the greeting at the door to the farewells all over the building, the Lord's name is lifted up and each woman is affirmed.  We literally begin and end each day in prayer and worship as a community.  Times of informal sharing around the dining tables, out on a walk in the snow, in the swimming pool or gathering in a common area created bonds of friendship.  Scheduled appointments with small groups and with individuals for prayer forged lives together over miles and into eternity.  "The whole of life without any exception can be an act of worship if we choose for it to be."  Come before Winter reflects that truth in every way.

The week was bathed in prayer and tears...tears of sorrow, of pain, of frustration and of pure joy.  Some of those tears poured freely in worship as we considered the verses and wonders unveiled in Psalm 103 through song and scripture.  Hearts turned upward as truths penetrated our innermost being.  Other tears were shared with small clusters in times of sharing our goals and desires to be more fully dedicated to following His guidance in our lives.  Sometimes the tears were shared one on one with a precious sister in intement prayer appointments.  Always the tears were shed in the presence of our loving Father whose compassion wraps His children in His arms and renews their youth as an eagle!

Bouquet of Blessing

Cluster of Joy

Single with Purpose!

Leading with Love

Crowned with Everlasting Love

Thank you for touching my life in this amazing week of renewal...whether your touch was physically there in Kiev, Ukraine, as a team member or a participant or one who served us through the sanitorium or a sweet young life who offered flowers along our path or a spiritual touch over the miles--over the waves--as a prayer warrior or a support through cards or notes or finances.  Your touch, my friends, was felt each and every day as we united in service.  God's hesed flows over and through you!