(This is Anh, Thai Nguyen, & Hien)
*Beware, this is a long post - don't skip through unless you want to read the prayer requests 🙏*
Greeting beloved brothers and sisters in Christ,
By God's grace, I am always thankful for God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant me an opportunity to return to the lands and waters of Cambodia for overseas summer mission. I'm here for the fourth consecutive time to share the Gospel, to encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ, which ends with the results of glorifying God and hallowing His name in the nation of Cambodia. I do feel undeserving and unworthy to be here, but it is God's grace that has place me here including your prayers and financial support! I feel kinda old because I’m surround by a youthful team. Thankfully they keep me in check and above-approach!
This year's fruit has been sowed through the consistent communication and prayers "without creasing" with Pastor Hung and Co Trang. Thank goodness for social applications like Facebook and phone calls to develop deeper relational-rapport throughout the year but doing life together in person at best than the realms of the internet. As of lately, the family has shared endlessness of stories which filled my heart with everlasting joy of laughter and jokes alongside with them at the meal table, while my heart has been struck in brokenness with sorrow and despair as they cry and vent their personal struggles and pains they've experienced the past year. They've been tested through the trials of overcoming acute physical health, the transition of their third oldest child who left Cambodia to live in America to study English and Dental (the dynamic of this year's mission trip changed dramatically without her), and seeing the students they've discipled come and go (the reasons I do and do not know). But no matter what happens, this family continues to praise God by saying "Thank you God: (Cảm ơn Chúa) and trusting in Christ. Pastor and their family lives faithfully in what they're called to do: share the Gospel to all the Khmer and Vietnamese people in Cambodia and be a blessing. I feel through the years, I've grown to be closer to them in being part of their family! I'm like their American son who visits them every summer.
I will be honest, their ministry has taught me to be watchful in walking empathy and celebrating with the family and my teammates through what Jesus Christ has done. Due to how they live their lives for the Gospel, I am able to live vigilantly in the Gospel urgency to give up everything back home and my own "thorn" in order to serve the whole family wholeheartedly. My hand hurts painfully as much as my heart as I am hand-writing this letter out to you. Please continue to pray for me as I am leading our group of 5 people total including myself for the remainder of the trip, I do feel physically weary because I'm constantly fighting chronic fatigue syndrome. My body becomes endlessly worn out by the end of the day. Instead of keep this to myself, my teammates do know I have this physical issue attacking me. Thankfully, I'm only getting through this suffering through the grace and power of the Holy Spirit to fight. Trying to rely on myself is really foolishness. This is what I feel what my personal struggle physical compare to my spiritual health. So I find comfort when Pastor Hung reminds me of resting in Christ through Matthew 11:28-30, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” My hope is not in the things I do. My strength does not derived from the amazing food nor coffee Co Trang cooks, but my strength and rest comes from the LORD who's willing to take my burdens by dying and being resurrected on the cross for me. I can rest upon him “who gives me strength,” Jesus and I get YOKE together! LOL But praise God for this season of mission, I'm so fortunate to united with my favorite Vietnamese-Cambodian FAMILY. Let's go into prayer requests for the trip.
PRAYER REQUESTS
- Pray for the health of the family especially with Pastor Hung and Co Trang, they're undergoing a few health problems. I cannot go into details. Pray for the family to be energized with endurance as they receive rest from children ministry and outreach ministry. Thankfully the Lord has graciously used our team to take care of teaching the students at Love of Christ Church, the Khmer ministry, and serving the family! We are here to bless the family by assisting whatever they need to further God’s kingdom in Cambodia, which eases them to do less work and use the precious time to rest and recover away!
- Pray for our team's health. Today's August Wednesday 8th 2018, 4:30 pm in Cambodia (14 hours difference). Pray for a few members to overcome physical tiredness. Some have scratch throats and coughing from teaching children, while others are being attacked by the blood-sucking mosquitoes. I'm concern for my team that they may become sick eventually but hopefully, hopefully no one will become sick or ill during the next two weeks and few days. We have a small team compare the previous years so prayer warriors and supporter continue to pray for strength and endurance to continue God's work ahead. Pray for servanthood for each member towards God’s missional work! May we find rest in God’s word and spending time with family.
- Pray for the children. From Monday through Friday we are teaching the Creation to Christ Story and vocabulary words in the two session, morning and afternoon courses for 3 hours each (8:00 am to 4:00 pm). We have approximately 25-30 in each class. The rapport for each member to build a relationship with the children is quite personal and intimate due to the election. I'm quite sad to see some of the children gone away from the ministry but thankfully, I do get to see a few familiar faces. Many Vietnamese students either remain at home during the teaching session, lazy due to vacation, and/or have personal reasons to not attend. But please do pray for the kids we are currently teaching Monday through Friday. For the weekends we focus on the Khmer ministry from 1:00-4:00 pm where we are going through bible stories and coloring with them. Although we are unable to speak Khmer, we are joyfully interact to share them God's word and have fun with them. So please pray for a gentle spirit to be patience with all the children, to be compassionate and empathetic with each child’s story, and finally, reflect Christ's love and faithfulness to follow Christ wholeheartedly!
- For me personally, I've shared about the chronic fatigue syndrome which is my thorn for this year's mission - so pray for replenishing rest and calmness. But outside of the mission, I am reading Proverbs for my personal devotion in order to gain wisdom. Why? To lead the team and for each person to grow to love God's word on the mission field. So far, I've memorized 3 verses from 3 chapters! I have a few complexive questions for Pastor Hung about historical context and purpose for Proverbs. Other than that, I want to honor the Lord with my servanthood as a missionary and lead my team to honor Christ. So please pray for God's wisdom through His Spirit will direct my steps each day. Finally, pray for my relationship with Pastor Hung's two sons Heang and Heng, this year I've talked to them on a regular. I do want to pray and walk alongside with their walk with the Lord but also, listening to their dreams and goals in Cambodia. So far so good, but I'll share or post later when they give me permission and when the time is right.
Anyways, my hand is probably more fatigue than my body as I'm finished from writing this post but now I need to type this. Seriously, I'm gracious as Paul would say in Philippians 1:3-6, "I thank my God in all remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of you partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ."
Thank you for praying and supporting our team this year for mission, I hope this letter/post encourages you!
Christ's commission to His glory,
Jeremiah