It Is Finished Cambodia 2017

Hello everyone, supporters to prayer warriors, 

Praise the Lord for our arrival at LAX safely after a long extensive departure and couple of storms from Phnom Penh yesterday (Monday 21st, 2017 at 5 pm). Right now, we are all resting and re-calibrating ourselves back into the time difference and life in the States. We are all tired, so keep us in prayer for a steadfast recovery from the mission trip. 

My heart and mind continues to reflect on the memories the Lord has allowed me to experience in Cambodia. For some reason, I'm having a Cambodia withdrawal from the children, explore the environment of the country, and spending time with Pastor Hung, Co Trang, and the family. This is one of the hardest parts of leaving Cambodia. Then again, this is what short-term mission is about - (1) having a singular purpose of glorifying the Lord in sharing the Gospel that all goes according to his will, (2) encouraging and praying for our brothers and sisters as they need strength to endure the persecution and continue to do the Lord's work diligently, and (3) developing long-term discipleship in the making to expand the kingdom. 

Anyways, keep us in prayer again for reflection and rest in the Lord these next couple of weeks and months especially when we spend time jotting and writing down out testimony for the Cambodia mission trip and adjusting to life. I know our supporters are excited to see what progress were made in the country and how we grew learning from Lord. If you are free, feel free to come to TLC to hear our team members share! 

Here are a couple of prayers: 

- Pray for the finishing of the rooftop (Pastor Hung will begin once they received the full amount, but until then, pray for other partners to support him because the rooftop lasts 10 years. The rooftop allows the children to be protected by the sun and the rain) - the goal to finished the rooftop by December 2017. 

- Pray for strength and endurance for the Pastors and their family in Cambodia. We encountered and were privileged to meet various ministries throughout our travel day to visit and understand how the Lord works. They need the strength to make an impact in the lives of the people and to continue the work faithfully. 

- Pray for next year's team. Pastor Hung discussed opportunities of expanding the Gospel to all of Cambodia in short-long-term. It's awesome! Hopefully some of us return next year to be part of this journey and expedition, God willingly!<;sa/'/

Thank you for reading this, see you next year! 

His glory our reward, 

Jeremiah 

Week 2 Final Saturday of the mission

Naked emotions?

Like when I'd envisioned the thoughts and feelings of the victims of the Choeung Ek (Killing Fields) Genocidal Center. 

You may be thinking, "Genocide? What? I thought your mission was to teach English, Justin." 

And you'd be interested to know that not only have we been teaching English these past couple weeks - what seemed to be mere hours passing, our team has been personally reaching out to the people of Cambodia on an emotional level: children, youth, and adults.Since Week 1, Day 1 we've been providing the opportunity for their spiritual needs by sharing the Gospel. Yet, through the days of laughing, crying, and sharing life together with these kids, we couldn't help but become curious about the mystery of this wonderful culture.

That's how we got to the Killing Fields of Cambodia. 

MS Hung's family became our personal tour guides as we approached the Genocide Center. Now a memorial dedicated to the victims during the Pol Pot led Communist regime, this was a place laden with massive spiritual influence.

The air hung heavy with the sighs of the tourists solemnly walking towards the museum that displayed killing methods of extermination. Bamboo trunks, often used as fences during daily farmwork, were reinstated to beat the prisoners' spines. Axles used for the carts were blunt weaponry. Knives for sugarcane harvest were for slitting throats. This was just the beginning of the tour as we were ushered into a movie theatre that explained the Khmer Rouge mass murders and its history. 

Huong, MS Hung's second eldest daughter, explained that the Khmer Rouge did not discriminate when it came to executing prisoners. Men, women, and children were all equally slaughtered.

Pol Pot, the leader of the Khmer Rouge, reasoned that intellectuals, foreigners, and/or anybody with an ounce of resistance was deserving of death. Infants were smashed into tree trunks headfirst because, as the K.R reasoned, if the babies were not killed now and allowed to love, they would grow up, wonder why they had no parents, eventually figure out the cause, and lead a rebellion. 

Finally, we left that place with heavy hearts. You can see why I said it was a place of massive spiritual influence because, as a heavily Buddhist country, Cambodian government deemed a monument be built, housing all the bones and skills of the excavated corpses. As I walked up the white steps, worn from the shoes being carefully removed before stepping on the premises in respect, the smell of incense deeper into my clothing. A familiar feeling. Recorded chants filled the air and tourists were squatting down to get a better look at the bloodied clothing, stripped from their owners decades ago. 

*Personal note* I had filmed the monument and this tour, taken pictures and such, but later tonight had deleted them all. It was too much to witness once more.*

For lunch, we'd gone to a Khmer restaurant called SWAG. Turn of events, am I right? Lunch was very tasty! The traditional foods, not sure what's it called, required us to be very immersive with our dishes and active with our tablemates! <3 Quite bougie, I may add. 

For our final day of shopping, we entered...the Aeon Mall. The place was YUGE! Takoyaki - 4 for $1? SIGN ME UP. 

Finally, we got to end our day with phở and ice cream for our sister Lucy's birthday ^-^ 

I apologise for nothing for this long blog post :D Today was a long day, not gonna lie. Blessed *sigh* to be with this family. Thank you, to Pastor Hung's family. It is finished.

Regaining our posture,

Justin H. Nguyễn

Cambodia Day 8/17 and 8/18

Hello everyone ~ Yesterday was an amazing day! The team finished sharing the Creation to Christ story (the Gospel) and had an altar call. We asked if there were any kids that would like to accept Christ into their lives to raise their hands and the team would pray for those kids. To my surprise, a lot of kids raised their hands up to accept Christ into their lives. Although majority of the kids were still very young and probably didn't understand the Gospel, the team and I were still joyful for them. We did the best that we could. We planted those seeds in their lives. We believe that there will soon come a day when they fully know who Christ is and truly accept Him as their Lord and Savior. As of now, even a hint of curiosity can spark interest. 

Today was our last full day of ministry here with the kids. We started our day with singing and dancing. It still gets me every time! The kids are so precious <3 Every single time when we sing and dance to "Great Big God", whenever we get to the part where the lyrics say:

 

"And He's known me, and He's loved me. Since before the world began. How wonderful to be a part of God's amazing plan" 

The kids would shout out those lyrics to the top of their lungs, jump and dance to their fullest! It's beautiful to see the kids proclaiming that their Heavenly Father knows them and loves each and every single one of them. After we had finished worship, MS Hung and Co Trang went up and prayed for the team. We then reviewed the terms that we taught them by playing charades with them. We had so much fun! We then had lunch, went back to class, said our farewells and passed out snack packages that the team prepared for the kids. Then that time came; it was time to say our farewells to the little ones. Although it was a very sad moment, I was happy that I will see some of them again this Sunday for church. As for the rest of the day, the team and I spent our time talking to MS Hung and Co Trang's family. We grew closer like a family. We were able to shared our burdens, worries, and joy with one another. Even though my time here in Cambodia is coming to an end, I can sincerely say that it has truly been a blessing! Through all the emotional and physical drainage as well as sickness that I underwent, I would say that it's all worth it. The joy that came out from this trip far outweighs all the struggles. God has taught me a lot of patience and love to the kids. 

Please continue to pray for the kids, MS Hung and Co Trang's family, and finally, for the team. 

His glory our reward, 

- Lucy (Thanh) ^-^

Thao / Praise Reports & Prayer Requests

I had some hesitations about returning to Cambodia this year. I wasn’t sure exactly what to teach, how to interact with the family, and how receptive the kids will be towards the teaching of the Creation to Christ story. All I knew for certain is that I was called to come back this year. There were so many last-minute unexpected changes that made my frustrations escalate. Even as I got in the plane, everything that is happening feels surreal to me. But God is faithful to provide. He answered all of my concerns and requests step by step. I’m very grateful of Pastor Hung’s ministry and to be part of the team going this year. It was tough with the sweltering heat and almost half of the team being sick even before we started our mission. But as each day I see a change, dedication, and flexibility of each member. I love how each member was able to adapt to the lessons quickly and be able make the lessons his/her own, adding his/her own flare and found creative ways to engage the kids. I see the family opening up to the team as we bond with the family through conversations, singing, and games. We were given more chores and responsibilities around the house, and we know that we are no longer considered guests but truly part of Pastor Hung and Co Trang’s family. Even though all of us are home sick and have some kind of sickness in us, we are savoring each moment that we still have with the ministry here in Cambodia. As we share the story of the gospel please pray that we will accurately share the gospel in a simple way for the kids to understand and be able to repent and turn back to Jesus Christ. May it not just be a fun day but a day filled with the power and conviction of the Holy Spirit working in each of these children’s heart to be receptive to the calling that we are to give tomorrow. Please keep us in your prayers!

- Thao

Praise Reports
 - Most members in our team is regaining health and strength.
 - Connecting with MS Hung’s family and getting involved in their daily tasks and responsibilities at home: cleaning the school, setting up table and chairs for the next day, preparing and cleaning up after each meal, opening up conversations with different members in the household (learning practical examples and application from their personal experiences), doing laundry for the family and team members, helping the family with any tasks needed to be done.
 - The majority of kids who have not heard of the gospel are receptive to the Creation to Christ story. Today, we are finished with the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Prayer Requests
- Continue to pray for our team’s health as we are finishing the last leg of this mission trip; please be in prayer for our sister Lucy to have Godspeed recovery from her stomach pain.
- Pray for the family as we spend the last couple of days here to really bond with the family and get to spend quality time with each member of the family; please be in prayer for the prayer requests of Pastor Hung and Co Trang’s ministry, the school Love of Christ Sen Sok, and for us as a team to understand the politics and the election year in Cambodia.
- Pray for the kids who are currently learning about the gospel through the Creation to Christ story that they will come to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior one day.

Cambodia Missions Week 1 UPDATE (Jerry)

Hey all!

     We've officially completed a week's worth of our mission here in Cambodia. We're halfway through :)! This past week, we spent roughly 6 hours a day (Mon - Fri) teaching English to the children that Pastor Hung and his wife ministers to here at Sen Sok. We have been teaching the kids about God's character, the story of Adam and Eve, and the ten commandments. Originally, our team was preparing for months on teaching the kids the Creation to Christ story but Pastor Hung specifically needed us to teach the kids of the ten commandments. Although we weren't sure why, we adjusted our lesson plans and came up with some really great ideas to keep the kids engaged while maximizing their learning. 

      Today during Sunday service... I think I understood why Pastor Hung instructed us to teach the kids the ten commandments. He preached to the congregation (composed mostly of the children, our team, and his family) on Mark 10:17-27. This famous passage is about the wealthy man, who had motives of boasting his righteousness, asking Jesus what must he do to inherit eternal life. Jesus responds to him by listing some of the ten commandments as to which the rich man answers that he have kept the spoken commandments since the days of his youth. Jesus then, knowing the man's heart and what he lacks, asks him that in order to inherit eternal life... the man must sell all his possessions to give to the poor and to follow Him. It is very hard for the rich to enter the kingdom of God than a camel passing through the eye of a needle. Pastor Hung wanted to make sure the kids really understand the ten commandments before sharing the importance of how following Christ triumphs the law as He is the way to eternal life. For these kids to just hear "follow Christ" without knowing what the commandments were would have left many of them confused.

      This leads me to my next reflection. Through the many translation-assisted conversations that I've had with Pastor Hung, one thing he said really challenged me as a Christian. It is extremely crucial for us as Christians to know all of the Old Testament so that we may wholly grasp the fullness of the Gospel. Pastor Hung warned that reading the New Testament without knowing the history and background leading up to Christ is very dangerous. I have been convicted to renew my understanding of the Old Testament by reading more of it rather than just New Testament scripture for my devotions. 

      Lastly on Saturday, our team traveled with Pastor Hung along with three of his daughters to share the Gospel at three different ministries within the Kampong Chhnang province (literally an hour or so away from Pastor Hoang's ministry with the boat village people a year prior). Our team performed a skit on the book of Jonah. Our intention was to help those that we encounter to acknowledge their sins and repent just as Jonah shared God's message to the Ninevites. After the skit, we had a period of Q&A to make sure the children understood the story. Following a time of prayer and repentance, we then proceeded to gift each and every child a bag of snacks, each containing a gospel animation booklet serving to further proclaim Jesus Christ as the savior. I truly pray that God soften the hearts of the children we've encountered and make known to them the mystery of His Gospel. I'm very encouraged that our team was able to enthusiastically and boldly share His word this weekend!

      I want to thank everybody back at home for praying for our team's health and well-being. I've had a lingering cough, perhaps a respiratory infection, for about 6 weeks now but through your prayers and God's grace... I'm feeling a lot better! I remember earlier this week as I was receiving some medication for my sickness, I was doubtful that I'd be cured... Strangely, I've somehow recovered tremendously this past week! Some of our other team members were sick early during the week but have begun feeling better as well! 

Please continue to pray for:

- Our team to trust in the Holy Spirit as we teach and love on the kids this upcoming week.

- Strength for Pastor Hung and his family to continue sharing the Gospel and doing ministry.

- God to break down the hardened hearts of the parents of the children whom Pastor Hung ministers to so that they may receive Christ.

- For the seeds to be firmly planted and grow fruitfully in the hearts of the children we witnessed to yesterday as well as the children whom we are currently teaching English at Sen Sok so that they may be the future generation of Christians in Cambodia.

Thanks for taking the time to read up and follow what God is doing through our team in Cambodia this year. I'll post another update next week! Soli deo gloria!

- Jerry

QUICK UPDATE! (8/12/17)

Hey everyone! Thanks for praying for our team as we reside in Cambodia for the two weeks. Praise the Lord for allowing our team to finish the first week of ministry, as we teach the children English (Creation of Christ story), actively spending time with Pastor Hung and his family, and to the blasting in the beloved hot and humid weather each day.

For prayer requests: today, on Saturday August 12th at 5:30am, our team will be spending the whole day to visit 3 ministries with Pastor Hung in the Kong Rei and Kampong Chhnang Providence - exploring and pioneering with Pastor Hung's connections to serve the Cambodian/Vietnamese people living in Cambodia. Please pray for our trip! The commute will take 2.5 hours from Phnom Penh to the provinces, and another 2.5 hour back (this includes the boat and car ride to the different locations of ministries). Pray for our team's spirit to be joyful in meeting the people and the children, and also for a Godspeed recovery from sickness of some members because we endure some physical tiredness during the past week. We also need prayer as we share the Gospel to the children and adults about the story of Jonah (the process of listening, obeying, and repenting) in Kong Rei and Kampong Chhnang Providence.

We've received strength from your prayers and encouraging messages, so please continue to shower us with your prayers and support during our time in Cambodia!

His glory, our reward,

Jeremiah

*Updates coming soon from today's trip!

Cambodia Recap (Abridged Ver.)

Hello fellow supporters,

This is your least favorite person blogging to you right now, An! Hahaha just kidding, but I will be recapping my experience in Cambodia thus far. Upon my arrival to Cambodia I found myself not really coming to the realization that I was in Cambodia, it still didn't even hit me when I arrived to MS Hung's house oddly enough. Not until I finally found myself in front of the many faces I saw last year, aka the children, was I able to find myself truly in Cambodia again for missions. This experience has been fairly similar as last year with a few minimal differences. Although I thoroughly found myself enjoying my time in Siem Riep last year, staying here for two weeks doesn't seem like it will be too bad. Our team was given the opportunity to meet with the pastor in charge of Siem Riep's vision mission, but we decided against meeting if it meant inconvenience to both of the pastors which did make me feel pretty sad but it was for the best. If I were to be called to go again next year I would be more than happy to see the pastor again since my experience and life changed through my mission over there.

On a brighter note, my experience back in Cambodia has been a good one but I did however have unfortunately gotten sick. D: It equals an annoying throat, headache, and uncomfortable stomach. Although that's the case for me, I have been able to cope it with Co Trang's wonderful hospitality in providing me lemonade to help me get rid of it sooner and her delicious food, such as her chao ga (chicken rice porridge). My fellow member has been getting bit like there's no tomorrow but he's dealing with it, please pray for him. Please also pray for Jerry, Henry, Lucy, and myself as we are sick and not feeling super awesome.

Teaching the children has been very easy thus far, we have so far taught the children the fall of man as well as the first five commandments. Tomorrow Justin and I will be teaching the rest of the commandments and we found ourselves having to teach the children cynical/dark terms that come from them, such as steal, murder, jealousy, and lying. Please pray for us in teaching the children and how we work together as a team. I miss being at home at times, but of course being with my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ has been helpful and a blessing.

 Thank you all for your wonderful support and prayers. ^u^

Week 1 Day 2/3

Good afternoon in Cambodia, Justin here. Thanks for coming to our daily blog, reader! Today, we've been very blessed to continue the mission program with the children: teaching them 8 new terms, in accordance with the Creation to Christ story, and helping them understand the lavished Grace of God! It's been a rollercoaster of emotion amongst our team members. To say the least, we've been challenged physically and emotionally with this year's kids. They sure are a wild bunch! And yet, the push continues forward! 

As a little visualization for you, here's a typical morning in the Kingdom of Cambodia. *Ahem* The sky slowly sheds its nighttime cloak, unveiling a navy blue as the goats bleat and the mopeds honk. The team slowly gathering in Jeremiah's room, we begin our morning with worship. Jerry strums his guitar and our voices fill the hallways with notes of song. 

 Afterwards, the topic of devotion is then turned to Ephesians (which is our current focus) as we learn about the mystery of the Gospel, why we've been called to make disciples of all nations and how different cultures have come together through Christ. 

 A little bit of time to wash up and it's breakfast at Cô Trang's! Eggs and bread have been able to fuel our energy levels for a long time, believe it or not. MS Hùng and Co Trang eagerly share 3xperi3nces and provide answers to any of our questions from the evening before as we pass and munch on the white bread and sunny-side eggs. As if we needed more sun -_- JK~! 

 It's time to sing His songs again! (Geddit) 10,000 reasons to get up and join in with the children and they laugh, sing, and play with the lyrics is truly a aight to behold in the chapel. As the commotion settles, two team members begin the English lessons of the day. It varies between reviewing and learning but we manage it very smoothly! :D 

 Near noon, it's lunchtime and the mealtime stories with MS Hùng begin once more. The children play in the playground, wash up for lunch and nap. As do the teachers :P Around 1:00, session 2 begins and, despite a shorter time period, the children are raring to continue learning until the day ends (at 3). Hugs are exchanged, high fives run rampant, and the team breathes a little easier~ 

Today, for Day 3, we're doing something a little different. Henry and Jerry are in charge for session 2 and it goes like this:

=> The children are separated into 5 groups and each teacher is a station leader. The first 5 commandments are discussed amongst each station and the teachers rotate. It's just like VBS! A slice of life in Phnom Penh~

And there you have it! A day of ministry in Cambodia. Now reader, you have a choice. Either you click [X] and leave here with a solemn goodbye...or continue to read about our prayer requests! ;)

So, our team has been hit quite heavily a bit with sickness. (tis but a tickle in the throat and phlegm). Prayers for our Warriors in Christ is needed. Also, spiritual warfare is very prevalent and is knocking on our door. Please pray for boldness and confidence in the Spirit (Ephs. Ch. 3) as we keep you guys back at home, the mission homefield, in mind as well. 

His glory our reward

~ Justin H. Nguyễn

 

Update & Prayer Requests

Hi everyone (prayer warriors, supporters, etc), 

We are doing well! God is good!! Today begin the first day of teaching the Creation to Christ Story to the children. Majority of them do not understand the whole context of the story, so we have divided into segments for the children to understand. Each lesson has broken into the four concepts of the Gospel: God's Creation, the Fall of Man, Redemption of Jesus Christ, and the Restoration of Response. 

Thankfully the Lord has blessed us with a tremendous serving and loving team who are flexible and willing. This year, Pastor Hung has chosen to spend time with our group more by observing, training, and teaching how to interpret the Word correctly, and opening up to share life story with our team (same with his wife Co Trang). I know today our team was dealing with tiredness from teaching the first day and this is only the beginning with more to do. So continue to keep us in your prayers with these in mind:

- Pray for steadfast strength for our team especially our health. A few members are dealing with physical sickness and fatigue (Jerry, Henry, and the sisters). We need physical rest to prepare for the rest of the week. 

- Pray for our team to be listening ears for Pastor Hung and Co Trang and their family. They have gone through tough situations since we visited them last year. They have invited us to view their lens of life and welcome us to empathy with their personal experiences and sufferings. We all realized this is encouraging to walk beside each of them, by seeing how God's character displays in light of him through them. 

- Pray our team to be humbling servants to the ministry to glorify the Lord in Cambodia. 

- Pray for the children. Every time, we return, they're an abundant of joy! Energetic, bold, and thriving to learn. More importantly, they want to be loved. Pray they will understand why God desires a relationship with them. Pray for the children to be teachable people as the Gospel is shared to them through the Creation of Christ Story. They are learning the Fall of Man tomorrow, learning sin and separation from the Most High God. Pray the children may understand what is sin. 

- Affirmation: I'm really thankful of my teammates. They are willing to take steps for risking their live and time and I'm encourage more solely to see how they are refine through out the day daily mission especially their character to reflect love and giving. Every single person is unique and special in their ways. To my team, great job and continue to rely on the Spirit and being a blessing in Cambodia. 

Well it's Monday August 7th at 11:15p, I'm off to bed and preparing the team devotion at 6a. Thank you for reading and praying for us. We appreciate the prayers because we know the Lord is with us because of his goodness and grace, but also you encourage us by sending us out to Cambodia to invest the people and allow the lost to know Christ. 

And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. - Ephesians 1:22-23

His glory, our reward, 

Jeremiah 

Week 1 Day 1 (Recap)

Good moooorrrning Cambodia! Thank the Lord for His lavished Grace for a safe touchdown here in Phnom Penh and a welcomed stay in MS Hùng's home with his family. Speaking of family, the team is running smoothly! One of the first questions that comes to mind when you step out of the airport and into the bustle of the city is "Where's the nearest water fountain?" I'm just kidding! No, personally speaking, as I smelled the incense (yep, quite strong) and heard the chants of the cremation ceremony, I realized I've been asking myself the question "What gives these children of Cambodia - even adults - true joy in their worlds apart if they don't have the love of Christ?" Today, in the first week of the first day of ministry, I saw the answer: In the adoring eyes of the children as they sang and danced with the team, the tears in Cô Trang's eyes as she wept her stories of her experience and ministry during dinner, and the passion our team poured into English lessons of the Creation to Christ story.

Case in point, this was how Christ was being represented by the 2017 Cambodia team from my perspective. I pray you guys are keeping us, MS Hùng's family, and the people of Cambodia in your prayers! More updates coming right at your way soon! :)

Justin (Huy)

Cambodia 2017 Team

Flying out on Saturday 5th at 1:30a!

See you soon TAIPEI, we'll update you!

Greeting Cambodia 2017

Greeting supporters and prayer warriors, 

Most of us are arriving to LAX right now. Others are departing towards the destination. We are finally here to be send out into the harvest of Cambodia. Please pray for my teammates and I (group of 7 consist of 4 brothers and 3 sisters). The team is composed: Jerry, Henry, Justin, Thao, Lucy, An, and myself. This year's mission trip is venturing out to see how the Gospel will be spread as we spend 2 full weeks (August 5th to August 21st in Cambodia. Keep us in your prayers and thoughts especially the people and country as well. The blog will be updated throughout the trip with our personal experiences, updates, and prayer requests. 

We are flying out at 1:30a. I'll post a photo of our team once we all arrive together. God has brought us here today, he's been faithful through cultivated our character and team unity to prepare for this trip, and provided abundantly for funds. I'm excited! So thank you once again for partnering TLC to send a team to work with Pastor Hung and the ministries in Cambodia. 

"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." (‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭3:20-21‬)

His glory is our reward!

Jeremiah