March 19, 2007

Hello again from Cambodia! Jennifer and I are doing well in the Lord!

We recently purchased a small parcel of land close to the church for $1,930. It measures 10 meters (32 ft) wide by 50 meters long (165 ft). We have begun work on a wall around the property which is the common practice in Cambodia. They have about 10 days of work left.

After the wall is finished we plan to add about 2 meters deep of dirt to the whole property. The area is a bit low lying so we need to raise it up. After that we hope to begin construction of a small house. Please pray the Lord would provide for all our needs.

The work continues on in the church and the school. The students seem to have adjusted to their new teachers (me and Jenn) and are doing well. Jennifer is sorting through the market place like a pro and cooking up some tasty dishes. One of them is a stir fry dish with pineapple, tomatoes, onions, bell pepper, pork, salt and sugar. It tastes really good!

I am doing well too. The Lord has been helping me as usual to see myself as weak and Him as the mighty God that he is. What a wonderful savior is Jesus my Lord! Chheng and I are really working well together and I’m truly happy in my daily tasks. Please Pray the blessing of God will be upon me, that I might be fruitful.

We had a doctor checkup the other day for Jennifer’s precious cargo. We were able to see the tiny flicker of the baby’s heart and actually we heard it too all via ultra sound. Oh the marvels of modern technology! They said Jennifer and the baby are doing great!

Grace and Peace to you all,
Bill

March 12, 2007

Hello everyone! We are doing well in the Lord. Jennifer is doing well so far with the pregnancy. She has had some mild nausea when she has an empty stomach but for the most part is feeling well. She has a doctors appointment on Thursday morning. I am also feeling good, though I will need to buy some new pants soon. I have lost about 12 pounds since we have moved here. Don't worry though, I still have about 10 pounds of reserves. But in the words of my brother, I'll be lean and mean very soon.

The work here is difficult in many ways. There is the constant sound of monks praying over the loud speaker, bugs that have infiltrated every part of our house, idols on every corner, dust which coats everythings we own, and the ever present heat. Not to mention the difficult work of sharing the Gospel in a country which is entrenched in "Justification by works." Additionally, recently I have had some mild rumors of threats against my person. Apparently it's some youngsters who think they are tough to breathe threats against the "Big" American. None of these have been face to face, just hearsay. Nevertheless we have decided to stay indoors after dark for a while. We are not overly worried but we have not taken it lightly either. We have filed a police report with the local authorities and they said they would keep an eye on us. We prayed for the boys and we committed ourselves to the Lord's protection.

All these things we knew would happen and would be part of working in Cambodia. This country is difficult to work in. But they need the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. We want them to repent, worship and give thanks to the Lord of Glory. We are not deterred in the least from our mission to bring Him to the people. We are happy! We know that the Lord's blessing is upon us and this fills us with the joy of the Lord!

The Lord has been working among the people. We have been sharing the Gospel around the villages every Saturday afternoon and we have had five steady visitors as a result of these efforts, two of which I think are close to repentance if not already. Thank the Lord for his mercy as we know it's not the man who wills or runs but God who has mercy.

Please continue to pray for us, the churches, and for the people of Cambodia.


God Bless,
Bill

March 2, 2007

I have had some opportunities to keep up on my laptop repair skills lately. This laptop had a problem with the mouse and touch pad. I am glad to have had the time learning to repair computers, setting up networks, and troubleshooting problems. In fact I'm glad to have worked in pavement repair and placement as well.

Actually, I have worked in many different jobs for different seasons of my life. Most of the time I moved on to a new job because I physically moved to a new city, although some of the time I changed because the new job was an upgrade from the old job. Here is a list of my various jobs in order:

Spoonemore's Office Supply - delivery
Kmart - Electronics
Chevron Gas Station
Famous Footwear
Holograms Inc.
Pizza Hut - delivery
Ryder Moving Truck Reservations
Lawn Maintenance
Youth Minister
Home Depot - Paint
Vail Construction - Pavement Repair
Logos Consulting - Network Engineer

and my current role as a missionary to Cambodia. At various times I wondered why the Lord had me in a certain job because I could not see how it fit in with the big picture. With some of them I am still unsure of the role they played. Some I thought to be "important" and others just a "job."

But we must not grumble against the Lord's good providence in our employment lest we believe that we are better equiped to be calling the shots. We know that He is the potter and we are the clay. We know from the scriptures that God is at work in us to will and to do according to His good pleasure. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

That is an encouraging thought.


In Christ,
Bill