The Record Family

“And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

Since the second half of 2022, our family’s finances have been getting tighter and tighter (for context see our last two updates at www.sgwm.com/record). At one point, our financial situation looked so bleak that we thought that we might have to leave the field by June due to a lack of funds. On top of that, we had a lot of unexpected expenses and upcoming travel expenses. It looked like we would just barely be able to visit California this summer but we would not be able to visit Missouri. But God had other plans and through the miraculous generosity of donors we know personally and even those whom we have never met, God has supplied enough funding for our immediate needs (car repairs/medical expenses, etc.) and travel to California (June 6-August 1) with a trip to Missouri (June 28-July 12)! We have never experienced miraculous provision like this before! We are truly grateful to God and all those who have made and continue to make it possible for us to serve as missionaries in Cambodia.

Now that our immediate needs have been met, we can focus our prayers on our long-term needs: funds to launch Benjamin into his life in the USA in 2027 and savings for us to be able to continue ministering after our senders retire or pass away.

Ministry Update

I finished teaching an eight-week Christian Foundations Sunday school class at the international church. We discussed essential apologetics topics such as the existence of God, the truth of the Bible, and the Resurrection. The students were from China, Ethiopia, Fiji, the Netherlands, Tajikistan, and the USA/Japan. We had a great time and the students want me to offer another class after the USA trip or next year. I also preach in the main service about once a month. I continue mentoring a younger Cambodian pastor and have spoken on faith and leadership over the past couple of months at his Cambodian church. I continue editing the English for Light Times Magazine, the only Christian magazine in Cambodia. I also have been helping Precious Women Organization produce videos of their clients and staff in the Cambodian language with English subtitles. Lord willing, I will be able to start producing apologetics/evangelistic videos in the Cambodian language as I have in the past in the near future.

Kayo continues to serve as a board member/administrator at Precious Women Organization. She also leads the women’s ministry at the international church. She is applying for a part-time job to offset Benjamin’s increasing educational and other long-term expenses.

In Christ’s Love,

Darryl, Kayo, and Benjamin

“And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD.” 2 Kings 19:14

I always thought that King Hezekiah went to the house of the LORD alone but somehow the event and the contents of the letter were put into the Bible. Sometimes we just have to spread our situations out before the LORD so that we can praise Him boldly when He meets our needs. In this update, I will spread our situation out before the LORD.

Budget Breakthrough!

Last month, when I wrote the last update, we were in the midst of trying to figure out our mission budget for 2023 and beyond, but no matter what we did to save money or raise money, we were still short around $600 monthly. Kayo projected that we would be forced to leave Cambodia for lack of funds by June. We prayed for a few days and then God guided us on what changes to make so that our budget balances (just barely)!

Now that we have cut our budget to the maximum it is clear that we need more income. We don’t know whether God will provide through more donations and/or earning income on our part, we are knocking on all the doors to see what He does. We need more income for one-time expenses (medical/car repairs etc.), saving money to launch Benjamin in the USA in only four more years, and saving money so that we can continue to minister as many of our key senders retire or go to heaven.

Blessings in the Midst of Breakdowns!

In January our printer/scanner broke down but we couldn’t replace it because of lack of funds. At the end of January, I had an ear infection and at the beginning of February Benjamin had severe food poisoning and neither of these expenses were covered by insurance. Then in February, our rice/pressure cooker caught on fire so we had to replace that (Asian households must have rice 🙂 ). Kayo accidentally spilled tea on her laptop and it stopped working, but God heard our prayers and it started working again the next day! All four tires and a wheel bearing on our 1997 Camry had to be replaced. We still need to rebuild the rear suspension and the transmission is beginning to feel worn. While getting my tires replaced, I met a Cambodian-American man and was able to share my testimony and invite him to church. He attended the Christian Foundations/Apologetics Sunday school class I am teaching and part of the service. Please pray for more opportunities to reach out to him. Finally, Kayo’s filling fell out of her tooth. A year ago, when something similar happened the dentist’s bill was $1,200 but this time it was only $45! So, God protected and blessed us once again.

Ministry Update

In February, I started teaching an apologetics/evangelistic Sunday school class at the international church. The first week no one attended but now we have between five and ten (believers and non-believers) who are getting equipped and gaining confidence in the truth of the Bible as their doubts are answered. Please pray for God to use this class to draw the non-believers to himself. I also finished teaching the Apologetics class at a Bible school founded by Korean missionaries. I continue to help make testimony videos for Precious Women Organization and edit articles for Light Times Magazine.

Kayo has also been very busy with serving as a board member/administration work/leading devotions at Precious Women Organization, a local organization that evangelizes and retrains women who work in bars, etc. She also started a thriving women’s ministry primarily among foreign women at the international church.

USA Trip

I don’t have much to update about our planned trip to the USA between June 6 and August 1. The California part of the trip is for sure (we already bought the tickets), but I am growing increasingly doubtful that we will be able to afford the Missouri part of the trip unless there is some major financial breakthrough between now and then. Please pray for God to open and close all the right doors so that the trip is according to His perfect will.

In Christ’s Love,

Darryl, Kayo, and Benjamin

“Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.” 1 Samuel 17:45

Visit to the USA

As each new year started since 2019, we kept asking ourselves, “Is this the year that we can visit our loved ones in the USA or Japan?” In 2021 and 2021, the answer was “No.” Finally, in 2022 we could visit Japan for the first time since 2018. Finally, the doors have opened for us to visit the USA! We have booked tickets to arrive in California (Los Angeles/San Bernardino/Orange County areas) between June 6 and August 1. Lord willing, we want to also travel to Missouri (St. Louis area) but we are waiting for some more doors to open for that trip. We are looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible. We also need to take care of some legal/banking business things while in the USA as well.

Please contact us by e-mail or Messenger if you think you might be able to meet us so that we can start thinking about our schedule. We may not be able to contact you because the contact information we have for many of you may be out of date or buried in 4-year-old emails. We are available to meet individually or in groups etc.

Ministry Update

Ministry in Cambodia has gotten increasingly busy and fruitful. From December 22 to February 9, I have been teaching Christian Apologetics every Thursday morning at a Cambodian seminary founded by Korean missionaries. On December 31, I spoke on “True Joy in the Midst of Suffering” at a local Cambodian church’s New Year’s/Christmas celebration. I continue to co-teach the Chinese ministry’s English/Bible class at the international church, and on January 22, I preached on Isaiah 28 “Christ the Cornerstone” at the main service. I also continue to edit English articles for Light Times Magazine and help produce and edit videos for Precious Women Organization.

Kayo has been busy with Precious Women Organization as a board member, leading devotions for the staff and clients, helping with administrative work, and preparing and organizing Precious Women’s booth for the Centennial Celebration (see photo above). As many as 30,000 Cambodians and foreign Christians and non-Christians gathered for the event (FEBC Australia). Special guests/speakers included the Prime Minister and other top government officials. She also is busy in planning, organizing, and starting the Women’s ministry at the international church.

Financial “Goliath” Situation

For a few years now, our monthly donations have not met our monthly expenses but God provided enough one-time donations/stimulus to keep our account balanced. However, since COVID, the one-time donations/stimulus have not been able to keep up with our monthly expenses. At its worst, our financial reserves/savings were draining at a rate of around $1,500 per month. Our accounts are now at an 18-year low and so we must take action.

To correct this problem, so far, we have been able to raise $400 monthly and cut our expenses by around $550 monthly by getting cheaper health insurance. These provisions and the fruitfulness of our ministries encourage us that God wants us to continue serving in Cambodia. We still need to raise/cut/earn (locally through part-time work) approximately $550 (or more) monthly in order to continue our ministry in Cambodia. There are drawbacks to cutting expenses further or attempting to earn more money here in Cambodia in terms of our effectiveness in ministry here. We also recognize and are grateful for the fact that many of our most faithful senders have already maxed out their capacity to give. Right now, we don’t see any open doors in any direction so we can only LOOK UP!

Please pray for wisdom and provision from whatever sources God wants to provide. This is a “Goliath” situation and so ultimately, only God can make a way for us. He has brought us through even more serious trials than this and so we trust Him to carry us through this trial as well!

In Christ’s Hands,

Darryl, Kayo, and Benjamin

Then Mary said, “…let it be to me according to your word.” Luke 1:38

…”Father if it is your will, take this cup from me; nevertheless, not my will but yours be done.” Luke 22:42

Sooner or later, as Christians, we are forced to say to God, “not my will.” We have to trust Him to do what is best for us even if it goes against all our desires. So far, December has been a month of great blessings and, to be honest, great stress all at the same time. Here is an example of both happening at the same exact time!

Every year, at this time, we must renew our Cambodian visas so that we can legally live and work in the country. Each year, the process seems to get more difficult in terms of the documents required. After returning from a prayer meeting, my visa agent informed me that we didn’t have the right tax document for renewal. I asked our organizations if they had the requested document and they both said that they didn’t. Without renewal, we might have been forced to exit the country by January 1 in order to obey the law.

Kayo had peace that somehow we would be able to find a way to renew our visas. I didn’t! I could only sleep 30 minutes that night. Finally, I came to the conclusion with God that even if we had to leave Cambodia permanently on January 1, He would take care of us and that He was not finished using us for His purposes. I was still stressed but I at least had my conviction of God’s sovereignty and goodness.

The next morning, I had an appointment with Dara, a younger Cambodian pastor who helps me translate the scripts for my International Fishers apologetics/evangelistic videos into the Cambodian language. I got to the coffee shop early so I mobilized prayer for our visa situation via Facebook and Messenger. I also connected Soksan, the founder of Light Times magazine, who studied law but has not yet taken the Cambodia bar exam, with the visa agent to discuss our situation and “fight” for us.

Meanwhile, Pastor Dara, told me that his church is full of young professionals and college students who have apologetics-related questions about the faith. He invited me to speak on True Joy and Suffering at his church’s Christmas/New Year celebration on December 31. We are also planning to meet bi-weekly and partner together to equip him and his church to be stronger in evangelism and apologetics. I have been hoping and waiting for opportunities like this for many years. Some short-term opportunities to partner have opened up in the past but this seems to be a long-term opportunity! As soon as the meeting was over and I arrived at our apartment’s parking area, I received a message from Soksan that the government would accept the tax document that we already had and that they would renew our visas! Soksan said, “God has planned for you to stay.” This brought tears of joy to my eyes!

Here is a brief rundown of some of the ministries that we have been involved in since the last update. Kayo continues to serve on the advisory board, help with administration, and teach the Bible and life skills at Precious Women organization. I continue to help make testimonial videos in Cambodian with English subtitles for them. Light Times Magazine has a new issue coming out this month so I was active in editing the English part of this bilingual magazine. I will start teaching Apologetics at a Cambodian seminary, founded by Korean missionaries, weekly, starting on December 22, so I am preparing for that. I received approval to start a Christian Foundations (apologetics-based) Sunday School class at the international church starting in February so please pray for the promotion and preparation process for that 7-9 week class. I will have to take a break from the Chinese ministry during that time due to a schedule overlap. I also will speak at the international church on January 22. Kayo is transitioning from the worship team to developing and starting a women’s ministry at the international church as well. Benjamin has been informally debating and witnessing to a classmate at his international Christian school who has turned to atheism. Please pray for all these ministries!

Summer 2023 Visit to the USA

We have not been able to visit the USA since 2019 due to COVID. In addition to visiting family and friends in California and Missouri etc., we need to take care of some financial/legal arrangements as well. So, we really need (and want!) to visit the USA this summer. The challenge is that our finances at this time are pretty weak both in terms of funding for the trip and our long-term financial situation. We are looking for ways to cut our expenses and we are also trusting God to provide the funds we need in His way. We believe that God will make a way to overcome this situation (and others we face too!)

In Christ’s Love!

Merry Christmas!

Darryl, Kayo, and Benjamin

“Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy.” Psalm 126:5 NKJV

We are in a new season of life and ministry now in Cambodia. It took a while to get going because of a two-week non-Covid sickness for Benjamin and myself but now we are all healthy and are getting into the new season.

I have been active in editing English articles for the bilingual Light Times Magazine. I also wrote an article for the upcoming issue entitled, “How Can We Give the Gift of Life-Long Faith to Our Children?” I also helped connect the founder Soksan with a major international Christian magazine/website that invited him to be a freelance writer, but I am not sure if he has the time or energy to pursue that direction or not.

I continue to help Precious Women Organization to make videos of the testimonies of their staff and clients in Khmer with English subtitles. These videos are quite inspiring. Here is one of the two videos we have finished so far. https://youtu.be/9JZPhoLUYMY

I have not been able to produce or release any new Apologetics/Evangelistic videos in the Cambodian language since my last update. However, God arranged a divine appointment for me to meet another Christian media ministry here in Cambodia at a local coffee shop. They took copies of all of my old videos (56 total!) and scripts in the Cambodian language and they will distribute them to their audience! Distributing videos on social media has become less fruitful since Covid ended here.

I am also gearing up to teach Apologetics again starting in December at a local seminary sponsored by Korean missionaries. Kayo and I are also considering opportunities to reach out to, equip, and encourage other expats through the international church.

Kayo continues to be very active in various roles at Precious Women Organization. She is also active in the worship team at church. Benjamin continues to do well as an eighth grader at a Christian international school.

We are also looking forward to visiting the USA next summer. I will probably start making plans in January. Right now, I am in the process of renewing our Cambodian visas. Please pray for a smooth path in this process.

In Christ’s Hands,

Darryl, Kayo, and Benjamin

“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18

This verse has been on my heart a lot lately. Especially, from the middle of August to the beginning of September when Benjamin and Kayo were sick with C0VID. By God’s grace, I never had any symptoms so either I was immune or asymptomatic. Despite the discomfort and inconvenience of those weeks, I felt thankful. 1. We didn’t catch it when the symptoms were more severe. 2. We didn’t catch it when the government required hospitalization which could have led to extremely expensive and/or uncomfortable situations for multiple weeks. 3. We had friends here who were willing and available to help us as needed. 4. Others around the globe covered us with prayer.

Before the sickness, I was able to edit and release one video in the Cambodian language entitled: Can Christians Take Medicine? which gives a Biblical perspective on medicine and medical treatment. I also researched and wrote the script for another video, Is Faith Belief Without Any Evidence? I am almost finished with editing this video and will release it soon.

Now that C0VID has reduced in Cambodia, I have been sensing the need to pursue more in-person/team-based ministries. I will continue making apologetics/evangelistic videos in the Cambodian language, probably about one per month instead of the three per month that I was making when I could not do most in-person ministries due to restrictions. For example, I have agreed to make two videos per month to help Precious Women Organization in partnership with their staff. I have also started helping a Cambodian/Filipino missionary couple develop Bible-based teaching posters/banners for the churches they help in the countryside. There are other in-person projects/partnerships that are still in the development stages that I will share about when I have more information.

Please pray for wisdom, strength, and health for all of us so that we can maximize the opportunities that God is giving us during this season. Lord willing, we are planning to visit the USA next summer, so please also pray for open doors and provision for that trip as well.

In Christ’s Hands,

Darryl, Kayo, and Benjamin

“Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are also doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11

We spent from June 13 to August 2 in Japan. We had a blessed time there! We were able to visit and share our ministry at more than a dozen churches (and a Bible School) all over Japan. We were also blessed to be able to spend some quality time with old friends and make new friends.

Benjamin spearheaded two long conversations about Christianity with his non-Christian grandparents in Hiroshima. He also helped me edit some of the articles for Light Times Magazine’s first print edition since before COVID forced the magazine into online-only for more than a year. He also taught himself quite a bit of Japanese from a book and only asked Kayo’s help when he got stuck. Now that we have returned to Cambodia he has started 8th grade at Hope School.

There was a new openness to and interest in my Apologetics/Evangelistic materials in Japanese and English. I was able to share materials with a few individuals and the Bible school we visited. Please pray that they will be contextualized and translated into the Japanese language as needed.

Kayo was the busiest of all in Japan. She was kept busy with travel arrangements, translation, and communicating with churches, etc. Still, she had a good time with her friends and loved ones that she had not been able to see for four years.

We have just gotten resettled in Cambodia and are just starting to resume our ministries here. Please pray for wisdom and strength for us for this new season.

In Christ’s Love,

Darryl, Kayo, and Benjamin

“He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” Colossians 1:17

Preparing for our Time in Japan, June 13-August 1

Thanks for praying for our home assignment in Japan this summer, (please don’t stop : )). We will be visiting more than a dozen churches in multiple cities across Japan and visiting Kayo’s family in Hiroshima. Please pray for opportunities to be a witness to Kayo’s unsaved relatives.

Kayo has been busy making travel arrangements and communicating with our senders in Japan. Please pray for continued strength and wisdom for her. I have been working on preparing a few sermons to go along with Kayo’s missions presentation for the churches we will visit. Thanks for praying for my visa to Japan it went through smoothly. Please pray for wisdom, protection, and provision over our finances as prices for some of our air tickets etc. have greatly increased. Japanese churches, while generous and faithful are also struggling financially, and the Japanese currency has been devalued against the US dollar in the post-COVID economy. This is also a concern as we are planning to visit the USA next summer.

Christology Class

Thanks for praying for my Christology class at a local Bible School. I spent two weeks teaching the intensive class and another week on grading their intensive assignment. The class went very well, especially for my first time teaching this subject. The verse above comes from one of the passages that I taught on during the class. It is a good reminder to have peace in troubled times because Christ holding everything together. If Christ is in control, we don’t have to be afraid or worry because we can trust Him to take care of everything. The students asked a lot of good questions in the class and were very engaged. Going forward, I will probably teach Apologetics one year and Christology the following year at this Bible school and Apologetics at another seminary.

In Christ’s Hands,

Darryl, Kayo, and Benjamin

“… and after all these long years of waiting, I am eager to visit you.” Romans 15:23b NLT

I could not include the first part of this verse which reads, “But now I have finished my work in these regions.” because our work in Cambodia is not finished. Many new and exciting projects are already lining up for after our return from Japan at the end of summer.

Reconnecting in Cambodia

Now that COVID is reducing in Cambodia, we have been able to reconnect and visit with some of our Cambodian and missionary friends that we haven’t been able to visit for a long time. We have been able to reconnect with friends in Phnom Penh and even in Kampong Chhnang, where we lived between 2009-2011. We hadn’t been able to see some of our friends there for several years.

Visiting Japan this Summer

We will be visiting Japan this summer for the first time since 2018. It will be good to reconnect with our friends and family there. We will spend some time in the Tokyo area, the Osaka area, Hiroshima, and other parts of Japan as doors open. We will be sharing our ministries in churches as the doors open. This means that Lord willing, we will be visiting the USA during the summer of 2023 so we look forward to seeing our friends and family there too. Please pray for all the logistics and doors to open smoothly for us, especially my (Darryl’s) visa to Japan.

Christology Class Begins in a Couple of Hours

I will start teaching a two week intensive Christology course this afternoon. Normally, I teach Apologetics so this will be my first time to teach this course. Please pray for this class to go smoothly and for my students and I to learn together. I will be able to use some of my videos as supplemental materials.

Family Update

During the month of April, Benjamin had some time off from school so we were able to travel to Kampong Chhnang and Battambang to see friends and also have some family time away from Phnom Penh. Kayo continues to lead the devotions at Precious Women Organization on a monthly basis. She is also getting busy preparing for our trip to Japan. After Japan, she will get more involved in other ministries here in Cambodia. It is hard to believe that Benjamin will soon be finished with 7th grade. He is doing well but sometimes managing and juggling all the homework is a challenge for him.

In Christ’s Love,

Darryl, Kayo, and Benjamin

“But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Luke 21:28.

A lot of “things” are happening in the world right now. I don’t know if they are “these things” or not. : ) Regardless, I am reminded that it is always a good time to “straighten up and lift up your heads.” By lifting up our heads we will find that we are looking up to God and therefore we have reason not to be discouraged because God is greater than any problem that we could possibly face.

Finished an Apologetics Class

This past week, I finished teaching, assessing, and grading for an Apologetics class I have been teaching at a Cambodian seminary. The class started in January but we had some interuptions when students caught Omicron. Thankfully, everyone recovered in time to make final videos and scripts. The students also serve in local churches on the weekends and they told me that they were using the lessons learned in those classes to help equip the churches they serve and also with their unbelieving relatives.

Preparing to Teach Christology

Another Bible school, where I usually teach Apologetics, asked me to teach Christology because their regular teacher cannot fly in to Cambodia this year due to Covid restrictions. So, I am studying so I can teach this class for the first time in a two week intensive module the end of April/beginning of May. I have learned a lot during this process. There actually is a lot of overlap with Apologetics because I will be teaching on the Deity of Christ, the Trinity, heresies, and cults.

Video Update

Since my last update, I released the video: If I Become Christian Will God Heal All My Injuries and Sickness?. As always, the video is in the Cambodian language. It was reasonably popular on Facebook but not so much on YouTube. I have decreased my video production to about one video per month because my teaching and other ministries are more active than during COVID.

Omicron Seems to be Waning

Now, all the cases of Covid in Cambodia are Omicron but the daily official numbers and unofficial reports we hear all indicate that it is decreasing. The government has indicated that they are not planning more restrictions or lockdowns so this is a relief. Now we just trust that in time, the current restrictions will be lifted.

Summer Trip to Japan Looking More Likely

Even though we are still not 100% sure we can go to Japan this summer, some doors are beginning to open. As of March 1, Japan opened to foreigners on business or with family in Japan (not tourists). So, I can probably get a visa. We will have to go through 3 days of quarantine, unless they lift it before then. The only remaining thing to pray for is that the churches in Japan will be ready and able to invite us. If we go to Japan this summer, we will definitely be planning to visit the US in the summer of 2023.

Family Update

Kayo is almost finished with her coordination work with the local international church’s worship team. She will take a rest and then look for new opportunities to serve and minister. Please continue to pray for her health as she frequently has minor sicknesses.

Benjamin continues to do well in school and with friends. He is growing quickly and is learning a lot. He enjoys reading theology and apologetics books in his free time.

In Christ’s Hands,

Darryl, Kayo, and Bejamin