The Record Family

And the things that you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 2 Timothy 2:2

Christian Apologetics/Evangelism Class

I had a wonderful time with my Apologetics/Evangelism class students during our two week intensive class. The students studied hard, listened intently, asked good questions and worked hard to complete a reading log, two tests, a video script, and recorded their own video during the short class. We covered obstacles to faith like “I don’t need God.” “God doesn’t exist.” “The Bible isn’t true.” “Jesus didn’t really live, die, and rise from the dead.” “What about my unsaved ancestors?” and more. Two of my students said that before the class when someone would ask them a challenging question about the truth of Christianity that they would just walk away but now they both finally feel more confident to answer. These students serve in local churches and will be future Christian leaders so please pray that they will remember, apply, and teach others what they have learned in the class.

Answered Prayers Over Visa Stress

During my lunch break from teaching Apologetics, I got a desperate call from my neighbor/Christian friend. He told me that due to a problem with his visa documents his visa was rejected at the airport and the only way to keep him from getting deported and separated from his family was for me rush to the airport before noon and sign a guarantee letter for him with the government. I did that and he was able to get a one-month visa.

A couple of weeks later, he asked me for some more advice and help. I checked with the company that helps me prepare the documents for my own visa just before a four-day Cambodian holiday so that I could get information to help my friend. The information my visa agent gave me made me very uncertain about whether or not my own family would be able to renew our visas in December or not (and be forced to leave Cambodia). All this stress combined with my exhaustion from teaching the two week class, made me start having difficulty sleeping. So, I put out a prayer request on Facebook on a Friday. By Sunday my stress level dropped and I could sleep normally again. On Tuesday, I got confirmation from the Immigration Dept. via my visa agent that we have the right documents to renew our family’s visas in December. My friend is still in process with his visa situation, but it looks like everything is in order with his paperwork as well. Thanks everyone for praying for us whether or you know what we are going through at the moment or not. Your prayers make a huge difference!

Other Ministries

Please continue to pray for Precious Women Organization and Light Association as we continue to help and support these Cambodian founded and led Christian organizations that are reaching out to other Cambodians. We also partner with other local ministries and churches as we can.

Family Update

We are doing well. Kayo has some exhaustion/minor health issues so please keep her in prayer. Benjamin is doing well in school, extracurriculars, and weight lifting. He keeps growing and eating us out of house and home so please pray for our grocery bill :–).

In Christ’s Love,

Darryl, Kayo, and Benjamin

Phonm Penh, Cambodia

“Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:12 NLT)

The past month has been full and blessed and we look forward to a full and blessed October as well.

Equipping the Saints

I will be teaching another round of a two week intensive Christian Apologetics class at Cambodia Bible Institute from September 25 to October 6. Please pray for wisdom and strength for myself, the staff, and the students during this class.

I continue to preach at the international/interdenominational church around once a month to around 400 people from more than 30 nations. This church includes everyone from missionaries to non-Christians who are open to the Gospel. I also have started/am leading the men’s ministry there our first meeting was on October 9 and despite heavy rains and flooding 13 men from 8 different nations attended and were blessed by the prayer, fellowship, and teaching. I continue to help with the ministry to the Chinese there and help lead a verse-by-verse Sunday School/Bible Study in English and Chinese with the Chinese pastor. Kayo also started and leads the women’s ministry there too.

I also have started to lead the devotions at Precious Women Organization about once a month. Kayo also leads the devotions there on a regular basis.

Building Up the Body

I have been volunteering as the English Editor for Light Times Magazine with Soksan and Linat since 2017. They are wonderful friends and Christian siblings. Now, I am excited that LAFH (Light Association for all Families Healthier-English translation of the official/registered organization name) is developing the organization behind the magazine.

You can see the vision and activities of the Light Association organization in the diagram above. One of the areas that I am most excited about is the Mental and Spiritual Wellness area. Mrs. Linat is a trained mental health counselor and trainer. I am a trained Christian apologist and I also have a testimony of how God has blessed, restored, and protected me through the past 20 years of mental health challenges. Even though we are now a small organization of only three people and limited resources, God has given us great impact, unity and synergy together to minister to the mental and spiritual needs of a broad range of people-both Cambodians and expats. We may also be able to equip churches, families, and organizations in Cambodia to better minister to the spiritual and mental health needs of people who need help but are often marginalized for various reasons. For those of you that know my testimony in this area this is truly a “Beauty for Ashes” opportunity!

In Christ’s Love,

Darryl, Kayo, and Benjamin

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

“For even in Thessalonica you sent aid once and again for my necessities. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account. Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God. And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:16-19

Reading the above passage with fresh eyes, I realize that it is actually an encouragement from Paul, a missionary, to his senders. Another way to say this is, “You all faithfully met my needs…Therefore the fruit that comes through my ministry will be credited to your heavenly account …..and God will supply all your needs!” This perfectly describes how Kayo, Benjamin and I feel about our senders and loved ones in the USA and Japan.

We just returned to Cambodia from the USA. Our time was so full and blessed that we were not able to visit everyone we wanted to in person. We were blessed and encouraged in so many ways! Now, we are back in Cambodia. We have pretty much overcome jet-lag, gotten our apartment etc. reopened and restocked, and are starting to serve in our various ministries here. For example, I will preach this Sunday at the international church and help with the Chinese ministry. Kayo and I will both soon resume our regular work with Precious Women Organization. Benjamin will start high school (year 9) at Hope International School. Looking ahead, I will teach a two-week intensive Apologetics class at a Cambodian Bible school the end of next month so I need to start preparing for that along with other ministries that will resume and start soon.

Prayer Requests:

>Please pray for opportunities for me to evangelize and disciple a man from the Middle East who is here in Cambodia as an international student.

>Please pray for Light Times Magazine, the only Christian magazine in Cambodia, they had to delay the printing of their most recent issue because of lack of funding. This is a valuable ministry and also they provide the legal basis for my Cambodian visa renewal.

>Please pray for Benjamin as he starts school and for continued provision for his education.

>Please pray for wisdom and provision regarding our funding from Japan. The Japanese Yen has lost between 20-25% of its value over the past 2 years against the US dollar. Cambodia’s economy is based on the US dollar. This means the sacrificial donations of our Japanese senders have been greatly devalued. Meanwhile, our expenses, (mainly Benjamin’s education), continue to rise. We have already done everything we can to cut expenses and have already looked into part-time employment in Cambodia (but right now that door doesn’t look promising and it would reduce our ability to minister effectively here).

>Please pray for wisdom, peace, and grace as God has placed us in the unique position of ministering to and alongside so many Christians from so many cultures/nations (this is the easier part) and denominations (evangelicals with a broad range of perspectives on secondary doctrinal issues–this is the more challenging part). We are blessed that there is a beautiful unity of the Body of Christ in Cambodia and beyond. It seems that God has called us to work in the joints (between the bones=denominations) (Ephesians 4:16). Please pray that there won’t be any arthritis…:).

In Christ’s Love,

Darryl, Kayo, and Benjamin

We arrived in California on June 6 and have spent the last few days getting over jet-lag. We had a smooth trip. It is a blessing to be able to visit the USA after four years away! We will spend June 28-July 12 in Missouri. We will return to California and stay here until we return to Cambodia on August 1. We look forward to connecting with as many of our beloved friends, relatives, and senders while we are here in the USA both in-person or even online. Please feel free to contact us at darryl@sgwm.com.

The last couple of months in Cambodia were full but blessed as we wrapped up our ministries there before coming to the USA. I continued working with Light Times Magazine, Kayo and I also worked with Precious Women Organization. Kayo continues her work as a board member, and administrative volunteer and I helped them produce videos and lead devotions. I continue to mentor a Cambodian pastor and another missionary. We also continue to partner with the international church to minister to expats and Cambodians. Kayo successfully completed her first round of leading the women’s ministry, helped with the communication system, and she also helped the worship team. I spoke a couple of times, helped with the Chinese ministry, and started laying the groundwork for a men’s ministry. I have a couple of projects to work on while I am here but I have a lot of flexibility and free time available to connect with people here.

In Christ’s Love,

Darryl, Kayo, and Benjamin

“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