Cambodia Missions Update: Record Family

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

While attempting to write this blog, my desktop computer crashed and refuses to restart so it will need to be completely rebuild or replaced.  In December, the same computer but the repairman was able to patch it together until now.  I am thankful that God gave the computer an additional 5 months of service so that I could produce my first two videos on it.  I wasn’t sure that it would hold together this long.  I am thankful that I don’t need to produce another video until the end of June so I have some time to get it rebuilt.

Chapel Service at the Cambodia Presbyterian Theological Institute
Chapel Service at the Cambodia Presbyterian Theological Institute

International Fishers: Christian Evidence Ministry Update

God opened some unexpected doors for Darryl to be able to speak to around 130 Cambodian Bible school students on April 30.  The Cambodia Presbyterian Theological Institute (CPTI) is sponsored by Korean Presbyterian churches.  Richard and Angie Stinchcombe of CC La Mirada introduced us to Young, a Talbot/Biola student who is doing a missions internship in Cambodia.  Young went with the President of CPTI, Dr. Jun to a Christian bookstore in Phnom Penh to look for Cambodian language books that can be used as textbooks.  Dr. Jun picked up a copy of Christianity: Reasons for Faith.  He was very happy to discover that someone had written an apologetics book in the Cambodian language.  Young told him, “I know the author.”  So, Darryl got invited to speak at the Bible school.  CPTI is interested in integrating the book into their curriculum so we will see how God will use this connection for His glory and for the equipping of Cambodian pastors.

Darryl was also able to share his two videos Creation: God or Chance and Jesus: History or Fiction with the students at CPTI.   On April 22, the video Creation: God or Chance was played for 630 people at the You’ve Got Talent outreach at the International Christian Assembly.  One good thing about video ministry is that the videos can still be used even when Darryl is not there.  During both Easter Outreach at Gateway Cafe and the You’ve Got Talent Outreach, Darryl, Kayo and Benjamin were too sick and exhausted to attend but we are thankful that the videos could still be there to bear witness to God’s Truth, even when we couldn’t be there in person.

Pastor Doung Sitha in Dram Khnah, Takeo teaching Christianity: Reasons for Faith
Pastor Doung Sitha in Dram Khnah, Takeo teaching Christianity: Reasons for Faith

The same is true for books,  our friend Dave, a New Tribes missionary visited a church out Takeo province.  The pastor was teaching Christianity: Reasons for Faith to his church members.  Darryl and Doug have never met this pastor personally.  We are blessed and encouraged that our book is proving to be a useful tool in places we could never go and to ministering to people whom we have never met.

Trinity Institute Update:  Count it All Joy…

Between February 26 and March 16, TIC had classes every day.  We are thankful that God made it possible for the students to learn more about Christian entrepreneurship with minimal disturbance.  An English class has continued on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 12 noon and 1:45.  Another intense round of classes and workshops will run from May 21 to June 10.

TIC's ceiling collapsed
TIC’s ceiling collapsed

During the time when there was only one class running, TIC has had many problems.  We thank God that none of these trials happened during the time when classes were happening every day, or it would have been a real disaster.   First, the part time janitor quit, so Darryl had to take up his mop again and resume his cleaning duties along with maintenance and marketing for the upcoming classes.  Then, Gateway’s electric wires short-circuited, which resulted in three weeks without electricity for TIC, until it could be rewired.  We are thankful that Kira Evanson the English teacher was so flexible and gracious to be able to keep her class going despite so many disruptions.

Before Darryl could clean up the mess from month without a janitor and the rewiring work, an unexpected downpour leaked though the tile roof and caused a large section of the sheet-rock ceiling to fall down.  Thankfully, Gateway Cafe’s staff came up and volunteered to carry away the debris and helped to clean up enough that classes could be held for 1 day.  Just as Darryl was resigning myself to not having the ceiling repaired, the landlord sent a crew of workers who tore out and replaced the entire ceiling of the lobby area.  While the ceiling looks good now, the workers wandered off with Darryl’s favorite dustpan.

Meanwhile, the electricity in the area of Gateway Cafe/TIC goes off for several hours each day.  Gateway’s generator broke down for a few days, so we decided to get solar panels to be a back-up to the generator.  We were blessed to get some solar panels and batteries at a good price.  We are still experimenting to find the best way to use the solar powered fans and lights.  We may need to some more equipment in the near future.  IMG_20130515_111318

Despite all of these challenges, we have been able to hold more Entrepreneurship classes and leadership workshops.  Even though the attendance has been low due to the heat and the schedule, we continue to provide useful training to missionaries and Cambodian Christian professionals.  We are close to signing an agreement with another organization to adopt their well established teacher training program into TIC’s School of Education.  In order to obtain official registration with the local government and eventual accreditation with Cambodia’s ministry of Education, TIC will have to move from Gateway Cafe to our own building within the next few months.  Other partnerships and opportunities are also in the works.  Please join us in praying for these things.

Family Update:  Preach the Gospel to Every Creature (Including Stuffed Animals)

Since March, our family has been struggling with temperatures near 100F, frequent illnesses, exhaustion, electrical blackouts including a 20-hour overnight blackout, unexpected car repairs, and some other more entertaining adventures.  Once the door to Darryl’s office where he keeps his clean clothes accidentally got locked and Darryl couldn’t find the key.  Kayo tried to stack up tables and chairs to climb through the window but it was too high and Darryl didn’t want to risk her falling and hurting herself.  So, he had no choice but to kick the door open SWAT-team style.  It was very therapeutic.

Benjamin practices teaching his Bible stories to his stuffed animals.  His pet cat "Stripey" wasn't a good Bible student.
Benjamin practices teaching his Bible stories to his stuffed animals. His pet cat “Stripey” wasn’t a good Bible student.

Despite all of this, there have been some precious moments.  On Mother’s Day Benjamin was very sick with bacterial bronchitis, so Darryl stayed home with him.  Kayo was on the worship team that week so she had to go to church.  Darryl told Benjamin about how when he was a child, his brothers and sisters would play church.  Benjamin got out his stuffed animals, lined them up, and taught them many of the Bible stories in his picture Bible.  He did a great job and he was very focused.  Darryl asked him if he wanted to take a break for snack time.  Benjamin said, “not until I’m finished teaching about Joseph.”  We are blessed that God gives us these special moments in the midst of trying times.

In Christ’s Hands,

Darryl, Kayo, and Benjamin