15 May 2024 Quarter 1
Hello amazing people. Yes, I know its May already and this is very late but here is our update from the 1st quarter of 2024. It would be an understatement to say that these last few months have been amazing. In fact, this has been one of my favorite seasons serving here in Cambodia. It’s been one of my favorites because more people are hearing the Gospel and being actively discipled than ever before. Not only are we able to disciple our own team of 20+ people but then our team is going out into communities holding discipleship classes with 40+ adults being reached each week. These people are coming to discipleship excited to share their own encounters with God that they are having. This passion for discipleship within our team is growing so much that we have even more discipleship groups in the works, hoping to start them in the coming weeks! Jesus is on the move in Cambodia. I want to share some highlights from each month so far in 2024.
In January, Jillian and I were blessed to be able to travel to Chiang Mai, Thailand to attend Asia Shall Be Saved, a conference dedicated to reaching the Asian bride. It was great to be able to hear some amazing speakers from all over the world with a heart for Asia, as well as connecting with many of those ministries. But the best part was that Heidi Baker was one of the speakers and we were able to connect and spend some real quality time with her. She is always an encouragement and a blessing to Jillian and I anytime we are able to spend time with her.
Also, in January there was a large community fire that several of the families that we work with live in. Many lost everything that they own. We were able to show the love of Jesus in a very practical way by replacing many of the necessary household items that they lost as well as help find them new places to live and provide a couple months rent to help them get back on their feet.
In February, our team was able to come to a very favorable conclusion to a trafficking case we had been working on for several months. In late December our team identified an elderly man behaving very strangely with young girls in one of the communities we work in. We continued to monitor and investigate this individual over several weeks. Through our investigation, we discovered the man’s name and that he was American. With that information we were able to partner with the FBI, who was then able to run a background check and discover that this man was a career pedophile with crimes against children in several countries. He was quickly arrested and deported back to America, barred from ever entering Cambodia again. Please pray as we continue to work with and care for the children, as well as gather more evidence to bring charges against this man in America.
In February, Jillian and I also celebrated 7 years since first moving to Cambodia.We can’t believe it’s already been that long, but our wonderful team here has become like a second family to us in those years. It’s been fun to reflect on all that God has done in the last 7 years. It is truly our joy to get to serve Him as missionaries!
March is always a really fun month as we host a visiting team from BSSM (Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry). The highlight of March and of our time with the team was province outreach. We were able to distribute food packages to 50+ families, school supplies to 267 children, and the BSSM team helped the local church fund the construction of a new Children’s Sunday School building. The Lord moved so powerfully on this outreach, the gospel was preached to hundreds, we saw blind eyes open, backs, shoulders, and legs made well, resulting in many giving their lives to Jesus and removing their Buddhist and witchcraft bands. Some even ended up throwing their witchcraft bands into the fire!
Jillian had the chance to pray for one specific woman who was suffering from terrible leg and back pain. She walked with a limp and very hunched over. As she began to pray for the woman, she felt like the woman had been relying on the local witch doctor for temporary healing and relief. Jillian asked the woman if this was true, and the woman confirmed that she had been going to the witch doctor. Jillian then asked the woman if she was willing to stop visiting the witch doctor and trust and believe in the one true living God, Jesus! The woman said “If your God heals me now, I will believe in Him and stop going to the witchdoctor.” So Jillian whispered to God, just making sure He heard that! haha And she continued to pray for the woman’s pain to go. The woman watched as her own leg grew out and straightened, and as she stood up to check the pain, she realized all the pain had gone! Jillian remembered the words the woman said before she was healed, and proceeded to lead the woman into a prayer of repentance for going to the witch doctor. The woman left the meeting that night walking tall and straight with a smile on her face, an audio bible in her hand. We connected her with the local church there as well! Please continue to pray for her to continue walking in this freedom and to stay connected with the local church.
Apart from ‘ministry’ Jillian and I are doing well. It’s been an incredibly busy season, with lots going on. We had the honor of getting to attend two Khmer weddings of two of our teammates so far this year. We attended a marriage conference with some of our married couples on our team, I had the opportunity to preach at a local church earlier in the year, and we have had some incredible visitors throughout the year so far who have been such a blessing to our team.
With all the amazing things happening here, there have also been challenges. We both had Dengue Fever and Bronchitis at the same time in January/February after we returned from Chiang Mai. That was very challenging and hard on us to be sick for 2+ weeks, and to deal with lingering symptoms for weeks after. Health has been a real issue within our whole team this year.
We are also doing a lot of administrative work, which is a beautiful way that we are able to serve the Lord here in Cambodia in order for Iris Phnom Penh to continue operating… but we would love you to join us in praying for God to send someone to help and serve in this area so that we can be more free to pioneer and continue to grow and even just keep up with our already rapidly growing ministry.
The Lord is truly on the move in Cambodia. We believe Cambodia is ripe for harvest like never before. It’s difficult to explain but many feel a shift in the spiritual atmosphere here, resulting in an increase in signs and wonders and an increased openness to the Gospel, where before many were closed off and victories were hard plowed. Continue to keep us and our incredible team in your prayers.
Each and every one of you is an absolute blessing to us.
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