From Sandra: Thank you for your prayers for our family during our recent trip to Cambodia.  It may sound trite, but we really did sense God’s grace which enabled us to give of ourselves joyfully.  We were both really encouraged by the way our three kids joined in and got involved in the kids’ VBS ministry and some of the agricultural training (i.e. dug holes!).  The team we worked with from The Master’s College was top-notch, and we enjoyed serving along side them.  It was really great for the kids and I to see and connect with the country and the people Paul loves so much.  There is much to love about Cambodia, the main one being the warm, receptive people.  There are challenges too...! (It was REALLY hot! And three of us returned with some kind of “bug”).  What a great experience for our family!

Some of the highlights:

--Visiting the Minefield Hospitality House, the retreat center and home of our country leader, Sareth.  We were able to play with some of the village kids while were there—they won our hearts instantly!

--Meeting the General of Camp 51

--Playing with the Cambodian kids at Camp 51

--Visiting the temples of Angkor Wat, ancient temples built long ago, which were forgotten over time and only rediscovered in the 1800’s

I was personally challenged as I was able to see the needs of the women at Camp 51 up close and personal.  They have a strong need for discipleship and Biblical teaching, and they desire this greatly.  The women are, in many ways, the heart and soul of the church at Camp 51, especially since the men are often away.  This is a need which we must address.  Please pray that God will give us wisdom as we consider how to provide spiritual food for these dear ladies, whether that be through me or through others.  Thank you again so much for your prayers. 

Photo Update

Lots has happened since my last update, enjoy the photos.
Kids

Our kids with the neighbors across the street.

Madelyn sings a duet at the school talent show.

Jared in a play (are we having fun yet?)

Madelyn’s soccer team won the U-11 girls tournament. Maddie scored 3 of the 5 goals!

MINISTRY

A team from The Master’s College is in Cambodia for 4 weeks. We started them out at Col. Setha’s slum outreach in Phnom Penh.
Sandra and the kids will come with me to join the team for their last week of ministry in Cambodia. It will be the first time the kids get to see Cambodia
And meet some of the wonderful military Christians in the Cambodian Army. We will be there June 9 –16.

VBS

Kitchen and cot for sleeping

Sifting garbage

UNIT 14 water project underway

Holding/filter tank 2

Watch Your Step

I spent the last week with 3 men from our headquarters office in Denver. We took a whirlwind tour of our work in Thailand and Cambodia.

It was very encouraging to be with them and have them see first hand the work that is going on here. Our officers shared their testimonies and and gave reports on the impact the Lord is having in these countries.

One of the men wrote me an email and expressed the impact it had on him:

 “It was absolutely life changing for me as I think you could tell by my tears.  I will never be the same.”

As you all know, we have built phase one of a hospitality retreat center in Cambodia on the site of cleared minefield.

Pictures below show the progress. We spent the night out there with Sareth and 3 of our Unit leaders. This was the first weekend training done at the center and the guys really enjoyed it.

There is still a lot of work to be done, like a water and electrical source, but it is now functional.

Minefield warning sign with skull and cross bones

We spent the night with 3 of our key military camp leaders

I am hold the son of the woman in red pictured here. She lost her 10 year old son about 2 years ago to a viper bite. I had the honor of praying for after this happened even though she was not a believer at the time. The Lord has given her a new son and she has become a Christian.

Young girl skipping through the minefield.

Minefield Hospitality House

We have started “The Minefield Hospitality House” just 4km inside Cambodia from the Thailand border crossing.

Called such because it is literally in an abandoned wasteland of former mine fields. Area was a traditional stronghold for the Khmer Rouge. 

Scene of dozens upon dozens of battles in our generation....

Purpose: overnight discipleship trainings for growing Cambodian christian officers from surrounding camps. “Ultra rustic adventure touring” would be a good way to describe the area.... This place could make a Lonley Planet list, I think.

The specific place where Sareth bought a football field sized piece of land (for $900) is declared “ cleared” by an international mine clearing group, but we had it swept again by friends in the Cambodian Army because a small girl was recently injured by an old mortar shell she found that partially exploded when she picked it up. Tank mines, buried deeper, are not included in the “cleared” category.... So the area is only “safe” to foot traffic.

little girl in the background was nearly killed by an old mortar round she found.

No running water or electricity and only accessible by horse or on foot in rainy season....  And there might never be any in our lives...... Though promises abound...... But it is close to the 3 key camps where we work in the area....

Now finished is a small, 2 room Old West looking cabin. Sareth’s “Little House on the Prairie.”  Current investment around $3500. Would be hoping to expand to about 5 football fields of land for a demonstration farm and a sports field. And in the future would hope to dig a well, get some solar panel system, and build a couple more rooms. End product might be $20,000 or less.

The land is about a kilometer in from this sign....... And the dirt road stops here.  Even if it was possible to drive further, with the possibility of tank mines, driving further is a bad idea.

Phase II and Phase III should cost a total of approx. $16,000 more

Phase II

Utilities and a bit more land.

$2500 - water well

$1500 - solar power system

$1,000 - sanitary outhouse

$3,500 - 4 more football fields of land for demonstration farming

Phase III

Expanded buildings and a bit more land

$5,000 - 1 meeting room, 1 kitchen, 2 more bunk rooms

$1,500 – for chickens and pigs

$1,000 – barns and shelters for animal raising... And for a horse

$1,000 – 1 more football field of land... For football!

Still seeking donors...

Cambodia-December

Ron Wilson and I just returned last night from Cambodia.

Unit 51 officer
We had a wonderful time encouraging the believers and teaching leaders.
I was also able to help with the next steps of the water supply project at Unit 14 and the community center at Unit 51.

Leadership training
Ron and I had some crucial discussions with Sareth (our national leader) about getting some help for him in-country. The ministry has grown so large that it is impossible to do all the follow-up needed.

We are now brain storming ways to accelerate leadership development with a few men and to develop a way to track all the small groups that are going. At this point we feel like many are not growing as deep as they should, especially at Unit 51.

I think I am most encouraged at the moment with what I see at Unit 14. The Lord had given us great favor with the new commanding General and Captain Savorn’s house church is growing well.

Captain Savorn’s home
Praying all your holidays will be wonderful.
Paul

Just for Fun

Dusty roads

Ouch!

Haulin’ chicken

Civil War?

WORLD AFFAIRS
Thailand Slides Toward Civil War

The public siege of its airports may be over, but the country's political crisis is just heating up.

By George Wehrfritz and Jaimie Seaton | NEWSWEEK
Published Dec 6, 2008
From the magazine issue dated Dec 15, 2008

Government supporters during a Bangkok protest last week

 MPCF Conference 2008

Our Thai friends tell us that never before have the Thai people used the words “civil war” to describe the potential political situation in their country.
Many are very concerned about this situation and rightly so.

Praying for King and Country

In the midst of this however there is a momentum building like never before with the Military and Police Christian Fellowship (MPCF) here.
 

Myself, Ron and Belle Wilson

This past weekend Ron and Belle Wilson and myself attended the annual national conference for the MPCF of Thailand. We were asked to help them in developing a plan to accomplish their vision of reaching Thailand for the Lord. I have spoken with many veteran missionaries here about this movement and they are all very surprised that this kind of vision is coming from the military and police. One missionary told me that he has been here for more than 10 years, speaks Thai fluently, and is working with a local Thai pastor but in more than 10 years of ministry has only seen one new convert! This story is repeated in many place around the country and is why after 140 years of the gospel being preached here there is still only less than .50% evangelicals believers.

“Accomplishing your Vision” Workshop

The military and police have their own “culture within a culture” that is open to the gospel. And they have a vision as leaders in their country to show their fellow Thais the true God.

Christian Army General

What we are seeing among the MPCF is truly an amazing work of God and a real confirmation of our calling. We also feel that the timing of this movement could not be more strategic in light of the current political situation.
Please join us in praying for these men and women that the Lord is raising up to bring Thailand to Himself.