Thai Officer training weekend

This past weekend Surasak conducted the third of 6 training weekends for Thai officers held at the Chiang Mai hospitality House.
This training involves seminary-like classes about biblical leadership, bible study, theology, and bible history.

It has been really fun to see the lights of understanding coming on in the hearts and minds of these men and their wives.

The NCO (Non commissioned officer) families will meet on the 25th of this month.

Woman (and her son) at the well

This past week I was visiting the nearly completed water supply project at Unit 14 near Pursat, Cambodia when a small boy and his mother came up to use the water out of the tank to bathe.
It was very rewarding to see this water being used for its intended purpose. (The tank will supply year-round clean water for families, a medical clinic, and eventually a community center)
I asked Sareth (Cadence National Leader) to ask the boy what he thought of the project and the boy replied “This is the water that comes from Jesus”.

We have no idea if this mom and her son even knew the Lord (I had never seen them before) but we know that they believe this clean water source comes from Him.

I love the fact that he did not answer with “The water that comes from Cadence International” but that they knew it was from the Lord.
It was another one of those moments that confirm to us just how powerful sharing the gospel along with community development help is.

Jesus replied, “Everyone who drinks some of this water will be thirsty again. But whoever drinks some of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again, but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up to eternal life.” John 4:13-14

Full Tank

Captain Savorn and myself

Delivering a truck windshield in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

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...