Vol.# 242
It is 5:30 in the morning and I am hearing chants and thinking, Hmmm, we are not allowed to go to the pagoda/woat/ Buddhist place of worship, so it could not be coming from the temple located about 5 minutes from where I live. (Usually on loud speakers you can hear when a special event is going on). Then I realize the sounds are closer, and as I peek over my rooftop balcony, I realize the chanting is coming from the courtyard at my own place!
As I looked and saw a white tent being put up, I realized that someone had died and then I saw the pic of the grandmother being put up on display. She passed away early in the morning and because it is during this COVID-19 time, everything is being done quite subdued and simply. A white cloth is wrapped around the light post just outside the yard to signify a death, and then the local commune chiefs and a couple of policemen came in to sign papers and to verify that the death was not associated with COVID-19. Then the monks came in, and the landlord and his son and son-in-law went to have their heads shaved as part of the ritual of mourning the dead here. I waited until the next day to go and pay my respects to say I will miss seeing the grandmother early in the morning sitting outside just enjoying the sun and watering her plants. The family from the province/ countryside drove in and food was being prepared for those who came in. There were about 20 people sitting in chairs arranged in social distancing pattern to observe the proceedings. As I spoke to the landlady, I told her I would be praying for the whole family from my rooftop. I gave some money as part of the ‘respect’ to honor the grandmother and then I left.
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| GRANDMOTHER'S FUNERAL |
As I listened later to the chants and then the silence that followed, I thought (from my viewpoint) that death here on earth is a home going to Jesus. I picture the dancing and singing (not muted) as a celebration occurring not only in the heavenlies, but also for me here on earth. As sad as it is lose a loved one, not to see them or speak to them, what a comfort, no, more than a comfort, it is a fact that in Christ I will be seeing those loved ones again in heaven. Eternity with my Jesus. As I spoke to my landlady later, there was no peace for her, except that she hoped she had taken good care of her mother while here on earth. I stood and listened and looked at her face. She was scared that I as a foreigner would want to move since there was a death here. I just called her up to pay my rent early as part of the reassurance that I am still here and in Jesus’ Name I will be praying for her family.
THANK YOU to all who have continued to pray for Sister Boramey. She is about 70 percent well on her way to complete recovery. Her husband Lokru Virak sends her gratitude to all have been praying for her.
I was blessed to join a ZOOM seminar on the origins of Bible translation into Khmer language. The process of having to know Sanskrit, Hebrew, Greek, and English, just to name a few of the languages which the translators had to have a deep knowledge of, as well as the grammatical knowledge of passive and active tenses... to present tense in order to capture the meanings, plus the knowledge that the Holy Spirit was guiding those who undertook this challenge and still are doing these translations was mind boggling to me! Some Khmer friends were asking, ‘Vidya, why did you join?’ It was all in Khmer and the level of vocabulary and content were quite beyond my own knowledge of Khmer. My response was, “It was exciting to see the process and to hear what the main translators/interpreters had to say on what they had to learn and how they had prepared to do this task so that any Khmer, not withstanding the level of education had access to read and hear Jesus the Christ in their first language!”
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| EXAMPLE OF BIBLE TRANSLATION PROGRESS |
You all know how passionate I am about reading the Word, how precious my coffee time is with Jesus, as His Holy Spirit talks and I hear His voice through His Word. I am blessed to open up my IPad and I have so many translations of His Word! On my IPad I now have 6 Bible translations in Khmer language! Some are in both the Old and New Testament while others are still trying to finish the whole Bible in that particular translation! Of course I took screen shots of the slides shown so that I can go back and study them, since, yes, much of what they were saying went way over my head and the seminar was for 3 hours, but in reality it went on for 4 hours!
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| 6 BIBLE KHMER TRANSLATIONS |
I am on the Info desk welcome team and since there is no on-site service, we as a team have been meeting on Sundays at 10-11 on Google Meet and studying the Book of Ephesians. We get to read it together and talk about what we hear God saying to each of us. If it weren’t for COVID-19 we would not be having such in-depth meetings and praying for each other, so I am thankful to the leaders of this group who initiated this. What is church if not for the building and maintaining of relationships? Again I am the ONLY foreigner in this group so I am very grateful to be invited to participate!
In my reading over the past 2 weeks, ‘leader burnout’ seems to be the recurring theme and as I prayed over a meeting I was going to have with the leader of NLF here, I knew I was going to be sharing about this. Wouldn’t you know it, during the lunch hour prior to that, I was listening to a Global Leadership Network seminar given by Carey Nieuwhof (a Canadian pastor), and the second seminar was on leader burnout and the different signs! It was a good meeting. The staff here are in different stages of burnout, and what they need is not only a fresh outpouring of His Presence, but also the visible presence of the main leaders to spend quality time with the staff! I had sensed the word ‘exhaustion’ when I had stepped into the office for the first time last week, and this week even though half of the staff would come in on site on certain days, we would all meet online for meetings. I had the privilege of being there when we shared communion together on site and online with others. I know many, if not all of you, have not been able to have communion together, and that is why I am so grateful to go in and participate on behalf of all of you who cannot do this.
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| WORSHIP PREP |
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| FIRST WORSHIP TIME TOGETHER |
I HAVE received my first vaccine. I had written to ask Dr. Gamble his advice on taking Sinovac which is the only one available right now here in the city, and am grateful for Dr. Gamble (and Linda) taking the time to discuss my case with other doctors and getting back to me quickly, advising me to take the available vaccine. I was concerned because I wanted to get an internationally recognized vaccine! This advice coincided with Bro. Krong and his wife Liep who were burdened that I had not been vaccinated. Within 2 days, Bro. Krong’s cousin, who is an intern, called to get my passport information and I was called into a school that has been converted into a vaccination centre to get the vaccine! The appointment was for one o’clock; I got there by 12:40, being escorted by Bro. Krong and Sister Liep. With the sun beating down upon us as the line grew to wait for the vaccine, the gate suddenly opened and I was invited in with Sister Liep to go in early to get my vaccine! It was all done within 15 minutes while others still had to go in and sit and wait in the hot sun! I found favor and I am so grateful for all of your prayers. 2 days after receiving Sinovac vaccine, it was approved by W.H.O.! My second vaccine will be on June 13th. I am praying for the same quick favor. The young doctor was quite professional and I am remembering to pray for him, Dr. Vannith!
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| FIRST SINOVAC VACCINE |
Praise God: I was looking for fresh fruit and found watermelon, but could not find pawpaw/papaya! So I went home. I got a call 5 minutes after reaching home from my usual tuk tuk driver, and he says, “you come down I have papaya for you, my treat!“ SO very grateful! I had just bought coconut water for him and his wife so he had kept his eye open for papaya for me!
Praise God: I have more reliable fibre optic internet service! After being promised I would get delivery in 2 days, I was still waiting 4 days later. So I called the service provider leader and asked where he lived so that I could go and stay there, with his house becoming my hotel since he had Wi-Fi and I did not. There was a pause and I think he got the message that was reinforced by my asking for a DEFINITE time for the installation, since then I would be calling him every 15 minutes or so to make sure no one got lost or got in an accident on the way to my house! I was reading the story of the persistent widow from Luke 18:1-8 and was inspired! I was told they would come the next day but, lo and behold, I got a call that day and they came and within half hour (a miracle indeed here time wise!). It was installed, the two guys got their cold Coca Cola, and I prayed over them as they were leaving. One of the young guys got to practise his English and we were all happy! My expat friends told me they were going to call me next time they need to get something done!
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| WI-FI CABLE ON STREET |
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| WI-FI INSTALLED |
As I met with Lokru (Pastor) Samdy on my role with NLF as things have changed at the Skills Training Centre which we had to close due to COVID-19, he felt strongly that prayer mentoring as well as hospitality/welcome ministries were where there was a need (one of my prayer partners in Canada had said the word ‘welcome’ was propping up when she prayed for me before going into the meeting). One day later I got a call asking if I was busy, and could I meet for time to reconnect and prayer! It was a young Khmer leader of one of the ministries God had put upon my heart. So yesterday, just meeting with her was a confirmation. The second was when another younger Khmer worker saw me and came up to say hi with tears in her eyes. I think we as leaders or influencers forget the importance of ‘presence’. It was one thing to be present at the staff meetings on ZOOM or any other meetings (even if the topic was way over my head because of lack of Khmer language knowledge), and another not to be on site when it is now allowed. I was told many times, “Bong srey Vidya’, so good to see you on ZOOM, you are still connecting with us, thank you and now thank you for getting the vaccine so that you can come into the office!” I will be meeting with that second sister next week Wednesday.
I met with and prayed with the Worship leaders. I am officially part of the prayer group for this young ministry as it moves forward to reach Cambodia during pandemic time online!
I have often mentioned Oun Muylen. She has resigned from Prison Fellowship Cambodia and so I am walking along with her as she prays and asks God for her next step. It is my privilege to be here to listen and pray with her at this time.
Thank you for reading through this LONG update.
I will end with this story. I was heading back home from participating in the taped worship service session and as I was looking for a tuk tuk to take me home, one guy comes along and I give my address and ask him, so what is the price? Usually a negotiation is done but the negotiation did not go the way he thought it would! The young driver said,”muhmerne”, which is $2.50 for a 3-kilometre journey. Usually, if the APP is used, it is $1.70 to maximum $2.00. So he is probably thinking, okay I will get way more. I just looked at him, and remembered that it was only in the last 2 weeks this same area was under lockdown and he had no work. So I told him $3.00! He looked at me and then looked away quickly with a shocked look on his face and repeated, $3.00? He was probably thinking, this foreigner, poor ting, does not know that is more than muhmerne! He quickly said yes, sprayed the seating area, made sure he had on his mask properly, and that I had on my mask, and off we went home, the fastest time possible! When we got home, I counted the money that was in riels back to him in Khmer to let him know he was receiving more than he had asked for! He quickly took the money (and sprayed it) and said a heartfelt thank you and quickly left before I changed my mind! I started to laugh! The drivers all know that I work at the church at the mall, so prayerfully this would be a seed into conversation about why I am here and into Jesus’ heart!
Thank you all again for your sacrificial giving of your finances and time. Please continue to send your requests and stories as we dance and do life together with Jesus as our dance Leader and Partner!
Love, His Warrior and Disciple,
Submitting to be His Dance partner here in Cambodia,
Your sister, Vidya
