#274 - Proveng Province Trip in Photos

 Vol.# 274

Whew! 

It has been a whirlwind of events since I last wrote and asked for your prayers for the mission trip to the province of Preveng! There are so many pictures and images to sort through, but I also needed time to process our time there at our sister/plant churches. So through a series of pictures I hope I can capture the answers to the prayer requests that I gave in my last update!

 

Thank you again for faithfully partnering with me in prayer!

- Photo#1: Our group comprised of the Support Team from my Friday morning devotions plus one other person from the 5P group meeting at 6:30 to board the small bus to Preveng. We held hands and prayed in a circle (much to the bemusement of those walking by on the street and the tuk tuk drivers awaiting their passengers!) for His safety before we boarded the bus.

 

- Photo #2: On the bus! Missing 3 of the crew because they were sitting up front and could not be in the picture.

 

- Photo#3/4: In Scripture the killing of the fatted calf symbolized the feelings of welcome and celebration! The first thing I noticed as we got off the bus and walked into the yard was the pastor of the main church at Prey Kuy, Lokru Eang Samoeurn, tending to the roasting of a calf in preparation of our meal that evening! Each household in this part of the countryside has chickens, cows and, if it is possible, a fish pond to be self-sustainable in providing for their household as well as to sell in the local market to have money to pay for their day to day needs. I saw the man-made pond that they had dug out a few weeks previously and was beginning to put fish into them to harvest.

 

- Photo#5/6:  Davann, Lokru Samoeurn’s helper, Sister You Im (Lokru S’s wife) and his sister-in-law were there to greet us and show us where we were to sleep. You can see the inside of the church where we put our sleeping bags and where we would be painting a second coat of paint on those walls.

- Photo#7: Blank wall before the word “welcome’ in Khmer would be written.

 

- Photo#8-12: One of the objectives of this mission was to physically get the church ready for its opening in the new building, by not only painting the logos and the building itself, but also by planting flowers and trees in the front and back yards. When we went to buy the flowers to be planted, I just felt I had to contribute by buying 3 fruit trees as well! Those of you from Trinidad are familiar with the fruits ‘pommecythere’ or golden apple and pommerac. When I asked which fruit trees would be helpful in providing a sustainable resource to be sold in the market for their personal income, these 2 were chosen! The third one is milk fruit plant that is also a popular fruit here in Cambodia. I was able to plant these and pray over the fruit for years to come as well as to pray over the spiritual fruit that would be yielded from this church plant Prey Kuy in Preveng province!

 

- Photo#13: Another objective on this trip was to go and visit and pray for different households. So we separated into smaller groups and this is my group on the Saturday morning!

- Photo#14: This is Nekru Eang Phoung. She has been labouring in her community for many years! This dedicated servant of God met us and we had to walk/moto to the place where kids and older people were waiting for us. She is in her mid-thirties and has such a passion not only for God but also for those in her community!

 

- Photos 15-19 show some of the kids and elders from her community. They had been waiting for us to arrive to do some games, give out treats and exercise books, share His gospel and then pray. I was asked if I had a message (impromptu) and all I sensed God saying was to say ‘thank you’ to those who were older and had worked so hard for their families, most of them women from the village.

 

- Other photos: Praying over a young kid who had a problem with his leg. Praying for a young woman who felt sick all the time, and depressed. She had the red string around her wrist as she had prayed to different idols in order to be well. As we prayed, Oun Makara and I prayed for the Holy Spirit to come and be over her, to be the One who prompted her to ask if she should cut off the string as a sign that now she trusts in Jesus Christ and wanted to be free from other spirits! Well, as we prayed, she herself asked that the string be cut off her hand! So many prayers were asked for physical, emotional and spiritual healing!

 
I want to thank you for your prayers not only for myself but also for the team. I sprained my ankle, and that Saturday morning as I got up early and watched the pastor feed the chickens and prepare the breakfast with his wife and others for us, I could hear the doubts in my mind such as ‘Vidya, you sprained your ankle, how can you go to pray for others who need healing? Will you be a distraction to your team as attention will be on you and not on those you are serving?’ Then as I prayed, God said, just obey and go and I will give you what you need as you go along! So I went and am so grateful that Our God is the provider not only of strength but also of His discernment as we prayed and gave encouragement to those we met.

- My team: They came to my house to pray for my ankle WHICH IS SO MUCH BETTER! Thanks to Lauren who has been helping me as well! 
God uses us when we obey Him. We may think it is a small thing but nothing is ever too small in His kingdom purpose!

 

Thank you again for your partnership with me here in my heart country! 

Love, His Warrior and Disciple, 

Submitting to be His Dance partner here in Cambodia, 

Your sister, Vedya 

#273 - Prayer Requests: Preveng Province

Vol.# 273 

Hello faithful prayer warriors!

 

Over the past year I have been asked by the church planting team to accompany them on various mission trips to different provinces/regions within Cambodia, and I have not felt the urge to go to any on site. I would rather give resources to the team, pray with and for them, and if and when I felt the Spirit say to give resources, I would! But this time I felt the Holy Spirit say go with the team! So on the 16/17^thof June, I will be going with the Support team (HR, Media, IT, and Finance teams), about 20 of us, to Preveng province. 

 

May I ask you to pray for:

- Safety as we travel to and from Preveng, but also within Preveng as we will be visiting 4 different church plants. Yes, it is a big province!

- We will be painting the inside of one of the main churches. The outside already painted by another of our church plants here in the city.

- Plantinggarden/flowers around the church.

 
- Helping out with the children’s program.

- Visitation: going into the homes and praying over those who are sick.

 
- Listening and praying with and over the church leaders the names of whom I list below:
Location#1: Prey Kuy: Senior pastor: Ps. Eang Samoeurn, his wife You Im; pastor’s assistant: Davann.
Location #2: Hob: Senior pastor: Sous Pheng; church planter member: Sin ChanReatry. 
Location #3: Trokeat: Senior pastor: Ps. Pun Pon; church planter member: Hon Ham.
Location #4: Chamres: Senior Pastor: Ps. Eang Phuong; church planter member: Bou Chat.

 

- I will be accompanying the teams who will go to pray with the church leaders/home visits. Please pray for His discernment and wisdom as I go with the team. I am in a supporting role of listening and prayer. I would like to meet the Khmer teachers who are teaching English in these rural areas to encourage and support them as well!

 
- Pray for health for all and bonding in His Spiritas we unify to encourage and come alongside those who are working in areas where it is difficult.

 
Thank you for coming along to pray! We are all staying at the pastor’s house in the main location there. I already bought a sleeping bag, and yes, I have my mosquito spray! I will carry some medications to give out as well (Tylenol for the kids, stomach meds). I am praying for God-led conversations(with an interpreter) one-on-one and His eyes to see and His ears to hear the needs of those we will be serving! Blessings and thank you! 

Love, His Warrior and Disciple, 

Submitting to be His Dance partner here in Cambodia, 

Your sister, Vedya