#292 - God's Ways are Not Our Ways!

 Vol.# 292

Thank you all for your prayers for my safe journey back to Cambodia!

 

There were no delays and I arrived around 11-ish on Sunday night and as I walked out, I was greeted by our senior pastor and his wife who came to pick me up. When I got to my place, Julia and Chetra were waiting to help carry my 2 suitcases up the stairs! There is still construction work going on (3 months ongoing!) and an iron grid was laid on the road so that rolling the suitcases along the street was not possible. So Chetra had to lift the suitcases and walk to my doorway, then climb up the 32 steps! 

While I was away, Lauren (another important part of my community here) helped with arrangements for cleaning my place and getting it ready for me to return. Yet the construction goes on and for the first 2 days until Thursday, no one could leave their place on my street and no one could enter, for they were laying the concrete down on the road! So an enforced rest helped me to get things in order here in the apartment. 

On Thursday I was back in the office and unaware that I would be attending a prayer and blessing on a new satellite campus site for New Life Foundation church early in the afternoon. It is situated on the south end of the city, and as we went to clean and pray and walk in the area, I was so blessed that I was able to be part of this ordination. I also ate lunch with part of my team but by 3pm, after being back in the heat and prayer time, I was ready for my bed! 

As I left the new site, and did a tuk tuk prayer (instead of a prayer walk), I saw many children playing outside and a nearby school. On the 28th we will have a ‘mission’ to go and clean and paint the new place. It was a residential house and will be a home church. Lokru Virak and his wife, Sister Boramey, will be the ones to lead this new campus. Lokru Virak is still the head of HR at our main campus but will soon slowly release his responsibilities from here at the main campus to focus on this new campus called Dangkor Community church, New Life Foundation. I will be with the team on the 28th as we go to do the practical work of cleaning and getting the new campus ready. There is much work to be done, and later on I will give the back-story to the planting of this new campus! 

Answered Prayers: 

God’s ways are not our ways! I usually get an aisle seat on the plane but this time we could not get an aisle seat, so Ian and Ramona were able to get me a window seat. I like the freedom of being able to get up and walk, and yes, go to the bathroom when needed on such a long flight, so I was a bit apprehensive especially as my seat partner on the aisle was a tall guy and his knees were jammed up to the seat in front of him. I was calculating how I could squeeze by if he fell asleep or if I had to jump over him! But all of you prayed for my trip back and God answered this way: I only had to go to the bathroom 3 times on the 14-hour trip, and I only had to go when my aisle partner went. Moreover, my seat partner next to me was a smaller size so I did not feel cramped! 

 

Then, my seat could not tilt back so I finally had to call the flight attendant to help and with the 2 passengers on the back of me pulling at the seat, I finally could tilt the seat to rest until the meals came! Then they had to push the seat back in place! I dared not try to tilt it back again after the meals, but again, our Lord allowed me to rest my head against the window so I could rest. 

 

I had the opportunity to actually look out and to see His beauty in the skies, and yes, to thank Him for my time back in Toronto with my parents, my sister and bro and my visiting family members from England. One of my prayer partners had prayed and gave me the picture of angels carrying the plane and as I sat overlooking the wing of the plane, I smiled as I could picture this and felt His assurance that He will be looking after me in the future but also that my Mum and Dad are being held in His arms back in Toronto! Thank you, Maggie, for that precious picture you painted in your prayer for me! 

Prayer Request: 

Please pray for His wisdom and discernment as roles have changed here and I am asked to help out as a spiritual prayer partner in the new campus site as well as have a more active role in the weekend services preparation. I will add more on this in my upcoming newsletter!

 

I wish I had more time to personally visit with many of you on my last visit, but please keep sending me your prayer requests and your life stories so that I can pray along with you at our Father’s feet! 

Still dancing with Jesus…

Love, His Warrior and Disciple, 

Submitting to be His Dance partner here in Cambodia, 

Your sister, Vedya 

#291 - Departure and What Does Bong Srey Vidya Do?

 Vol.# 291

Good morning from the balcony here at my parents’ apartment in Scarborough!

 

The air is cool and I am enjoying the cooler temperatures while I can! It has been a while since I sent you an update. 

 

I have been with my parents, enjoying the opportunity to spend time not only with them, but also with my eldest sister and her family and their kids from England. My parents got to spend time with their grandkids as well as their great-grandkids and I am now a great aunt (emphasis on the great! LOL) as well! 

 

From the pic posted above we had our family who live here as well as those visiting. Missing: my big brother Krish and his kids Christian and Gaby who live in Florida, and my sister-in-law Cheryl, Vish’s wife who was hosting her own guests at same time! 

As I get ready to return, I always seek His guidance into my role back in Phnom Penh, specifically at New Life Church. I thought I would ask a few people who are not the main leaders at church a question: ‘If you had to write a job title or position for Bong Srey Vidya (me), what would that be?’  I got a few responses that I have not edited either in content or grammar/spelling. It is always illuminating to see through the eyes of others what they perceive my role as at New Life Church Foundation, Phnom Penh. So here they are: 

1.      Hello, my name is Pisey Lai. 
If I recruit bong Srey Vidya to be a staff at church, it would be Manager to Senior Pastor. Because she would remind the pastor to give sermon before preaching time to the live interpreter team on Sunday. She is the only one who have the courage to remind and tell the pastors what to do.

2.      Hello, my name is Sambath Long. 
If I recruit bong Srey Vidya, I will recruit her as a Snack Manager at church. Because she would buy snack everywhere and every plan she go. She is the only one who have the snack to courage everyone and do everything cause bong Vidya has Snack.

3.      Hello, my name is Samuel Seng. 
If I were to recruit bong Srey Vidya to be a staff at church, she would be the one who leads the connection team. Because she is great at connecting with people, local or international and I think it's stem from her genuine love and care for God's people and even more so she is a great mentor to most and an amazing prayer warrior. We call her Prayer Mama for a reason.

4.      Hello, Hi, Good evening, I’m Thavin. 

If I recruit Bong Video to be a staff at church she would be a.……(no idea) because she would listen, check, and ask when the translation not working well.
But thank you for choosing to work with us. You are a good sister.

5.      Hello, my name is Samuel Sout Visa. 
If I were to recruit Bong Srey Vidya to be a staff at church, that’d be a Security and Building Facilitator. Because, she knows most of everybody that coming to church. Often times, she always recognized someone strange and seems weird then she would report that to the teams to help look after that person. Building Facilitator: because she always roaming around, walk in and out almost every room. She might know the building so well, so why not be that?

 

So, I need to add some information to the first perceived role I have at NLF as Manager…I ONLY gently remind the speaking pastors to please NOT give the translator/interpreter the notes to the Sunday sermon an hour or 20 minutes before the sermon, but it would be preferable to give it a couple of days in advance. Since it took time for the speaker to listen to God and then communicate His heart to us, then we would like the opportunity to do the same, by reading the Scripture and familiarizing ourselves with the text. Most of the interpreters are spiritually young and do not know the Bible well, so new names and new words have to be learnt how to be pronounced correctly, for example, devil is NOT de-vil but de(h) -vil!  

 

The last note is from the Worship Leader Veasna, and this is his perception of my role. ”From me as I think back of what you have done and as I experienced myself I would say your role is: Staff Spiritual advocacy. You connect with staff on personal level and bring their prayer request to Jesus, and you connect with Jesus on their behalf, and tell them how Jesus feels about their daily (activities). You fed people with bread but also bring bread of life for their spiritual life as well..”

Many of you have asked what I do at New Life Foundation. I thought it best for you to hear the words of others as to my role. In the past I have asked my senior Pastor Samdy and his wife, and one of the elders, Pastor Pisit and his wife, to share on video, but this time I wanted you to hear from the regular members who are my co-workers at the church.

 
This brings me to my departure date: September 14th! I will be at RAC this Sunday, so I pray and hope that I get a chance to see some of you at church. I want to thank you for your grace for allowing me this special time to be with my parents here in Scarborough. I thank you for your continued sacrifice of finances and time spent in interceding for me, time spent in reading my updates and praying along with me! I am so grateful! 

Prayer Requests: Please continue prayers for healing for my big bro in Florida, for His favor to flow over him. Please pray for my parents as they are in a new season in life and for His favor over them with doctors and workers!

 
Please send your life updates to me as well so that I can pray along with you! Thank you for continuing to dance with me as Jesus continues to lead! 

 

 

Love, His Warrior and Disciple, 

Submitting to be His Dance partner here in Cambodia, 

Your sister, Vedya