Vol.# 308
As temperatures continue to soar here in Phnom Penh, hitting the late 80s (F), I know it is getting colder and colder in Toronto! I have seen pics of the snow piling high at Pearson International Airport and on the main highways. I pray for safety as you all travel and yes, as you are shovelling the snow in your own driveways! But from here it looks beautiful in pics!
It has been a whirlwind of activities here with Franklin Graham Ministries in connection with Samaritan’s Purse NGO coming in to have 2 evangelistic meetings in Siem Reap province, with a prayer breakfast meeting first in Phnom Penh! I was part of the prep team working in the VIP room preparing for Franklin Graham and his team (pic with all of us in green tshirts).
On the day before the breakfast event, we had to order in a fridge and sofa set and then prepare the snacks for the following day. It was amazing to see so many of the local pastors and lay leaders from all over Cambodia coming in to pray for the land and to have fellowship together! Even though Franklin Graham came in only to speak and pray with us for 15 minutes in Phnom Penh, it was the Cambodian worship leaders who led us into prayer and praising God, NOT JUST from New LIfe Fellowship, but also the Methodists, Presbyterians, and Evangelical churches to name a few, joined and in unity sought our LORD on behalf of Cambodia. My senior leader Pastor Samdy acted as the translator when the English native speakers shared on stage. It was so powerful with His presence in the room, some just had to take off their shoes because that venue turned into His Holy ground as we sought our Lord and prayed for peace and safety for the kingdom of Cambodia.
Then the following day, it was time to travel to Siem Reap for the 2 nights of evangelistic crusades with Taya (from Hillsong), one of the headlining musicians for the event. Over 27,000 people came to hear the gospel with the focus on John 14:6. When I spoke to a couple of the organizers at the funeral of one of the founding fathers of the Evangelical Fellowship of Cambodia, I was told that over 900 people of different ages came forward to receive Christ as their Saviour on the Saturday night and on Sunday over 1000 came! What impressed me was the organization of it all, with many Khmer volunteers taking the personal info of each person and then giving them options of churches they could attend on the following Sunday! I stood back and was amazed and in tears when I saw so many leave their seats to walk up to the stage! I was honored to be a VIP guest because of my connections with Pastor Pisit and his wife Seiha. Pastor Pisit is the Director at the Bible Society in Cambodia, and one the elders at my church New Life Foundation whilst being a songwriter and worship leader! He was one of the 2 MC’s at the event and so I had access to the VIP rooms. Usually I am part of the team preparing the rooms and now I was IN the room!
But as the sun set in the background to the outdoor arena that was the old airport in Siem Reap, I was so grateful that I got to be a part of this worship experience here in Cambodia. I have memories of being back in Trinidad listening to Billy Graham on the radio in my hometown of Arima, the first time I ever heard Billy Graham with George Beverly Shea singing ‘Just As I Am’ to the invitation to come and meet our Saviour! The invitational song is different now with his son Franklin Graham, and even though it was sung by the accompanying American band, the words were in Khmer on the screen and the band members themselves sang the chorus in Khmer! Please pray that all of those who went up will go to a local church to be discipled.
Then 2 days after, as I mentioned above, God called Rev. Heng to be with Him. It was a shock to all of us, so with heavy hearts we went to support his family. As we sang Amazing Grace in Khmer, his wife and kids and grandkids came up to the front and we put out our hands to pray for them as they mourn yet rejoice in the fact that Rev. Heng is with His Heavenly Father, and the fact that they will see him in heaven one day!
Thank you all for your continued prayers for me here. I was reminded in Exodus 17 and 18 of Joshua being on the frontlines in the battle. However, he could only be in the battle due to Moses as his main intercessory prayer warrior with Aaron and Hur holding up his arms so that he, Joshua, could continue to win the war! How can I be your Aaron/Hur as you, like Joshua, are in the everyday battle of life but you still continue to be my intercessory prayer warriors (Moses!) for my dance here in Cambodia?
Thank you. May you feel His refreshing outpouring Spirit as you persevere each minute, each hour, each day for Our Lord!
Love, His Warrior and Disciple,
Submitting to be His Dance partner here in Cambodia,
Your sister, Vedya
