#310 - Part 2 - Wedding and Prayer Blessings

 Vol. 310 - Part 2

FRUIT CEREMONY AT 1ST WEDDING WEARING TRADITIONAL KHMER OUTFIT

SAME WEDDING BUT EVENING CEREMONY WITH PARENTS OF THE BRIDE. THE FATHER IS AN ELDER FROM MY CHURCH HERE.

WITH JERI AT HIS SALON. HIS BIRTHDAY ALSO.

THE BAKERY GAVE ME THE 1ST CKAE FREE (LOOKS LIKE ME??) AND THE 2ND CAKE IS FOR JERI.

AT LOKRU PISIT'S HOME. WE ALSO SHARE THE SAME BIRTHDAY.

DANGKAO TEAM HAD AN APPRECIATION TIME AND PRAYER BLESSING FOR ME.

AT MAIN CAMPUS BEING PRAYED FOR BY LEADERS AND BEING SENT OUT AS THEIR MISSIONARY.

Love, His Warrior and Disciple, 

Submitting to be His Dance partner here in Cambodia, 

Your sister, Vedya 

#310 - SORTING AND GIVING AS I LEAVE

Vol.#310 - Part 1

Happy Resurrection Day / Blessed Easter to all!

It is a new season and I am so grateful for these past few weeks where I got to witness His Spirit amongst my community here! I had 2 weddings to attend in the space of a week, and then 2 blessings-prayers events were created for me by the 2 campuses that I am blessed to serve with, and then the sorting and re-gifting of many of my things to those in my community! So in the pics below I can show you a bit of what has transpired. There are too many pics to show now, but I can show you all of them on site in Toronto!

SHARING MY STUFF - FINDING THEM NEW HOMES WITH CHURCH MEMBERS AND HOUSE CLAEANER

MORE THINGS TO BE GIVEN - NEW HOMES FOR THEM TO BE APPRECIATED

MY CORE GROUP WHO WERE VITAL ON MY LAST DAY AT THE APARTMENT. AT THEIR TWO HOMES SOME OF MY THINGS WILL BE STORED FOR THE TIME WHEN HE LEADS ME BACK. SO GRATEFUL FOR THESE PRAYING FRIENDS. (DAVID, THE HUSBAND OF LAUREN IN STRIPED T-SHIRT WAS AT HOME WITH THEIR KIDS BUT ALSO PART OF THIS SENDING GROUP).

Prayer of thanksgiving: I had asked for a good farewell between my landlady and her family and HE went beyond that for me. When I went down to say goodbye, they all came and she said she was going to miss me and my prayers. Her daughter-in-law asked if whenever I returned I could come back to stay with them! I told them unfortunately that the 32 steps were becoming a challenge for me and she offered to switch apartments with me as she lived below me! I thanked them and we will stay connected via Telegram social media!

Prayer of  thanksgiving: God gave me His opportunities to speak and pray with those I needed to. There were some surprising encounters from those who said I had an effect on them (hopefully a positive one!). I cannot express my gratitude enough to Chetra and Julia and David and Lauren for being there on the last day to help in transporting the stored items at their houses. Lauren helped me to weigh my suitcases to ensure they were not over the limit. I was anxious about this but she brought her scale and all is well at least for 2 suitcases. I am living out of the 3rd suitcase for the next day or so, so hopefully it is not over the limit!

Prayer requests: I leave Cambodia at 11:30 at night on the 7th. Please pray for favour with customs and that I am able to relax and maybe sleep on the plane. I have one stopover in Seoul and then the longer leg of flight to Toronto. Please pray that I would be a good seat mate and a good witness for Our Lord as well as for good seat mates! I am travelling back with 3 suitcases and a carry on so I am praying for the logistics of carrying them all!

Thank you all! 

It has been a flurry of activity. I am glad I was able to be here and serve on Easter Sunday with my  favorite worship team led by Lokru Pisit (my brother with the same birthday!) leading the worship that morning!

This evening I will be having dinner with Lokru Samdy and his wife Navy as they are my senior pastors at NLF church. We are finalizing the ways we will keep connected as I continue to partner with them from afar. A new and exciting opportunity has come up to also partner with our first church plant to mentor the head teacher at their Skill Teaching Center via video! They are starting afresh at a new location so I am excited to be part of organizing and helping to mentor the young team there as well as the team at Dangkao!  More on that later!

Prayer Requests: Please pray for the transition back and for more suitable accommodation for my parents and myself in Toronto. 

Thank you for your prayers and as they say here. ‘See you when I see you!’ 

Much love and a big thank you as the dance continues…!

Love, His Warrior and Disciple, 

Submitting to be His Dance partner here in Cambodia, 

Your sister, Vedya 

#309 - Change is in the Air!

 Vol. #309

Good morning from a sweltering Phnom Penh! 

As most of you know who have been dancing with me (in your own rhythmic style) on this journey in my heart country of Cambodia, the health of my parents has been deteriorating. My mom has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's, my dad just turned 99 YOUNG with all of the normal health challenges that accompany reaching this age, and my brother in Florida has his own health challenges as well. SO after much prayer with both advisors in Toronto and Cambodia, I have decided to return to Toronto for as long as I am needed there, waiting on His timing to return to my heart country of Cambodia! I will be there to provide support as my parents’ caregiver (alongside my siblings), but I will be on site living with them to aid in any way that I can!

I will continue to give you regular updates as usual as my ministry in Cambodia will continue by regular ZOOM calls to support leaders in the following ways:

- Provide counsel and prayer support to leaders at New Life Foundation and New Life church.

- Provide teaching support and mentoring for the Skills Centre at Dangkao, our newest campus affiliated with NLF.

- I will continue to edit the English version for the sermons/events: editing school curriculum and putting my ‘stamp’ on how to teach certain lessons through phonetics by showing them how to pronounce certain English words by using the sounds from the Khmer alphabet! I have found this is so useful for the younger students who have NOT been exposed to English sounds as their older counterparts who have access to social media so their ears are more attuned to the pronunciation in English!

- Team members can still send me their prayer requests via social media! We have been doing that even on days off and it has worked well. This has been a learning curve for me since I am NOT literate on using social media!

For the last 20 years God began putting into my heart His plan for me to serve in Cambodia. It started with a meeting at Lisa Cheong’s house in Scarborough where we prayed for the land of Cambodia, and then 2 years after praying for this land, I made my first entry into my now heart country of Cambodia! The love for my Khmer brothers and sisters and my desire to continue to help in the development of this country, focusing on New Life Foundation and its 2 campuses has only intensified over the years! I do believe the best is yet to come especially as we are building a bigger and better main campus at Dangkao using education as the main tool to bring many to Christ! I am thankful that HE is leading each step and I wait upon Him for the timing of my return to my heart  country that He has chosen for me!

THANK YOU ALL for continuing to be part of His ministry with your prayer, emotional and financial support! There is a Khmer saying here ‘see you when I see you’, so April 8th is my return date to Toronto.

Prayer requests:

- Please pray for a more suitable place for my parents and myself.

- I would have had to move from my current place here in Cambodia as the 32 steps walking up and down with heavy bags was not viable anymore. I have had to give up this place. Please pray that I will have prayer time with the landlady and her husband. They have usually welcomed my prayers during times of illness.

- Please pray for the logistics of the move, however temporary!

MORE TO COME!

Love, His Warrior and Disciple, 

Submitting to be His Dance partner here in Cambodia, 

Your sister, Vedya 

#308 - Evangelistic Conference with Franklin Graham and Taya in Siem Reap

 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.

ART PROJECT BY KHMER ARTISTS ON SITE DEPICTING WAR WITH THAILAND

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 

#307 - Christmas in Thailand and New Years in Cambodia!

Vol.#307

Thank you all for the Christmas greetings.

I waited to open the RAC Missions Christmas email so that I could read it on the 25th even though I received it days before. It was like opening a special gift on Christmas Day!

 

This Christmas was different as my nephew Darren and his wife, my niece-in-law/love, Tuean, and their 2 kids, Jesse and Becky moved back to Thailand after being in England for the past 10 years, and they invited me to spend Christmas with them! After wrapping up our own Christmas services on the 21st at New Life Fellowship church, I left for Thailand on the 22nd. As some of you already know there has been a battle on the border of Thailand and Cambodia, the land border being shut down and fighting has been ongoing, although, as of today, a tentative truce has been declared. However, tensions are still high and one of the results has been that the Thai restaurants and shops have closed down in Phnom Penh, and the boycotting of Thai products being sold in the stores here have begun. We had heard of stories of people going from Cambodia to Thailand not being treated nicely at the Bangkok Customs. However, I had my immigration QR code done with the necessary info, and with the blessings of the senior pastors here, I flew out on Air Cambodia and had no problems at Customs on arrival there and on departure! On the one hour flight they even gave us a sandwich and water! 

I had a blessed time with my nephew and family and a great surprise when my sister and my brother-in-law flew in from England to surprise us all for Christmas! Tuean knew of course and had gone to pick them up at the airport but the rest of us did not know! It was a beautiful chaotic time with all of us at the house cooking and watching old movies and driving up to the beach for a couple of days. 

Then I flew back to Phnom Penh on the 31st so that I could be here for the countdown and the start of the New Year 2026! I have enclosed a pic of the students from the Dangkeo location spending the New Year at Oun PanHa and Oun Sreyleak’s house. They head up the Skills Training Centre at the new location in Dangkao. For Christmas these students were gifted with Bibles, and after getting permission from their parents, they were allowed to go to their house, where for the first time, they opened up and studied the Bible! Oun Sreyleak said they did not even know how to read it so they had fun games introducing the books of the Bible, by calling out the page number and having them find it, then looking at the name of the Book and then chapter of the Bible! My role is to aid Oun Sreyleak and Oun PanHa by giving advice and resources to enable them to help the students. This is the first cell group of students from the new location and it is exciting to see the growth! 

However, as we continue as a church to help the evacuees from the affected war areas, we continue to meet and pray in different churches as we believe our victory is in God and not in weapons but in the power of prayer! So my first meeting coming back here, even before going to church on Sunday, was at a prayer meeting on Saturday. 

Prayer Requests: 

- Please pray along with us as we continue to help those affected, the evacuees/refugees of war, for timing and ways to give the provisions/resources.

- Pray for wisdom as I speak with those with whom I come into contact about the war and God’s sovereignty over this situation: the landlord, the tuk tuk drivers, and the sellers in the store who do not yet know of Jesus the Christ but are willing to listen as they know the church here has been active in going to the affected areas to help their fellow Khmer citizens! 

Thank YOU to all of you who are continuing to dance with me into 2026 for your sacrifice of time and resources. I pray for His intimate Presence to be on you and around you in ALL circumstances. Thank you for your perseverance and I pray that you know that HE is with you at all times. Happy New Year 2026!

Love, His Warrior and Disciple, 

Submitting to be His Dance partner here in Cambodia, 

Your sister, Vedya 

#306 - A Devastating Fire

 Vol.# 306

In the past 2 weeks, we have been very busy at the new Dangkao location. 

A man who lives in that community had an argument with his wife and deliberately set their house on fire. This fire spread to 11 other houses and displaced 11 families. What was our response as His hands and feet on the ground to this terrible disaster?

AERIAL VIEW OF FIRE: 11 FAMILIES AFFECTED

AFFECTED FAMILIES RECEIVING PACKAGED RESOURCES WITH TENT, BEDDING, FOOD ETC.

 

OUR DANGKAO TEAM

As the pictures show, the main team began collecting bedding and tents that could be used as temporary shelter as well as food and clothing. Along with the students from New Life School in Dangkao, who came in to pack the supplies, and those who were able, together began to donate money to their own community. .50 cents to one dollar was the average donation from these students. When I saw the donations, I thought of the poor widow in Mark 12: 41-44 who gave all that she could give. Tears came to my eyes as well as joy for these students who gave what they had. Those who could not give came in to give of themselves by separating items, packing, and then cleaning the courtyard area. They set up the chairs to receive representatives from the 11 affected families and the village chief coming in to talk and to thank New Life Church Dangkao for their support of the community! 

On Monday I got a phone call from Oun Lin who is the principal of the Skills Training Centre at Dangkao, asking me if I would like to join them to go and pray for the uncle of the man who had set the fire, as he was burnt badly and in the hospital. Unfortunately, the aunt, his wife, was an invalid and even though the husband who was presently in the hospital had tried to rescue her, she had not survived. I went to the school in Dangkao to meet Oun Lin, and then we went to meet the village chief who was going with us to the hospital to visit the victim. Along the way, Donnie, who runs the Healing Home here in Phnom Penh and who had heard of the victim joined us as he had connections with a hospital here that specializes in burn victims. He was willing to transfer the man to this hospital as the hospital he was at did not have medical experience in dealing with burn victims. However, when we got to the hospital, we were told that the man had already passed away and was in the morgue! We visited the morgue and found him in a room with no windows and no air conditioning. It was not a cold room! He had died the day before but no one had informed the village chief. One of the young teachers who had accompanied us asked why would God allow us to go when the man had already died? I said GOD knew that he had passed but maybe God wanted to show the community and the village chief that we were willing to help, to go and pray, and yes, to pay for the ambulance expenses etc. 

However, as I write this, I am quite aware of the devastating fire that took the lives of so many in Hong Kong, and  seeing first hand our own community displaced and experiencing such havoc in their lives, I pray along with so many of you for those in Hong Kong. 

Prayer Request: Please pray for us to have wisdom as we continue to walk along with those affected by the fire, and with the local government officials in Dangkao. We are very grateful for the organization that has opted to fund 100 percent of any expenses needed for that community! 

At our church, we have already begun decorating and setting up for our Christmas services. Our theme this year is the Prince of Peace. Each week unfolds a new part of this theme. It is amazing to watch when people step into the church lobby on a Sunday and see how their faces light up. Then the picture taking begins! I had asked a few people if they had started to decorate their own places in honor of the birth of Jesus, and they all said, Oh no, Bong Srey (older sister), it is too expensive, that is why we enjoy and appreciate it when the church does this every year! It gives them an opportunity to invite friends and family to come and see the decorations and take pictures. The decor is being used as an evangelistic tool! I can attest to this as I work at the welcome/info desk and I see so many new people come and then stay for the service. The lights and decor also draw those from the mall next to the church to drop by to see the decorations and Christmas trees! 

Prayer Request: Please pray that many will come to know the Prince of Peace and to experience His peace this season. With the downturn in the economy, even those at the church have had to cut back on working hours and salary. Please pray that we will truly reflect His peace. Please pray for continued creativity as we want to share the story of the birth of the Prince of Peace to many, and that many who go to shop at the mall will be drawn to visit the church and remain to hear the music and the preaching of His love! Thank you! 

Prayer Request: December 21st is the main Christmas Sunday service. Please pray that all of us who will be working for the 3 services that we remain in good health and reflect His joy! 

I pray for many of you who are undergoing unexpected difficulties that you will sense His Presence and experience the sweet stillness of rest from the Prince of Peace! Thank you for your ongoing prayers and support! 

Love, His Warrior and Disciple, 

Submitting to be His Dance partner here in Cambodia, 

Your sister, Vedya