I
don’t remember the rest of the lyrics to this song but it is definitely nice to
be back in Cambodia again helping at the BECs after having to miss my annual
trip in 2017. This time around I
focussed my attention on all the ecclesial activities and outreach efforts at
the Bible Ed Centre in Siem Reap under the sure direction of Sister Loy. However, I did manage to spend a few days in
Phnom Penh catching up with friends old and new at the BEC and the girls’
dorm. Sadly my month-long visit did not
allow enough time for a trip to the BEC in Sihanoukville.
The
small ecclesia in Siem Reap has some wonderful things happening and could do
with some long-term support for those thinking about coming to Cambodia as
fieldworkers. There is an enthusiastic
group of twenty outreach students who have been attending monthly classes at
the BEC for about three years.
Considering that they all have to travel quite far (2-3 hours) on their
motos to attend these outreach weekends, they have shown a great deal of
commitment. The next step for most of
them is to begin baptism prep classes but the tiny membership (seven members
who live close enough to attend each Sunday meeting and Wednesday night class)
here would require some outside support to do that as they all have a lot on
their plates between ecclesial, family and work responsibilities. The other eight members live too far away to
attend more than once a month so again, a long-term fieldworker or two based in
Siem Reap could be a support on many levels.
To
make life a little easier for the outreach students, while I was here we
travelled to them. We met them two hours
north of Siem Reap at Sister Sabda’s family farm and had a great Bible class discussion
and a wonderful lunch. Most of our Bible
classes and talks have focused on the kind of relationship that God wants with
us. We have explored different stories
from the Bible, including David’s request to build a house for God and God’s
response in 2 Samuel 7, in order to better understand this thought-provoking
topic.
The
rest of my time in Siem Reap has involved assisting with a variety of tasks. Perhaps the most important one was being a
listening ear since small ecclesias can often do with some occasional moral
support from further afield. A fun
assignment was teaching Sunday School class just outside Siem Reap at Brother
Veasna and Sister Lin’s house. Two of
the older students had some quite impressive English skills and helped the
younger ones complete their craft activities after learning more about Jacob’s
life including how he had to work for Laban seven more years in order to be
able to wed Rachel. We have also enjoyed
the usual round of mid-week Bible classes and Sunday memorial meetings with
lots of steady support from all. This
includes fairly regular attendance by a few unbaptized younger family members
and friends. It is heartening to see how
strong this small lightstand is as it shines brightly in this part of Cambodia.
While
visiting the Phnom Penh BEC, there was the opportunity to hold a sisters’
class. Considering it was on short
notice, it was well attended. We had the
chance to explore the book of Philemon and learn, in its twenty-five short
verses, about the good qualities that a believer can work on possessing. It was great to see everyone and see how God
has nurtured their spiritual growth over the last two years.
If
you are reading this, the most important takeaway is that, as always, the BECs
in Cambodia need our support. If you or
someone you know can take some time to come here as a fieldworker (this
includes all three BECs), you will be amazed at how much you benefit
spiritually while helping your Khmer brothers and sisters and eager
students.
Love
in Jesus,
Sister
Grace,
Kitchener
ecclesia, Canada
Comments