Cambodia Bible Education Centre

Thinking of David and Ann Todd, before they left Cambodia, they gave us an idea of getting everyone to have lunch together once a month. The purpose is to make close relationships and have good company with brothers, sisters, dormers and outside people who often come to worship on Sunday. Everyone was happy with these ideas. Last Sunday, we had outreach programs which we always do special for students who live far away from Phnom Penh city by giving them opportunity to come to study the Bible at the BEC one a month. We invited LCDI’s students who keen to study the Bible to join the class with Outreach students as well. LCDI is a private teaching organization run by a Cambodian brother. Last Sunday was a good day for brothers, sisters, dormers, outreach students, LCDI students and others students who came to worship on Sunday because we had prepared a special lunch for them. It was a good opportunity to get to know each other better and start to build closer relationships. Why is...

Last Sunday we were happy to witness the baptism of our new Sister Channa.   Even the Todds were able to be a part of it via Skype.   It’s the first baptism since Jess and I have been here.   The baptism was at the BEC on the rooftop in a big blow-up pool and was a happy day.   A big thanks to the Toddies for all the hard work they have put in teaching Sis Channa, it was a shame they could not have witnessed it in person. The new English classes are still going well.  We have about ten first-time students still attending and about ten “Dormers” and old students.  Even the BEC staff sometimes sit in on the lesson and learn a few new words and pronunciation with us.  Our weekend classes from 1:30 to 3:30 on Saturday and Sunday have proved to be the most popular so far. Being vegetarian does have its downsides.  We took a wrong turn in one of the biggest indoor markets and found ourselves in the food section where we went past the seafood a...

Something Luke and I were not anticipating before we came here was writing an entirely new course to teach!  At one of the fieldworker meetings it was suggested that a new approach could be taken when we advertised for a new course.  This time, our main focus is on English words which are taken from topics in the Bible but can also be used in everyday life. We begin our lessons by teaching new words to the students, giving them the meanings and putting them into sentences or some other activity.  We finish the lesson with a passage from the Bible which includes most of the words they have just learned so they can put it into some sort of context.  We are teaching the same lesson each day but at four different times with an extra lesson on Saturday and Sunday where Luke crams a whole week’s worth of lessons into two sessions. Introduction Session (with some of the dormers) We began the course with an introduction session for all the new students on a Sat...

Friday Night Farewell Dinner David and Anna left us on Saturday, 28 April after being here for nine months.  Toward the end of last week the BEC was even busier than usual with people dropping by to say goodbye to them and wish them well on their journey home to New Zealand via Vietnam.  The work they have done here has been fantastic and they will be missed. Some of us gathered together at the BEC for a meal on Friday evening and some also came to the BEC on Saturday to see them off.  They managed to squash into a tuktuk with all their belongings to be taken to the bus station on their way to Vietnam.  We hope they made it there safely and still in one piece! It's a tight fit in the tuktuk! Thank you David and Anna for the work you have tirelessly done over here.  Luke and I are also very thankful for the time we could spend with you learning to take over here at the BEC.  May God’s blessing be on you both as you adjust to life awa...

It’s quite daunting deciding to up and move to a different country for six months, especially when you’ve never been there before!   This is a decision Luke and I have made to give our time to God in an area of His world where there is much to be done. We are here to take over the wonderful work David and Anna have been doing for the past eight or so months and hope we can continue the precedents they have put in place.  We have very large shoes to fill which at the moment we have not quite grown into! On Saturday, 31 March we got straight into it by attending an ecclesial weekend consisting of sessions led by brother Raju Devis.  We arrived early and were taken from the airport to the BEC.  After a quick tour of our new home and refreshing shower we walked over to the Lucky Star Hotel where the sessions were taking place.  Nervous and slightly terrified was one way to describe myself, especially when Anna informed me that the only way into the room w...