Cambodia Missions blog
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History leading up to our first missions trip to Cambodia – November 8-23, 2010.
My wife and I have been preparing for this for a while. To give you a brief history, we have been praying about going on a mission trip for the past several years. At the beginning of 2010, the Lord opened up that opportunity. God provided for the finances in a marvelous and unexpected way, so that all of the expenses for the trip were taken care of. Once the finances were in, then we began to pray concerning where we should go. As a church we support 14 missionary families around the world. Ron & Tina Fruin, one of our supported missionaries, have asked on several occasions that we needed to come and see their ministry in Cambodia. When the funds permitted us to go on a trip, the Lord seemed to keep this door open. Ron Fruin wanted us to come for their water festival in November, if it would be the Lord’s will. As we look back on those events, we are sure that God orchestrated all the events in His perfect timing for this trip. Sure, there was much apprehension. Going out of the country for the first time in our lives was a challenge, but even more than that we are going to a third world country. Because we are going to a third world country, we needed to look into getting shots. Hep A, Hep B, Typhoid, and possibly Malaria immunizations were needed. Our shots are now complete other than a later booster of Hep A & B. Getting connecting flights that would correspond to our schedule and Ron’s schedule was another challenge. Finally, we face the challenge of preparing for this trip along with all of our other ‘regular duties.’ To be sure, this trip will not be a vacation! I will be teaching on eschatology in the institute that Ron ministers in. I need to prepare at least 8 teaching sessions. I must prepare these with no American illustrations or American idioms. Also along with those 8 lessons, I need to prepare 2 sermons – 1 for a Cambodia service and 1 for an English service. Kathi, my wife, will be teaching the children and speaking to the ladies. Honestly the schedule looks like there is no time for sleep.☺ So the days leading up to our trip will be very busy, to say the least. In all of this, we look forward how God will use us, but more importantly how God will change us during those two weeks. Please pray for all the preparations and pray that God would prepare our hearts and the hearts of the Cambodian people.
My wife and I have been preparing for this for a while. To give you a brief history, we have been praying about going on a mission trip for the past several years. At the beginning of 2010, the Lord opened up that opportunity. God provided for the finances in a marvelous and unexpected way, so that all of the expenses for the trip were taken care of. Once the finances were in, then we began to pray concerning where we should go. As a church we support 14 missionary families around the world. Ron & Tina Fruin, one of our supported missionaries, have asked on several occasions that we needed to come and see their ministry in Cambodia. When the funds permitted us to go on a trip, the Lord seemed to keep this door open. Ron Fruin wanted us to come for their water festival in November, if it would be the Lord’s will. As we look back on those events, we are sure that God orchestrated all the events in His perfect timing for this trip. Sure, there was much apprehension. Going out of the country for the first time in our lives was a challenge, but even more than that we are going to a third world country. Because we are going to a third world country, we needed to look into getting shots. Hep A, Hep B, Typhoid, and possibly Malaria immunizations were needed. Our shots are now complete other than a later booster of Hep A & B. Getting connecting flights that would correspond to our schedule and Ron’s schedule was another challenge. Finally, we face the challenge of preparing for this trip along with all of our other ‘regular duties.’ To be sure, this trip will not be a vacation! I will be teaching on eschatology in the institute that Ron ministers in. I need to prepare at least 8 teaching sessions. I must prepare these with no American illustrations or American idioms. Also along with those 8 lessons, I need to prepare 2 sermons – 1 for a Cambodia service and 1 for an English service. Kathi, my wife, will be teaching the children and speaking to the ladies. Honestly the schedule looks like there is no time for sleep.☺ So the days leading up to our trip will be very busy, to say the least. In all of this, we look forward how God will use us, but more importantly how God will change us during those two weeks. Please pray for all the preparations and pray that God would prepare our hearts and the hearts of the Cambodian people.
November 8, 2010 Moline - 5:30 AM
We got up this morning at 3 AM, took our last hot shower for two weeks, and we headed to the Quad Cities Airport to begin our long flight to Cambodia. Yes the night was short as both of us were excited and could not sleep right away. When the alarm went off, we were in the good sleep that we could have stayed for hours in. Check in was a breeze. I cannot believe how quickly we were able to get checked in. The airport was getting full because of a charter flight taking veterans to Washington DC on an Honor Flight, so I am glad we got here early. As I am sitting in the airport I was reflecting on last night at church. What a blessing. After I preached from Psalm 27, talking about that we are hid in His pavilion, the deacons gathered Kathi and I at the front of the church to pray for us. What a blessing that was. As we are going on this trip, we understand the presence of God. We understand that this is God’s will for us right now and we are anticipating His rich blessing. This will be a long day, but hopefully we will be able to get some rest through the day because once we are there, I have only a few hours and I will be teaching. We will be getting in Tuesday night Cambodian time. The schedule is that on Wednesday morning I will have my first session with the pastors. Thank you so much for your prayers for us during this trip. Psalm 27:11 – Teach me in thy way O LORD, and lead me in a plain path. Pastor Bob & Kathi
We got up this morning at 3 AM, took our last hot shower for two weeks, and we headed to the Quad Cities Airport to begin our long flight to Cambodia. Yes the night was short as both of us were excited and could not sleep right away. When the alarm went off, we were in the good sleep that we could have stayed for hours in. Check in was a breeze. I cannot believe how quickly we were able to get checked in. The airport was getting full because of a charter flight taking veterans to Washington DC on an Honor Flight, so I am glad we got here early. As I am sitting in the airport I was reflecting on last night at church. What a blessing. After I preached from Psalm 27, talking about that we are hid in His pavilion, the deacons gathered Kathi and I at the front of the church to pray for us. What a blessing that was. As we are going on this trip, we understand the presence of God. We understand that this is God’s will for us right now and we are anticipating His rich blessing. This will be a long day, but hopefully we will be able to get some rest through the day because once we are there, I have only a few hours and I will be teaching. We will be getting in Tuesday night Cambodian time. The schedule is that on Wednesday morning I will have my first session with the pastors. Thank you so much for your prayers for us during this trip. Psalm 27:11 – Teach me in thy way O LORD, and lead me in a plain path. Pastor Bob & Kathi
November 9, 2010 – Seoul, Korea 5:30 PM
We are now sitting again in the airport waiting for the final leg of our trip. WOW! You cannot prepare for a plane trip that takes 13 hours! Time went so slow. The plane was full – probably 300 passengers aboard. Imagine yourself on a plane, the majority of passengers are foreigners, a crying baby, most people not English-speaking - and you have to sit in very cramped quarters. We both are sore just about everywhere. Yes, we were able to stand up and walk some but it was very limited. When we left Chicago, we headed north through Wisconsin into Canada. Then in Canada we began to head north-west. Actually we went up to the Arctic Circle before going south. We went over Russia and China. It is 2:30 AM at home which means we have already been up for almost 24 hours, and we still have 7 hours to go on our journey. We got an hour or two of sleep on the flight here. Thanks for praying! Pastor Bob & Kathi
We are now sitting again in the airport waiting for the final leg of our trip. WOW! You cannot prepare for a plane trip that takes 13 hours! Time went so slow. The plane was full – probably 300 passengers aboard. Imagine yourself on a plane, the majority of passengers are foreigners, a crying baby, most people not English-speaking - and you have to sit in very cramped quarters. We both are sore just about everywhere. Yes, we were able to stand up and walk some but it was very limited. When we left Chicago, we headed north through Wisconsin into Canada. Then in Canada we began to head north-west. Actually we went up to the Arctic Circle before going south. We went over Russia and China. It is 2:30 AM at home which means we have already been up for almost 24 hours, and we still have 7 hours to go on our journey. We got an hour or two of sleep on the flight here. Thanks for praying! Pastor Bob & Kathi
November 10, 2010 – Takhmau, Cambodia, 8:50 PM
We are not sure of where to begin. We got into Cambodia around 11:30 PM Tuesday, Cambodian time. Going through customs went fine. Praise the Lord our luggage all came in with no problems. The flights were long, even the final flight to Cambodia. The last leg of the flight was very turbulent, so we had to stay seated most of the 6 hours and 45 minutes. After a very short night, our first day in Cambodia was unreal. I taught my first classes this morning beginning at 8:30 AM. Speaking with an interpreter was a learning experience. I set the foundation for eschatology because they are not very grounded. The rest of my time will be spent going through the specific events of eschatology. Not sure how far we will get. The group of students was very kind and very eager to learn. I just trust that I was able to give them something. Regarding the culture, one cannot even imagine what life is like here. This afternoon we had the once in a lifetime experience of riding in a tuk-tuk (a 4-seat cart, pulled by a moped) down the main streets of Phnom Penh during rush hour traffic. There are no stoplights or signs and everyone - cars, trucks, tuk-tuks, mopeds, bikes, pedestrians, and cows - just goes from all directions at once – fast and chaotic! We shopped at the market while we were there and that was an experience too. Saw everything from chickens to idols. If you can imagine it, we saw it, and then some. We are learning many things about the people and the ministry here and we have only just begun. Signing off and hoping for a good night’s sleep, we need it. Tomorrow will bring new experiences and new challenges. We cannot wait till then! We thank you for your prayers – we need them! Pastor Bob & Kathi
.
We are not sure of where to begin. We got into Cambodia around 11:30 PM Tuesday, Cambodian time. Going through customs went fine. Praise the Lord our luggage all came in with no problems. The flights were long, even the final flight to Cambodia. The last leg of the flight was very turbulent, so we had to stay seated most of the 6 hours and 45 minutes. After a very short night, our first day in Cambodia was unreal. I taught my first classes this morning beginning at 8:30 AM. Speaking with an interpreter was a learning experience. I set the foundation for eschatology because they are not very grounded. The rest of my time will be spent going through the specific events of eschatology. Not sure how far we will get. The group of students was very kind and very eager to learn. I just trust that I was able to give them something. Regarding the culture, one cannot even imagine what life is like here. This afternoon we had the once in a lifetime experience of riding in a tuk-tuk (a 4-seat cart, pulled by a moped) down the main streets of Phnom Penh during rush hour traffic. There are no stoplights or signs and everyone - cars, trucks, tuk-tuks, mopeds, bikes, pedestrians, and cows - just goes from all directions at once – fast and chaotic! We shopped at the market while we were there and that was an experience too. Saw everything from chickens to idols. If you can imagine it, we saw it, and then some. We are learning many things about the people and the ministry here and we have only just begun. Signing off and hoping for a good night’s sleep, we need it. Tomorrow will bring new experiences and new challenges. We cannot wait till then! We thank you for your prayers – we need them! Pastor Bob & Kathi
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November 11, 2010 – Cambodia, 8:15 PM
Another very busy day here in Cambodia. I will let my wife write about our experience this morning. Last night just before we ended our day, the Cambodian Pastor Tera and his wife Mi and their two children came over for devotions and prayer. We all took time to pray and it was so neat to hear them pray. As they were praying, even though we could not understand a word we knew we serve the same God. Tera really loves the Lord and desires to reach his people for the Lord. This afternoon Ron, Jonathan, Tera and I played volleyball with the teens for about one hour. Just off the court there were chickens and about 4 cows, just walking around. The cows here really need to be fattened, they are skinny. It is very hot here and it is very hard to find a cool spot - thank the Lord for the breeze. Now for Kathi’s viewpoint: Today was marketing day, but it actually took up the whole day. First of all, going to the market involves another tuk-tuk ride. That and moto (moped) are the Fruins’ only forms of transportation. We went to the open market first, where the meats and fruits and vegetables are sold, and let’s just say it is definitely not American. We then went to a more modern “grocery” store. Some of the prices I noted were 8 oz. of sour cream for $4.25 and a box of Pop-tarts for $4.15. When we got home, we spent the entire afternoon washing and grinding meat, washing and sanitizing everything afterwards, packaging food, and making food for supper – all without hot water. It all made me so grateful to be a woman and homemaker in the USA where clean and safe food is in abundance and there are entire aisles of cereal. Pray for tomorrow as we will be helping at a clinic at the church. Also pray for us that we will have strength as the heat is zapping our strength. Thanks for praying! Until tomorrow, Pastor Bob & Kathi
Another very busy day here in Cambodia. I will let my wife write about our experience this morning. Last night just before we ended our day, the Cambodian Pastor Tera and his wife Mi and their two children came over for devotions and prayer. We all took time to pray and it was so neat to hear them pray. As they were praying, even though we could not understand a word we knew we serve the same God. Tera really loves the Lord and desires to reach his people for the Lord. This afternoon Ron, Jonathan, Tera and I played volleyball with the teens for about one hour. Just off the court there were chickens and about 4 cows, just walking around. The cows here really need to be fattened, they are skinny. It is very hot here and it is very hard to find a cool spot - thank the Lord for the breeze. Now for Kathi’s viewpoint: Today was marketing day, but it actually took up the whole day. First of all, going to the market involves another tuk-tuk ride. That and moto (moped) are the Fruins’ only forms of transportation. We went to the open market first, where the meats and fruits and vegetables are sold, and let’s just say it is definitely not American. We then went to a more modern “grocery” store. Some of the prices I noted were 8 oz. of sour cream for $4.25 and a box of Pop-tarts for $4.15. When we got home, we spent the entire afternoon washing and grinding meat, washing and sanitizing everything afterwards, packaging food, and making food for supper – all without hot water. It all made me so grateful to be a woman and homemaker in the USA where clean and safe food is in abundance and there are entire aisles of cereal. Pray for tomorrow as we will be helping at a clinic at the church. Also pray for us that we will have strength as the heat is zapping our strength. Thanks for praying! Until tomorrow, Pastor Bob & Kathi
November 12, 2010 – Cambodia, 9:20 PM
Today was a somewhat relaxing but busy day. This morning Ron and I spent some time studying. Even though I have prepared my sermons ahead of time, I had to re-do them a little as I am learning more of the culture and the people. Late morning Ron, Jonathan and I went to Phnom Penh to meet with missionary Mike Freeze. We actually had pizza, found it to be not bad. We had some nice fellowship with Mike. When we got home, we had to prepare for a medical clinic this afternoon at church. The clinic lasted for about 2½ hours. They treated about 35 people, from those that had open wounds to swollen feet to little children. Most needed to have electrolytes because of dehydration. Today the weather was extremely hot. Tomorrow we are going to do some sightseeing because it is the only day that we are not booked up. It will be like the calm before the storm. Kathi’s day - While Bob was meeting with Ron and Mike, I went with Tina and another missionary wife into Phnom Penh to a Cambodia spa and had a back and neck massage. I have been having pain from what is probably a pinched nerve that might be a result from the many hours on the planes. Anyway, I had a wonderful neck and back massage that lasted 1 ½ hours and my bill was a whopping $8! Best $8 I ever spent! This afternoon I went to clinic mostly to observe as there wasn’t much for me to do. I got a little overcome by the heat and had to sit under a fan for awhile but am fine now. The church is right in a neighborhood that is very poor. Directly next door to the church is a ‘house of spirits.’ This evening we put together the crafts that Kathi will be doing with the children on Sunday, so everything will be in order. Thank you to those who have written to us to tell us that you are praying, we miss everyone of you. Prayer requests: Pastor Bob will be doing an additional service next Sunday. Kathi has a slight heat rash. That’s all for now. Psalm 46:1 – ”God is our refuge and strength, a very pleasant help in trouble.” Pastor Bob & Kathi
Today was a somewhat relaxing but busy day. This morning Ron and I spent some time studying. Even though I have prepared my sermons ahead of time, I had to re-do them a little as I am learning more of the culture and the people. Late morning Ron, Jonathan and I went to Phnom Penh to meet with missionary Mike Freeze. We actually had pizza, found it to be not bad. We had some nice fellowship with Mike. When we got home, we had to prepare for a medical clinic this afternoon at church. The clinic lasted for about 2½ hours. They treated about 35 people, from those that had open wounds to swollen feet to little children. Most needed to have electrolytes because of dehydration. Today the weather was extremely hot. Tomorrow we are going to do some sightseeing because it is the only day that we are not booked up. It will be like the calm before the storm. Kathi’s day - While Bob was meeting with Ron and Mike, I went with Tina and another missionary wife into Phnom Penh to a Cambodia spa and had a back and neck massage. I have been having pain from what is probably a pinched nerve that might be a result from the many hours on the planes. Anyway, I had a wonderful neck and back massage that lasted 1 ½ hours and my bill was a whopping $8! Best $8 I ever spent! This afternoon I went to clinic mostly to observe as there wasn’t much for me to do. I got a little overcome by the heat and had to sit under a fan for awhile but am fine now. The church is right in a neighborhood that is very poor. Directly next door to the church is a ‘house of spirits.’ This evening we put together the crafts that Kathi will be doing with the children on Sunday, so everything will be in order. Thank you to those who have written to us to tell us that you are praying, we miss everyone of you. Prayer requests: Pastor Bob will be doing an additional service next Sunday. Kathi has a slight heat rash. That’s all for now. Psalm 46:1 – ”God is our refuge and strength, a very pleasant help in trouble.” Pastor Bob & Kathi
November 13, 2010 – Cambodia, 9:30 PM
This morning we got up at our usual time, 6AM. We had breakfast and then left to do some sightseeing. Our first stop was to see the Palace. It was beautiful. We saw were the king lives and his banner was flying high. Reminded us of the banner of the Lord. Always when the king was home and the people could see the banner they knew all was well in the kingdom and they were safe. Song of Solomon 2:4 says He brought me to the banqueting house and His banner over me is love. As we looked around the palace, everywhere we went we saw Buddha idols. Sad to see the people worshipping these idols and they have no hope. In one building there were thousands of Buddha idols and people would worship them and give money to the idols in hopes of greater wealth. The other thought we had was that we serve a living God, one God that is over all. We just wanted to tell the people. In one place there was a sacred cow that tradition says it fell from the sky, again many people came to worship. After spending about 2 hours there we went for lunch. It is American-style so no problem ordering chicken or a sub. As we finished our meal, Kathi was coming back from the restroom and fell. There was a step about 6 inches in the middle of the dining room and she did not know it was there. She fell and hurt her ankle real bad, so we got some ice and came back home. It was a 1 hour ride by tuk-tuk to get home. The Cambodians were very concerned as they told her to put raw eggs and honey on it, to rub cream on it and to pull on it and it will go back into place. Tina told them not to pull, but one girl tried anyway. At home, the swelling and pain worsened so we thought she should get x-rays of her ankle. We went to the hospital (a very rustic Cambodian hospital) and when we got there they had to call a doctor in (because there were none there) to take the x-ray. There is only 1 x-ray machine in the city of 50,000. Thank the Lord Ron, Tina and Tera were along as they had to communicate to the people, so they would even call a doctor. Then when the doctor came, they were wonderful in communicating to him. Of course he noticed we were not Cambodians and they then had an opportunity to talk about Christ. He said he had relatives that were Christians, but he was not so they were able to talk to him some. I had to pay for the x-rays on the spot and the cost was $7.50 for 2 x-rays. Thank the Lord nothing was broke but a very bad sprain with torn ankle ligaments. She will have to be off her feet at least several days. Not sure how Sunday will go as she was supposed to teach the children. I think she is going to try to teach next Sunday instead. Pray that this ankle will heal quickly. Tonight we had some real Cambodian food and fellowship with Dr. Tom (who by the way is a medical doctor and is the one that asked Ron to come and help him start churches) and his wife and children. Dr. Tom said she partially torn a ligament on the inside of her left foot. He casted the ankle to immobilize the foot. They do not have walking boots or anything like that. God makes no mistakes! We do not know why but God had a plan for a reason. Today is was very hot and humid. This heat is very different from the states as it zaps all your energy out. You have to drink water all the time and sometimes that is not enough. That added to Kathi’s problem as she had a little heat exhaustion. I am looking forward to the services tomorrow morning as I will have the opportunity to preach in the morning Cambodian service. The afternoon service I will be able just to observe the people. They changed the Water festival dates, they will run Tuesday through next Monday. Tuesday through Thursday is here in Takhmau and Friday through Monday is in Phnom Penh. Please pray for Kathi that she might heal quickly and that she will get used to the crutches. Just another note: she had to walk up 32 stair steps to our room. She probably will not leave the room till Monday at the earliest. Sorry for the length – have a wonderful day, tanks for your prayers. Isaiah 47:4 – "As for our redeemer, the LORD of hosts si his name, the Holy One of Israel." Pastor Bob & Kathi
This morning we got up at our usual time, 6AM. We had breakfast and then left to do some sightseeing. Our first stop was to see the Palace. It was beautiful. We saw were the king lives and his banner was flying high. Reminded us of the banner of the Lord. Always when the king was home and the people could see the banner they knew all was well in the kingdom and they were safe. Song of Solomon 2:4 says He brought me to the banqueting house and His banner over me is love. As we looked around the palace, everywhere we went we saw Buddha idols. Sad to see the people worshipping these idols and they have no hope. In one building there were thousands of Buddha idols and people would worship them and give money to the idols in hopes of greater wealth. The other thought we had was that we serve a living God, one God that is over all. We just wanted to tell the people. In one place there was a sacred cow that tradition says it fell from the sky, again many people came to worship. After spending about 2 hours there we went for lunch. It is American-style so no problem ordering chicken or a sub. As we finished our meal, Kathi was coming back from the restroom and fell. There was a step about 6 inches in the middle of the dining room and she did not know it was there. She fell and hurt her ankle real bad, so we got some ice and came back home. It was a 1 hour ride by tuk-tuk to get home. The Cambodians were very concerned as they told her to put raw eggs and honey on it, to rub cream on it and to pull on it and it will go back into place. Tina told them not to pull, but one girl tried anyway. At home, the swelling and pain worsened so we thought she should get x-rays of her ankle. We went to the hospital (a very rustic Cambodian hospital) and when we got there they had to call a doctor in (because there were none there) to take the x-ray. There is only 1 x-ray machine in the city of 50,000. Thank the Lord Ron, Tina and Tera were along as they had to communicate to the people, so they would even call a doctor. Then when the doctor came, they were wonderful in communicating to him. Of course he noticed we were not Cambodians and they then had an opportunity to talk about Christ. He said he had relatives that were Christians, but he was not so they were able to talk to him some. I had to pay for the x-rays on the spot and the cost was $7.50 for 2 x-rays. Thank the Lord nothing was broke but a very bad sprain with torn ankle ligaments. She will have to be off her feet at least several days. Not sure how Sunday will go as she was supposed to teach the children. I think she is going to try to teach next Sunday instead. Pray that this ankle will heal quickly. Tonight we had some real Cambodian food and fellowship with Dr. Tom (who by the way is a medical doctor and is the one that asked Ron to come and help him start churches) and his wife and children. Dr. Tom said she partially torn a ligament on the inside of her left foot. He casted the ankle to immobilize the foot. They do not have walking boots or anything like that. God makes no mistakes! We do not know why but God had a plan for a reason. Today is was very hot and humid. This heat is very different from the states as it zaps all your energy out. You have to drink water all the time and sometimes that is not enough. That added to Kathi’s problem as she had a little heat exhaustion. I am looking forward to the services tomorrow morning as I will have the opportunity to preach in the morning Cambodian service. The afternoon service I will be able just to observe the people. They changed the Water festival dates, they will run Tuesday through next Monday. Tuesday through Thursday is here in Takhmau and Friday through Monday is in Phnom Penh. Please pray for Kathi that she might heal quickly and that she will get used to the crutches. Just another note: she had to walk up 32 stair steps to our room. She probably will not leave the room till Monday at the earliest. Sorry for the length – have a wonderful day, tanks for your prayers. Isaiah 47:4 – "As for our redeemer, the LORD of hosts si his name, the Holy One of Israel." Pastor Bob & Kathi
November 14, 2010 – Cambodia, 7 PM
Good evening! We had a wonderful Lord’s Day and we are praying that you will as well. First of all, Kathi is still trying to get used to the crutches, so she was not able to go to church today. The foot is not hurting as bad as long as she does not put any weight on it, but it is very difficult for her to get around. Last night it took forever to climb the steps. Tomorrow we are going to work with her to get her used to the crutches. Her arms are sore right now. Tuesday is her day to speak to the ladies, so pray that she will be more stable on her feet so she can get around. This morning church went well. I thank God for the translator as he was able to get across the message to the people. They had around 45 adults and teens with about 35 children. In this afternoon’s service we had more children and about 39 adults and teens. During the morning service I preached on Acts 26. I let them do the invitation and 6 people responded for salvation. I am praying that over the next few months much fruit will come. One of the teens got saved. They are going to begin a Bible study with her very shortly. One man trusted Christ. He has been coming for a while and they were using him as a tuk-tuk driver. Praise the Lord as it was all Him! In the afternoon service all the adults and teens sat on the floor. Again it was wonderful to hear the Word of God preached in the people’s own language. I am beginning to recognize some words. I just wish I was able to communicate with them in their own language. One little girl came a little late to the service and sat by me and started to talk in Khmer, thinking that I could understand. Another teenager that was sitting on the other side showed me in his Cambodian Bible the passage they were reading and studying from. I am having a hard time constantly walking around with no shoes on. Also please continue to pray for strength and grace in the heat. We had devotions with the Fruins tonight and it rained, pretty hard with a nice strong breeze. Tomorrow morning I will be teaching, pray that God will give understanding to these pastors. Matthew 22:37 – Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind. Pastor Bob & Kathi
Good evening! We had a wonderful Lord’s Day and we are praying that you will as well. First of all, Kathi is still trying to get used to the crutches, so she was not able to go to church today. The foot is not hurting as bad as long as she does not put any weight on it, but it is very difficult for her to get around. Last night it took forever to climb the steps. Tomorrow we are going to work with her to get her used to the crutches. Her arms are sore right now. Tuesday is her day to speak to the ladies, so pray that she will be more stable on her feet so she can get around. This morning church went well. I thank God for the translator as he was able to get across the message to the people. They had around 45 adults and teens with about 35 children. In this afternoon’s service we had more children and about 39 adults and teens. During the morning service I preached on Acts 26. I let them do the invitation and 6 people responded for salvation. I am praying that over the next few months much fruit will come. One of the teens got saved. They are going to begin a Bible study with her very shortly. One man trusted Christ. He has been coming for a while and they were using him as a tuk-tuk driver. Praise the Lord as it was all Him! In the afternoon service all the adults and teens sat on the floor. Again it was wonderful to hear the Word of God preached in the people’s own language. I am beginning to recognize some words. I just wish I was able to communicate with them in their own language. One little girl came a little late to the service and sat by me and started to talk in Khmer, thinking that I could understand. Another teenager that was sitting on the other side showed me in his Cambodian Bible the passage they were reading and studying from. I am having a hard time constantly walking around with no shoes on. Also please continue to pray for strength and grace in the heat. We had devotions with the Fruins tonight and it rained, pretty hard with a nice strong breeze. Tomorrow morning I will be teaching, pray that God will give understanding to these pastors. Matthew 22:37 – Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind. Pastor Bob & Kathi
November 15, 2010 – Cambodia, 8:15 PM
Before I begin with today’s events, Ron Fruin told me this morning that 8 trusted Christ on Sunday, not 6 as I thought. Again, praise the Lord for what He did in the hearts of the people. This morning Kathi went downstairs to spend the day helping in the kitchen (sitting down) and she worked on the ladies lesson she is going to give to the ladies tomorrow afternoon. She also completed the crafts for the children and prepared another devotional. It is still hard for her to get around but she is doing better. Her arm muscles are hurting her as we just went up the 4 flights of stairs for the evening. Thank you so much for your prayers for her as God has been teaching both of us many lessons. This morning I had my second day of teaching in the Institute. I felt it went much better today as I am getting used to my translator and he is getting used to me. I taught on the Rapture. The institute does not start until 8:30 AM, and many come at 7:30 AM. It is wonderful to see them take notes and see them digest what I am teaching. They have such an eagerness to learn the Bible so they can teach it to their churches. After Institute Ron, Jonathan and I went to Phnom Penh to get some supplies and talk to Korean Air about getting our seats changed and getting help for Kathi for the plane ride home. One thing here that is evident is that shopping is an all day affair. Cambodia is getting ready for the Water Festival as the local one starts tomorrow and the national one starts on Saturday. We are going at least to the local one and we will pass out some tracts. We need to be careful doing that because this year the government did not give any permits out. The passing of tracts will not be on a wide scale. Tomorrow afternoon Kathi will have her ladies tea, so pray for her that she will be a blessing and a challenge to them. It will be hard for her as she will have to ride in the tuk-tuk. For me tomorrow afternoon I will study for a devotional I am giving on Sunday morning along with the English service I will be preaching at. I also will be helping with some visiting. As we are writing this, all of a sudden a storm came up. Ron, Tina and Jonathan are teaching an English class right now. Just think, the Cambodians that are here road on their mopeds and they will have to ride home in the rain. The Fruins say that it is hotter than normal for this time of year. Go figure. Job 23:10 – “But he knoweth the way that I take; when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” Pastor Bob & Kathi
Before I begin with today’s events, Ron Fruin told me this morning that 8 trusted Christ on Sunday, not 6 as I thought. Again, praise the Lord for what He did in the hearts of the people. This morning Kathi went downstairs to spend the day helping in the kitchen (sitting down) and she worked on the ladies lesson she is going to give to the ladies tomorrow afternoon. She also completed the crafts for the children and prepared another devotional. It is still hard for her to get around but she is doing better. Her arm muscles are hurting her as we just went up the 4 flights of stairs for the evening. Thank you so much for your prayers for her as God has been teaching both of us many lessons. This morning I had my second day of teaching in the Institute. I felt it went much better today as I am getting used to my translator and he is getting used to me. I taught on the Rapture. The institute does not start until 8:30 AM, and many come at 7:30 AM. It is wonderful to see them take notes and see them digest what I am teaching. They have such an eagerness to learn the Bible so they can teach it to their churches. After Institute Ron, Jonathan and I went to Phnom Penh to get some supplies and talk to Korean Air about getting our seats changed and getting help for Kathi for the plane ride home. One thing here that is evident is that shopping is an all day affair. Cambodia is getting ready for the Water Festival as the local one starts tomorrow and the national one starts on Saturday. We are going at least to the local one and we will pass out some tracts. We need to be careful doing that because this year the government did not give any permits out. The passing of tracts will not be on a wide scale. Tomorrow afternoon Kathi will have her ladies tea, so pray for her that she will be a blessing and a challenge to them. It will be hard for her as she will have to ride in the tuk-tuk. For me tomorrow afternoon I will study for a devotional I am giving on Sunday morning along with the English service I will be preaching at. I also will be helping with some visiting. As we are writing this, all of a sudden a storm came up. Ron, Tina and Jonathan are teaching an English class right now. Just think, the Cambodians that are here road on their mopeds and they will have to ride home in the rain. The Fruins say that it is hotter than normal for this time of year. Go figure. Job 23:10 – “But he knoweth the way that I take; when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” Pastor Bob & Kathi
November 16, 2010 – Cambodia, 8:30 PM
Did we tell you that it is HOT here? Even though it rained last night, it was a very hot day. We were going to go to the Water Festival this morning but they did not set up for it so maybe tomorrow after I have Institute. Kathi is improving walking on her crutches. Going down the stairs is much earlier than going up the stairs. We had another very eventful day here in Cambodia. This morning was preparation for the ladies tea this afternoon. Kathi, Tina and Peggy (Ron’s mom) baked cookies and muffins all morning. They did a few things last evening but the bulk of the preparation was this morning. I took about 1½ hours preparing for Sunday morning and doing some personal study. Again any event takes so much preparation and packing everything up. Kathi did well getting in and out of the tuk-tuk, much better than we thought. She spoke to the ladies and had 2 translators. They had 24 ladies and some took off work to come which is a big sacrifice for them. Ron, Jonathan, Tera and I went visiting. What an experience. We gave out tracts and one man asked a question and Tera was able to go over the entire plan of salvation. What a joy to see and hear Tera give the gospel in his language. The seed was planted and we are praying that God will save not only that man’s soul but many others as they listened. After visiting, we went back to the church and loaded everything up to come back home. Again, what a chore that was, as we had to carry chairs and tables upstairs in the heat for the Institute class tomorrow morning. I have a new appreciation of what missionaries go through and how easy we have it in the states. We take so much for granted. Now for the big event of the day. We mentioned that it is an experience to travel here. Try and picture this: trucks, tuk-tuks, mopeds, bicycles, cars, people walking, no stop signs or stop lights, every man doing what he thinks is right when they are on the roads. Ron and I left the church after the ladies meeting and went and got gas. Getting gas is an experience all in itself. The gas station is just beyond a circle. As we were driving through the circle, an old small pick up that had the engine under the driver was speeding towards us. He literally missed us by a few inches. I was sitting on the back of the moped and I could have extended my arm and touched his windshield. Praise the Lord he did not hit us – God certainly protected us. Everyone that was watching from the sidewalk sighed loudly as they thought he was going to hit us. We do have a great God that protects us and that watches over us. After that Kathi was ready to get on a plane and come home! Just another day on the other side of the world! But we still have much to do – thank you for your prayers. Psalm 18:1-3 “I will love thee O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer: my God, my strength, in whom will I trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised:” Pastor Bob & Kathi.
Did we tell you that it is HOT here? Even though it rained last night, it was a very hot day. We were going to go to the Water Festival this morning but they did not set up for it so maybe tomorrow after I have Institute. Kathi is improving walking on her crutches. Going down the stairs is much earlier than going up the stairs. We had another very eventful day here in Cambodia. This morning was preparation for the ladies tea this afternoon. Kathi, Tina and Peggy (Ron’s mom) baked cookies and muffins all morning. They did a few things last evening but the bulk of the preparation was this morning. I took about 1½ hours preparing for Sunday morning and doing some personal study. Again any event takes so much preparation and packing everything up. Kathi did well getting in and out of the tuk-tuk, much better than we thought. She spoke to the ladies and had 2 translators. They had 24 ladies and some took off work to come which is a big sacrifice for them. Ron, Jonathan, Tera and I went visiting. What an experience. We gave out tracts and one man asked a question and Tera was able to go over the entire plan of salvation. What a joy to see and hear Tera give the gospel in his language. The seed was planted and we are praying that God will save not only that man’s soul but many others as they listened. After visiting, we went back to the church and loaded everything up to come back home. Again, what a chore that was, as we had to carry chairs and tables upstairs in the heat for the Institute class tomorrow morning. I have a new appreciation of what missionaries go through and how easy we have it in the states. We take so much for granted. Now for the big event of the day. We mentioned that it is an experience to travel here. Try and picture this: trucks, tuk-tuks, mopeds, bicycles, cars, people walking, no stop signs or stop lights, every man doing what he thinks is right when they are on the roads. Ron and I left the church after the ladies meeting and went and got gas. Getting gas is an experience all in itself. The gas station is just beyond a circle. As we were driving through the circle, an old small pick up that had the engine under the driver was speeding towards us. He literally missed us by a few inches. I was sitting on the back of the moped and I could have extended my arm and touched his windshield. Praise the Lord he did not hit us – God certainly protected us. Everyone that was watching from the sidewalk sighed loudly as they thought he was going to hit us. We do have a great God that protects us and that watches over us. After that Kathi was ready to get on a plane and come home! Just another day on the other side of the world! But we still have much to do – thank you for your prayers. Psalm 18:1-3 “I will love thee O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer: my God, my strength, in whom will I trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised:” Pastor Bob & Kathi.
November 17, 2010 – Cambodia, 8:35 PM
I cannot believe that today was the second to last session at the Institute. It went very well today as I taught on the Judgment seat of Christ. One of the difficulties was that in Khmer they do not have a word that describes the Judgment Seat of Christ, so my translator had to do a lot of explaining. As I am writing this, there is a huge party very close. They are not sure if it is a birthday party or a wedding celebration, but the Cambodian music is extremely loud. They set up a band and loud speakers. Not sure how long they will play, but I hope it will not be late into the night. After lunch we went down to the river to watch the water festival. When we got there, nothing was happening. That is what happens, nobody knows when things take place as they change times and no one knows. Tomorrow is shopping day. It takes all morning to do shopping, so I am not sure if we will see the local water festival tomorrow or not. We were, however, able to pass tracts out. It was a joy to see people read the tracts as soon as you gave them to people. Tera had a number of opportunities to give the gospel out. As he did many people would gather around and listen to what he had to say. When we got home, Tera motioned to me to go with him in the tuk-tuk to pick up his oldest child from school. That was another experience. At the end of school, the children gather around the flag and they do drills. Then they open the gate to the school and file out in a very straight line. That is the only time we have seen any order here. Tonight we had a Cambodian meal. Mi prepared it and cooked it. It was quite good. As we did last Wednesday night we had Bible Study and prayer time with the Fruins and Tera & Mi. Kathi led a Bible Study this morning with Tina and Peggy. She is doing better getting up and down the stairs. We even got the getting in and out of a tuk-tuk down to a science. Pray for us that these last days we will be an encouragement and a blessing. Also pray that the lessons that were taught would really help the people understand how to relate the end times to their lives today. And the last thing is to pray that Kathi will heal and the trip home will not be uncomfortable for her. Thanks for your prayers – we know that you are praying. Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” Pastor Bob & Kathi.
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I cannot believe that today was the second to last session at the Institute. It went very well today as I taught on the Judgment seat of Christ. One of the difficulties was that in Khmer they do not have a word that describes the Judgment Seat of Christ, so my translator had to do a lot of explaining. As I am writing this, there is a huge party very close. They are not sure if it is a birthday party or a wedding celebration, but the Cambodian music is extremely loud. They set up a band and loud speakers. Not sure how long they will play, but I hope it will not be late into the night. After lunch we went down to the river to watch the water festival. When we got there, nothing was happening. That is what happens, nobody knows when things take place as they change times and no one knows. Tomorrow is shopping day. It takes all morning to do shopping, so I am not sure if we will see the local water festival tomorrow or not. We were, however, able to pass tracts out. It was a joy to see people read the tracts as soon as you gave them to people. Tera had a number of opportunities to give the gospel out. As he did many people would gather around and listen to what he had to say. When we got home, Tera motioned to me to go with him in the tuk-tuk to pick up his oldest child from school. That was another experience. At the end of school, the children gather around the flag and they do drills. Then they open the gate to the school and file out in a very straight line. That is the only time we have seen any order here. Tonight we had a Cambodian meal. Mi prepared it and cooked it. It was quite good. As we did last Wednesday night we had Bible Study and prayer time with the Fruins and Tera & Mi. Kathi led a Bible Study this morning with Tina and Peggy. She is doing better getting up and down the stairs. We even got the getting in and out of a tuk-tuk down to a science. Pray for us that these last days we will be an encouragement and a blessing. Also pray that the lessons that were taught would really help the people understand how to relate the end times to their lives today. And the last thing is to pray that Kathi will heal and the trip home will not be uncomfortable for her. Thanks for your prayers – we know that you are praying. Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” Pastor Bob & Kathi.
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November 18, 2010 – Cambodia, 8:10 PM
Today it seemed cooler because it was overcast. This morning we had our weekly shopping trip to Phnom Penh. It is a chore but necessary to take one day to buy groceries and other supplies, otherwise you could spend all your time just getting the necessities. As we drove to the market, we passed the restaurant where Kathi had her accident so I took a picture for memory’s sake. Kathi was not too pleased but we needed that picture. We also passed a number of landmarks in Phnom Penh today, including the US Embassy and the place where the water festival will take place. Not sure if we will go Saturday because of the fact that we cannot pass out tracts and traffic will be unbelievable. Jonathan and Tera are going and I will have to decide tomorrow if I am going. Pray that I will decide to do the right thing. This afternoon the youth played soccer. We started with about 12, then all of a sudden we had over 30 playing. The problem was the heat and the kids lost interest so we only ended up playing for about 45 minutes. At the Fruins’ they have a place on the fourth floor that you can go out on a balcony. I usually sit out there and just watch the people go by, praying for them because so many are lost. Just down the street they have a loud speaker and they are chanting for people to give money to the monks. Almost every place you go, they have a place that you can put money in for the monks, or for Buddha. How sad to see people giving believing that if they give enough Buddha will care for them. My hearts goes out to these people as we realize that most people do not have what we have in America and we take so much for granted. Kathi’s thoughts – Today I got to go along on the weekly shopping trip. One thing that was kind of funny was when Tera, the national pastor who drives our tuk-tuk, dropped off Bob and all the Fruins at the market, and I had to stay in the tuk-tuk because of the crowded aisles. Tera took off with me by myself in the tuk-tuk and if I didn’t trust him so much, I would have been terrified! Here I am, alone with a driver I can’t communicate with in a foreign city with no English-speaking people in sight! Tera wanted me to be cooler and also to see some interesting sights. He is very considerate. I also got to make dinner tonight – homemade spaghetti sauce! It was so good to be useful even though I did have to sit down the whole time. 2 Cor. 12:9, “And He said unto me, my grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” Pastor Bob & Kathi.
Today it seemed cooler because it was overcast. This morning we had our weekly shopping trip to Phnom Penh. It is a chore but necessary to take one day to buy groceries and other supplies, otherwise you could spend all your time just getting the necessities. As we drove to the market, we passed the restaurant where Kathi had her accident so I took a picture for memory’s sake. Kathi was not too pleased but we needed that picture. We also passed a number of landmarks in Phnom Penh today, including the US Embassy and the place where the water festival will take place. Not sure if we will go Saturday because of the fact that we cannot pass out tracts and traffic will be unbelievable. Jonathan and Tera are going and I will have to decide tomorrow if I am going. Pray that I will decide to do the right thing. This afternoon the youth played soccer. We started with about 12, then all of a sudden we had over 30 playing. The problem was the heat and the kids lost interest so we only ended up playing for about 45 minutes. At the Fruins’ they have a place on the fourth floor that you can go out on a balcony. I usually sit out there and just watch the people go by, praying for them because so many are lost. Just down the street they have a loud speaker and they are chanting for people to give money to the monks. Almost every place you go, they have a place that you can put money in for the monks, or for Buddha. How sad to see people giving believing that if they give enough Buddha will care for them. My hearts goes out to these people as we realize that most people do not have what we have in America and we take so much for granted. Kathi’s thoughts – Today I got to go along on the weekly shopping trip. One thing that was kind of funny was when Tera, the national pastor who drives our tuk-tuk, dropped off Bob and all the Fruins at the market, and I had to stay in the tuk-tuk because of the crowded aisles. Tera took off with me by myself in the tuk-tuk and if I didn’t trust him so much, I would have been terrified! Here I am, alone with a driver I can’t communicate with in a foreign city with no English-speaking people in sight! Tera wanted me to be cooler and also to see some interesting sights. He is very considerate. I also got to make dinner tonight – homemade spaghetti sauce! It was so good to be useful even though I did have to sit down the whole time. 2 Cor. 12:9, “And He said unto me, my grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” Pastor Bob & Kathi.
November 19, 2010 – Cambodia, 9:03 PM
Around 4 AM this morning, the neighbors turned their loud speaker on and the chanting began. With the windows opened, it was very hard to sleep. I asked Ron and he said that no one can understand what is being said, it is like a chant with no meaning. That chanting went on until we left to go on visitation. This morning was relaxing as we had time to do some personal study before leaving for the day. Today is Tina’s birthday so Jonathan made her a cheesecake, Ron got Tina some fresh flowers and we gave Tina a journal and a candle. They are trying to make this day very special for her. At 10 AM, Ron, Jonathan, Tera and I went visiting in a village close by. Normally they go in the afternoon, but because of Tina’s birthday and they wanted to take her out to eat this evening and they thought it would be better to go on visitation this morning so the afternoon would be free. Kathi went with the ladies and had a nice time of visiting at the Johnson’s. This afternoon we went to Phnom Penh for Tina’s birthday. We had to stop and pick up some shoes that we had made and also two banners. Before we went out to eat, we stopped at a shopping mall, nothing at all like the good old USA malls. This mall was 7 stories high. They had vendors everywhere. You do not buy anything without bargaining. Each floor was vendors of specific items. Example one floor was all electronics, another floor was shoes, and another floor was toys etc. Then the adventure began of going out to eat. Tina decided she wanted to go to a Japanese restaurant. The restaurant was on the third floor. Kathi had to ride the escalator up two floors. That was hard for her, jumping on and jumping off the escalators. We got very proficient in eating with chop sticks – yea! Eating out is almost cheaper than eating in. Our bill for 6 adults was under $35.00. Not bad as you were given everything from rice to soup to meat and vegetables. By the time we got down the escalator, we finally had the getting on and off the escalator down and it went better. The other problem was walking on the crutches a long distance. I felt sorry for her, but we could not have done anything different. But God’s strength was on display in a very vivid way. Also just going to the restrooms is a challenge because no toilet paper, no place to wash your hands, and everything just seems dirty (which it is). They were washing the floor as we came into the building and it was like they did not even wash it. When we left the city is was dark and it was one big traffic jam. Again, night, no order, everyone driving the way they want to drive. Lord willing, tomorrow morning Jonathan, Tera and I are going to the water festival. Trust everyone is doing well, we pray for you daily and we cannot wait to get home, only 3 more days! Please continue to pray for Kathi as she is just having a hard time getting around. Psalm 36:7 – “How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.” Pastor Bob & Kathi.
Around 4 AM this morning, the neighbors turned their loud speaker on and the chanting began. With the windows opened, it was very hard to sleep. I asked Ron and he said that no one can understand what is being said, it is like a chant with no meaning. That chanting went on until we left to go on visitation. This morning was relaxing as we had time to do some personal study before leaving for the day. Today is Tina’s birthday so Jonathan made her a cheesecake, Ron got Tina some fresh flowers and we gave Tina a journal and a candle. They are trying to make this day very special for her. At 10 AM, Ron, Jonathan, Tera and I went visiting in a village close by. Normally they go in the afternoon, but because of Tina’s birthday and they wanted to take her out to eat this evening and they thought it would be better to go on visitation this morning so the afternoon would be free. Kathi went with the ladies and had a nice time of visiting at the Johnson’s. This afternoon we went to Phnom Penh for Tina’s birthday. We had to stop and pick up some shoes that we had made and also two banners. Before we went out to eat, we stopped at a shopping mall, nothing at all like the good old USA malls. This mall was 7 stories high. They had vendors everywhere. You do not buy anything without bargaining. Each floor was vendors of specific items. Example one floor was all electronics, another floor was shoes, and another floor was toys etc. Then the adventure began of going out to eat. Tina decided she wanted to go to a Japanese restaurant. The restaurant was on the third floor. Kathi had to ride the escalator up two floors. That was hard for her, jumping on and jumping off the escalators. We got very proficient in eating with chop sticks – yea! Eating out is almost cheaper than eating in. Our bill for 6 adults was under $35.00. Not bad as you were given everything from rice to soup to meat and vegetables. By the time we got down the escalator, we finally had the getting on and off the escalator down and it went better. The other problem was walking on the crutches a long distance. I felt sorry for her, but we could not have done anything different. But God’s strength was on display in a very vivid way. Also just going to the restrooms is a challenge because no toilet paper, no place to wash your hands, and everything just seems dirty (which it is). They were washing the floor as we came into the building and it was like they did not even wash it. When we left the city is was dark and it was one big traffic jam. Again, night, no order, everyone driving the way they want to drive. Lord willing, tomorrow morning Jonathan, Tera and I are going to the water festival. Trust everyone is doing well, we pray for you daily and we cannot wait to get home, only 3 more days! Please continue to pray for Kathi as she is just having a hard time getting around. Psalm 36:7 – “How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.” Pastor Bob & Kathi.
November 20, 2010 – Cambodia, 8:45 PM
This morning at 7 AM, Jonathan and I left to go to church to get Tera. We took the tuk-tuk and picked up 3 boys to go with us to the Water Festival. We thought the traffic would be bad, but it was not bad at all at that hour. We parked the tuk-tuk and walked and walked and walked. We went to the waterfront and watched them warm up for the races. Then we walked around to see the booths that were set up. At every booth they had 4-10 big speakers, so each booth was trying to be the loudest. I have never been in a place that the speakers were so loud! We sat on the bridge because it had a brisk breeze, temperature was almost 90. They do not have any heat indexes, but I am sure that it was over 100. Then we went for lunch. They took me to Lucky’s, the same restaurant that Kathi hurt her foot. But Jonathan, Tera and the 3 boys went somewhere else to eat. They wanted Cambodian. So here I am, in a foreign country, alone in a restaurant and I have to order my meal. Thankfully you could order by number and the people understood some English. I paid them with American money and they gave me change back both in America and Cambodian. They do not use coins, so anything under $1.00 comes back in Cambodian. I ate my lunch and then I got brave and ordered some ice cream, then the guys came back for me. The boys never had ice cream so I got them each an ice cream cone and they liked it. Then we went back to the waterfront to watch the races which are world-famous. What an experience! They had a tent, right beside the Kings, for foreigners. I did not have to pay anything to sit in the tent, in nice chairs, very close to the finish line. That was neat! Each boat holds between 25-90 people. During the warm-up we saw 2 boats sink and they had to pull them back to shore. There were people everywhere. I also saw many beggars. We came back home around 3:30 PM. I was so glad I got to have the experience! Kathi stayed home and it was nice for her as she was able to rest her feet, especially after her difficult day yesterday. She did not go down until supper time and then went back up stairs right after supper. She was able to read, study, and relax. I think it was good for her. Tomorrow morning I am preaching in 2 services, one a Cambodian and 1 an English service in Phnom Penh. We just found out that Kathi will not be able to go with me because of the traffic situation. They close a lot of roads going into Phnom Penh and the thought is that I might be coming home on a moto. Kathi cannot ride on a moto! Pray for her as she is discouraged. She will be teaching the children here in Tahkmau as I will be preaching in Phnom Penh. We are leaving Monday evening and they are making travel arrangements for us. Pray that we will be able to get to the airport as the roads are supposed to be closed. Also pray that we will be able to get help and a seat with more leg room for Kathi. Thanks so much for praying, we really appreciate it. John 1:14 – “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” Pastor Bob & Kathi.
This morning at 7 AM, Jonathan and I left to go to church to get Tera. We took the tuk-tuk and picked up 3 boys to go with us to the Water Festival. We thought the traffic would be bad, but it was not bad at all at that hour. We parked the tuk-tuk and walked and walked and walked. We went to the waterfront and watched them warm up for the races. Then we walked around to see the booths that were set up. At every booth they had 4-10 big speakers, so each booth was trying to be the loudest. I have never been in a place that the speakers were so loud! We sat on the bridge because it had a brisk breeze, temperature was almost 90. They do not have any heat indexes, but I am sure that it was over 100. Then we went for lunch. They took me to Lucky’s, the same restaurant that Kathi hurt her foot. But Jonathan, Tera and the 3 boys went somewhere else to eat. They wanted Cambodian. So here I am, in a foreign country, alone in a restaurant and I have to order my meal. Thankfully you could order by number and the people understood some English. I paid them with American money and they gave me change back both in America and Cambodian. They do not use coins, so anything under $1.00 comes back in Cambodian. I ate my lunch and then I got brave and ordered some ice cream, then the guys came back for me. The boys never had ice cream so I got them each an ice cream cone and they liked it. Then we went back to the waterfront to watch the races which are world-famous. What an experience! They had a tent, right beside the Kings, for foreigners. I did not have to pay anything to sit in the tent, in nice chairs, very close to the finish line. That was neat! Each boat holds between 25-90 people. During the warm-up we saw 2 boats sink and they had to pull them back to shore. There were people everywhere. I also saw many beggars. We came back home around 3:30 PM. I was so glad I got to have the experience! Kathi stayed home and it was nice for her as she was able to rest her feet, especially after her difficult day yesterday. She did not go down until supper time and then went back up stairs right after supper. She was able to read, study, and relax. I think it was good for her. Tomorrow morning I am preaching in 2 services, one a Cambodian and 1 an English service in Phnom Penh. We just found out that Kathi will not be able to go with me because of the traffic situation. They close a lot of roads going into Phnom Penh and the thought is that I might be coming home on a moto. Kathi cannot ride on a moto! Pray for her as she is discouraged. She will be teaching the children here in Tahkmau as I will be preaching in Phnom Penh. We are leaving Monday evening and they are making travel arrangements for us. Pray that we will be able to get to the airport as the roads are supposed to be closed. Also pray that we will be able to get help and a seat with more leg room for Kathi. Thanks so much for praying, we really appreciate it. John 1:14 – “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” Pastor Bob & Kathi.
November 21, 2010 – Cambodia, 7:15 PM
This morning Dr. Tom picked me up at 7:30 AM to go to Phnom Penh for a Cambodian service as well as an English service. The Cambodian service went well. They had more than they thought because of the Water Festival. They actually had 6 visitors come to the service that had never been there. The English service started late. It was very weird preaching without an interpreter. I have been preaching with an interpreter for almost 2 weeks and to be able to preach in English was a great blessing. In the English service I met a man from Seattle that moved here about 2 years ago, a couple from the Philippines, another couple from Canada, a lady from Taiwan, and a man that originally grew up in Las Vegas – just to name a few. It was amazing to be able to preach to so many from different parts of the world. At the end of the service, Dr. Tom had an altar call and a couple came forward to dedicate their lives to the Lord and to be willing to be used of Him in whatever place or capacity He wanted. I just have to thank the Lord for what He accomplished on this trip. I just trust that He gets the glory because it was all Him, not me. As I was in Phnom Penh, Kathi was able to go with the Fruins to the Takhmau service and teach the children. She had 33 children this morning. The lesson went well as she went over creation, sin, and God’s plan tor redemption. I cannot believe that our time here is winding down. Tera, the national pastor of the church, usually asks me 2 questions: Do I need some water? And when am I coming back? This afternoon we had the last service here. We just observed the service and the people all wanted to say good-bye to us. Sad to leave but we are so looking forward to coming home. We miss eating American food, miss the cooler weather, miss being able to communicate with people one on one, and miss ministering at Harmony Baptist Church. Tomorrow I teach a class in the morning and then we will be packing in the afternoon. Continue to pray that we will be able to get to the airport, get help with Kathi and they will give us a seat that Kathi will be able to stretch out her leg. Also pray that we will adjust to the time change quickly. The next time we will write will be either at the airport in Phnom Penh or the airport in Seoul Korea. May God give you a great Lord’s Day. Psalm 29:1-2 – “Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength. Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.” Pastor Bob & Kathi.
This morning Dr. Tom picked me up at 7:30 AM to go to Phnom Penh for a Cambodian service as well as an English service. The Cambodian service went well. They had more than they thought because of the Water Festival. They actually had 6 visitors come to the service that had never been there. The English service started late. It was very weird preaching without an interpreter. I have been preaching with an interpreter for almost 2 weeks and to be able to preach in English was a great blessing. In the English service I met a man from Seattle that moved here about 2 years ago, a couple from the Philippines, another couple from Canada, a lady from Taiwan, and a man that originally grew up in Las Vegas – just to name a few. It was amazing to be able to preach to so many from different parts of the world. At the end of the service, Dr. Tom had an altar call and a couple came forward to dedicate their lives to the Lord and to be willing to be used of Him in whatever place or capacity He wanted. I just have to thank the Lord for what He accomplished on this trip. I just trust that He gets the glory because it was all Him, not me. As I was in Phnom Penh, Kathi was able to go with the Fruins to the Takhmau service and teach the children. She had 33 children this morning. The lesson went well as she went over creation, sin, and God’s plan tor redemption. I cannot believe that our time here is winding down. Tera, the national pastor of the church, usually asks me 2 questions: Do I need some water? And when am I coming back? This afternoon we had the last service here. We just observed the service and the people all wanted to say good-bye to us. Sad to leave but we are so looking forward to coming home. We miss eating American food, miss the cooler weather, miss being able to communicate with people one on one, and miss ministering at Harmony Baptist Church. Tomorrow I teach a class in the morning and then we will be packing in the afternoon. Continue to pray that we will be able to get to the airport, get help with Kathi and they will give us a seat that Kathi will be able to stretch out her leg. Also pray that we will adjust to the time change quickly. The next time we will write will be either at the airport in Phnom Penh or the airport in Seoul Korea. May God give you a great Lord’s Day. Psalm 29:1-2 – “Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength. Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.” Pastor Bob & Kathi.
November 22, 2010 – Cambodia, 10:45 PM
As I write this we are sitting at the airport in Phnom Penh waiting to board our flight to Korea. This morning I had my last class. It was a profitable time teaching. I really appreciated the attention they gave me and I trust the Lord that what I taught will help them. I really developed some great friendships over these past two weeks. After class many came up to me and thank me for coming and teaching them. While I was teaching, Kathi began to pack for our trip. I was amazed when we got home that she had almost all the packing done! I really appreciated that she was able to do almost all of it. Because of that we had a very relaxing afternoon. We were able to watch some of the water festival races on TV, but mostly we just rested and visited with the Fruins. We left the house at 6:30 to come to the airport. Because of the water festival, they had many places where the police set up road blocks. Because we were foreigners, they allowed us to go through on the tuk-tuks. If we were in a van they would not have allowed us to go into the city. We actually took the long way into the city, a route that we never have taken during our time here. The only problem was that it was dark so we could not see very much at all. This trip to the airport was a trip that required much patience because the closer we got the airport, the heavier the traffic was. We got to see another side of Cambodia because it seemed like everyone was at the airport. They only have a few flights leaving but there were people everywhere, most just hanging out outside the airport. We then had to say good-bye, that was hard. Pastor Tera drove us here and he hugged me tightly and prayed for us in Cambodian. Afterwards, Tina told us that our leaving was very hard for him. He is such a caring and loving person! We had so many great times together. Ron told us that this was hard for them because as missionaries, they seem to be always saying good-bye to people. I can understand that just a little. We were able to get our seats changed to go to Korea! Thanks for praying. Pray for us as we begin our 26 hour flight back home. We appreciate our time here and we have a greater understanding of missions now. Yes we are looking forward to coming home, but we have enjoyed our time here as well. Pastor Bob & Kathi.
As I write this we are sitting at the airport in Phnom Penh waiting to board our flight to Korea. This morning I had my last class. It was a profitable time teaching. I really appreciated the attention they gave me and I trust the Lord that what I taught will help them. I really developed some great friendships over these past two weeks. After class many came up to me and thank me for coming and teaching them. While I was teaching, Kathi began to pack for our trip. I was amazed when we got home that she had almost all the packing done! I really appreciated that she was able to do almost all of it. Because of that we had a very relaxing afternoon. We were able to watch some of the water festival races on TV, but mostly we just rested and visited with the Fruins. We left the house at 6:30 to come to the airport. Because of the water festival, they had many places where the police set up road blocks. Because we were foreigners, they allowed us to go through on the tuk-tuks. If we were in a van they would not have allowed us to go into the city. We actually took the long way into the city, a route that we never have taken during our time here. The only problem was that it was dark so we could not see very much at all. This trip to the airport was a trip that required much patience because the closer we got the airport, the heavier the traffic was. We got to see another side of Cambodia because it seemed like everyone was at the airport. They only have a few flights leaving but there were people everywhere, most just hanging out outside the airport. We then had to say good-bye, that was hard. Pastor Tera drove us here and he hugged me tightly and prayed for us in Cambodian. Afterwards, Tina told us that our leaving was very hard for him. He is such a caring and loving person! We had so many great times together. Ron told us that this was hard for them because as missionaries, they seem to be always saying good-bye to people. I can understand that just a little. We were able to get our seats changed to go to Korea! Thanks for praying. Pray for us as we begin our 26 hour flight back home. We appreciate our time here and we have a greater understanding of missions now. Yes we are looking forward to coming home, but we have enjoyed our time here as well. Pastor Bob & Kathi.
December 1, 2010 – USA – final blog for our Cambodian trip!
As I write this we are back in the States. It is good to be home in America. All of our flights left on time. On our first flight to Korea we were able to sleep a little. Then when got to Korea, we had a 5 hour layover. I was able to talk to Korean Airlines and they were very accommodating with Kathi. They moved our seat to a place that she could put her leg up for the 14 hour flight. During that flight we were able to sleep some. Because of a strong head wind, we were about 45 minutes late getting into Chicago. When we got into Chicago, we had to go through customs and since Kathi was on crutches and we had a wheelchair, we flew right through customs with no problem. As a matter of fact we did not have to wait in any lines at all. They moved us through very quickly. So the moral of the story is when you go overseas, hurt an ankle and you will get very good treatment – just kidding! We immediately boarded another flight to Pennsylvania to be with our kids for Thanksgiving and try to get over jet lag. As we have been reflecting, God was so good to us during this trip. We cannot wait to give our testimonies and show the goodness of the Lord to the church and our friends. I am still amazed how God provided for all our needs and what He did. It was such a joy to minister and learn. Two final blessings I will leave you with: We were in Phnom Penh when the stampede tragedy took place. I walked over the bridge that all of those Cambodians were killed on Saturday afternoon. God certainly spared us. Also Mi’s sister was at the water Festival and they wanted to go over the bridge to the island, but they could not find it so they walked back home. Most likely they would have been in that place at that time. God is so good! The other blessing is that we were able to get out of Korea before their conflict began. God’s timing is always perfect. Now it is time for us to get back into the ministry here. Thanks for reading the blog and staying up with us. Also thanks for your prayers and notes of encouragement during our trip. I hope that we will be able to share personally with everyone at some point. God bless and tell the world about Jesus! Psalm 136:1 "O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good: for His mercy endureth for ever." Pastor Bob & Kathi.
As I write this we are back in the States. It is good to be home in America. All of our flights left on time. On our first flight to Korea we were able to sleep a little. Then when got to Korea, we had a 5 hour layover. I was able to talk to Korean Airlines and they were very accommodating with Kathi. They moved our seat to a place that she could put her leg up for the 14 hour flight. During that flight we were able to sleep some. Because of a strong head wind, we were about 45 minutes late getting into Chicago. When we got into Chicago, we had to go through customs and since Kathi was on crutches and we had a wheelchair, we flew right through customs with no problem. As a matter of fact we did not have to wait in any lines at all. They moved us through very quickly. So the moral of the story is when you go overseas, hurt an ankle and you will get very good treatment – just kidding! We immediately boarded another flight to Pennsylvania to be with our kids for Thanksgiving and try to get over jet lag. As we have been reflecting, God was so good to us during this trip. We cannot wait to give our testimonies and show the goodness of the Lord to the church and our friends. I am still amazed how God provided for all our needs and what He did. It was such a joy to minister and learn. Two final blessings I will leave you with: We were in Phnom Penh when the stampede tragedy took place. I walked over the bridge that all of those Cambodians were killed on Saturday afternoon. God certainly spared us. Also Mi’s sister was at the water Festival and they wanted to go over the bridge to the island, but they could not find it so they walked back home. Most likely they would have been in that place at that time. God is so good! The other blessing is that we were able to get out of Korea before their conflict began. God’s timing is always perfect. Now it is time for us to get back into the ministry here. Thanks for reading the blog and staying up with us. Also thanks for your prayers and notes of encouragement during our trip. I hope that we will be able to share personally with everyone at some point. God bless and tell the world about Jesus! Psalm 136:1 "O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good: for His mercy endureth for ever." Pastor Bob & Kathi.
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