Missionary Linda Pinchingan’s Report

The New Year started with great challenges but The Joy of the Lord must be our strength For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever amen. (Rom. 11:36) Church service on Sundays and Friday youth Fellowship is going on normally every week. Attendance of some is not regular though due to demand of work and many other reasons. Preschool and English classes are also going on but because of the lack of teachers for the English class, some students stopped. Thursday Children’s Bible class in Prek traeng is regularly handled by two committed teachers. Water baptism will be conducted on March 8th for some new believers and other church members who have not yet been baptized.

A special meeting of the VDC and local authorities of one of the four CHE villages which are on the phasing out stage was held for the initial turn over of responsibility of the community development program to the VDC with the support of the local authorities. A summary report of the results of the development program activities was presented and it shows that most if not all of their community projects are progressing and are in good hands. There is honesty, faithfulness and right judgment in the leadership. The VDC chairman with the support of the members courageously said that they will continue to commit themselves to take responsibility in leading the development program and are willing to extend to the neighboring villages if possible. All of them (VDC and CHE volunteers) have heard the Gospel shared to them but not all have professed their faith yet. God is not finished with them yet. Brethren, I need your full support to be able to continue watering the seed sown in these people’s lives.

About 40 kilometers from Svayrolum commune is another new CHE village called Tnaot Nyee, with 380 families. There is an atmosphere of openness to the Gospel of salvation among the VDC and CHE volunteers in this village. It is ripe for harvest but lack workers.

Survey in Pereang, Preveng province is done in ten villages recently. Pereang is sixty kilometers from Phnom Penh. About half of the way is dirt road in the middle of rice fields far from the villages. We leave Phnom Penh at 7:00 A.M. by motorbikes to be able to arrive in the village at 10:00 o’clock. One time one of the staff’s motorbikes was pricked by a nail along the road so he has to walk it for many kilometers to find a vulcanizing shop in the nearby village. He said, he walked passed about one kilometer and he remembered to pray to God for help. After praying, a man in the field saw him and told him he has a vulcanizing tool and air pump too. He was so happy God heard his prayer at last so he was able to catch up to Pereang

As we were interviewing the villagers our hearts went out with some widows who don’t have enough rice supply for their families. We prayed and entrusted them to God who is able to meet their every need. Please pray for us and if God is calling you as you read this news, please don’t hesitate to respond to His call. You can write me through the e-mail address above. Thank you for your prayers and financial support. (Download a pdf file of this report: linda-p-jan-feb-news-2007.pdf)

Report from Missionary Warren & Victoria Aragona

STUNG TRAENG UPDATE
Progress of God’s work is inevitable. In spite of expected persecution and hardships, the gospel thrives even better in the hearts of these new Cambodian believers. Last Sunday, September 24, 2006, forty four attended the service and I asked one man who recently gave his heart to the Lord – “Why did you come when you very well know that your village chief does not want you to learn about Jesus?” He timidly answered in Khmer language “It’s OK, its no problem, we could learn whatever we want to learn.” It amazes me to see the son-in-law of the first convert of Phum Sakun village, where our opposition is strongest, come to the services on Sundays. It was his son whom we buried in a small, secluded patch of land. By the decision of the grandfather, they did not ask for Buddhist monks or elders to the burial rights but called for us Christians to do it even though they clearly knew of the threats that they will be specifically singled out in their community if they associate with Preya Yesu (God -Jesus). Now its not just the grandfather who follows the Lord in times of trial but also his son-in-law.

The growth of the 4 female believers we baptized last June is growing deeper in spite of insults they had faced. They now pray and witness to their relatives all by themselves and see the need to evangelize others. Several weeks ago, God allowed us to baptize again seven new believers. Two wanted to be immersed too last Sunday.

Regardless of any circumstance, God has indeed designed the church to relentlessly invade the last frontiers of the gospel. On the aftermath of Victoria’s bleeding two months ago, God moved my heart to spread the gospel through tracts. On my bicycle, I went around and handed more than 2 thousand tracts to 2 thousand plus people. It was a mixture of joy, exhaustion, sweat, frustration and fulfillment. On a return trip, I could see people lined up reading the tracts, knowing for a fact, that for many of them, it is a first-time-encounter with the Gospel that will determine their eternal destination.

Although majority of the recipients willingly accepted the tracts and a few out rightly rejected or had nothing to do with the God who created the universe, it makes me still wonder how much more people, tribes and nations need to be evangelized? From the farthest place where you had sent us Filipino missionaries, still lies an immense harvest field that stretches from Stung Traeng to the tribes of Ratanakirri, which borders Vietnam. To the North, spreads the country of communist Laos that extends all the way to China by the way of the Great Mekong River. Should we leave these areas through chance hoping that God might evangelize them someday? Or aren’t we the ones who have been commanded by the Lord to go and make disciples of all nations….and to ends of the earth?

We definitely need your prayers but I would like to stretch it further. Please have the churches and congregation fast and pray for us and the Cambodian believers. Only God knows and eternity will tell how you have affected the nations of the earth.

Missionary Nora Catipon Reports

 

Dear Mission Partners and Friends,

Love greetings from Phnom Penh! Hope this missive will find you doing well in body and spirit. I had been so busy (so what else is new) since I came back here a month ago from a month study-leave for my doctoral studies. I have submitted my thesis proposal entitled “An Investigation on the Elements into the Pentecostal/Charismatic Ministries that Attract Cambodian to the Gospel of Jesus Christ” and waiting for its approval so I can start the research as soon as possible.

Aside from teaching at Cambodia Bible Institute since I arrived, I also coordinated the Church planter’s retreat held last September 14-16 and the Worship Leaders seminar held last September 20-23.  I thank God for the success of both events.  It seems that the enemy is attacking our church planter’s through their respective families.  Thus making some of them lose heart and distracted from their ministry. God moved mightily among the church planters and their respective wives during the evening prayer meetings. Some of them was led to repentance and pledged their loyalty and faithfulness to God and their spouses. We received revelation from God through the gifts of prophecy and words of wisdom making us all broken in heart and spirit before the Lord. We all went back to Phnom Penh full of the Spirit and courage to continue the work that the Lord had set us to do. HALLELUJAH!!!!!!!!!!

The Worship Leaders seminar was a huge success. About 146 worship leaders, musicians and tamborine dancers from 24 AG churches from 12 provinces all over Cambodia attended the great event. Rev. Harry and Gerti Rideout from the USA were the morning and evening speakers while Rey Dorimon from the Philippines did the teaching and workshop on worship leading and playing instruments. God answered our prayer for this seminar! The Holy Spirit moved mightily in our midst during the 3 days seminar. The worship leaders didn’t only learn how to lead worship or play instruments correctly but they renewed their commitment to God as worship leaders while many of them received the baptism and in-filling of the Holy Spirit. Many Cambodian Pastors had expressed to me their gratitude for coordinating such seminar because they have seen the change in the attitude and manner of leading worship of their worship leaders after the seminar. Thier worship leaders were really on fire for God as they led worship that Sunday after the seminar. TO GOD BE THE GLORY!!!

Please pray for the following:

1. I’m coordinating another seminar on November 6-9 for Children’s ministries. Pray for the success of this seminar/workshop too and for the financial provision  for the expenses of this seminar. I’m expecting about 150 Children workers from AG churches all over the country to attend. Their food and accomodation for three days will be subsidized. I need about $1,200.00 to hold such event.

2. Two Sundays ago, I went to Saang, one of our out-reach to preach. I was only in the introduction of my message when I blacked out. I didn’t able to finish my message which was continued by one of the church planters who drove me to the place. This is the second time that it happened to me while preaching. Pray for my good health.

3. For victory over temptations and trials that the following church planters/ leaders are going through right now: Sopheak, Kosal, Mao Thol, Laeng, Somban and Sok Cia.

4. For God’s wisdom and guidance as I do regular counseling with some of the above mentioned names and pre-marital counseling for 2 of our church leaders who are getting married on December 2. 

5. Bountiful blessings for all of you, my faithful partners and friends.

Let us reap the harvest in Cambodia and join hands in equipping the saints here for ministry. May the Lord richly bless you and your household.

In Him,

Nora Catipon