NEWS FROM HQ

Presenting Christ to Cambodia

October, 2021

Dear prayer and missions co-workers, greetings in the name of the Lord.

            The Cambodian government has not opened schools nationwide due to the coronavirus, but limited the opening of secondary and high schools in Phnom Penh and the Kandal Province surrounding the capital. Therefore, the worship services of our Glory and Gospel churches were permitted in the chapels by the authorities. We can’t tell you how grateful we are to be able to worship together in the chapel. We have freedom from the long-time difficulties of online worship. Due to these restrictions on worship, there were some of the brothers and sisters with weak faith in our Glory Church who could not come to church for about six months because of online worship services. It really breaks our hearts to see them still not attending the services, even after the worship has been restored.

            The government is urging people over the age of 11 to vaccinate, and from now on, all the public places are requiring a vaccination card to enter. Among the Cambodian missionaries and Koreans serving here, there are some who have passed away due to this coronavirus, and recently two missionary couples were infected here. They were in very serious condition, and had to board the air ambulance to return to Korea, receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation treatment and are currently fighting the disease. Please pray for our safety and peace during these days.

            The chapel construction of the Living Water Church in Dangdong was divided into two parts. The first part was completed with the church site cleanup and tree removal, soil placement and land arrangement, road repair and fence work around the property, installation of electricity and water facilities, gate and toilet work, and a temporary worship shelter. This temporary place of worship has a tin roof on top of four iron pillars with a concrete floor. As pictured above, it is an open space without doors and windows, where we can have a worship service or a meeting, keeping us out of the rain and hot sun.

            For these things, several workers have been laboring hard for the past ten months. Every Friday afternoon we, along with the Gospel Church student teachers and their team leader, have visited the construction site.

            Although the villagers cannot gather due to the coronavirus, we are still thankful that we were able to lead children to the Lord, by first teaching the village children the Word of God, and then through praise and prayer. We give thanks to the Lord for always being with us so that we could finish the first part of the construction with all the resources and strength given us, along with the opportunity to minister here.

            Now, the blueprint for the second part of the chapel construction has been released. When God leads and fills the need, we will build the chapel. The Iron Works Company of Brother Sokkom of Glory Church is in charge of the construction. This couple is very faithful, serving and looking after the church just like Aquila and Priscilla. We believe that the Lord has prepared and called this couple for us and for the weak church.

            We are always praying for those who will work for this new church and the evangelism needed here in the future. There is nothing we can do but to keep praying and preaching the gospel and loving the Lord. We want you to join us in prayer for this last mission that God has entrusted to all of us, the establishment of the Lord’s church on this earth, and work together. Now, this second part of the construction is not ours only – we cannot do it on our own. So, we ask for your prayers and continued interest in this project. We trust and wait for God to open the way again.

            Finally brethren, please support and pray for our little children in the Lord, along with us, that we will walk this road with in gratitude and joy. We would like to express our sincere thanks to you all for your prayers and support, dear mission co-workers.

                                                                                                            In Christ,

                                                                                                            Stephen and Lydia CHOI