17/10/2024
Newsletter (Oct, 2024)
Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds perched in its branches.” (Luke 13:18-19)
Missionaries have a dream. It is to see the kingdom of God established on this land. Jesus likened the kingdom of God to a small mustard seed. He said that the kingdom of God is established when someone plants a small seed like a mustard seed and helps it sprout and grow. To do this, missionaries are constantly sowing seeds in the land. They often sow the seeds in tears, but sometimes the seeds that were sown fall on the roadside, on rocky ground, or on thorny paths. The missionary’s greatest joy is when he sees that small mustard seed fall on good soil, sprout, and grow like a tree. It is when the mustard seed planted grow and bear fruit, and the birds in the sky come and nest on its branches and sing joyful songs.
Building the kingdom of God is possible not only because of missionaries but also of those who pray together and participate with love for this work. Today, I would like to share the story of how we are building the kingdom of God in this land of Cambodia through your prayers and support.
1. The Starting Point Class (The Gospel School)
Five students who were recently baptized in December and students who had already been baptized but wanted to hear the basics of the Gospel again have begun studying the journey of salvation from Genesis to Revelation every Sunday.
These students are the seeds that have fallen on good soil. I am teaching them earnestly with the hope that through this study they will get to know Jesus better, love Him more, and grow into disciples who follow Him. Please pray and encourage these students so that their faith will grow and that they can become precious disciples of Jesus who will build the kingdom of God on this earth.
2. Music Lessons (The School of Worship)
Among our students, there are those who want to learn guitar and piano. In Cambodia, there are no arts and physical education classes in school, parents are not interested and don’t have extra money, and there are not enough people to teach guitar and piano, so there exist very few opportunities to learn music. So, although it is a small start, we opened a guitar and piano class. A church in Korea donated five guitars, and now the students come to the center whenever they can to learn and practice. And we also learn and practice worship songs and motions for Sunday service. Through this process, we hope and pray that the worshipers that God the Father seeks will come forth. Please send teachers who can teach worship and music, and arts and physical education teachers who can build the kingdom of God together!
3. Korean Class
There are now four students left in the Korean class from the past year. Now, as they come to church every week, they seem to be gradually developing faith in Jesus as well. Two teachers from a church in Korea teach Korean every Saturday via Zoom, so the children can now read and speak quite well. I am looking forward to seeing how they will continue to grow. A new beginner’s class started last September with 10 students, with one of them since dropped out, and I can see the children’s eyes sparkle as they are trying hard to learn Korean. When I look into their eyes and hear “ga.na.da.ra,” I find myself praying for them even more. “Lord, please raise these children to be Esthers who will save this land!”
4. Elementary School Sports Field and Playground
When it rains, the school playground used to be always flooded and overgrown with weeds. With the support of Global X Ministry at North Point Church in the US, we are renovating the soccer field and volleyball field. The soccer club kids are so happy that they practice and play despite the rain. We are currently looking into renovating the very old and worn-out playground as well. We hope that the new playground will be a wonderful Christmas gift for the children of B**gtuk Elementary School.
5. Shalom Healing Center Ministry
These days Shalom Healing Center is often used as a retreat center for young Cambodian students and local church members, and as a seminar site for local pastors. However, due to climate change, the durian trees did not bear fruit, and many died. As always, we had to humble ourselves before the power of nature. Also, this year, I thought I had safely gotten through the rainy season, but the ceiling on the second floor of my house collapsed. I used to think to myself that the ceiling would need to be replaced soon or later, I guess it was time!
6. Bockor Church
After a month in Korea, I came to the church and saw that the neighbors had dug up the soil to plant a durian tree, so the area around the church, which used to be beautiful, was a mess. And as it kept raining, sand began to seep into the area around the church. One Sunday, I saw the dirty area around the church and tears flowed in my heart. I thought of the Lord’s word that said, “The Son of Man has no place to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20). October 1-3 was one of the three major holidays in Cambodia, Pchum Ben, so we spent a day at the Shalom Center and cleaned up the area around the church. We praised and worshipped until late at night, ate delicious pork barbecue, and had fun as we worked hard. I felt proud to see the children loving the church and the Lord more and more as we cleaned up the church together.
This year, five children are preparing to be baptized. Four of them are from the Korean class and three are in their third year of high school. They will take their very important graduation exam this week and will enter university next year. “Please pray for us!” they asked. As I prayed for them wholeheartedly, tears flowed down the children’s faces. The children of the Bockor Church are singing and worshiping God more earnestly than ever.
“Jesus, My Living Hope!”
7. Family News
- Missionary Grace Chung is currently in Korea for implant surgery. Grace is scheduled to undergo a special surgery due to her gum issues. After all the procedures are completed, she will return to Cambodia in November.
- Eldest daughter-in-law (Ray Anne) is currently receiving Chemo and battling cancer. Please pray earnestly for my eldest son (Elliot), who has to take care of his wife and three children while doing his ministry, and for Ray Anne who is battling cancer.
- My second son and his wife (Patrick & Grace) are doing well in Brazil, but Patrick has been going to the hospital for rehabilitation because of his leg which he got injured during the war. When I think about how he volunteered to go to the war in Afghanistan to raise seed money for his parents’ mission, and how he’s still suffering from the aftereffects of a landmine explosion, my heart as his father breaks and I can’t help but kneel before the Lord for his mercy.
- My third son (Chris) has not yet found his treasure hidden in the field. He is currently receiving a special training from God to find that treasure. As a parent, I always feel sorry that I cannot be there for him during this process, so I offer my son to the Lord in may earnest prayer.
*Dear fellow missionaries,
The Lord said, “The pure in heart will see God” (Matthew 5:8). I pray that all of us, in all our current situations, will have the opportunity to strengthen and purify our faith, so that we may be trained in pure faith, which is more precious than gold, and receive the blessing of seeing our God.
I will intercede from Cambodia that the pure faith within us will bring praise, glory, and honor on the day when Jesus Christ returns.
Philip and Grace Chung
Jubilee 4 Cambodia
