Happy & Heartbreaking News
This quarter was one of the most challenging quarters in our lives. There were lots of tears, lots of pain, lots of joy, and through all of it, we have seen the faithfulness of God.
Happy News
Ultrasound of our healthy baby
We are excited to share that our family is expanding; we are expecting another boy by the end of October!
Heartbreaking News
Photo of Sophorn
Since finding out about this great gift from the Lord, we have endured much loss, grief and pain. However, God is a God of comfort and the giver of life.
If you remember our last update back in March, we shared about the tragic incident in Tanzania, where we lost our friends. On the day we knew about this sad news, we also found out that we are expecting a baby, too. It was hard to rejoice in times of grief. We finally felt ready to announce our exciting news but then we had more unexpected loss that happened in our family. We lost our beloved sister, Sophorn.
(The following is written by Pheap) Sophorn Chan went to be with the Lord because of a very aggressive cancer. She wasn’t just my sister but she was also my closest friend and my number one supporter. She understood what I am doing and supported me unconditionally.
She is one of the most selfless people I have known. In my 33 years on earth, she had loved, cared, provided for me and guided my life with unconditional love. She is so selfless and humble, never once complaining about life. She gave up many opportunities for herself (her right to live life her own way) so that we could enjoy life.
At the age of 14, she gave up her studies to shoulder the family so that all 4 of her siblings could go to school and have a better future. She was so entrepreneurial that she did not just provide for the family but provided jobs for the villagers, as a retail seamstress.
When younger sibling finished high-school, she went to a sewing school to improve her skills.
When I finished high-school, she went to Siem Reap to take care of me as I continued my study. She was the first gift that God gave me as I was the first believer in the family. My prayer every night was that someone in my family would believe in Jesus, too. She believed in Jesus and led our little brother to Christ, and then led our mother to Christ. I could write more about what she did in my life but I don’t think I can finish it in a day.
She was so selfless, she always thought about others first. She was taking care of me for 33 years, I was only able to take care of her for 3 weeks before she went to be with the Lord. Throughout the 3 weeks, she didn’t complain even once. The only thing she complained about was that she missed the kids in the Dorm ministry she started and the people in the village.
Despite only finishing grade 7th because of living conditions, she was invited and enrolled for the master’s degree in leadership that started January, this year and although she graduated (from life) before everyone else, she really enjoyed the little time she got to share with everyone in the master’s program.
We had planned to travel together for the Master’s program and many other adventures.
I know she is free from pain and enjoying herself with the one she loves the most, however, I still wish I could see her enjoy herself, smile and laugh.
Some things that happened in the past few months
- Pheap led a weekly bible study with about 20 young (13-17) women. These girls come from broken backgrounds and thanks to the SALT Soccer ministry they’re able to go school. In this ministry the girls’ team is known as “Mighty Girls”. Pheap helped them have an overview of the bible and they enjoyed her banana bread. Both Pheap and the girls found this time life giving and now the girls are always happy to see her.
- Last weekend 11 young men and women from this ministry gave their lives to Jesus.
- Last weekend 11 young men and women from this ministry gave their lives to Jesus.
- Pat ran a staff development track on being a resilient missionary. This was a refresher for those who joined in a “Being a Resilient Missionary” seminar last year. There were also a few people who weren’t at the original seminar and they found it very valuable. Pat’s thankful he can contribute to missionaries’ longevity in the field.
- We went to South Korea, Jeju island, for three weeks, to facilitate the next intensive for the Masters in Global Pieneering Leadership. It was such a blessed time for us as a family but it was especially so for Pheap. As many of you may know, when she did her master’s degree there were a few from Cambodia who joined but it was only Pheap who made it to the graduation ceremony. She was the only Asian female and Cambodian that graduated from the previous cohort.
This master’s degree, we have 3 Cambodians and two internationals attending. It’s such a blessing because Pheap has had a vision since COVID time that helped her to not give up on studying. God showed her that He will release a great wave of Asian leaders into the mission, and he asked “Are you ready to equip them?”. Facilitating this master’s is part of the answer to this question from God. - Last weekend we had at least 15 people baptized on campus.
Den Graduated From His Preschool
Photo of Den solving a math problem
Den is almost 6 years old now, and he just graduated from his pre-school. He loves his school and his teachers. He was asked what he liked the most about his school? To which he answered very quickly, “He likes that they teach about Jesus.” He’s good with math and likes his teachers but his answer blessed our heart, so we want to make sure he can continue to attend a Christian school. The options were limited but we are thrilled that there are plans for a private Cambodian Christian school to run on our campus. He will start kindergarten in September this year, and the school is from 8am till 3pm which is perfect for us as it will allow us to have more time to serve.
His school fee will be $120 per month and we are looking at $150 per month to cover extra things like lunch, uniforms and supplies. Currently, we have a friend who gives Den $45 monthly, so we still need $105 more to ensure that his schooling needs are met.
National Day of Prayer
Photo of people praying together
On Jul 1 the church across Cambodia set the day aside for prayer with 2Chr7:14 in mind;
if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
During this time church leaders set aside differences they had to host the day of prayer together. This was a beautiful display of unity especially considering in the past there was division and it was difficult for church bodies to work together. Now in unity, church leaders across Cambodia have agreed on a vision for Cambodia to be 10% Christian by 2033 and to work towards having a church in every village.
Partnership Needs
Partnership needs
Would you join our family in making a difference in Cambodia? We have so many opportunities and people are ready to hear about Jesus. You can do that by joining our prayer support team and financial support team. There are a few practical needs we are facing and need an answer sooner rather than later;
- As we prepare to welcome our second son in October, we need about $1000-$1500 for hospital fees.
- We need a home for our big family! We are renting a one bedroom apartment and it works ok for 3 of us but we don’t think all 4 of us can fit in one bedroom. So, we are looking for a home with more bedrooms. A three bedroom apartment is between $300 to $400 per month. Currently, we pay $170 per month, so to be able to rent a bigger apartment, we need about $200 more per month.
- Den’s education, like we mentioned above, we still need $105 per month for him to be able to attend a good school.
Find ways to give by tapping here.
Would you pray for us for wisdom as our family expands and for the safety of mum and the delivery of our baby, and for all the finances need to be met.
Thanks for your time in reading this. We value you walking alongside us in all the ups and downs along this journey.
Blessings,
Pat & Pheap.