Visit from Memaw!

One of our summer highlights was to be a month-long visit from my (Bonnie Ruth) mom. We all excitedly made the 7-hour trip to pick her up in Phnom Penh and returned home a few days later. Four days into her stay, however, she fell down the stairs in our house and landed face down on the tile floor. We heard the commotion and rushed to find her lying unconscious. Seeing the obvious head injury, we immediately called two local friends, one a nurse, one a doctor, who examined her and helped us secure an ambulance. So at 11:30 pm, she and I squeezed into the back of an old Montero Sport for a harrowing night ride through heavy rains and flooded roads, navigating fallen trees as well as countless carts hauling illegal lumber without lights! Next morning at 5:00, we arrived safely in Siem Reap, the closest hospital with the equipment for a CT scan. The initial scan and x-rays revealed, among other things, swelling and hemorrhaging on the brain, and the doctor indicated that she would need surgery as soon as possible to relieve the pressure. For this, we would need to go either to Phnom Penh or possibly Bangkok. So we climbed back into an ambulance (much nicer this time!) for another 5-hour ride to Phnom Penh. In answer to many prayers, the second CT scan revealed that the brain swelling/bleeding had increased only slightly, meaning that surgery was not as urgent. Mom and I spent four nights in ICU and another four in a regular room for observation. Thankfully, subsequent scans showed that the swelling/bleeding was decreasing and no surgery would be needed. While the brain injury was certainly our greatest concern, honorable mention also goes to three broken ribs, a fractured vertebra, fractured wrist, fractured facial bones, and collapsed lung!

After being released, we were hopeful that she might be able to return to our home in Stung Treng, but the pain levels (combined with the bumpy roads) soon ruled this out. So after ten days apart, Jeremy and the kids—including newly-weaned Elisha!—joined us at a guesthouse in Phnom Penh where we made some memories nonetheless. A couple weeks of air-con, some western food, and playing games with Memaw—no one complained! Praise the Lord that though she has had quite an ordeal, she is on track to make a full recovery and was even able to make her return flight earlier this week. We just hope the memories from her visit don’t discourage her from future visits!

Memaw’s visit

Discouragement

While reading the Psalms recently, I noticed how often David begins by rehearsing his many troubles. Enemies, personal sin, setbacks, fleeing for his life, loneliness, exhaustion from constantly running, depression from feeling forgotten (or worse, hated)—all are common expressions in David’s prayers to God. Yet somehow, these same prayers almost always end with praise. How? And why? Did God answer in the affirmative every request David made? Were these negative circumstances removed? No, but David wasn’t finding his hope in smooth circumstances or from somewhere deep within his own heart. His source of hope even amid trouble and discouragement was in his never-changing, always-loving, and supremely sovereign Redeemer. Though our struggles aren’t normally of the magnitude of David’s, circumstances in recent months are forcing us to remember that our Hope, like David’s, is indeed steadfast. Our Hope—through hot days, nearly sleepless nights, discouraging lack of fruit, promising relationships that turn apathetic, lack of love toward the very people we are here to serve—has not changed. We cling to the same promises that the peoples will one day sing his praises. We hope in the same promises of ultimate renewal, both within and without. And we rejoice in the promise that our Hope is ever present with us. And so, brothers and sisters, please pray for us. Jeremy specifically is experiencing an unusual level of discouragement, in part due to prolonged seasons of apparently unanswered prayer, as well as physical and mental fatigue.

Writing to the Corinthians about his extreme adversity, Paul said, “But that was to make us rely not on ourselves, but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.” We are always grateful for your many reminders that you are indeed praying, and our hearts are hopeful that his blessings will be granted to us and the peoples of Cambodia through these prayers.

Reasons to pray

• Physical stamina throughout the day and good rest during the night
• Persevering joy
• Renewed love and compassion for the people around us
• God’s blessing on both teachers and students as we start a new school year
• Fruit of conversion among those who have heard the gospel:

Ta and Yay (our 84-year old neighbor and his wife)—Jeremy recently shared the gospel with Ta and surprisingly, he listened without interruption for 15 minutes, quite unusual as Ta enjoys teaching the youngster (Jeremy) about life in Cambodia (and Jeremy enjoys listening to these fascinating life stories too). Sadly, his response was typical: Jesus and Buddha are both great teachers that help us all get along. Pray for light and for further opportunities.

Ming (an elderly lady)—pray for understanding and faith

Napi (Jeremy’s former language tutor)—pray for renewed interest

Moni (a young woman, newly professing faith)—pray for increased understanding and perseverance

Reasons for praise

• Brooke Illsley is back with us for another school year. She has been invaluable in helping me with the schooling of our children.
• Though my mom’s visit was not what we had planned, I’m thankful for the quality mother-daughter time during those days and nights in the hospital and also that we were able to address all of her needs here in country.

Spring session of the Ratanakiri Pastors Institute: “Theology for Worship”

Weather report

I recently read some advice from a veteran Cambodian missionary: never make important decisions in April or May—the hottest, and often most discouraging, months of the year. And while this year’s hot season has been a refreshing breeze by comparison to last year’s record breaker, it’s still hot. So we’ll follow that wise advice and not bolt for cooler climes, but in the meantime, please pray for endurance, both physically and mentally. We are tired. Particularly Bonnie Ruth needs your prayers for strength and wisdom in the use of her resources.

Gospel opportunities

I continue to spend much of my time honing my Khmer and preparing Bible lessons for my former language tutor. Please pray for his continued interest (which seems to be lagging and somewhat distracted, lately) in the gospel, as well as for additional opportunities for me to teach other Christians or people interested in the gospel. When I last wrote, I was praying for wisdom in the use of my time—Khmer vs. Lao. After getting input from my team leader, I am focusing my efforts on Khmer preparation and seeking only to maintain what Lao I’ve gained until next year when I will focus more fully on Lao.

Day-to-day life also provides numerous unplanned opportunities for sharing the gospel. Most are brief, one-time encounters. But a few are developing into longer-term relationships. One such particular instance is with an elderly lady, Sopeap, whom we’ve been able to help with medical care in Phnom Penh. Please pray for Sopeap as she listens to the gospel, that the healing she is receiving in her body would be matched with healing for her soul. Pray also for another young woman we have recently helped. Her medical issues stem both from her 9 abortions and possibly from an STD received from her husband. Please pray for this woman—that the brokenness in her life and body might work itself out in a truly broken spirit before God.

Finally, please pray for increased interaction with our immediate neighbors. I have recently tried to make some adjustments to my daily schedule in order to create more opportunities to spend time with them. Pray that these efforts will bear fruit for the gospel.

3 highlights

JD, Brian, Josh, and Jeremy

Perhaps the best part of life in Cambodia is the teammates God has given us. I couldn’t have handpicked a better group to work with. In February, we spent a day with our co-workers in Ratanakiri, celebrating 10 years of Cambodian ministry for our dearest friends, Brian and Lydia Kane. The Kanes’ testimony of faithfulness through frustrations, discouragements, failures, and now increasing success and usefulness gives me as great a hope and encouragement as some of my favorite missionary biographies. Following their example, I press on in hopes that my 10-year update will be as filled with fruit and gospel opportunities as I see them (finally) enjoying!

Salem and Pastor John

Then, for the past 2 weeks, we enjoyed a visit from one of our pastors, John Wheeler. John and his family of 10 ministered the gospel for 20 years overseas (Turkey), so we had not a few things in common. His wisdom of experience and his pastoral care for us was an immense boon, and we praise God for giving pastors and teachers to his church, even to those members who may be on an extended leave of absence!

Finally, the highlight of our year thus far was a visit from my parents, my favorite and most valuable supporters. By far, their 40 years of constant prayer and faithful modelling of the gospel have been the most influential force directing my path into missions. And certainly no one else has paid the price of “losing” this son for the gospel as they have. (Sometimes the real sacrifice of missions is paid, not by the missionaries, but by the parents who lose their kids and grandkids.) So indeed, our joy was full when Mom and Dad trotted the globe like two twenty-somethings (Jet lag? What jet lag? Stomach bugs? What’s that?) to spend two wonderful weeks with us in February. Again, I was confirmed in my desire and prayer that I (and my kids) will be like them when I grow up.

Beating the heat

Shortly after I wrote about our record-breaking heat/drought, we enjoyed 3 consecutive luxurious nights where the temp dropped just enough to give a refreshing night of sleep. A week later, we celebrated our first downpour of the year. These gifts were just one more reason to thank the Maker. Apart from these two blessed reprieves though, the heat and drought continue, so thank you for continued prayers for our stamina. We are all well.

Teaching Matthew’s Gospel

Tomorrow (Thursday, 5/12), I’ll drive over to Ratanakiri province to join several missionaries and Cambodian pastors in team-teaching the book of Matthew for a session of the Khmer-speaking branch of the Foundations Bible School. This is a very exciting opportunity for me, since I have not taught in Khmer in over a year (my first time since returning to Cambodia). Please remember me, the other teachers, and our students (both men and women from the Khmer-speaking church)–that we would understand and teach clearly and fully embrace all the we learn about the person and work of God’s Son in the Gospel of Matthew.

It’s hot. And you know you’re in trouble when your weather app says “99 degrees–cooler temps today.” But we have long since left behind those sub-100’s and are now getting daily heat indexes of 115-125. We had already decided it was the hottest weather we had ever experienced here, even during our years in Phnom Penh. But determined that we would endure with joy and “not even notice” like the natives, we hardly mentioned it (at least we tried). Then the locals began to complain, telling us it was the hottest weather they had known in years. Then we started seeing articles like these pop up, telling us we’re breaking all kinds of personal bests for heat. So we’re grunting it out through the heat, praying for rain (which is not supposed to come until July, rather than May, this year) and cooler temps, praying for joy from the Spirit, and realizing afresh the close connection between body and soul.

We have now been in our new home in Stung Treng province for almost 3 months. In many ways, these months have felt the way that our initial move to Cambodia 5 years ago was supposed to feel. Maybe it’s just one more symptom of being a slow learner, but it seems like all the difficulties of culture shock/stress that new missionaries typically experience have waited until now to hit home. Things like sickness, heat fatigue, and simple frustrations with the way life works (or more accurately, doesn’t work!). In a word, our time thus far has been strenuous, both physically and mentally/emotionally. The biggest temptation to fretting stems not so much from these various stressors per se, but more from the fact that we very often feel (particularly during the past 3-4 weeks) that very little of our time is actually going toward the things you sent us here to do–namely, learn Lao, share the gospel, and teach national Christians. Please pray with us that we would find our joy in knowing and being known by Christ, that we would love our neighbors the way we love ourselves, and that we would know the Spirit’s strength to fulfill these obligations. We’re also praying that as Cambodian farmers think on their need for rain, they would begin to think about the rain Giver whom they have long neglected to thank for His gifts of rain, produce, etc. (Romans 1:20-21). May this lead them to fear His wrath (Romans 1:18) and seek His mercy. Please pray also for rain and relief from the heat.

One recent encouragement was a warm reception from two local authorities in Stung Treng, the minister of religious affairs and the head of immigration. These are important relationships and God is answering our prayers of many years for a friendly relationship.

Language learning

Not all who wander are lost, though they may feel like it at times. But after 37 nights in a hotel (and 57 nights living out of a suitcase!), we have found rest! We are thrilled with the house God has given us — it’s size, arrangement, landlord, location, etc. — it’s exactly what we and you have prayed for. The house was built in 1960, and our landlord lived here all his childhood, so I’m sure the wood has some stories to tell! It’s situated right on the Sekong River, less than 1 KM from where it joins the mighty Mekong, and is literally surrounded by houses of neighboring Khmer and Lao. We slept here for the first time Sunday and there’s still a lot of unpacking, cleaning, and fixing to do. But every day, the house feels more like home. Please praise God with us for this wonderful gift.

Our current plan is to spend this week unpacking, and then start into “normal life” next week. By then, the kids will be in month 3 of their Christmas break from school, so we’re all ready. My primary focus will be language learning, so please pray for me as I begin the search for a tutor.

Below are some pics to give you a taste of our setting. For more details, you’ll have to visit us!

moving (and truck repair) day

the access road to our house is about a meter too narrow for the moving truck; thanks to a friend’s Isuzu and about 25 trips up and down the access road, we got it all in by 9:00pm

excess luggage

our house is a bit of a fixer-upper; thankfully, we know a pretty good (and kind) fixer-upper

this Valentine’s gift to Bonnie Ruth is a tasteful complement to our squatty potty

improvements

we found bat guano 2 inches deep across the entire back half of the attic; this should cut way down on mosquitoes!

helpers

helpers

helpers

“and then, the animal goes in, and I pull it right here!”

view from the southwest

view from the southeast

our river view (what’s left of it after neighbors built a house in front of us!)

our next door neighbors — four generations currently living in one house!