Answered prayer
Thank you, dear friends, for your prayers and notes letting us know of your prayers. The Lord did all that we asked of him, and our interview at the embassy went as smoothly as possible. Elisha’s paperwork is now complete, and we should be receiving his birth certificate and passport soon. Praise the Lord for one more assurance of his help; praise him for partners like you who bear our burdens with us. May this answer to prayer be one more reason for increased faith as we encounter other uncertainties in the future.
A brief update and prayer request
Dear partners,
For three weeks now, we’ve been back home (after the birth of Elisha) and have mostly hit the ground running with continued study and ministry.
In mid-November, I joined several missionaries and Cambodian pastors to teach the fifth and final course in the curriculum (Gospel of Matthew, Part III) of the Khmer-language Foundations Bible School. Over the past two years, the four different mother-tongue branches of the Foundations Bible School (Khmer, Krung, Jarai, and Tampuan) have worked diligently to complete the curriculum, with a view toward the launching of the Ratanakiri Pastors School in May, 2017. Students who have completed this core curriculum may be approved and sent by their local churches to join the Pastors School this coming Spring. Praise the Lord for the five Khmer-language students who are eligible, and the many more from among the tribal groups. Please pray for the many remaining hours of preparation for launch of the Pastors School.
Earlier this week, we enjoyed a quick visit from our mission director and his wife, Ken and Joan Jensen. As always, the time with Ken and Joan was a joy. We thank God for their many years of faithful service behind the scenes, making our work and that of many other missionaries possible.
For the past 3 months, I’ve been meeting weekly for prayer and Bible study with a dear Christian brother, Yaa. We are currently working through Romans 6 together. Please pray for Yaa, that he would receive the Word with faith and be rooted firmly in the truth. Pray also for wisdom for me as I seek to teach and encourage Yaa.
The bulk of my time continues to be spent in language study, both Lao and Khmer, and I feel as if I am ready to “blossom” in either pursuit. In Khmer, I am at the point that I could be a somewhat proficient teacher if given the time for preparation; in Lao, I feel that I could begin to grow rapidly in my basic use of the language if I could focus on that full-time. As it is now, I struggle to balance the two and often feel doomed to life-long mediocrity in two languages! Please continue praying for growth and for wisdom in handling this tension.
A final, somewhat urgent, request: on Tuesday, Dec. 6 at 2:00 pm (2:00 am EST), we have an appointment at the US Embassy to apply for Elisha’s US citizenship papers and passport. The fact that we have some experience at this (Elisha is our third child born in Cambodia) only adds to my anxiety about the interview: in the past, this interview has led only to more very-difficult-to-obtain paperwork and subsequent interviews. Please pray for success on Tuesday.
Elisha Chesterton Farmer
Elisha Chesterton Farmer was born October 28 (8 pounds, 21.5 inches). Our little acrobat had wrapped the cord around his neck once and tied a knot in it further up the line, leading to a decreased heart rate and a risk of meconium aspiration. So, after 7 natural deliveries, Bonnie Ruth delivered via C-section for the first time. We praise God for protecting both Bonnie Ruth and Elisha, and that a safe C-section is possible here. Both Bonnie Ruth and Elisha are doing very well, and we just received the green light from Bonnie Ruth’s doctor to return home to Stung Treng. The Lord’s help for Bonnie Ruth has been clearly manifest as she charts this new territory. Thank you for your prayers, both in recent weeks and now as we readjust to our work and life in Stung Treng.
August update
Virgin territory?
The two primary reasons we chose our house in Stung Treng were its size (just right for our little family) and location (right in the middle of a “village” of neighbors). One reason we didn’t choose the house was its newness or its beautiful landscape. We knew it would take some work to make it live well, and we were okay with that. So over the past six months, we’ve been chipping away at various projects, big and small. One of the biggest has been making our small yard a safe and somewhat pleasant place for humans. Thankfully, I love yard work, but this was yard work I’d never experienced: working with a piece of land that evidently had been a dumping ground for all kinds of trash—from broken glass, metal, and plastic, to layer upon layer of rock (both natural and added gravel). Again, I really do like this kind of work most of the time, but after a full Saturday at it, I’ve sometimes told Bonnie Ruth that 8 hours of yard work here feels like 16 hours of the same in the US but actually accomplishes only as much as 2 hours! Both my joy and frustration in the work has often reminded me of gospel ministry, particularly in a pioneer setting. To make the land green with grass, trees, and flowers is a sweet pleasure to me; but how I long to do so on truly virgin land—uncultivated land, still untouched by years of human abuse! Is this not the dream of every gospel minister, regardless of location? But is there such a thing as “virgin” territory? Whether it be with the deep-seated assumptions of an animistic/Buddhist culture and worldview as we meet here, or with the increasingly prevalent secularism of the West (or worse than both, the “prosperity” gospel!), the Enemy has been faithfully “sowing” the ground with toxins that prevent life from taking root. Sometimes my personal evangelism consists as much of explaining what the good news isn’t as it does explaining what it is! What we need is patience and endurance to continue proclaiming faithfully.
” … a sign that this death will give way to a birth …”
Despite the great need for such ground clearing, it is always a joy to share the gospel with people I meet while out and about. My focus now is primarily Lao language study, so these opportunities are mostly random, but over the past month they’ve occurred in increasing numbers. Please pray for additional opportunities and for conversions.
Language study
I continue to meet every afternoon with my Lao language tutor, Napi. Napi is 26 years old, very helpful (both with Khmer and Lao) and is a joy to be with each day. He does not know the true God. Please pray for our meetings, that they would be profitable both for my language proficiency and for his soul.
me and Napi
Heat index
Physically, we are all well. Since I last wrote, the weather has cooled down a bit. The days are still warm, but with the increased rain the nights are often quite bearable, which is all we need to be happy. Please pray for those nights when we don’t get the break that we think we need! Yes, please pray for physical stamina and spiritual joy during exhausting days of work.
Jonathan
The unexpected highlight of my month was a visit from my brother Jonathan. He was able to steal away from his work in Indonesia to meet me in Phnom Penh for two days. As always, the time was rich, both in conversation and food. Praise God for this unexpected refreshment.
The home front
The school year is off to a solid start (we’re in week 2), and enrollment is up this year: 6 students in 4 grades, with 2.5 teachers (our dear friend Brooke Illsley, Bonnie Ruth, and me), 1 classroom, and 1 toddler to roam to and fro while the big ‘uns are busy studying. The good news, though, is that come October, Henry will have a little brother to roam with him! Bonnie Ruth’s due date is late October, and we constantly thank God for an amazingly smooth pregnancy (considering a record-breaking hot season from March-May). Please pray for continued health and strength, both for Bonnie Ruth and our littlest boy.
Thank you, brothers and sisters, for laboring together with us here.
Brief update and request for prayer
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.
First 3 months in Stung Treng
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
Market fire
Two weeks ago, the main market in town where we do all our shopping burned to the ground. We live less than two blocks from the market, so we had a front row seat to all the commotion. Here is a summary of the events of that night if you’re interested.
Thank you, brothers and sisters, for sending and keeping us here. We are exactly where we want to be, doing (or at least trying to) exactly what we want to be doing. Please persevere with us through prayer.
Home!
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!
USA–PP–ST
Thank you, friends, for your many prayers for our transition back to Cambodia. The flights were largely uneventful, and we hardly felt the effects of jet lag. Our longer-than-expected time in Phnom Penh was a strange mix of crazy-busy (the usual Phnom Penh tasks of visas, drivers licenses, vaccinations, etc.) and boredom (trying to keep everyone entertained in an inner-city hotel for 2 weeks). The reason for the 2-week stay was that we ended up needing to replace our vehicle.
Cambodian car hunting
While in the past, I’ve found car buying in Phnom Penh to be a rather simple, even enjoyable, experience, this time was a bit different since our parameters were so narrow. In a city of 2.3 million, we were looking for the one car (that may well not be an exaggeration at all) that (1) would seat our family, (2) could be insured for a foreigner, and (3) wouldn’t break the bank. Praise the Lord for leading us to that needle in the haystack. We love our new ride and hope it gives us as many reliable KMs as its predecessor did.
the Needle
Now we’re in a hotel in Stung Treng province, ready to start the house hunt in earnest first thing Monday morning. And again, with our parameters, it feels like the odds are stacked against us in such a small town. Please pray that the Lord would provide a house well suited to the needs and purposes of our family and gospel ministry. The past 1-month+ of living out of suitcases has heightened our love and gratitude for Home. Please pray also for wholeness in heart and body. Hotel fever has struck and the kids, not to mention their parents, are quite antsy. We’ve also had a string of flu-like bugs making their rounds among us.
We have set the Lord before us always: because He is at our right hand, we shall not be shaken.
our first meal of bai sach chruk, a family favorite for breakfast
Returning to Cambodia
Brothers and sisters,
- I appear to be in good health (I learned that I had mono the day we left last time!).
- We’ve added Salem and Henry to our convoy (we’re loving that increased luggage allowance!).
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We’ve added quite a few friendships here in the States and have deepened many other relationships (IWO, leaving this time is not any easier!).
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We know what we’re getting into (we seem to have misplaced our rose-colored glasses!).
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We have dear friends in Cambodia (both Cambodian and American) we can’t wait to be reunited with.
- Health and safety as we travel, both to and within Cambodia. Please pray also for stamina as we re-adjust to the tropical climate.
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We’ll spend our first week or so in Phnom Penh, getting visas, driver’s licenses, possibly purchasing a different vehicle, etc. Please pray for good success in these ventures.
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After Phnom Penh, it’s on to Stung Treng province (a 6-hour drive north), where we’ll be house hunting. We need wisdom.
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Then we’ll be arranging to move all of our stuff from Ratanakiri province (where it’s in storage) to our new home in Stung Treng.
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Then it’s on to life as usual, whatever that means! We will keep you updated.
Short- and long-term requests
Dear friends,
Since I last updated you, the Lord has done for us all that I asked you to pray for. We have been based out of Nashville since August, continuing to enjoy profitable times with partner churches, reporting on our first term in Cambodia, as well as preaching and teaching in a variety of other settings. Our school-aged kids have thoroughly enjoyed this fall semester at Jonathan Edwards Classical Academy in Nashville, integrating well with their friends and teachers there and growing in their love of truth, beauty and goodness. And our time with the 
brothers and sisters at Reformed Baptist in Nashville has also been a boon to our spirits. Any leftover time I’ve tried to give to language study, working both to chip away at the rust that has quickly accumulated on my Khmer and to make some baby steps with my Laotian. Bonnie Ruth is now busily preparing for our return to Cambodia, buying up 4 years’ worth of school curriculum. We are all eagerly looking forward to spending the holidays with family and then taking off for Cambodia on January 6.
I’ve already shared with many of you how this year has been filled with both rebuke and encouragement from the Spirit in the discipline of prayer. Your responses evidence that this work is not confined to me. So thank you for your increased commitment to minister the gospel on your knees. As you labor with us in this way, let these two paragraphs direct your petitions in the coming weeks.
Prayer for Laotian churches
First, please look long term and plead for Christ to call out Laotian men, women and children from Stung Treng and Ratanakiri provinces. Our prayer is that He would plant His church in 5 different towns in these two provinces. We perceive that Laotians are very religious people (if their numerous god houses and shrines mean anything), but we also know that they have completely neglected the one God who gives them abundant rice, rain from heaven, row upon row of beautiful fruits and vegetables, and plenty of fresh air. Pray that they will fear the wrath of this neglected God, and that He will mercifully raise up workers to proclaim His forgiveness to them.
Prayer for good housing
Second, please look a bit more short range and pray for our upcoming transition from the U.S. to a new home in Cambodia. We arrive January 7 and have a lot do in that first month or so — it’s now time to follow through with our original plan to live in Stung Treng province (the heart of the Laotian population), which means yet another move. One of the most important steps in this process will be housing. If you’re interested in the details of how we’re praying about this, here you go:
- A house that’s well-built and won’t drain lots of time and money for repairs
- A good relationship with a good landlord
- A good location where neighbors are free to come and go
- A good mix of Khmer and Laotian neighbors
- A good yard where kids, both Farmers and neighbors, can play
- A good room for our kids’ schooling
- A good private room for Brooke, our dear friend and resident “educational assistant”
Thank you, dear brothers and sisters. Please keep in touch.