More Blessed

Without a doubt, one of the most precious moments of my 2006 survey trip to Cambodia was seeing Candace, Deborah, Emma, and Faith Benefield as I opened up that suitcase. That suitcase was solely dedicated to bringing long-anticipated goodies from the States- Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, children's books (Candace and Deborah are avid readers- I'm sure by now Emma has become one as well!), various types of chocolate, and a plethora of other things.

One of the coolest items in the suitcase was some Patch the Pirate tapes that Shelley Hamilton personally gave to me a few days before I flew to Cambodia. Ron and Shelley Hamilton attended my grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary at the campus of Bob Jones University. I was to depart just four days after that event, and my grandfather was telling everyone to pray for me. When Shelley Hamilton heard of the trip, she offered to take me over to the Majesty Music store and let me pick out some gifts to take to the missionary kids.

I will never forget the look on Candace's face when I said, "Candace, Sissy Seagull (Shelley Hamilton) personally gave me these tapes and wanted me to deliver them to you." Her face lit the entire room with joy.

I have so many fond memories of my first trip to Cambodia; but none that equal the joy I experienced in my heart that evening we opened up that suitcase. Truly, it is more blessed to give than to receive.

Where We're At & Where We're Goin'

Just a quick update on where we are and what we are doing. So far, we have been in the following churches:
North Hollywood Baptist Church- North Hollywood, CA
Central Baptist Church- Houston, TX
Victory Baptist Church-Loganville, GA
Zion Hill Baptist Church-Greenville, SC
Bethel Baptist Church-Hampton, VA
Harvest Baptist Temple- Jonesboro, GA
Vision Baptist Church-Alpharetta, GA
Fannin Road Baptist Church-Montgomery, AL
New Life Baptist Church- Conyers, GA
Western Hills Baptist Church- Kennesaw, GA
Crooked Creek Baptist Church- Athens, GA

Praise the Lord for giving us the following meetings that we will be in starting next week and going through mid-December.

Whitfield Baptist Church- Dalton, GA
Victory Baptist Church- Charleston, SC
First Baptist Church- Long Beach, CA
Lancaster Baptist Church- Lancaster, CA
Sequoia Baptist Church- Visalia, CA
Gospel Light Baptist Church- Selma, CA
First Baptist Church- Castaic, CA
McKee Road Baptist Church- Bakersfield, CA
Bible Baptist Church- Victorville, CA
Bible Baptist Church- Gardena, CA
Lighthouse Baptist Church- Santa Maria
Los Angeles Baptist Church- Los Angeles, CA
Berean Bible Baptist Church- Duarte, CA
New Testament Baptist Church- Armona, CA
Liberty Baptist Church- Norwalk, CA

Linda and the kids are doing wonderful. Ellie is definitely the most challenging part of our deputation right now, but it's not really her fault. How would you like to be a year and a half old and have to be dragged from church to church and state to state, and not have your own room to play in or a consistent schedule? With that being said, she is actually doing great. Just pray that we will be patient with her. As for Judson- well, he just goes with the flow.

More Precious Than Gold

Oskar Schindler was a man who understood that life is more than simply aquiring silver and gold. He was a wealthy man to say the least- he was a successful German businessman who moved to Poland in the middle of World War 2 to take financial advantage of the German takeover. He did much more than that.

Schindler purchased an old factory, and, because of his powerful connections with certain Nazi officers, was able to bribe the commander of a nearby concentration camp to allow Jewish prisoners to work in this factory. In the end, approximately 1,100 Jews escaped death at the hands of the Nazis because of the work of Oskar Schindler. Untold tens of thoundands of dollars were spent by Schindler to purchase the factory and bribe Nazi officials so that these 1,100 Jews could live.

After the Germans surrendered, Schindler, still a "part" of the Nazi party (in name only), knew he had a better chance of surviving if he dealt with the Americans as opposed to the Russians. Just before his departure, he addressed the 1,100 Jews he had rescued. Just before boarding his vehicle, it has been said that he wept, and in self-condemnation lamented that he didn't save more.

"This car- if only I had sold this car! I could have payed for five more workers in my factory! Five more people would be alive! This ring- at least two more people if I had just sold this ring! I could have done more!"

The onlooking crowd of Jews- now known as the Schindler Jews- comforted him and thanked him with tears as he departed. Today, over 6,000 people, including the children and grandchildren of the Schindler Jews, are alive because of the selflessness of one man who wanted to make a difference.

Christian, what are you doing with your time, talents, and treasures, to make an eternal difference in the lives of people all around us. Our cause is much greater than preserving life on this temporary earth. We have been called to use what God has given us- our lives, our time, our talents, our treasures- to rescue people from spiritual death. Will you come to the end of your life and say, "I could have done more!" Truly, the value of one person is much more precious than gold.

God Is Blessing

God is truly blessing our deputation so far. We have been in eight meetings, including the following:

North Hollywood Baptist Church

Central Baptist Church

Victory Baptist Church

Zion Hill Baptist Church

Bethel Baptist Church

Harvest Baptist Temple

Vision Baptist Church

Fannin Road Baptist Church

God has faithfully taken care of us financially, giving above and beyond what we every thought possible. I have preached two times, and we have had the opportunity to minister in Sunday school and in the Christian school classroom. We have met so many wonderful Christians who love missions and missionaries, and we are so happy and blessed to be serving the Lord on deputation.

God's Confirmation

Two months ago, our calendar was completely empty during September and the first half of October. In the past month, God has filled our calendar by giving us five unexpected missions conferences and a Sunday night meeting.

Two months ago, January through March was one big blank spot on our calendar. In the past month, God has written some things in that blank spot by giving us nearly ten meetings in those three months.

All in all, God has blessed us with over 50 meetings scheduled for deputation. It is awesome to see God confirm that we are in the center of His will by continuing to open doors that we never thought were possible.

Focus!

Now that our Bible college days are over, and there is no one to ask, "Did you do your devotions today?", it is vital that we keep our focus on what God has called us to do. Below are the elements of my life that I am asking the Lord to help me stay focused upon:

1. My walk with Christ- without this, going to Cambodia is futile. After taking Homeletics, Eschatology, Ecclesiology, Theology, Harmotiology, Anthropology, and Greek in Bible college, I have learned something that is far more important than anything I gleaned from these subjects: if I don't walk with God, nobody is going to do it for me.

***This first focus is directly linked with a passion for souls. When I am walking with Christ, a fruit of that relationship is a passion for the lost and hurting. But, when sin hinders my relationship with Christ, that passion really cools down. "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold."

2. My walk with Linda. I have learned that if I am not right with Linda, I am just not right. God, help me to be the husband that you have called me to be.

3. My walk with my children. I have been taught that it is never too early to start building a close relationship with your children. God, I cannot in my flesh meet all the requirements that are involved with being a father. Give me the wisdom, discernment, love, patience, and character to be the father that You have called me to be.

4. My walk with my family. I praise the Lord for my parents and my sister with whom we are living right now. I also praise the Lord for Linda's family. Lord, help me to be the son, son-in-law, grandson, nephew, cousin, and brother that you desire for me to be.

5. My focus on the field. This involves deputation, of course, but more importantly for me is the keeping of the commitment I have made to the Lord to GO! And while I am preparing to GO, I am asking the Lord to help me be a light in Loganville, Georia. I praise the Lord to witness to several people over the past few weeks. "The light that doesn't shine in the America won't shine in Cambodia."

There are probably other things I need to mention, but those are the "Big 5" in my life right now. Lord, please help me in these things.

Opportunity of a Lifetime

Pictured above are some of Linda's relatives in Cambodia. Next to me stands Boo Pan, Linda's uncle; in front of him stands Jing, Linda's cousin; to Linda's left, holding Elisabeth, stands Ming Chea, and on the end is Ming Chea's husband, Boo Tap.

Linda's parents escaped Cambodia in 1980, and eventually found refuge in the United States. The people pictured with Linda and me, with the exception of Jing, were some of the survivors of the Killing Fields. Boo Pan was just a boy, Ming Chea and Boo Tap were teenagers. Because Linda was born in the States, she never had a chance to meet her family in Cambodia, until 2006.

In March of 2006, Linda, along with her mom and sister, Dena, took a month-long vacation to Cambodia. For the first time, Linda was able to finally meet her "distant" relatives (distant geographically, not biologically- it's a pun). Linda's mom was reunited to her mother, brothers and sisters for the first time in nearly 30 years. What an opportunity it was for them to see each other again, espcecially considering that the last time they saw each other was during the Killing Fields.

Linda and I also have the opportunity of a lifetime. We have the opportunity to introduce Linda's family to the King of Kings, the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. I have already witnessed to Boo Pan and Ming Chea. Please pray that we will have the opportunity to "reunite" Linda's family with the God from which we were all alienated from at one time, until someone shared with us the glorious gospel message.