January/February 2013 Prayer Letter/Udate

                  Blessed to see our supporting churches

It has been such a blessing to be in several of our supporting churches during January and February. We have been able to report in 17 of our supporting churches covering the states of Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Arkansas, and West Virginia. Truly, God has blessed us with precious supporting churches who love us and support us faithfully; and we love them! Each time we have had to say goodbye to one of the churches we have visited on this furlough, there has been an aching in my heart and a desire to stay and fellowship for just a little longer. We cherish the relationship that we have with each church that has partnered with us, and we will be praying for our supporting churches and their pastors, that God will continue to use and bless them for His glory.

Blessed to have opportunities to preach (in English…what a blessing)

I thank God that He has brought me to the point that I can preach in Khmer. But where I am at in my language skills, there are still times of frustration- mainly because I still need to learn many more Khmer idioms to get my point across more succinctly. So, having many opportunities to teach and preach in English on this furlough has been so much fun. I thank God for the opportunities to preach in church services, Christian school chapel, and teach in a Bible college class. The Lord has directed my messages in two primary directions: first, recognizing Christ as the Shepherd of our lives, and everything that entails (i.e. when He leads us in our lives, we will either deny ourselves and follow Him, or we will rebel against His leading and consequently not learn what He wants to teach us); and second, serving Christ with the right heart motive (faith that works by love- Galatians 5:6). These are simply messages that have been developed out of God’s direct dealings with me through the reading of His Word.

In Cambodia…

I received an update from the church that I will be overseeing when we return to Cambodia in three months. I believe this update is a microcosm of the spiritual reality in Cambodia. Praise the Lord that a married couple and a young lady- it two separate settings- have finished the “Do You Know God” book under the guidance of members of the church. This book serves as a supplemental guide to help people understand the teachings in the Bible. It is packed with Scripture, illustrations, explanations, and visuals and is a great tool in sharing the Gospel. It generally takes at least 3 or 4 one-hour teaching sessions- usually in the person’s home- before the book is completed. In these situations, both the married couple and the young lady are now asking more questions and seriously counting the cost before making the decision to trust Christ. They know that becoming a Christian will bring them much trouble from their families and friends. Pray for these people. I also got word that two people in the village ministry (the ministry started by Pastor To in his home village) have trusted Christ as Savior, and that two weeks ago two other new believers were baptized. Praise the Lord! These are people being saved as a result of the soul winning efforts of the Cambodian believers! Also, please pray for this village. Recently there was an outbreak of the bird flu, which claimed the life of one little girl. The entire village, numbering several hundred people, was sick, and they used the church building as an emergency health clinic. Praise the Lord for the opportunity He gave the church to be a blessing and a good testimony to their unsaved neighbors.  

We are exactly half way into our 6-month furlough, and we are looking forward to getting back to our home in Ta Khmau, Cambodia. We will be leaving Los Angeles International Airport on May 27. Please pray for us during these last three months, that we will make the most of our time with family and friends, have opportunities to share the Gospel, and have safety in our travels. God bless you all!

In Christ,

Chad Phillips