Well, internet is fairly available, but it is slow, so I won’t be able to post pictures until I return home (I have 125 so far; I don’t know how many Elizabeth has, though I do know she has some video).
We have adjusted fairly well to the time change, though the humidity is still overwhelming to us.
Today I preached at two different churches — two different messages from Daniel 4. Tomorrow I will begin teaching with Jack and Elizabeth will be going with Susie to check on some sponsorship children.
At the moment, I am trying to catch up on studying, journaling, email and blogging, while Elizabeth is spending the night at the children’s home with some of the other teens.
In another case of gracious providence, while at an internet cafe across from our hotel in the last few minutes, I was able to share the gospel (very limitedly because of the language barrier) with a 21-year-old Buddhist monk!!! I have left him some gospel literature, exchanged email addresses, and look forward to future communication. Pray for his salvation.
I will try to give longer updates in the future; for now, check with Keith for other email updates.
UPDATE:
The two churches are in relatively close proximity to one another — maybe 1-2 miles — but since most people walk (or bike) to church, this is not terribly unusual.
Faith Bible is next door to the children’s home and pastored by Ham Soy. Their children’s church is at 7:00 a.m. and the main service is at 8:00 a.m. [And since Pastor Sothy’s church begins at noon, it made participating in both services quite simple.] Pastor Soy has spent much time working in the neighborhood in outreach and gospel attempts, so many of the attendees are unbelievers. Additionally, apart from teens and adults from the children’s home, there were almost no men attending this service.
So, while I had reworked a recent sermon from Daniel 4 on the sovereignty of God to preach at this service, I realized as the singing began that the message I had didn’t fit. So, I mentally rewrote the sermon again, simplifying and shortening it (I was told I had 30 minutes to preach — including translation), and making it more gospel oriented, focusing on the final verses in the passage and on God’s righteousness and His gracious provision of salvation.
In the afternoon, we went to Sothy’s church [Sothy will do most of my translation this week, though Pachan again translated for me at this service] — somewhat more remote than Soy’s church, but a nice building (which had been built for them several years ago by the Presbyterian church) and fewer children and more adults and more mature believers.
Since there were predominantly believers in this service, while preaching again from Dan. 4, I placed more emphasis on the sovereignty of God and the truth that His sovereignty makes Him trustworthy (God is worthy of our trust because He loves us — wants what is best for us, He is wise — and knows what is best for us, and He is omnipotent — able to accomplish what is best for us). These truths were well illustrated in the life of Nebuchadnezzar.
After the service, we visited at length with Sothy, his family, and others (eating some of the finest bananas I’ve ever tasted!). During that time, Sothy shared how he had been in the military during the civil war of the 70s and 80s, and how he had come to Christ during that time. The stories he told were sobbering and such a great demonstration of God’s grace and kindness in the midst of harsh circumstances.
The total of the day: worship, preaching, encouragement with and from other believers, and an unusual gospel opportunity. A good day!
Words of Grace 