Written, 37,000 feet over the Pacific, somewhere
east of Taipei, December 1, 2004. See:
http://www.missionreports.com/dec04/ for
pictures.
Fact is; we stare famine in its ugly face. The rice
crop, late to plant in many areas experienced a
sudden halt in the rains at the crucial time of
“boot stage” (when the head is formed) and we face a
substantial reduction in the harvest. Already, rice
in Phnom Penh is $300+ per ton and harvest is on.
The Prime Minister has threatened to “Shoot to kill”
anyone caught exporting rice out of the country.
Fortunately, we chose to put the bin in an area of
excess production so, we hope to buy the local
surplus near the end of harvest at a reduced price.
The 400 tons we hold will substantially provide the
needs of our
kids for about nine
months. I am hoping to fill it for about $150 per
(please pray!) ton of un-milled (raw) rice. Time is
my enemy, so is money, gotta have about $60,000 to
fill it. God brought some faithful partners forth to
help with the mill construction; we have the funds
to complete it. PTL! I believe we will somehow see
the rice covered. My trips to
America were a blessing, as I believe we will pick
up a net sponsorship gain of at least seven
church/homes
and retain
another five.
God is good!
Hey! John Candy is not dead. He just moved to
Cambodia and started a Bible School under the pseudo
name of ‘Big Steve’. BTW, he’s rooming with Elvis
somewhere on the south side of Phnom Penh.
Seriously, you’ve got to admit there is a distinct
resemblance in both appearance (see picture
“Graduation”) and humor. Steve is our Bible school
on legs. He has helped train most of our 1400+
pastors. He’s a “Bapticostal Boy”, but he’s gone
‘legit’ on us and opened a new fully accredited
Bible College in Phnom Penh. He totally agrees with
us that this is not our usual, nor preferred, method
of training, but since every church needs a few
‘pinhead’ theologians, we enrolled six of our young
scholars in his new program. Not to worry! Steve,
err uhh, John, is a very practical guy.
What do you get when you double the size of the most
corrupt government on earth? Twice the corruption
and half the fun! We have 14 previously granted, but
not yet issued, church permits being held for
ransom, along with several containers full of food
for the orphans. You would be amazed at the reasons
they can site to justify condemning and, of course
for the sake of public safety, confiscating, and
well, gotta get rid of it somehow, selling the
orphan’s food. Street chatter is of a
coup-d’e’ta.
Some high level government jobs are purported to be
selling for $1,000,000 US. Pretty good price for a
job that pays $30-50 per month, huh? Uh oh, I feel
the ‘preach’ mode coming on.
"Kablunk,
kablunk, kablunk” (I put wheels on my soap box, but
being made in Cambodia, one has a flat tire .Hold on
while I drag it out here and climb on. Ready? Made
it in a single bound this month, must be those
morning workouts! Western European and American
Churches! (Don’t take this personally, I speak
collectively) Why did they abdicate the God mandated
care of the orphans, widows and the poor, to
governments and para-church organizations?? Hey,
they need a serious ‘wake-up’ call! “Well we don’t
want to build dependency!” they meekly whine” So,
what then? You want the government to do your job?
God told the church to be involved in these social
concerns! Paul told Titus (3:14) to have his people,
“Maintain good works and meet urgent needs that they
not be unfruitful” Brilliant move church! What did
we do? Hand all the responsibility over to the
governments, the UN and the “Cares”, “World
Visions”, and “Save the Children’s, of this world.
Then, we sit around and moan about our
unfruitfulness, while Christians give millions of
dollars to these organizations that often no longer
even mention the Lord. Duhhhhhhh?? What I am saying
will most likely cost me at least 20 angry emails,
“Please delete my name, etc, etc.” But, I believe
this from the bottom of my soul, and feel it is a
major reason for stagnant churches and fruitless
missions organizations. Stop! Knock it off! Quit
giving to these para-church organizations that just
give lip service to the Gospel. Most of that money
would be just as well sent to the UN. It belongs in
the church, and the church needs to rise up, take
back their mandate, and quit hiding behind the
excuse of “dependency building!” You think these
organizations that many well meaning church members
support don’t build dependency?? Here is what is
happening, all these well intentioned organizations
come in and distribute aid with no attachment to the
Gospel. Result? A bunch of self-satisfied
materialists, no longer spiritually hungry,
complacent people headed for an eternal disaster.
Can I ask you a question? What good do you do if you
keep someone healthy and satisfied for 60 years and
then send him to a Christless eternity?? Answer: You
wasted your money, and lost a soul! If you put that
money with the Gospel it is POWERFUL!!! We are
seeing a nation changed because we refuse to
separate the good works from the gospel and, as God
said through Paul, it is ‘maintaining fruitfulness’.
Don’t take me wrong! I am not against all para-church
organizations. Thank God some of them have come
along and filled in the blind spots of the church,
and, most importantly, tapped secular resources for
the work of the Gospel. I believe every church needs
this type of partner. They should be aided, honored
and strengthened, Warm Blankets, International
Cooperating Ministries, Kids for the Kingdom,
Children of Promise and others that put the church
first, are examples of this. They allow the church
to lead and this is not an incidental point! I said
this publicly so, I’ll say it in print. Fruit, as
defined by Jesus in John 15, is none other than that
which produces the seed which grows from His body;
The CHURCH! We are “little Christs”, that’s what
“Christian” means, we are born of the,
“incorruptible seed” and we must reproduce. We
attach to Christ through His body, the church. Good
works enhance that, see Titus 3:14, but they are NOT
the fruit. The fruit is more souls won for Christ,
which form the church, period! The problem is many
para-church organizations, that started out right
have caved in to secular pressure, gone the route of
humanistic good
works and,
in my opinion, do more harm than good.
If
there is one thing I’d do for the church it would be
to move it to a level of faith sufficient to trust
God to solve the social problems of the world
through it, NOT GOVERNMENT, and their faithless
associates in much of the para-church realm. If
what we give government in taxes, for the work we
are supposed to do, was used through the church,
both the blessing that follows, and the efficiency
of properly motivated workers, would be manifold. We
work with some of the best para-church organizations
on earth! God bless them! Because until the church
becomes what God intended it to be, we need the good
ones, but those that no longer proclaim Christ? May
a lightning bolt hit them, and may that same zap
move the churches that refuse to act to action!
There, that’ll sir something up! Kablunk! Kablunk!
I’m done.
November was, for me, a month of permanent ‘jet
lag’. I started the month out on the east cost of
the US, New York, New Hampshire, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, and ended it on the west cost, both
North and South of Los Angeles, with a trip for
turkey back with my mom in Illinois. Both were 8 day
trips, I get two weekend services that way, and out
east kept busy Friday, Saturday as well as Monday. I
got back to Cambodia after the first stint just in
time to miss the NW Medical Missions Dental and
Construction Team, an met up with Craig Muller and a
Warm Blankets contingent along with Lou Binninger of
Glad Tidings Church. After their departure I spent
the next frantic 4 days trying to ‘kick start’ the
construction of the rice mill facility and storage
bin with rice dryer. The drying bin is to be built
in conjunction with our rice mill, and because it is
technology that has not yet hit Cambodia, all the
support items needed to be either built in country
or imported. My Son Emil (Electrical Engineer)
helped me figure out how to run the 60cycle 460 volt
dryer motor from the US on 50 cycle 400 volt
Cambodian juice (see kids can come in handy!). Paul
Mok (mechanic ‘par excellence’), newly married this
month, managed to squeeze enough ‘honeymoon time’
out of his schedule to help me manufacture 5 bin
jacks, a center jack, a 60 foot high bucket
elevator, and overhaul the rice mill engine (out of
a Russian bulldozer). Why was he unhappy about this?
Some people’s priorities?!! We cobbled together an
unloading system, poured concrete and are already
building. Fact is; I am sooo anxious to get off this
plane and get that bin ‘a rising in the sky’ that my
beloved wife and daughter may see even less of Dad
this month. Paul Mok and I may share the same dog
house.
As
usual, busy month! We had a couple of new church
dedications, harvested our rice at the training
center, Benny Hinn Ministries was here to host a
Christmas party for the homes they support, Bob
Hollandsworth stopped by to check on the steel
building his ministry donated, (40’ x 60’) which
will serve as a roof for our rice mill (see picture
of building next to bin picture). We took 48 of our
church leaders, Divisional Superintendents and
District Supervisors, by bus, truck and air to
Penang Malaysia for the Eastern Council of
Foursquare Churches meeting. There were 19 countries
and around 400 people present. Many of our group had
never before been out of Cambodia. What a contrast!
Malaysia can hardly be described as a ‘third world’
nation, with six lane highways and sky scrapers. It
was a great time to build awareness of the fact that
they are part of a big family and reinforce a unity
of purpose.
On
a personal note Hannah turned 17 on Thanksgiving,
(Nov. 25th) an event I was sorry to miss,
but I was replaced by my older daughter Chanta, who
came for a short (Pictures in Website) visit, we
passed in the sky going both directions. Also,
November saw the arrival of Mr. Ryan Taggart, a
nurse who will help in leading our many medical
teams, giving Anna Blake some relief, and perform
various and sundry other tasks. Great to have
another slave!
Have a great Christmas!
Ted, Sou and Hannah,
Cambodia
