Dear Friends and Family,
Perspective is everything! We really do get a
narrow field of vision from our own eyes. Some
people actually feel sorry for us for giving up
all the comforts of life in the US for Cambodia.
You are all familiar with Jesus saying,
“Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who
has left house or parents or brothers or wife or
children, for the sake of the kingdom of God,
who shall not receive many times more in this
present time, and in the age to come eternal
life.” (Mk. 18:29-30) Now, I’ve gotten pretty
good payback, just as I was promised. On
Father’s day (I didn’t even know they knew about
Father’s day in Cambodia!) I had more than 100
kids get up in church and sing to me. Then, one
orphan wrote this:
Dear Lovely Pa and
Mak,
Happy Father's
day! It is 7 years now that I have been working
and living with you. Pa, you are great father! I
am living as an orphan life for years, I have
never feel the taste of father at all, but you
give me this taste....more than that you gave
this taste to more than 3000 orphans.
Pa, thaks for your
grace to me, give me new chance to growth up
in life( spiritual and body). Without you I
don't have today life and I don't know how my
life gone na be...one of my cousins he has AIDS,
another one went to jail from crime, he kill
many people. I thank God and you so much! I am
staying away from those kinds of problem. On
behafl of 3000 kids I thanks you and Mak! this
point make my tears come...I may have aids or go
to jail for some reasons..but you are so bless
to me. I wish I could share my testimony of
your greatest work in Cambodia some day
As for me and my
family I will serve the Lord. I love you so
much....you are great great father and I honer
you for acting as father. I countinuely pray for
your work and your health, family and wisdom.
Love Your Son,
Ly Heng,
Ratana and litle baby on the way.
Now, that can bring tears to your eyes! But,
perspective?? Have you ever considered those
left behind? What about the family I left. How
do they feel? I guess I have not given it much
thought, but I have been an absentee father and
grandfather. Sou and I have been in Cambodia for
the birth of all our grandchildren (five). Most
of them don’t recognize me. And though my
children have been very supportive of our
adventure, I am sure it must hurt them. They
don’t get the payback that we do, yet I know
they have paid a price. So, “Thank you!” To: All
who ‘let go’.
Not that I don’t get bummed out, I was
practically brain dead, glazed eyes staring at a
glowing computer screen. Try as I did, I could
not bring myself to tackle the 11 building
applications for a key donor, and the 150 pages
of project reporting that was being requested by
a supporting foundation. The tank was empty.
Leave it to a wife to recognize the drain. “Why
don’t you and Peter (the national church
president) get out of town and gather the
information needed for the building
applications?” I felt an immediate surge of
energy, called Peter, and we were on the road in
an hour. We drove 600 kilometers, visited 6 new
homes and a fish production training center over
the next two days, and came back totally
rejuvenated. I finished the applications, wrote
abbreviated versions of the requested reports,
and still feel good.
http://www.missionreports.com/tedandpetertrip
The biggest boost came from visiting a new
church/home that is just beginning to fill with
orphans. There are two brothers there, eight and
ten years old. They were the children of a
laborer at a rubber plantation. Their father
died of AIDS, and the plantation told the mother
she’d have to leave the property. She had no
place to go, as she was HIV positive. She knew
no one would take the boys if she was with them,
so, she disappeared, leaving instructions for
the boys to go to their grandparents. The
problem is grandpa and grandma didn’t want them,
so they wandered over to an uncle, he refused to
feed them even though they hadn’t eaten in two
days. Tired and discouraged they just started
walking. It became dark and they didn’t know
what to do. There was a new building along the
road with a concrete fence. The gate was locked,
there were no lights, and a wind driven storm
began to pour down. The boys found that by
huddling along the wall, on the leeward side of
the building, most of the rain blew over them,
but the dog inside the property knew there were
intruders nearby and began an incessant bark.
They heard shouts from the residents, and then a
hail of rocks started flying over the wall in
their direction. Fortunately, the trajectory of
the stones was over their heads due to the
height of the wall. Cold, wet, and too tired to
care, they fell asleep. At dawn the dog was
still barking. The curious resident came to
investigate and found the boys curled together
sound asleep. He was the pastor of the Ou Rang
Oue church/home. Thousands of square miles, only
two church/homes in the province, and they
‘accidentally’ fall asleep at the wall? Who says
there is no God? Fed, clothed, deloused, and
reconciled with their stone throwing fellow
orphans, the boys are very happy to be the
newest residents of the home. Peter and I were
happy to meet them.
Busy month as usual, and except for the first
day of the month, and four days in the middle,
while I attended a mission board meeting in
Indonesia, I was in Cambodia for June. The
tractor factory kicked out two new “mud hogs”
which are performing beautifully in the rice
fields of Cambodia. One of the hottest growth
segments of the church is among the garment
factory workers, mostly young women. Dozens came
to Christ this month.
It was a bountiful month for food support, and
we want to thank the donors. These truly are
“Gifts of life!”
http://www.missionreports.com/gleaningsforthehungry
http://www.missionreports.com/feedmystarvingchildren
http://www.missionreports.com/bcrgaafwr
Fence builders from the North Central California
District of Foursquare Churches under the
leadership of Phil Jones blessed the Phsar Leu
Church home with new security, and a face lift.
Thanks Team!
http://www.missionreports.com/phsarleu_june06
Three or four kids can tear up a house; imagine
what 30 or 40 can do? Thank God for work teams!
The students and faculty of Life Pacific
University put in some slave labor renovating
the Ta Gnoak Church/home. That was a real lesson
in servant leadership! Thanks! http://www.missionreports.com/life_pacific_06
One of the great successes of June was the
reconciliation that took place between two key
district leaders at the “Training All Pastors”
session. First 24 key leaders met to study then
they trained 130 trainers of trainers. Gossip is
as deadly as a bullet and maybe more cruel. It
isn’t always malicious, but can still be
devastating. A district supervisor’s wife made a
comment in jest, and it was repeated as a
serious indictment. By the time it reached the
ears of her best friend, the wife of another
supervisor, the damage was beyond repair. Two
families that had been closer than blood
relatives no longer could be in the same room.
Peter was distraught. He did not know what to
do. The cancer had begun to grow. Sou spoke to
the supervisors. She spoke on the ‘spirit of
murder’ and ended with foot washing and
communion. It was a good day for Kleenex sales,
as there was not a dry eye as the two enemies
hugged and forgave one another. God is good! All
the time! http://www.missionreports.com/pastoral_training2006/index.htm
That’s a good word to end on. Have a great
month!
Blessings!
Ted, Sou and Hannah Olbrich,
Anna Blake,
Christy Allen,
Cambodia
