Meet Julia

Julia Liles

Contact

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Postal

jliles@tcmusa.org

TBA

PO Box 127
Beech Grove, IN 46107

Reports

Prayer Card

Country

Brief Bio

Julia was raised in a Christian home near London, England. She studied the arts (drama, dance, art) and took a degree in Theatre Design in 2003-2006. In September 2005 she accepted Christ as her Saviour. She got involved with her first ‘aid camp’ in India in 2007 where she worked alongside a physiotherapist for three months. This followed with a 2 month trip to Sri-Lanka teaching English, Art & Dance to children who were victims of the 2004 tsunami. In November 2007 Julia went on another aid camp to Cameroon to build a school, all the while her passion for working in a developing world context was growing.

In April 2009 she where she met TCM leaders Don Sommer and Ben Anderson. That summer she traveled to Kenya with Africa Safari. This trip was her first with a Christian team and in a tiny church in the Rift Valley, she knew that the Lord had called her heart into cross-cultural ministry. She made two more trips to India while studying a course in physiotherapy. After a year and a half she had to leave the course, remembering the story of Missionary Gladys Aylward, “Keep going even in the face of adversity!!”

Julia started at All Nations Christian College in 2012, taking her internship with TCM for their teaching of the Grace message and to learn more about the way their missionaries work firsthand. She was blessed with a two-month trip across Southeast Asia visiting the Killions, the Heaths and for the internship she worked alongside Myra Omictin. By the summer of 2014 she had applied to TCM for cross-cultural work. Now Julia is in America sharing about the Lord’s leading in the lives of those who are willing! Eph. 2:10!

Dates

Julia

August 23

Julia Liles

Cambodia

Team Cambodia's July 2019 Newsletter

Read here.

Thanking God:

35 years of Blessings and Counting

SEPTEMBER 2019

"Count your blessings, name them one by one, count your many blessings see what God has done" -Is the line to an old hymn which keeps it's significance according to the truth that all good gifts are from God and we do not determine what they are. God does not cease to work in our lives, hearts and ministry. We are blessed daily in different ways, the small things often go unnoticed or the praise is miss directed. Just stop and start counting and you will be amazed.

I was overwhelmed last month by a surprise celebration for my 35th birthday!! I'm rarely lost for words (!!), but this time I struggled to articulate what my heart felt... Cambodia is a temporary physical home, but the Khmer people who I am closest to and my team mates, these are my heart home' my purpose is lived out through them and with them and for that I could not be more grateful.

I have also just celebrated 4 years of service in Cambodia. This marks a small but precious mile stone in my journey here. Not only for me personally, but for all those who walk with me. THANK YOU! Throughout my years here I have periodically been blessed with Skype calls to different churches and youth groups. I recently had the opportunity to speak at Friendship Bible Church (Wisconsin) VBS through Bible Doctrines to Live By and I was so touched when the children sang to me. I'm always excited and blessed to hear of the impact different ministries have and particularly when individuals make a decision to accept Jesus as their Lord and trust their life to Him. Thankful for all who serve Christ as part of 'The Body', wherever you are and however unique, you are precious and your efforts are counted.

Myra, Chanty and myself were very pleased to have run another two seminars with The Woman's Forum and W.O.W. ministries last month. Since this time, one of the women has joined our church and attends our weekly Bible study groups as well as Saturday English classes with Agape, and another lady and her husband have joined my fitness class. It is amazing to see results of working in a different capacity outside the church. My current joke is that "all we need is a big COW! Community Outreach Worker!" Well, I'm certainly up for the challenge and happy to take others under my wing and guide them 'to the field'! God has been incredibly gracious to grant us the privilege of serving in several different ways. It keeps things fresh and engaging and our energy levels high!

We have also been encourage by the attendance of my most committed fitness student and former language tutor of our team, Chetra. He has become a regular at our activities and church services and has now begun translating sermons alongside Pastor James. Even though Chetra has not yet accepted the Lord as His personal Saviour, we are learning so much from him and appreciate his participation and friendship as well as the challenges he puts before our members in terms of evangelism. He recently shared in our group "No Khmer has ever shared the Gospel with me, I have only ever heard the good news from foreigners"; what a fantastic challenge to our local believers! Jesus is not the God of the West or the white man, He is the Saviour of the world and the lover of all souls from all nations! We need to speak up and make that clear. It is always insightful to hear how a non-Christian understands Scripture or a Biblical concept and in my experience, it helps deepen my own understanding and appreciation of who God is and what He has done for us as well as giving thanks for the security we have in faith that 'once saved always saved, as nothing can separate us from the Love of God'.

God gives us reason to celebrate! Thank you all for serving with me for the past 4 years!

Another recent update is that my Dad and I are now learning a BBI course in theology together. I started the online course a few years ago but it seems that self-study is not my strong point and I am slow!! So now Dad is supporting my learning and it is a special time we can share together and keeps me going! I am also very excited to be starting a course on the 13th of this month through until April 2020. The course is made up of just 8 full days but I will meet with a small group between those meetings and will also do home study. The course was formerly named 'Re Focusing Leaders', it is now called 'Journey Deeper'. The aim is to strengthen our faith and re-focus our vision as leaders and make clear goals with steps of how to accomplish them. The timing of this could not be better and with the wonderful support that I receive, it makes my attendance possible. I am truly grateful for all the encouragement I receive.

May God give the increase in all things and may we have hearts that recognize and rejoice in all that is good and all that God is doing! Lets continue working together for His glory and purposes which ultimately satisfies our existence!

As many of you know, our sweet Khmer Sister Sophal is battling cancer, so we are now making weekly visits to the family home to spend time with her. Last week I took my friend Hilary and we just talked, hugged, painted her nails and massaged her arms and legs, then took a nap together. It was a sweet and tender time and we thank the Lord for that, knowing that when there are not words, there are actions, and prayer supports so many of us in difficult times. The week before, Agape and I took time to sing worship songs with Sophal, sometimes we take moments in life for granted, but that should never be the case. I just thank God for the many 'moments' he provides when we need them most. Please keep praying for Sophal and her family and their needs. We are also very thankful for the support from our Khmer churches and from the USA, Sophal felt overwhelmed with the show of care for her and the family right now.

I thank God for my small but mighty team! I'm thankful for their support and encouragement to be who I am but grow to be a greater ambassador for Christ. We share laughter, tears, prayers and much joy from His Word.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

SISTER SOPHAL AND HER HEALTH & PAIN MANAGEMENT
GROWING NUMBERS AND DEEPENING FAITH IN OUR CHURCHES
JOURNEY DEEPER COURSE & ON-GOING BBI THEOLOGY STUDIES

Love,

Julia

Life is for living...

AUGUST 2019

What do we live for? Most difficult circumstances in life cause us to reflect on this question or sometimes people slip into a mundane lifestyle which may also cause them to question their purpose. The life of a follower of Christ is not perfect; it is not without challenges or flaws. We are blessed in the ministry to be guiding our Cambodian friends through what it means to live out a life pleasing to the Lord as described in Romans 14:17b-18; "...living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too." Too many times we are distracted by things that should not take up our focus, we know that, and yet we continue to allow that to happen. It's refreshing when we have a change of attitude and recognize the positive impact that has on ourselves and others. I've been reminded lately of the hurt and confusion some Christians suffer at the hand of others in the church and I can only attribute this to taking our eyes off of the Lord and become too focused on self (the hurting) or too focused on others (those causing harm). The reality is, we are all growing, all changing, and all need to have more grace with each other even when people seem to push the boundaries. Christ's example of love and grace goes above and beyond what we believe is capable. It's not always easy, but it is essential for unity and harmony in the Body of Christ. In order to function well and be healthy Spiritually, we need to draw closer to the Lord and be strengthened by the truth of His Word because the world will not give up tempting us to walk away from all that is truly good and righteous. The standard is on opposite parallels of the spectrum... So in order to keep the right perspective, we need to be aware of what and who we allow to influence who our lives, in order that we can flourish and encourage those around us to believe in who they can be and live out their unique purpose. So where is your focus and how are you living?

Please pray for the 2nd part of our women's seminar which Myra, Chanty and myself will run this week for 2 days. We are blessed that one of the young ladies has already joined our Sunday Worship Service. We had a meeting last week to discuss further plans and it is incredible to see God's speedy hands in this work!

I am also incredibly thankful to have my closest friend from Bible college in the UK visit me and the ministry out here. I've always referred to Hilary as my little sister and love that she has taken the time to travel to Cambodia and bless me with her company. Together we traveled to the North for a few days to spend time with a British family also from my Bible college who serve in Cambodia as translators. It was sweet to be with my 'adopted nieces' and play in the waterfalls and nature which always refreshes me and is a healthy break from the hot dusty concrete city scape of Phnom Penh. I'm thankful to have team mates who support these times of refreshment too. We were also blessed to share of the ministry from our Missionaries in South Africa and guide our Cambodian Brothers and Sisters to pray for the work there. Our church members are becoming more exposed to God's work worldwide and the impact it is having on them is really wonderful! May we continue praying for all that God is doing in our countries and others around the world. Miracles happen!

Visiting Sister Sophal with Myra.

URGENT PRAYER REQUEST:

Last month I shared about sister Sophal and her battle with Cancer. Myra and I spent time with her and her family recently. It was a blessed, fun and relaxed visit. We plan to make weekly visits and just bless them in different ways and as Team Cambodia we will offer some financial help too. Myra and Sophal enjoy reminiscing about the past 10 years and it is sweet to hear those stories. Even though Sophal now has a problem with her eyes also, she is determined to enjoy each day and hopes to make a few trips to the seaside and waterfalls whilst she still has the strength. Aware of the situation, I'm so inspired by her strength and faithfulness. She has great admiration for her husband who does so much to help. She adores their son, and continues to reflect on God's goodness throughout her life. I appreciate Sophal for many reasons and particularly the way she helps me to see things differently, to keep the right perspective and to value a relationship with God above all else. We continue to pray for a miracle in Sophal's life and we don't want to lose that hope. Pray with us and if anyone has the heart's desire to help this family in more practical financial ways, please speak with TCM or notify one of the team here in Cambodia.

Love,

Julia

LEARNING TO GROW STARTS WITH WILLINGNESS

JULY 2019

So blessed at the opportunities we, as a team, have here in Phnom Penh specifically. This is a lively city bustling with people, food stalls, motorbikes and tuk-tuks, hot sun followed by heavy rains... It is a 'loud' community that some may try to hide from while others embrace it. Cambodia is special and I hope some day you could visit us here, it is an experience to behold for sure! The longer I live here, the more settled I feel, the more I discover, the stronger my desire to share Christ with those around me. It is an incredible reality to live in such a foreign land and yet speak the language, enjoy the food, love and laugh together as if you didn't know another life. Only by God's grace do I know this is so possible. I have met several expats and missionaries who come and go... My prayer is that I will keep learning and growing and honor God in my staying... in His Will. To be sure of His will is to be confident no matter what.

"Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ" -Phil.1:6

The Bermejo's have been away for 10 days whilst teaching at a conference in Indonesia and we have felt their absence. It is so good to work with a dynamic team and as always, I'm thankful for Myra who is my reliable co-laborer and co-traveler! We serve well and compliment each other and we were also blessed to take 2 days rest by the sea and that gave us the fresh air we needed, physically and mentally. We often discuss, laugh, cry and pray about life on the mission field as singles... I'm sure we would both confidently say that we would live this life 1,000 times over for the cause of Christ! Serving Him should always be a priority, because we could never offer too much for all that Christ has done for us!

It is a privilege to serve and I will always encourage others to just go for it and see how the Lord will lead! It is all about learning to grow in trust! The proposed 6 week self defense course has been delayed so I await further news on that and will keep you posted. We have begun a Missio Dei course with our church members which is going well. Myra has been blessed to meet the needs of students through the school where she is acting councilor. Agape and James are due back in the morning (July 8th) so we are excited to hear their feedback on the Indonesian conference! The Women's forum meets Saturday 13th July so please pray for Chanty, Myra and myself as we head that up!

Sister Sophal with her husband Chhron (Assistant Pastor @Chom Chao Church Plant) and 3 year old son Riek.

URGENT PRAYER REQUEST:

As many of our know, our sweet Khmer sister Sophal, has been battling cancer of the bowel for the past 3 years. Following her last operation, Sophal just got the results of a recent scan; the cancer has spread to her bones and her lungs. We all know what this means and so, we pray for a miracle. I'm thankful Sophal stands firm in her faith in Jesus and we are all blessed by her incredible example of this woman of great faith. She is in pain and continues her medication but has turned down the offer of Chemotherapy as she does not feel strong enough to face that again. God has been so gracious with her and the family and would ask that you keep them in your prayers. Sophal knows you pray and that comforts her so much. Thank you!

Love,

Julia

KEEPING ACTIVE IN THE MINISTRY

JUNE 2019

Activity is something I long for. For some people, it is mental stimulation through acedemic studies, for others it is more physical. I learn and teach best, through 'play' and by this I refer to practicle or physical exercises, performing arts, visual aids and personal interaction. I've always found this to be my strength and my vision is that I could use and develop my skills in this area to share or communicate ideas to others.

During a recent team meeting I asked if we could share our hopes for personal ministry direction. This simple exercise enabled me to express my desire to be more involved in creative ministries and I have been praying for opportunities and doors are now opening! Whilst keeping focused on the importance of church planting, and training others, I believe it is important to keep active in ones personal gifts and ways of expression.

Later this month I will be leading a short 6 week course in self-defence! I aim to draw out of these sessions the importance of self respect and knowing our value. I expect a mixed group of Khmer and internationals, most likely some missionary youth too. Please help me pray about my delivery of this course and sharing Christian values too. I pray that this will open other doors later this year including potential opportunities to work alongside vulnerable Khmer women and perhaps even the chance to run drama workshops to explore identity and self-worth! Watch this space and please hold this in prayer... This is very 'me'! So my hope is that I can develop this in ministry.

"We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us..." (Romans 2:6a) Don't let these things go to waste but work on developing them for Christ. As we continue on our faith journey and service to others, may we be aware of the gifts, talents and many skills that the Lord has given us to use for His glory!

1 on 1 Bible Study with Chan Thy & Women's Ministry

We have been really blessed by this new friendship with Sister Chan Thy and her desire to grow in knowledge of the Word of God. Chan Thy also has a vision to create a ministry for women with the focus of sharing more about a woman's value from Christ's perspective! Myra and I have our 2nd planning meeting with Chan Thy this week and aim for the first Women's seminar on June 25th. Myra will be teaching 'Biblical Womanhood' to Chan Thy as a resource. Please pray for this vision.

Chan Thy's Testimony

The reality of a spiritual realm can be more evident in parts of the world such as Asia. Chan Thy writes a blog and I asked her permission to share a recent experience; During the night Chan Thy felt a force holding her down, she described it as a "devil spirit". Her first response was to call on the name of the Lord Jesus knowing that God can 'protect her, hold her from fear and loves her'. Chan Thy asked God to help her not fear evil spirits (which are very commonly seen/ experienced in Cambodia), but that instead, she would have joy and strength in the Lord. It was following this prayer that Chan Thy felt released from the grip on her body. Chan Thy shows great faith and courage as a new Christian. Please pray for our brothers and sisters here who come under such spiritual oppression.

PRAYER REQUESTS

So very thankful for all the love and support and prayers for the ministry here. It does not go un-noticed and we often give thanks to God in rememerance of you all. I'm also extremely appreciative of prayers for my family. Without a doubt, one of the hardest challenges of being a missionary, is the seperation from family members. Thankful you can help me pray for my Dad, David and sister Priscilla with their health challenges, and for my Mum, Ellen and eldest sister Lydia who support them both. God is good and never gives up extending His grace to each one of us. IN SPITE OF HARDSHIPS, WE ARE BLESSED!

Love,

Julia

DIZZY SPELLS!

APRIL 2019

There are times in life we can feel slightly 'off balance', be that physically, emotionally, or spiritually. During these times, it's best if we know what can keep us stable despite the inbalance. Do you have a firm foundation to put your feet upon and get grounded? Faith in Jesus, really does help you to overcome life's obstacles... if we acknowledge that we are not only loved by God, but accepted by Him too; this will transform your way of thinking and how you approach different circumstances. Did you know that bamboo gets stronger the more storms it faces?! I think that's a great metaphore for the Christian life!

The past month or so has been tough for me emotionally. I've recognised the reality of loneliness (in a very human sense of the word) and it is not easy to admit, especially since I am someone who is very blessed with many people who love me and pour into my life which I don't take for granted, so this 'feeling' caught me off guard. Since my Dad's stroke last month, I have been more aware of how hard it is to be away from family members during difficult times and feel 'alone' and 'apart' from them all as I cannot be physically with them in all of this. Yet the Lord reassures me of His purpose for my service in Cambodia, to the Khmer people, even now. Good produce does not appear in the field without slow and steady, consistant labour... So we continue to do what needs to be done and keep our focus on Jesus. I commit my family to the Lord in prayer and THAT is the most effective thing I can really do.

I'm thankful my Dad is at home taking one day at a time and we speak more frequently now. My mum is doing an incredible job but they both need prayers for strength, courage and trust in the Lord. My sisters have also been so involved and I love that they are able to be there supporting our parents, especially in my absence. A sweet friend (MaryAnn) of my big sister once asked me (pre missions) what is your biggest fear about 'going'... I answered "not being able to help my family, especially my Dad if he gets sick"; MaryAnn gently and lovingly reminded me "Julia, you have two other sisters who will be here and sometimes it takes being away to see how God will use others when you're not around...." I was stunned at the time, as I am a very practical person... for me to not help someone in a practical way feels disabling! And yet MaryAnn was so right, God does provide according to all of our needs.

As I reflect on her words from 4 years ago, I'm quietly encouraged, It is not easy for any of my family members at this time and I know so many of you have been praying. We are so thankful and I am enjoying regular calls with my mum and dad and it is Dad who keeps reminding me to "stay there, where the Lord needs you to be"... Each time we speak, Dad reminds me to "Put your hand in the hand of the Man who calmed the sea"! Sure enough, under all the waves that I've been struggling with, there is a constant calm underlying it all, and that keeps me steady, even through tearful moments. Jesus is that calm', my peace and my comforter. We do not need to face anything in life alone, or apart from Him. I must also mention that my team and Cambodian friends and those of you around the world have also been amazing. I really appreciate all the care everyone has shown, as do my parents.

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR LOVING SUPPORT

I was so pleased to attend the recent wedding of one of my former dorm students, Siheap (in bright blue/gold dress). A typical Khmer wedding in the village with lots of friends, good food, plenty of dancing and just good reconnecting with some of these young adults we care for. I'm so thankful for these times we get to be together and celebrate relationships that we have built over time, it makes it all the more precious... When you pray into a persons life, you become a greater part of it, and that is very sweet. I'm thankful to the Lord that even with all the differences of East and West, Buddhist and Christian, we can all understand love and friendship. I have so much to learn, that becomes more aparent as the years go by! But, to live out the extention of God's love to others, is really the greatest thing we can do... I would not be here if it was not for the Lord. We wouldn't have the churches we do if it wasn't for Him... And Cambodians wouldn't have the truth and peace they do either. So we thank the Lord for His good gifts and all the beauty that life has to offer... I'm learning through it all, not to keep my eyes on the waves, but on the Lord. May we remain faithful in doing our part...

'Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you.
Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.' -1 Timothy 4:12-16

It takes something to understand the above... living out faith in the Lord and understanding His desire for us to just live well, live right, and be the example He intends us to be. This is not only for our sake, but for the sake of others.

Thank you all who are such a wonderful support of me and all that we are doing here in Cambodia. Our brothers and sisters here are growing and that is wonderful to see. One of our young women, Ahny, recently led a devotion in the Word which she was nervous about but she did a great job and we did all benefit from that. We also enjoyed connecting with the Killions, Nathan and Jessica (our TCM servants in Thailand) and were able to pray for their ministry as well as for their team mates Genesis and Verna, it was a blessed skype and beautiful to hear the prayers of our Cambodian brothers and sisters for other missionaries around the world. I was honestly moved by this example.

We have also been sharing our living spaces as there have been water and power cuts here plus it's HOT season so reaching 40 degrees C without even a fan is not great! Pray for that and our energy levels! It is currently Khmer New Year so we enjoyed some traditional games with my former language school and I was asked to help translate for the new students so that was a privailege. All of our friends have gone back home to their villages so pray for them as they witness their faith in the Lord... not always easy.

Myra is still in the Phillipines, I miss her like mad but she will be back soon! The Bermejo's have travelled to another province, Battambong, further north of here which gives them an opportunity to explore more of Cambodia and it's culture. I will head off tomorrow (Tuesday) camping in a forrest with another friend as our own little 'peace retreat'! I have had a lot to process lately so it's a great thing to just take 'time out' and rest in the Lord... I'm looking forward to a few days out of the city! Please pray for safety, good health and travelling mercy for us all.

PRAYER REQUESTS

Health & Safety in our travels including Myra's safe return at the end of April
Cambodians to be a witness to family/friends and to grow in faith
For us missionaries to develop in language & cultural knowledge
Pray for our situations as singles / couples on the team and our own cultural differences and understandings

My family back in the UK with the health of my father (as well as Priscilla) and all that they face together... especially as I'm absent from them.

Love,

Julia

CELEBRATING GOD'S FAITHFULNESS AND PROVISION

FEBRUARY 2019

It has been an incredible year of worshipping God together at the City Central Church in Phnom Penh and we are so blessed that you can share in the joy of that journey with us all. We have so much to be thankul for and are blessed by your prayers and financial support as well as words of encouragement to many of us. This journey is sweeter because we are able to share in God's glorious grace and provision. On February 10th we celebrated our 1 Year Anniversary with our church members, our sister church brethren and other dear friends we have made over the years and it was a wonderful time to thank God together.

In addition to celebrating the 1st year of this church fellowship, Missionary Myra Omictin shared her testimony of 10 years serving the Lord in Cambodia...A wonderful combination and how sweet to see the fruits of faithful labour. We commend our Sister for her faithful dedication to the people of Cambodia. I thank God for her example and partnership in the ministry. Myra quotes “It has not always been easy... but “a life that is spent in serving the Lord and in communion with Him is the happiest life anyone could live for in this world”’ Amen!

Myra has flown to the Philippines for her 2 month home assignment. She will have a couuple of weeks to rest, recharge and spend time with loved ones. For the following 6 weeks Myra will be visiting a few churches and fellowship groups along with other friends to share about Cambodia and encourage people to learn more about Missions and get involved with God's plan to reach the world for Christ! Please pray for her.

Chan Ty is a new Bible study sister of ours. Myra started a twice weekly session which I will oversee in Myra's absence. Ever thankful for new opportunities and really blessed by Chan Ty's enthusiasm to learn more about the Lord and serve Him.

PRAYER REQUESTS

It's All About Perspective!

My word for this year is PERSPECTIVE! What is yours? After much prayer I was motivated to assess how I view things in life... Especially living overseas as a missionary and in a church planting ministry... leaving my family, friends and homeland behind. Waving goodbye yet again to my dear parents at a London airport, I was comforted by a sure sense that I will see them again... "Here, there or in the air"! What a comfort we have as Christians in ETERNITY, and those whom we know are destined for heaven. No amount of sickness, pain or worry, can steal away the deep sense of security and hope that a child of God has... a peace that goes beyond all that we can see. I thank God for His indwelling Spirit and the comfort of truth we can read in the Scriptures.

Upon arrival to Cambodia I had a wonderful welcome from my team mates and a few Cambodian friends, it was so sweet! Then in the evening we had a prayer and praise night at church and I was able to share my testimony of my 4 months assignment and all the encouragement that came from churches in the USA, Paraguay and the UK. That same week I spoke about our perspective and shared with the group the analogy of 'glass half empty or half full'?! What a difference it makes.... to not see what the world has and you lack, but to focus on what you do have and work within that taking full advantage of our current circumstances and blessings... Surely we have so much to offer from what we've got... in skills, in provisions, in positive attitude, relationships, contacts and Lord willing, a close relationship with the Lord and the blessings from Him.

A New Year either fills you with excitement, or it fills you with dread. Joyful anticipation of plans or goals you have made, or a shiver down your spine, head in hands despair. I don’t know if you are a ‘glass half empty’ or a ‘glass half full’ person but I can tell you from experience that a lot of how we manage life is to do with the way we view things, our perspective. During my recent visit to England, my sister Lydia reminded me of the great poem ‘The Weaver’ made known to me through the selfless and loving example of Corrie ten Boom. I will share this poem below:

We have had a big adjustment in our team out here in Cambodia. Our team leader Pastor Ariel and his wife Faith decided to return home to the Philippines on a permanent basis after 12 dedicated years of service. We continue to hold them in prayer as they readjust to a new way of life and are glad they are reunited with their daughter Pauline and family. As a result of this change we are teaming up with our Khmer leaders to take turns visiting the village ministry.

Despite sudden changes we look to the future ministry in Cambodia with joy and anticipation of what the Lord will do and how the 4 remaining missionaries can continue on with dedication and expectant hope! We have some great plans ahead and a new bible study has already started with Mrya and a new contact. James and Agape will get back into the swing of language classes and do a fantastic job hosting multiple fellowship nights in their home. I'm full of joy to get back into the rhythm of all of our activities at our center and outside too.

We are super excited also to celebrate our 1 year anniversary of the city central church in Phnom Penh on February 10th so we are busy preparing for that and would really appreciate your prayers that members would be motivated and our visitors' hearts would be reached by the Gospel of Truth and transformation!

WELCOME BACK, JULIA!

PRAYER REQUESTS

God bless you all with joy in abundance as you grow closer to the Lord this year and see all that He has in store for you... It's a matter of perspective!

Colossians 3:1-2
"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things."

NORTHWEST USA MISSION CONFERENCES

What a blessing and a joy the past 2 months have been! I'm thrilled to be back in the US, not only because it's great to reconnect with old friends and make new ones, but because it is so exciting to share what God has been doing in Cambodia over the past decade and more recently in the last 3 years!

Above is a photo of the missionary team I have been travelling with from two different missionary organisations; Grace Ministries International and Things to Come Mission. As well as a former GMI couple who are now re-entering the African field through Wycliff Bible Translators. (From Left: Sheba & Dean Padayhag, Jerry & Sandi Bomers, Ronnie & Jaque Makensen, Me with the Bomers & Padayhag's children, Karen & Fred Vinton; The Wikary's).

Pictured with our group on the far right, is Jay & Laura Wikary from Friendship, WI. This couple are keen evangelists, enthusiastic about missions, take trips to South East Asia on mission excursions to show missionaries love and support and to meet the local people that we minister too, and yep, they're an ordinary Chrisitian couple serving an extra ordinary Jesus and it shows! I love their example and have been so blessed by their driving me for days across America and around! We have had great adventures asscending mountians from sunshine to snow in a day, finding bears and other beasts and sharing with people we met along the way about the Lord. Being with these dear friends meant I did not need to worry about a thing, they have taken care of my every need, and I did not stop laughing or rejoycing! It's good to be reminded that as Christians, we are called to serve wherever God has us. Be bold, be a blessing!

My time here in the USA has been another great testiment to the hospitality, love and support of those in the Body of Christ at the churches and in the homes, I can't thank you all enough... and the journey continues! You are all much appreciated and are valued members of this Body -1 Corinthians 12:27!

On behalf of Team Cambodia missionaries and all the Khmer people who are impacted as a result of your partnership, sincere thanks and prayers of appreciation reaching more generations! Let's run this race with passion!

"The LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love." ~Psalm 17:11~

Captivated by God's Creation! "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Genesis 1:1 -People need to know Who to thank! I was overwhelmed at the views in Yellowstone National Park, the Tetons and the Redwoods!

I have really enjoyed sharing with all age groups and was particularly blessed at a church in Grants Pass, OR. When sharing with a youth group, 2 young ladies (holding my hands, central) accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior!

Meanwhile back in Cambodia, I hear things are doing well and there are developments in the ministry. We had the 1st year anniversary of our second church plant at Pastor Rathy's home on the boarder of Phnom Penh.

There have been many visitors to the village where Pastor Ariel & Faith serve, which has been an encouragement to them (but please pray for their health as they have both had struggles).

At the city center church, we have seen two of our Khmer brothers preach for the first time, with yet brother preaching this month! Keep these men (potential leaders) in your prayers; Simon, Ratany & Borey. I also hear the women have led some of our Bible studies and prayer times too. Praise God!

PRAYER REQUESTS

For the ministries to flourish in Cambodia
Myra's travel to Malaysia to give a seminar this month
Visa renewal for James & Agape
The health of Pastor Ariel & Faith
Remember Sister Sophal as she has more health complications

Pray for me as I continue to travel and share and meet whom I can in the USA.
It is hard to be away from the ministry, focus on here and hold my excitement for flying to the UK to spend Christmas with my family!

The Lord is good and faithful, in Him I know I can trust and find my joy always. God bless you all as you serve others that the Lord brings your way.

JOY IN THE LORD'S FAITHFULNESS

Enjoying the Fruit! So far it has been an amazing 3 year journey... challenging, emotional and incredible. I love to see how God moves and is graciously answering prayers of faithful supporters and faithful servants.We are very blessed in Cambodia to be seeing the fruit of much love and labour! As a church planting mission team there are many roles to fill, from evangelism through intentional friendships, mentoring, bible teaching, worship leading and training among many other jobs. I have never been so involved or so passionate about anything in my life! Why, because despite the struggles, despite feeling like I'm not quite up to the challenge, God remains so faithful and shows me the value in my work. I love sharing the Good News of a life in Christ, forgiveness and hope and I love getting people excited about living a life full of purpose that does not only count in this life, but has an eternal value! I can't quite believe the incredible journey God has me on but I am incredibly glad to have you on this journey with me and all of us over here in Cambodia... There is nothing I would want to be doing more than serving and pleasing a Father who loves me with the deepest most powerful love. May our lives give Him all the glory! God is faithful, may we be faithful also.

"The LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love." ~Psalm 17:11~

Phnom Penh City Central Church

Bible Study

Pastory Rathy Chheng's church on the outskirts of Phnom Penh

PRAYER REQUESTS

I fly out tonight (11:30pm, Sept. 6, from Phnom Penh) en route to the USA for 3 months to speak at churches and conferences across the States to share updates about the ministry and promote missions... I'm nervous to be gone for so long but so excited for this task! Much work ahead so please pray for health and safety of all those travelling for this time of ministry assignment.

Pray for the ministry during my absence. I'm glad that my team and even Khmer friends can step into my ministry activities so that these teaching roles will not be abandoned.

I will also be spending Christmas with my family in the UK, I'm incredibly blessed to be making this trip and I hope that all those I get to visit during my entire 4 month leave, will be blessed and encouraged.

I'm praying for you and so thankful for your life. You are precious!

PROGRESS

It is all about God's timing and not our own! There are so many great ways in which God is working... Sometimes we are not aware or do not understand... other times we just stop in awe. If you have experienced that, knowing every good gift comes from God and His purpose ultimately outweighs ours in its value... you are already blessed! Continue to seek His will for your own life so that you will know what it is to be satisfied even in the simple things life has to offer. May we have grateful hearts always! It was a huge blessing to have Jessica Killion (pictured center in the red top) visit us on a visa run the past week. How sweet it is to be so encouraged by a sister in the Lord serving with TCM in Thailand with Pastor Nathan and family and the Maraats. It was a unique opportunity to share the joys and challenges of mission life and 'the call' as well as laugh, cry, pray and enjoy good coffee together! God knows our needs and having Jessica stay with me was a sweet answer to prayer following a very busy time at the conference in Thailand! May we always be reminded who we serve and keep perspective on why and how.

There continue to be blessings upon the ministry here in all three of our churches. In the Village with Pastor Ariel, they are preparing to start a 2-month Bible school (VBS), at the end of August. On the border of the city with Pastor Rathy, it's great to see the unity among 3 or 4 Khmer couples in particular who are willing to serve the Lord; slow but steady progress in some of those members and the young people are more involved than before. Here, at City Central Church we are excited to welcome another brother... a former English student of Myra Omictin- 5 years ago! It is special how the Lord brings His children back- Ratany is a young professional and keen to grow in his faith and we are blessed to welcome him into the family.

The fitness ministry I run is also doing well. We are small but strong! Ratanak and Chetra are also language tutors and have had a lot of exposure to the Scriptures. Chetra in particular shows a growing understanding of the Scriptures and is far more responsive than when I first met him. Praise the Lord! It is exciting that as a team we get to know these young men and journey with them. Pray for Pastor James as he also has a desire to reach out more to the men we minister to in a social capacity, building friendship. I'm glad we recently had another young man, Chany, join. He has been reading the scripture posters I made and put up in the gym and we work out to Christian music which the guys sometimes sing-a-long to!!! Strength and power is in God's Word!

"Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people"
Ephesians 6:7

Brother Sruoch (left, in blue) taught the sermon and brother Ratany (right, in white) enjoyed his first service at the city central church. Prayers for his growth as a 'young' believer and to be blessed with us.

Meet the guys! Ratanak (in yellow), Chetra (center), and new member Chany (right). Pray for these young men that in time they will be touched by the truth of the Gospel and believe in God's love and grace.

Update on my 3 month Assignment to the USA September 2018

It's now official that I will fly out of Phnom penh on September 6th and spend 3 months visiting several churches, supporters' homes and mission conferences! This is part of the missionary life... that every few years we get an opportunity to report back in person to those invested in the ministry. I am delighted to be making a return visit to the USA after my first term of 3 years serving in Cambodia! I will be raising awareness of the mission and what to be praying for as well as encouraging the saints in the West, and raising support for our faithful team of 6 who serve together out in Cambodia for God's glory! I'm super excited to meet new and old friends! You are a greater blessing than you know! I can't wait to share how God is working in the Kingdom of Cambodia!

PRAYER REQUESTS

My thanks to those closest family and friends as well as many dear supporters who sacrifice in order that I can live a life of service for the Lord in Cambodia. We are in this together and could not do it without each other!
You are a blessing, to me, and the many here as well as to the Lord!

LEGACY... What is yours?

Thankful for all the prayers and messages for the Conference trip to the Philippines last month! It was a blessing and a joy to reunite, reconnect and be inspired by so many missionaries, Pastors, Bible women and servants of the Lord including some wonderful children who sang with all their might! I was so encouraged by this trip... getting to know more of the history of the ministry organisation I serve under... Things to Come Mission! I was so happy to meet with many enthusiastic Filipino's who live very sacrificial lives in order to put the things of the Lord first- and these were some of the most joyful and exuberant people I have ever met! I felt truly blessed and also appreciated for being part of the work to teach the message of God's grace as the mystey revealed and to live out the ministry of Christ in this way. I was really surprised to meet several young men (aged 27 and single) who had already become Pastors and serving in local churches! So young and yet so purpose driven to put the things of God before the things of the world, e.g. the 'typical' lifestyle I see other young men living out back in the UK! Also I met some much older Pastors who just touched my heart as they had been faithful for so many years despite hardships. What wonderful Saints! Thank you TCM Philippines for the very warm welcome, the incredible choir's and the opportunity to learn more, be challenged, encouraged, and to meet many! This 60 year Anniversary Conference was such a wonderful example of leaving a legacy, seeing photo's of the American pioneer missionaries such as the Andersons and Watkins families. And to see how generations will follow in the truth they have been taught when there are great 'men of faith' who go before them! It really was a very humbling time for me personally as a fairly new TCM missionary with so much to learn!

We were also thankful that back in Cambodia the ministry continued smoothly and our brothers and sisters who attend church regularly were happy to take on different roles... a great step towards building confidence and trusting God!
On our return, we got straight back into the rhythm of things, serving, learning, teaching and holding planning meetings! It has been a busy but blessed time.

Next week begins our second trip for the South East Asia bi-annual conference in Chiang Mai, Thailand! Lots of travel and teaching opportunities for some of us and for some of our Khmer team it will be their first time flying so we are excited for them! Huge thanks to all those who have donated and supported this team to attend this great event! We are sure they will be inspired and motivated to move forward in the ministry, making it their own and relying on the Lord for His blessing and guidance and to see what God can do!!

Above - Julia is teaching our Monday Home Group about the need to fight against Satan and the sin in this world, with 2 main weapons- FAITH & THE WORD OF GOD! I took advantage of teaching this in my small workout studio with a pair of boxing gloves and the punch bag! Haha it was well understood with a big blow to Satan! BELOW - Myra and I with a few family members of JAMES BERMEJO our fellow missionary- it was great to be invited into these families, also the family of AGAPE BERMEJO, we were very blessed with our time together! I will treasure it!

PRAYER REQUESTS

For safe travels of all those heading to Thailand and for our Khmer team to be inspired and to bless others. Please pray also for the host missionaries- Killion Family & The Maraats.
Myra & I will be teaching sessions for the single missionaries/ member care needs and also I will run a session with the missionary kids!

Please also pray for the Asia Adventure team travelling over from the US as we will also host them briefly in Cambodia following the conference!

Thank you for the continued prayers for my own family- I am touched to know that many of you pray for my sister Priscillas' health in particular.

Love,

Julia

GOD IS FAITHFUL!

A fact I am consistently reminded of is the faithfulness of God in my life. However we express our faith, and in whatever capacity we serve the Lord, He knows and sees all that we do for His honor, glory and praise... even if there are times when we confuse that point, God can still make good of our wrongs but let us not make that mistake. It is far more glorious to get our hearts right with the Lord, re-focus on Him and allow Jesus to minister to our hearts and needs. I have held closely to a verse lately about the endurance of God's love, a truth that we all need to be more aware of. Along with singing the song 'It is well with my Soul'. I'm coming out of a time of emotional stress from matters beyond my control as well as allow my assumed expectations of others get a hold of me. When will we learn!!? This is for the Lord. All that we do and all that we are IS for the Lord, to the benefit of self and others.... Knowing that I am His and secure in His love which remains faithful and endures throughout time... Motivating all that I do. Learning to 'rest' in this truth is a journey. But one, that if we allow Him, will continue to surprise, encourage, motivate and lift us up! Be encouraged... Even in our weakness, God is faithful to use us to bless others! God IS Love, that NEVER fails, NEVER gives-up, NEVER lets go of our hand.

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever.
~Psalm 136:1~

I really enjoyed meeting this sweet older woman recently- to my surprise she spoke very clear English and was thrilled to meet a British woman! We also spoke in Khmer and at that point I simply shared about the hope we have in Jesus... I enjoyed a mighty hug and the constant reminder to share wherever we are to whomever!

When you're ready to 'step out in faith', you're ready to make change happen in this world! I implore you to share even the simplest truths you know and believe about Jesus and how He has impacted your heart... And for those who have not yet understood, I want to encourage you with all my heart, to listen and take in the truth. Here in Cambodia, much more is highlighted to me about the struggles of this world, perhaps I'm more sensitive because it is such a different environment than the Land in which I was raised... But NOW is the time to act, share, receive in Jesus' name. Life is just too short and too painful to miss out... It is promised that we can live to the full, and I want that for everyone! To know such love and peace and comfort as this, there is nothing quite like it... So do not be afraid and do not hold back... TODAY is the day to embrace all that God has to offer! Allow God to work on your behalf... Know that HE IS ABLE!

PRAY for the PHILIPPINES conference this month! All of team Cambodia among many other missionaries are travelling to celebrate 60 years history of Things to Come Mission there. We will join several Pastors and church families to celebrate and sing for all the Lord has done! We are looking forward to the fellowship and this will be my first trip over there so I'm thrilled to finally meet the many pioneers and heros of the faith that I've heard so much about! May the Lord use this time for us all to be motivated!

PRAYER REQUESTS

Safe Travel & Blessings for the Conference in the Philippines.
Smooth running of ministry activities at all 3 of our churches in our absence.

Continued prayers for health:
Sister Sophal has had another bout of bad health & tests. Lord willing she will be ok.
My sister Priscilla... prolonged health problems take their toll and it's not easy finding the energy to raise the children plus we miss each other.

I'm praising God for the renewal of a 1 year VISA :-) Home Rental and Health Insurance! God is a great provider of all our needs! So thankful!

THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR LOVE & SUPPORT ALWAYS

Love,

Julia

GOD IS GOOD!

So much goes on in this world which clouds our judgement of the truth which is: God really is Good! Social media or international news sites as well as word-of-mouth are all ways to discover what is going on in the world... As difficult as it may be- when we are faced with the harsh reality of life... we can better pray... Since living here I have been exposed to more death and violence than ever before and it breaks my heart... But I believe in HOPE and the LOVE of GOD to change man's heart. The Bible is a great and also vital source of information- not an irrelevant history book of past eras, but an incredibly up-to-date guide with warnings about the current time we live in and the future decades to come as well as a 'life line' for mankind to know God's heart and be a part of His will to change today in order to impact tomorrow. As a newly formed and growing church we appreciate meeting together and encouraging one another through the teaching of God's Word- we see how 'like-minded' believers can impact a suffering world with HOPE in Jesus Christ and we are excited to be constantly learning more and more about God's goodness through His grace and mercy.

Thankful for your prayers for this community of Christians in Cambodia and to those we reach out to with the Gospel. We had a wonderful conference this month in Chutiel Village at the new church (pictured above) which is a huge blessing and decade long answer to faithful prayers! Thank you for the support as you serve alongside us. We are encouraged by the people's faith which greatly contrasts with the strongholds and oppression or fear which is often displayed in Buddhist believers... Slowly they are seeing the difference between bondage and freedom... Keep Praying because God hears and answers!

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with joy; you will rest in his love;
he will rejoice over you with singing.
~Zephaniah 3:17~

From left: Pastor Ariel Mahilum (pioneer missionary); Agape Bermejo: Julia Liles: Faith Mahilum: Pastor James Bermejo. [Myra Omictin not pictured].

I am really thankful that I have a team who stretch and challenge me... Not always easy but the Lord is in the result! Although I have lots of developing to do, it has been a blessing to serve at the front of the Church until our Khmer brothers and Sisters are stronger in their faith and able to lead all aspects of worship. I have been encouraged to step in as worship song leader (in Khmer) and it has stretched me, as has praying from the front and even leading a short seminar in the village this month. It goes to show God's faithful commitment to us when we are willing to do all we can for the cause of Christ. I can't thank you enough for your prayers and encouragement for all of our team- particularly with the language as it is essential for communicating clearly and to the heart!

Good Friends & my Khmer Tutors: Left- Jettra; Right- Ratanak

I'm also extremely blessed to have 2 Buddhist Khmer tutors during the week to help me develop in my reading skills. I am privileged to read and explain the Bible and the message of God's grace with these young men and it is incredible to hear their response and what they are receiving from exposure to God's Word. We are currently reading through Romans in Khmer and I am so grateful for this opportunity and these new friendships (they also attend my fitness/boxing training classes!!)- Please hold these young guys in prayer: Jettra and Ratanak. May the love of God for others be our motive and guide.

Love,

Julia

A NEW YEAR BEGINS. . .

The start of a new year can hold much hope and excited anticipation of what will come, the realization of dreams, new beginnings and achievements! For some, the new year may have started with a bang; a health scare, a compromise at work, a struggle within the family, broken relations, or huge financial concerns, perhaps even a crisis of faith or loss of a loved one. A young Christian Khmer woman recently asked me "Sister, if we do not see answer to prayer how can we keep trusting God?"! ...Great question to start the year with! Though we cannot see God- we are blessed to be surrounded with evidence of His existence, so that we are without excuse in regards to recognizing a Creator God (Romans 1:20) and the love we are impacted by on our journey. In terms of faith, the Christian is assured through God's word that we should "(believe) walk by faith and not by sight" 2 Corinthians 5:7
"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:18
Pictured above are the members of the new house Church in Cham Chaou on the Border of Phnom Penh, lead by Pastor Rathy (taking this photo) and wife Channtha (couching in the front row with a pale blue top and long hair!). The TCM City Center missionaries are pictured (Myra Omictin, Pastor James and Agape Bermejo and myself). Along with our Khmer brothers and sisters including our Board of trustees here. We have much to be thankful for as the Lord is slowly encouraging this community with the Christian love present.

Pictured above left to right; Pastor James Bermejo with wife Agape, Myra Omictin, Myself, Faith and husband Pastor Ariel Mahilum. A great team!

We are so pleased as a Team, to announce the opening of the 1st City Center Church in Phnom Penh this Sunday (Feb.4) at 9:30 am with newer Khmer contacts and friends who have requested a worship service closer to home! We are so thankful to the Lord that He has provided so much and His timing for this is fantastic! We have been receiving funds and donations of equipment along with faithful prayers for this vision to become a reality... Thank you to all who support the ministry in Cambodia... We are so excited to have you serve along side us... I'm excited to report again at the end of the month!

On a very personal note it has been an emotional start to the year for me. In early January my darling sister Priscilla was struck by a car... THANK GOD she is still with us... however the after effects continue to cause her great pain which she has lived with for a month now... this is physically, mentally and emotionally exhausting for her and I know your prayers mean so much to her... Pray for her courage to keep going.

I have also just received news from home that one of my closest friends just passed away. A brother in the Lord, John Monk whom I affectionately called 'Johnny Boy'! You may remember he visited the ministry in Cambodia 2 Christmas seasons in a row, 2015 and 2016. This has struck many of us over here hard, as John made a great and lasting impression...

Despite his shyness and anxieties to 'step out of the boat', John committed his final 3 years more fully to serving the Lord with all of his strength. He defied the odds by traveling both to Cambodia and the USA on faith based trips, despite having a weak heart.

John participated in Street Pastors training in the UK, applied himself to the volunteer team GLUE Ministries in Phnom Penh, reaching out to lonely male Westerners in the red light district and later making great contributions to this team. John Acted in our Dormitory Christmas production in 2015. He enrolled for one year at London City Mission. John also completed a course at All Nations Christian College in 2016.

John made many friends over the past few years, including close friends of mine at Kickboxing which John enjoyed back in early 2016! John was well known at his favorite Mexican eatery in Epsom, Surrey (Los Amigos). John continued to share about his faith in Jesus Christ with many he met including his customers who he did gardening for. John is the perfect example of a man who allowed Christ in, to turn his life around 360 degrees!

John had many dreams for 2018 including possible trips to Nepal and the Philippines for bible training and experience! Following his first trip to Cambodia in 2015, John developed a heart for missions and shared this with his latest church in Ewell, United Life (Christ Church Ewell being his former, where we made friends). In the last 3 years, John recognized the importance for others to receive the same love, forgiveness and acceptance from the Lord Jesus that he had received. I believe John leaves a legacy... As Jesus said "Live Life to the Full" and that is to know the purpose for which God created you!

John was a challenger, an evangelist, a very loyal friend, encouraging and kind-hearted, hard working and a funny guy. John was brave and despite peoples expectations of him- John pursued righteousness and overcame so many hurdles and accomplished more than anyone knew he was capable of! I'm so proud of him. I love him and miss him... Please pray for this grieving process for those who knew him best, my parents and I consider John as a family member. As did his best friend James Petit and his family. And please pray for his mother Alma and sister Emma and sons. John will be much missed and I pray that others will be encouraged by his incredible story of redemption... John finished his race young but strong and faithful for the Lord... Testament to the quote: "It's not the years in your life, but the life in your years."

Julia xx

Celebrating 'Thanks Giving' with our fellowship group at the new center in the city. This is the dwelling place of our new team mates Pastor James & Agape and is a great space and location for functions and training days, 1-1 counseling sessions, prayer & study groups etc... We are so blessed for this recent provision and it is enabling great plans to be set in place for the new year! We are so excited and the creative juices are flowing!! #Watch this Space!

A LITTLE BIT OF FAITH . . .

It's wonderful to witness what a little bit of faith can do!! I am very blessed in that God is clearly working in all that we do here in Cambodia, through you as supporters and prayer warriors, through us as missionaries and also through those whom we are here to reach and teach... Our Khmer brothers and sisters as well as new friends... God makes a way to open doors of opportunity... but It's up to us to walk through them, in faith! New life in Christ is not one to be taken for granted, it is a privileged position to become a 'child of God', known and guided by His Holy Spirit. A life in Christ is one which we should learn to live to the full for the glory of God in order to impact others with the TRUTH, FORGIVENESS, JOY, LOVE & FREEDOM Jesus alone can offer. Wow! If you don't yet believe... you can at least recognize how great a change this can make in anyone's life... and this New Life is not just for now.... it provides an eternal security spiritually. God bless you in your understanding that with a little bit of faith... God WILL do great things, not only in you but in others too! Trust & Obey... then wait & see!! Nothing is impossible for God and He will work in ways we could not even imagine!

~"For with God nothing will be impossible"~ Luke 1:37

C.O.F.F.E.E .... Something we could all do with!! A brilliant acronym which our dear brother Borey is proud to share! This is a young man with a growing faith in His Lord and Savior along with his wife Channy and daughter... all of whom are a blessing and an asset to the ministry here. Borey is being mentored by Pastor James in the Word and is a member of our core group of believers. He hopes to learn more in order to share the Good News with others, learn worship songs on the guitar and hopefully one day lead fellowship! Please Pray for him.

At the center with our (growing) women's group, reading and memorizing Scripture from our Khmer Bibles along with Khmer worship songs! Sis. Channy next to me, is also teaching James & Agape Khmer - Pray for this process!

With Myra and some of the sweet little ones over at the new house church (1month strong!) held at the house of Rathy & Channtha... Pray for their service as they learn to reach out in this community on the border of Phnom Penh City!

~PRAYER REQUESTS~

WE HOPE YOU HAVE A BLESSED CHRISTMAS WITH LOVE FROM CAMBODIA

PICKING UP THE PACE

God is ever faithful! Having reached 10 years of Things to Come Mission enabling Gods voice to be heard in Cambodia... Hearts seem more ready than ever to hear and receive the TRUTH of Jesus Christ and take action in the life and freedom God offers in LOVE by His GRACE! We Are praising God for the work in the village which is going from strength to strength as the Mahilum's pour out their energy and skills daily, to teach and train these young people who are an encouragement and an inspiration in their young but pure faith. Keep holding them in prayer as the children seek to share Jesus with their family and friends... Something they themselves have the desire for. Amazing!

"Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it." ~Proverbs 22:6

MEN OF FAITH!

(above)

We are so excited as this Sunday (Nov. 5th) will be the 3rd worship service held in the house of Rathy Chheng (center frame w/ friend's child). He and his wife Channtha are ready and willing to serve God in this way and it is wonderful to see their commitment and the process which encourages others!

CITY CENTER

(below)

Rejoicing in the Lord that the 'City Center' ministry team are getting to know each other well and are able to strengthen the work, build the energy, and share the vision in unity so that God will be known in Phnom Penh! We are hopeful about the progress in Gods plans!

PERSONAL NOTE

~Thanks to all those who make it possible to serve the family of faith here and reach the lost for Christ; your loving support and prayerful commitment is powerful and the Lord is hard at work in many hearts!~

Weekly fellowship meeting at one of our homes. This is a very mixed group of believers young & old, plus those who are not quite there yet. It is a great support group and a safe place to share life and faith together. We, (The City Team) have a vision to build up and multiply these 'cell' groups as the Lord leads! *(Li Sa's rented house pictured with Sisters from the USA & English visitors!)

~PRAYER REQUESTS~

"WELCOME HOME, SISTER!"

These were the precious words that came from the mouth or one of my Khmer brothers at the church this past Sunday as I was given a very warm welcome from my Christian family here... Including the most beautiful bunch of pink roses! I felt loved and blessed and touched that my absence had been noticed!! Seems It's too quiet when I'm gone! Haha What a joy it is to be 'home'.

I am very thankful for all the prayers during my home leave in England over the past 2 months, both for my family there, and the continued prayers for the ministry in Cambodia. I'm glad to say I was able to speak at 3 different churches as well as during the annual Grace Conference at Cloverly Hall near Birmingham right at the end of my visit. Each opportunity was a blessing and it was so wonderful to reconnect with those back in the UK and share some of what the Lord has been doing in Cambodia over the past 2 years. I was also given additional support which was an unexpected blessing. It's great to see so many eager to be involved in the Cambodia ministry. We are excited as this weekend (11-17th) our Director Pastor Ben and Member Care Joyce Anderson will be spending time talking and praying with us about moving forward in the church planting process! Please pray for this time.

My visit to my UK home also gave me time to reflect on why the Lord has me in Cambodia and one thing in particular stands out to me; every thing I do here has one BIG main vision and every activity and relationship I'm involved in is focused towards that... Sharing the TRUTH, LOVE & HOPE we can have in Christ in order to build up the Body of believers! I can say with confidence that THIS IS my calling... And without Christ being at the center of all I do, it would be too difficult to leave my own family behind.

On the point of family, please continue to hold mine in prayer back in England, as the situation there is harder and more painful than ever... But we continue to hope in God and trust that He is in every storm and trial that arises... We need wisdom, peace and courage for the battles being faced... The Lord knows!

~So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.~ Colossians 2:6-7

Great to have the new members of TCM Cambodia join Myra & me in the City Mission. Pastor James and Agape arrived and are beginning to settle into life here. We are excited and blessed to have experienced ministers of the Word join the work here... It is needed and will increase the effectiveness of our work in Phnom Penh. Pray for their transition and language study!

PERSONAL THOUGHTS

The time away from my field of ministry allowed me to reflect on the past decade or so since accepting Jesus as my Lord and Savior. Over the years I have come to realize that we are not meant to be anything more or less than who He created us to be. However, how could we possibly know what that is, outside of a relationship with the Lord?! I'm still growing in my faith and have so much yet to learn. I know I'm not perfect and yet I know I'm loved. I have many flaws but that's 'ok' in the security of the Fathers love. I'm a 'messy masterpiece' but I am a masterpiece, not a mistake- the same is true of YOU! We are ALL made in His image, making each one of us precious. No matter how many mistakes we may have made or will make, He WILL still love us! That is by no means an excuse to do wrong, but sure motive to live right! A righteous life, right-with-God. CHOOSE to be in the Fathers love, to know the peace of mind in Christ and to be transformed by His powerful Spirit. You can never be too far from God, because He IS and always will be EVERYTHING! God bless your journey of faith.

Family far from home! They say "Home is where the heart is"! So then, I must have 2 hearts , since one is certainly with my family in England and yet the other is planted here! It is very special to have good friends I can honestly call 'family'. (Channy & little Lenna)

A TALE OF TWO WORLDS

I have now been home for 1 month... A timely blessing from the Lord that I can have these few weeks with my family (Above with my older sisters Lydia on the left and Priscilla center) and friends. I thank God that I can attend weddings, birthdays and farewells, welcome new born babies and catch up with my family, friends and church on a more personal level. With all the activities, fellowship and a few speaking engagements, I have become increasingly aware of my life being 'between two worlds', so to speak... I now know my home is in Cambodia... I also know that my heart is in England... But knowing how much I love my family in the UK, compels me to love my Cambodian friends even more, and this is a very precious realization for me. As a Christian, all that we do should be for the glory of God, and how better to express that than through love?! There is no greater way... and it comes in many forms! I'm just incredibly blessed and privileged that the Lord guided me so clearly and lovingly to a future of service in Cambodia, allowing my heart to slowly and steadily find roots in a foreign land among incredible people. Life is a gift and we need to live it with thankfulness and praise to the One who gives it! It has been said "Skepticism and despair melt away when life is viewed as a daily gift from God". Believe and know that God is good! Thanking God for all of you and for faith to trust in Him with my life and the lives of those around me.

"Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!"

2 Corinthians 9:15

Myra has been doing a great job with the house group (still at my place) and various other ministries in my absence. I'm proud to work with such a dependable partner and thank God for her heart to serve and the many gifts she has to minister to those around her in the city. THANKS SISTER!! :-)

EXCITING TIMES AHEAD.... It's always good to have changes and challenges as I think it brings vitality and excitement to life and ministry!! That's a very positive way to look at life, and I think it works! I will return to my Cambodian home on October 5th and later that same month we hope to have a new mission couple entering our field! They are young and full of life and very skilled both in handling and teaching the word, and also musically! It will be great to have more help in the city and a stronger team to help reach our goals of teaching and training in order to expand the ministry and house churches! We are excited to welcome this couple and I will share more once they have landed and settled in!! Praising God for this!

Our City Dormitory ministry will close in December this year giving more resources to other options such as a space to worship which Lord willing the congregation will want to contribute towards and it will be far more accessible for the local community and give us greater possibilities for teaching others. The students are currently looking for places to relocate and some will stay with family members in the city, it will be a big change but we hope to see commitment from the believers who are current members of the church and so we are praying for growth, maturity and motivated hearts to minister! I have no idea the extent of the sacrifice of others which enables me to live the life of service I now do, but I am so very grateful to you all and your lives are a blessing to many in ways that you could not comprehend... I'm touched by your 'giving away' or 'offering', through various means; time apart from me, encouragements, prayers, finances and much more than I could ever know. Yours sincerely and faithfully in service. May we always encourage one another wherever we are.

PRAYER POINTS

HOME FROM HOME

What an incredible time we had in July to celebrate 10 years of the City ministry in Phnom Penh. We had a blessed visit from our Director of Missions, Pastor Ben whilst his wife Joyce had some precious time with their family in the USA. It was a wonderful opportunity to reflect on what the Lord has been doing here and I must say it is a huge honor to stand alongside the pioneers, Pastor Ariel and Faith Mahilum (10yrs) and Myra Omictin (8yrs)... as I approach my 2 years here I hardly feel worthy of a position next to them but I have been so encouraged and the work continues as the doors for the message of Gods grace continue to open! Thank you all for your prayers... I love this family of growing believers and the Lord has surely planted my heart among them.

"For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord." ~ Psalm 117:2

Praise God for Sis. Sophal's successful operation... We are still awaiting final results and she remains in hospital recovering but we are so glad the op went well! Thankful for prayers which brought Sophal to tears when she read sweet FB post's. The family are incredibly grateful for the financial support for her Chemo. and this operation. Please keep Praying.

This month I will travel home to the UK for 2 blessed months with family and friends plus a few speaking engagements to share about the ministry here. I am anxious about leaving the ministry behind, though I know it is all in safe hands! Please keep Myra in prayer as she will serve without her usual 'help mate'! Pray also for the fellowship groups that I'm normally a part of or host during the week... I know the work will go on, but it is hard to leave individuals behind.

Praise God for an astonishing 1st term on the 'Field', His faithful love endures forever and I struggle at times to put all my praise into words! Wow what an amazing God and a privilege to serve... nothing quite like it!

We managed a fun weekend fellowship trip with the Dorm Students before I head off for the UK. It was great to be together and enjoy what God is doing among us... On the far left of the picture is Ratha... She has recently announced her desire to be in a relationship with Jesus. We love her and pray she will walk in faith with the Lord. Pray for this generation!

PRAYER POINTS

LEARNING TO THRIVE

June was a great month... full of activity, opportunity and visitors!! We had a great donation of vitamins for children that we were able to distribute in the village. Also a great time to share the gospel and health care advice.

It always gives 'the missionary' more of an accurate reflection of things, when someone from 'back home' visits! I was blessed with a two week visit from one of my closest friends whom I have known since the age of 5! It was a great time to share my life of ministry here, with a friend from back there! Genevieve was able to meet the dorm students and some dear Khmer friends of mine plus my team here and other Christian friends and missionaries I know. It was a blessing for someone from my 'former setting', to see me so rooted where I am and embracing this season of life to the full! It has been great to share, and to be reminded of what we have here as a ministry setting... but more than that, as a body of believers. Though my friend does not currently have a faith in Jesus, I believe she has seen with her own eyes the heart of joy and hope that a follower of Christ has and she was a great encouragement to us as I believe we were to her. So I thank God for giving me the gift of my friend visiting and gaining a clearer understanding of what the Christian's mission is... Living to plant seeds of hope, love and truth in others, not for self-gain but for the sake of Christ. I love this friend for her respect of me and my faith but also my family in Christ! I want to encourage you all to be bold in expressing your faith through a loving commitment to others... wherever they stand in terms of faith... Let us not make divides but build bridges of hope that heal hearts and change lives! Keep loving, dear friends and share your reason for being!

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes..." ~ Romans 1:16

A great visit from such a good friend! A wonderful 2 weeks together and I'm sure Gen had plenty to report on her return to the UK. She got stuck in to every opportunity and met so many of my new friends here, both of us treasured the time together! I love it when people are willing to step out of their comfort zone and just go for it! Safe travels dear friend!

This month is particularly exciting as on the 16th July we celebrate 10 years of the ministry here in Phnom Penh! It will be a great time of fellowship and reflection and praising God for His goodness. Pastor Ben Anderson, director of TCM will be our guest speaker so please pray for him and his packed schedule!

I have now completed my first term of 22 months on the 'field', so I am entitled to home leave/ assignment, back to the UK! Get ready England!! We are just finalizing dates but I'm aiming for August so please pray as I & team prepare!

Thank you as always for your continued love and support... this is a huge encouragement for me and the team here... I always enjoy reporting back messages from brothers and sisters around the world that we are being held in prayer! The beautiful thing about ministry is that we are all a part of it... whatever role we have been given to fulfill... we are part of the blessings of God. It is such a privilege to be so involved in the lives of Cambodians here, in special ways... Much of my recent reflections and conversations with others has helped me to realize that here, I not only survive (as is the case for some foreigners), but I thrive! And I thank God for that... He is so very gracious!

Please keep praying for sister Sophal... She has completed her final session of chemo and is awaiting news on an operation. She is struggling with losing her hair at the moment but praise God she keeps wearing a winning smile, her faith is strong, her baby boy brings her great joy and her husband Chhron is a blessed support.

PRAYER POINTS

LOVE & PRAYER

The photograph featured above is the result of 10 years of love and prayer! Team Cambodia are praising God for the established ministry in Chuteil village located in Takeo Province, South Cambodia. We are rejoicing as church services began this May with some very eager hearts, open to hear the Gospel!

I'm continually caused to think upon how to 'love well'. A pleasant topic, but one that probably challenges most of us! Personally, I know that I tend to express 'love' through my actions, hugs and gifts, as well as through my words and writing cards.... with an 'essay' of emotion! As many of my old time friends will fondly and amusingly recall! But last week during ladies fellowship, we read from 1Thessalonians 5:16-18 >

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."

Later that same week I was blessed by a pile of cards from Greystone Bible church, USA. The cards were full of words of encouragement, affection, Scripture and prayers! It still moves me to tears when I reflect on all those who support me in prayer, to live well, here in Cambodia and reach out to others in love... We need the prayers of each other to live on! Prayer builds our relationship with God, it also offers His peace, comfort and joy and it connects us as a family of believers... And for those of you who are not yet committed to Christ... Do not doubt that He also hears the prayers of your hearts, and you are mentioned in our prayers too... Our lives are impacted by prayer... even if we're 'not quite aware yet'! The Lord knows, and God is gracious and merciful and full of love! To conclude... I understand clearly now, that to love, is to pray for one another and all others... and to Pray consistently, is to LOVE.

Meet Brother Borey, his sweet wife Channy and their beautiful little girl Lenna! They are a precious family who have become friends through fellowship. Borey has a heart to serve God in ministry so we hope to encourage that and support this family. May God direct their path!

This Friday, Myra and I will start an English ‘Conversation Corner’ at our Khmer friend’s (Sreng), local coffee shop in order to support the community and help Sreng’s business as well as having the opportunity to meet others in a social atmosphere with the hope of building friendships and sharing our faith. I’m enjoying the fun challenge of teaching simple Bible truths through parables and other Scriptures, in Khmer, at the student dorm on Tuesday nights and learning to pray in Khmer has been a blessing. I am also pleased that I am managing to read a little more of my Khmer Bible now but there is a long way to go yet, though my confidence is building! Thankful for your prayers and encouragement!

God bless us in our journey of faith through the ups and downs and adventures of life!

Chantha & Rathy have been church members since the early ministry days in the city... They have begun a children's ministry from their home on the outskirts of Phnom Penh teaching Bible and English. They desire to have a 'full bodied' church established this year. Please Pray!

"Pray without Ceasing"
God bless you in this understanding and be encouraged to persist in prayer.

PRAYER POINTS

Mission Has Muscle!

Life is not so easy for the faint of heart, nor is LOVE! Which is the essence of living! Genuine, deep rooted love takes courage and commitment. Even for someone such as myself who appears to express love with such ease... I know better than anyone else, that for me... It takes Jesus!

I once read that you should 'never hold onto anything tighter than how you hold onto God'. I understand that now, whether it is family, friendship, a career, a home or a car, even our own ability to do something well. Why? Because nothing can last forever and nothing should hold us back from seeking and living out God’s purpose for our lives... and the reality is, this is not a one-time movement toward a goal... this is an ongoing journey of surrendering the lesser for the greater. It is not that the above have no value, or good use, it is not that they aren’t worth our time and effort, it is simply that God is above all else and we cannot measure the demands of His love with anything else. Our lives unfold at a rapid rate and things change all the time, nothing is certain and nothing is eternal except the most important thing... LOVE.

God’s love IS everlasting and therefore it is worth investing our lives to receive it, become part of it, and share it with those around us... What is more important than loving and being loved in return? Nothing.

Here are a couple of famous Jim Elliott quotes I really appreciate:

“Wherever you are, be all there! Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God.”

“A man is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep in order to gain what he cannot lose!”

How powerfully challenging and poignant, this is so very true. What does it mean for you?!
Matthew 16:24-26; "...For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it."

Last month Team Cambodia hosted the 1st Grace Gospel Conference in the village and it turns out that Mission takes Muscle!! Good job I like to work out! Team Leader Pst. Ariel & his wife, Faith, some BOT members the locals, a few students and myself helped to revive the plot of land where our church is located and it looks great, it’s now safe and secure, and has become a far better equipped facility for teaching, holding functions, accommodation and an area for the children (plus a few ‘big kids’!) to play. Thankful to the Lord for encouraging all those who give so generously and pray so earnestly toward the ministry here... you are every bit a part of what goes on in Cambodia... the ‘Church’ has no walls... We are not restricted and must continue to hold onto the faith that we have in a God who is limitless!

A few of the 'youth fellowship' students who are eager and excited to learn more about Jesus and want to study the Bible.

Men's Fellowship Choir

At the weekend the Cambodian Board of Trustees will meet and discuss the future steps of the ministry as our 10 year Anniversary of the Phnom Penh ministry is fast approaching, Praise the Lord! Pray with us as we set plans for the rest of the year that will require hard work, plenty of prayer, a unified focus and potentially lots of change. During a recent meeting with Team Cambodia, I was struck with the realization that the more we gain in life, the more we have to lose, and how much harder it is to give up much rather than to give up little. Think upon the Parable of The Rich Man, unable to 'give it all up' for the Lord, because he seemed to have much to lose, blinded to the glory of what he could gain by becoming a follower of Jesus Christ... Mark 10:21-22. I pray for you to be ENCOURAGED ALWAYS!

PRAYER POINTS

My Mile Stone in Khmer!

Eighteen months ago I arrived in Cambodia and began the language learning process... It has been quite a journey and yet I feel I'm only at the beginning of it all! Having completed 8 levels, 50 weeks, lots of laughter, sweat and a few tears... plus incredible friendships formed, I have finally graduated G2K (Gateway 2 Khmer) school! I have so many people to thank as I've known all along that "I'm not alone in this"! I have had a lot of support and that has encouraged me and enabled me to support others too... I am often reminded that we need to see the bigger picture in everything we do as all things should serve towards a greater purpose, and I understand that very well through the challenge of learning Khmer! I've also seen how much people can appreciate the efforts we go to, despite our weaknesses... Never underestimate the power of love! When we are driven to do courageous things from a place of love, it inspires others! Thank you all for the incredible love & support plus plenty of prayers, that has enabled me to achieve this goal... Now the greater task lays ahead... Teaching!

~ Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. ~ Philippians 3:12
~ Now faith is confidence in what we hope for
& assurance about what we do not see.~ Hebrews 11:1

I am currently planning a new Bible teaching schedule for the dorm students and on April 8-9 I will run team building workshops at our 1st Grace Conference Cambodia! We are looking forward to uniting and building up the community of believers in the Village along with those from the city. It will be a blessing! Though I'm in another period of transition, I'm excited and motivated to bring in new ideas to our team here and extend the work among those we are closest to.

I've now been living in my new apartment for the past month and it is wonderful! A peaceful place to retreat, and I'm excited to open up my home to many and celebrate all that God is doing and His incredible provision. I'm so blessed with many Khmer friends that I hope my home can be a place of rest and peace for them also... Phnom Penh is a busy, noisy city and 'time out' is always a good thing... even if it's just 3 floors up! Thank you all for supporting me and walking along side me so steadily I cannot express my thanks enough.

I am continually learning many new lessons, as well as those lessons I need reminding of. Firstly, I know that I serve a loving God and when I submit to His plans for my life, I am more than blessed in indescribable ways and often so unexpectedly. Secondly, "All things are possible with God" (Mark 10:27) I'm frequently blown away by the truth of this statement and pray that you will be too! And thirdly... even through the trials and the storms and joys of life, we are encouraged not to lose heart because we will always have hope (2Cor.4:1)! And it is HOPE that gives us the strength & courage to press on to reach that mile stone of yours... whatever it may be & whatever it takes...Trust in the Lord.

PRAYER POINTS

*Please continue to pray for the health of my sister Priscilla
*Also remember Sophal who needs 6 more Chemo sessions pre-op
*Pray for planning & coordinating new weekly Bible study with students
*Pray for the success of the 1st Cambodian Grace Conference in April
*Thanking God for GRADUATION from language school
*Thankful for move into my own apartment where I feel happy & blessed

2017 Off to a good start?!

FEBRUARY FOOTSTEPS . . .

This is a little late so apologies for that and also to those who are still awaiting replies for Christmas emails I'm incredibly sorry that I have not managed to respond to all, yet! I'm blessed to have so many people to respond too! That is lovely and encouraging!! This month hosted Valentine's Day, which just happened to coincide with our youth fellowship outing which was a great success and a huge blessing for the 12 in attendance... we enjoyed a boat ride and picnic with games, prayers and songs! I always thank God for the opportunity to be a witness, not only to those 'outside' but also to those within the family of faith... if we're not careful, we can lose sight of what God has put right in front of us! The Love of Christ is so much greater and needed, more than we could ever imagine and I believe it is the Lord who enables me to do more than I could think or even imagine! That goes for us all! Often I doubt my abilities and put myself under unnecessary pressure to 'accomplish much'! However... God has been reminding me of His love. Not only does God love me just as I am, but because of His great love for others, I can do what He needs me to do! A great example is of my friend Sreng who runs a local coffee shop where I'm currently painting a 'Creation' mural! I've mentioned Sreng in previous news letters; though he is not a follower of Christ, he is slowly understanding the love of the body of Christ through Spirit lead conversations, so keep praying for his salvation please! God is gracious and righteous, the Lord is full of compassion and protects the simple hearted! We do not need to panic and think "I Can't" because with Christ, "I CAN"! Thanks to God, even in my moments of 'trying' He reminds me to trust what He has planned, and the beauty of that guidance is reassuring and fills me with joy.

Psalm 51:13
"Give me the JOY of your saving help again and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit!"

First Youth Fellowship outing of 2017! A great time to bond together and enjoy the blessings of being a family of faith and embracing those who are new to the Good News of Jesus...[the 3 girls in red are new students of ours]! Let's always aim to be ambassadors in LOVE! Thank you to Sister Anne joining us from the US and all the dormitory students and friends (including the young men) who participated in this event! We offered a prayer of thanks for those who support us with the finances to run such activities... the boat ride was a first for most! :-) The Body of Believers is bigger than we realize! Praise God!

PRAYER POINTS

*Discipleship of the Dorm. Students!
*Improvement of teaching in the village... We celebrated another commitment to Christ 2 weeks ago, praise God!
*Transition as I will move into an apartment of my own this month! And, Lord willing I will GRADUATE LANGUAGE SCHOOL!
*HEALTH >Sister SOPHAL is coping well under chemotherapy and funds are coming in to support the medical fees. Please also continue to pray for my own sister, PRISCILLA. Strength and Courage are needed as well as faith and trust in how God works!
*Praise God for another safe arrival as sister Sinat delivered a baby girl earlier this month! Our family continues to grow!

2017 Off to a good start?!

I'm sending love and hopefully encouragement through these brief updates and as I remember you in my prayers! Thank you for keeping me and the ministry here in your prayers... God answers in many different ways and looking back over the past year has been a great opportunity to see Gods faithfulness to me and even in the lives of those around me! ...I'm particularly thankful for the ability to communicate with others, a year of good health, strength, a clear purpose and great friends... So I'm excited to see how God will shape this year!

One of my January highlights has to be 'playing' bridesmaid for good friends of mine Kimna and her now husband, Sothea (center frame)! I am that lady on the right of the picture in just 1 of the 3 dresses/hairstyles I had to adorn for the day! A very different experience from a typical Western style wedding! And on the far left is another good friend, Keo... all of the above are also my language teachers and I just feel extra blessed not only to benefit from their teaching skills, but also from their friendship, fun and love. Friendship means so much to me and it's also amazing to learn more about Khmer culture and Buddhist practices through people I know and trust on a personal level. These friends are reasons I love life in Cambodia and am persuaded that God pursues hearts in order to show His grace and goodness. Thank you for your love & support... It's true that with faith as small as a mustard seed, God can move mountains in your life we just need to grasp the hope we can have in Jesus and trust in Him! I am experiencing that in special ways and I want to encourage you!
As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.
2 Samuel 22:31

On a very important note, I would like to raise awareness of the need for prayer for this precious family (pictured below). Assistant Pastor Chhron and wife Sophal have recently become parents to their son Riek. However, much to everybody's shock Sophal has just been diagnosed with Stage 2 Rectal Cancer. Times like these are never easy and I'm just thankful that this couple share the comfort of Christ together and have a supportive church and family back in the village too. Sophal is an incredible witness of God's faithfulness and I am inspired by her courage at this challenging time. Please would you pray with us or send messages of support to this lovely family... We are currently raising funds for the medical fees to help contribute to the high cost of Chemo treatment... If your heart is burdened to get involved please contact either myself or Things to Come Mission. Thank you for your involvement in the lives of others in faith and love.

PRAYER POINTS

GIFT OF GIVING

Life is too short to waste! I’ve written this before and I’ll write it again. Since moving here I am often reminded of the frailties of life... We, for sure are ‘wasting away’... (2 Corinthians 4:16)... death is unavoidable, poverty and pain will always face us... We cannot escape the difficulties of this world we live in and we should not be naive to it... instead we really must make the most of what we have, learn how to rejoice even through trials and make the effort to invest in the lives of those around us in order to experience life together, share each other’s burdens, cry together, laugh together and simply learn to live well and understand the value of life- no matter how challenged or alone we may feel at times... God is there.

God is no fool and when He chose to create man He intended us to live life to the full which means it is essential that we connect or re-connect with Him in order for that to be apparent but it is how you view ‘life to the full’ that is so important! Moreover, God will fulfill His plans and purposes for us, for you specifically... Do you want to walk away from that opportunity or run towards it with everything you’ve got? Surely it will be worth it!! ~ John 10:10b Jesus said:
"I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

Above I am pictured with two women who befriended me at the local gym! It's a growing friendship and an interesting one that I am curious to see what God will reveal. I'm sitting besides Sophol and standing behind us is Sreypov. These woman are much older than myself and have lived different lives so as always I ask for prayer and wisdom to guide our conversations.

Pictured is Kosal, one of our dorm students who is soon to leave us to begin full-time work! Praising God for the training and equipping he has received as he recently gave a simple Bible study to the older women in the village. Please keep all of our students and other ministries in your prayers. We want to serve with you for the Lord... a far greater purpose than we could ever imagine! A huge thank you for all your support and we were thrilled to receive a donation for the purchase of Khmer Bibles, a gift that keeps on giving!! Please pray for our Christmas outreach this month! Merry Christmas to you all... Don't forget the reason for the season!

CHRISTMAS REFLECTIONS

Christmas is fast approaching, a time to gather together with those you love and appreciate, eat good food and share presents (at preference!) Thank you so much to a good friend who has posted baby clothes for our new arrivals that are being born to mothers who were once our dorm students and now attend our church in the city! God is blessing the generations of Cambodians!!

Particularly for those of ‘the faith’ Christmas is a time to reflect on what we believe to be the greatest gift of all; the gift of life through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. I can honestly say it is a privilege to share this truth with others. It is a blessing to know my Maker! It is so very sweet to be within a family of faith and I thank God that I can give Him praise and worship even in the simplest of ways. Faith is a beautiful thing and I do believe it takes courage and we must persevere. We never really know what we will face in the months and years ahead but thank God we always have ‘hope’ and that is security!! Money can’t buy that!

Many of you reading this know me fairly well... others more so and some of you have known me since childhood or even 1984!! If anything about my life now strikes you as ‘good’, ‘positive’, or ‘special’... I hope you are able to attribute that to my faith in Jesus because I can say with total conviction, if it were not for Christ my life would not be worth living... Lord, I know that people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps. – Jeremiah 10:23. I am who I am because of Christ! "Let the light shine out of darkness" ~2Cor.4:6 ...I am confident that if we choose to trust, He will SHINE!

May all that we do emerge from a place of love and be for the right purpose of pleasing God, not elevating ourselves but walking in humility. If you would, please hold me in thought and prayer as the New Year arrives and I will face some changes and transitions regarding ministry, language school and finding a place of my own to live.

TAMING THE TIGER

Many things in life can get to us... World issues, politics, religion etc then there are the issues closer to home such as work, finances, family... but we know that we have limited control when it comes those things which are external to ourselves; hence this title: Taming the Tiger! By 'tiger' I'm referring to our internal processing and control system!! Recently I had to focus so hard on God in order to control my emotions! Most of you know I'm trained in boxing! So my natural 'go to' when stressed, is sport! But I am continually reminded that instant relief of an (negative) emotion is often so temporary whereas when we learn to focus on Christ, He helps us to address issues and concerns... He makes intercession for us when we are confused or frustrated and don't always know where to turn or how to turn! The Lord is (if you choose!) our 'Rock and Refuge, a very present help in trouble' (Psalms 46:1). We can easily lose control of our own life whilst trying desperately to control everything around us, but if we lose control to God and give Him reign over our life which He gave to us in the first place; you will see change for the better... it is a guarantee!

Times are busy with continued language learning but it's been great to make our weekly visits to the village and see the children and adults there, teaching simple Bible and English classes. I feel privileged to get so many hugs from these precious kids, particularly as I miss my nieces and nephews in England! The village ministry continues at a very slow pace so please continue to pray that we will strengthen and encourage those we share with. It's great to have Pastor Ariel and Faith with us to support the work. The dormitory students do a great job teaching each Sunday and this gives them good teaching foundations that they can add to their C.V's as most of them are looking for jobs > please keep them in your prayers. We have 3 new female students and 3 young men will soon join us at the city dorm too which is great!

Our first precious baby has arrived! Praise God for a safe delivery and mother and child are doing well. We have one more arriving at the end of November and 3 more babies are due in 2017! It's an exciting time as all are first arrivals! We are rejoicing in these miracles!

BEAUTY VS. CHARACTER

Recently I had to give a presentation in Khmer at my language school; the topic was 'Beauty V's Character'! In a world full of visual stimulation and a commercial influence of what is 'beauty', it's important to re-a-line our thinking with what has true value! When you're ready to change from the inside out, it makes a huge difference in the character of a person! It may sound obvious, but how often do we actually focus on this and actively seek to improve ourselves internally. I've been focusing again on the 'fruits of the Spirit' in Galatians 5 and it's helped me a lot in terms of developing a better character... Please ponder: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control! Which do you struggle with most and what are you willing to change and allow God to improve in you? It takes a lot of courage to humble ourselves and realize; "God, I can't do this life without you!". But the sooner we admit that, the better... and you will not regret giving God control!

God bless you all throughout your days. I thank you for being in my life.

Please continue to pray for our Women's Bible Study every Saturday... for the girls to understand the teaching and for me to understand the Khmer! It's a great time of fellowship and a good opportunity for other Khmer friends to join our girls at the dorm and share life and faith with them! I thank God that I have so many opportunities here and Myra is a blessing and a joy to work with.

MOTIVATED MEANS MOVING FORWARD!

Now that I am into the start of my second year in Cambodia... though I know I have an extreme amount yet to learn; I do feel somewhat settled! I have for several months now. I think the Lord gave me an ability to make myself feel 'at home' wherever and with whomever He placed me, I've always been like that! As great as that is... I'm acutely aware that just learning to live 'my way' in a new place, is not what this move to Cambodia is about! I've recently been reminded to constantly ask myself "what are my priorities, to whom, and how am I achieving this"?! It's so important that we don't lose our focus in life whatever our goal may be, when we 'get busy' we can be so easily distracted that we miss out on opportunities or lose precious time... We often don't get that back, and therefore to remain focused is essential, but learning to be flexible also gives us some room to move, so to speak! Since moving here, and more recently, the Lord has opened up additional unexpected opportunities with certain individuals. This has been a good challenge for me in various ways. I thank the Lord for friendships formed and sustained, for the family in faith that I have here and also for brief encounters which enable me to process and to reflect on my personal vision and goals. I'm thrilled that the friendship with one of my Khmer teachers has developed and Kimna has now asked me to be her bridesmaid in January 2017- that will be a first for me!! I was very touched by her request and this is a young woman who shows an openness to the gospel.

I am struggling a lot in my motivation for self-study with the language at the moment... Level 7 is obviously more advanced but it feels like a lot of it is going over my head and though I'm managing to read, my understanding is quite behind! That's ok, it's perhaps expected, but I do want to succeed and move forward with the language!! So it will take more prayer, sweat and concentration!!! The latter is one of my weaknesses! On the plus side, I shared a lengthy testimony in Khmer and read two songs at church this past Sunday... One song is pictured above- "In Jesus Christ we are one family..."!

These steps forward are huge achievements for me. Also, one of the Christian Khmer women Myra and I meet with regularly was able to translate for me when teaching the young children in the village about the Lord! 'Lisa' was so excited that she could accomplish this personal goal of hers! So we congratulate her for that! A blessing and a joy to walk with her, she is enthusiastic to become much more involved in the ministry! Praise God.

Some of the children who were in Sunday school... learning about the colour bracelet which tells the story of Jesus Christ... Lisa helped explain to these children in our lesson.

LIFE IS ABOUT RELATIONSHIP

Life is about relationship--a mutual give and take between persons in order to grow and develop. Without genuine relationship, we are missing 'life'! And the ultimate relationship is that between you & your creator God. Though God gave far more than we ever could... He accepts us as we are. Think of your closest friendships and examine why you consider them so highly...

Let's get to the basics of what friendship is based on: Faith- to trust in the person, Hope- for all that is to come and the reassurance and security offered, and Love- why else?! These three qualities are in fact the very characteristics of God, who, if you allow Him to, will embrace you with these. And the beauty of it is that where we are weak as people, God is unwavering! So have faith, hope & love and put them into a relationship with God... You will see the development! ~1 Corinthians 13:13

'Lisa' (her English/ easy name!) has built a friendship with Myra over 5 years... She is keen to be involved with the ministry as a Khmer Christian to her own people! Praise God and pray He blesses her desire!

IT'S TIME TO CELEBRATE!

Next week marks 1 year since my arrival here in Phnom Penh City and I praise God for many reasons! I am blessed to have transitioned so well, to have made many wonderful new friends and be able to keep contact with others around the world. I thank God He enables my tongue and brain to engage with the Khmer language and script and I'm blessed with the ministries that I have been able to be involved with. We just celebrated the 9th anniversary of the dormitory church here in the city; it was a great turn out and a time of rejoicing! Thank you for your prayers. Last month we began a new fellowship group with young, single, professional Khmer men and women in our friend's house. It is a fun and exciting opportunity to share our thoughts, develop English and Khmer language skills, and enjoy the company and good food from different cultures!

Just a couple of weeks ago I celebrated 32 years of life! A great excuse for a party, more food (can you tell what my passions are in life?!), and yet another opportunity to give thanks to Jesus Christ who is my reason for living. I went to bed that evening so overwhelmed with love for those around me, I thought my heart would burst... surely only the Lord could give me that much love for these new friends! It really was a special day and I relished being in the company of so many wonderful friends after only having lived here for one year! God has really guided me to serve here. My family blessed me with calls and videos and I continue to receive post from the UK & USA. Thank you all for the incredible love, support and encouragement you provide which enables me to live here and bless others from His hands and heart. We have a unique opportunity as followers of Christ, to really 'give' to others something that will last forever... not just a life time! God recently answered a rather interesting prayer of mine.. to 'grow up' in certain areas of my life! He has answered that in a very sweet and gentle and 'knowing' way that perhaps only those closest to me would realize. Maturing is of course an ongoing process and it is with God's wisdom that we can honour that progression. I thank God fully for the ongoing work in my heart and my life. It's also a relief to know that who we are as individuals, is totally ok! No one is perfect, only the man Jesus could be that... for the rest of us, it's so important to know our self-worth and to be thankful for the life we have. May we learn to be content when we have much or little... make the most of life now!

LEARNING TO ACCEPT THE LORD’S LOVE

When you're ready to accept the Lord's invitation to step into the 'family of faith'... you may not be free of physical pain, you may not be free of financial concerns or family difficulties and you will not be perfect! Tempted to accept? How about if I told you that God's love is so infinite that WHEN YOU DO ACCEPT HIM... there will be no end to His grace in your life! Through the trials and the storms, He will never abandon you. He will continue to teach and challenge you throughout your life but He will always be by your side. You will increase in the knowledge of His forgiveness and mercy for you. You will come to realize that you are not defined by your financial success, your intelligence, your beauty or your popularity... but that your identity is secure in the Creator God who is your heavenly Father... your one true hope- Unshakeable!

Quote by Jamie George:
"Stop trying to experience love on your own terms, and open yourself up to God. When you do, you allow yourself to be truly known. Love longs to be known. It is in that knowing and being known that we learn to love well."

Next time you look in the mirror, and doubt this year or fear for the next... tell yourself: "Many years have seen many faces, but none quite as beautiful as this. For, this face is of this year and this 'now' is my moment... this is my time to shine!" Do not look back on the past and be filled with regret... God deals with that in His way and in His time and we can learn so much from our past! When you surrender your life to Christ, it is not a sacrifice, it is a privilege! All good gifts that we have received, come from the Lord, lets acknowledge Him.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
~2 Corinthians 5:17~

We have been blessed by more children sitting in on our women's Bible study in the village! Very precious young ones who even gave me gifts on my return from the UK!