FCOP Update -- December 2004

Written, 37,000 feet over the Pacific, somewhere east of Taipei, December 1, 2004. See: http://www.missionreports.com/dec04/  for pictures.

Fact is; we stare famine in its ugly face. The rice crop, late to plant in many areas experienced a sudden halt in the rains at the crucial time of “boot stage” (when the head is formed) and we face a substantial reduction in the harvest. Already, rice in Phnom Penh is $300+ per ton and harvest is on. The Prime Minister has threatened to “Shoot to kill” anyone caught exporting rice out of the country. Fortunately, we chose to put the bin in an area of excess production so, we hope to buy the local surplus near the end of harvest at a reduced price. The 400 tons we hold will substantially provide the needs of our kids for about nine months. I am hoping to fill it for about $150 per (please pray!) ton of un-milled (raw) rice. Time is my enemy, so is money, gotta have about $60,000 to fill it. God brought some faithful partners forth to help with the mill construction; we have the funds to complete it. PTL!  I believe we will somehow see the rice covered. My trips to America were a blessing, as I believe we will pick up a net sponsorship gain of at least seven church/homes and retain another five. God is good!

Hey! John Candy is not dead. He just moved to Cambodia and started a Bible School under the pseudo name of ‘Big Steve’. BTW, he’s rooming with Elvis somewhere on the south side of Phnom Penh. Seriously, you’ve got to admit there is a distinct resemblance in both appearance (see picture “Graduation”) and humor. Steve is our Bible school on legs. He has helped train most of our 1400+ pastors. He’s a “Bapticostal Boy”, but he’s gone ‘legit’ on us and opened a new fully accredited Bible College in Phnom Penh. He totally agrees with us that this is not our usual, nor preferred, method of training, but since every church needs a few ‘pinhead’ theologians, we enrolled six of our young scholars in his new program. Not to worry! Steve, err uhh, John, is a very practical guy.

What do you get when you double the size of the most corrupt government on earth? Twice the corruption and half the fun! We have 14 previously granted, but not yet issued, church permits being held for ransom, along with several containers full of food for the orphans. You would be amazed at the reasons they can site to justify condemning and, of course for the sake of public safety, confiscating, and well, gotta get rid of it somehow, selling the orphan’s food. Street chatter is of a coup-d’e’ta. Some high level government jobs are purported to be selling for $1,000,000 US. Pretty good price for a job that pays $30-50 per month, huh? Uh oh, I feel the ‘preach’ mode coming on.  

"Kablunk, kablunk, kablunk” (I put wheels on my soap box, but being made in Cambodia, one has a flat tire .Hold on while I drag it out here and climb on. Ready? Made it in a single bound this month, must be those morning workouts! Western European and American Churches! (Don’t take this personally, I speak collectively) Why did they abdicate the God mandated care of the orphans, widows and the poor, to governments and para-church organizations?? Hey, they need a serious ‘wake-up’ call! “Well we don’t want to build dependency!” they meekly whine” So, what then? You want the government to do your job? God told the church to be involved in these social concerns! Paul told Titus (3:14) to have his people, “Maintain good works and meet urgent needs that they not be unfruitful” Brilliant move church! What did we do? Hand all the responsibility over to the governments, the UN and the “Cares”, “World Visions”, and “Save the Children’s, of this world. Then, we sit around and moan about our unfruitfulness, while Christians give millions of dollars to these organizations that often no longer even mention the Lord. Duhhhhhhh?? What I am saying will most likely cost me at least 20 angry emails, “Please delete my name, etc, etc.” But, I believe this from the bottom of my soul, and feel it is a major reason for stagnant churches and fruitless missions organizations. Stop! Knock it off! Quit giving to these para-church organizations that just give lip service to the Gospel. Most of that money would be just as well sent to the UN. It belongs in the church, and the church needs to rise up, take back their mandate, and quit hiding behind the excuse of “dependency building!” You think these organizations that many well meaning church members support don’t build dependency??  Here is what is happening, all these well intentioned organizations come in and distribute aid with no attachment to the Gospel. Result? A bunch of self-satisfied materialists, no longer spiritually hungry, complacent people headed for an eternal disaster. Can I ask you a question? What good do you do if you keep someone healthy and satisfied for 60 years and then send him to a Christless eternity?? Answer: You wasted your money, and lost a soul! If you put that money with the Gospel it is POWERFUL!!!  We are seeing a nation changed because we refuse to separate the good works from the gospel and, as God said through Paul, it is ‘maintaining fruitfulness’.

Don’t take me wrong! I am not against all para-church organizations. Thank God some of them have come along and filled in the blind spots of the church, and, most importantly, tapped secular resources for the work of the Gospel. I believe every church needs this type of partner. They should be aided, honored and strengthened, Warm Blankets, International Cooperating Ministries, Kids for the Kingdom, Children of Promise and others that put the church first, are examples of this. They allow the church to lead and this is not an incidental point! I said this publicly so, I’ll say it in print. Fruit, as defined by Jesus in John 15, is none other than that which produces the seed which grows from His body; The CHURCH! We are “little Christs”, that’s what “Christian” means, we are born of the, “incorruptible seed” and we must reproduce. We attach to Christ through His body, the church. Good works enhance that, see Titus 3:14, but they are NOT the fruit. The fruit is more souls won for Christ, which form the church, period! The problem is many para-church organizations, that started out right have caved in to secular pressure, gone the route of humanistic good works and, in my opinion, do more harm than good.

If there is one thing I’d do for the church it would be to move it to a level of faith sufficient to trust God to solve the social problems of the world through it, NOT GOVERNMENT, and their faithless associates in much of the para-church realm.  If what we give government in taxes, for the work we are supposed to do, was used through the church, both the blessing that follows, and the efficiency of properly motivated workers, would be manifold. We work with some of the best para-church organizations on earth! God bless them! Because until the church becomes what God intended it to be, we need the good ones, but those that no longer proclaim Christ?  May a lightning bolt hit them, and may that same zap move the churches that refuse to act to action! There, that’ll sir something up! Kablunk! Kablunk! I’m done.

November was, for me, a month of permanent ‘jet lag’. I started the month out on the east cost of the US, New York, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and ended it on the west cost, both North and South of Los Angeles, with a trip for turkey back with my mom in Illinois. Both were 8 day trips, I get two weekend services that way, and out east kept busy Friday, Saturday as well as Monday. I got back to Cambodia after the first stint just in time to miss the NW Medical Missions Dental and Construction Team, an met up with Craig Muller and a Warm Blankets contingent along with Lou Binninger of Glad Tidings Church. After their departure I spent the next frantic 4 days trying to ‘kick start’ the construction of the rice mill facility and storage bin with rice dryer. The drying bin is to be built in conjunction with our rice mill, and because it is technology that has not yet hit Cambodia, all the support items needed to be either built in country or imported. My Son Emil (Electrical Engineer) helped me figure out how to run the 60cycle 460 volt dryer motor from the US on 50 cycle 400 volt Cambodian juice (see kids can come in handy!).  Paul Mok (mechanic ‘par excellence’), newly married this month, managed to squeeze enough ‘honeymoon time’ out of his schedule to help me manufacture 5 bin jacks, a center jack, a 60 foot high bucket elevator, and overhaul the rice mill engine (out of a Russian bulldozer). Why was he unhappy about this? Some people’s priorities?!! We cobbled together an unloading system, poured concrete and are already building. Fact is; I am sooo anxious to get off this plane and get that bin ‘a rising in the sky’ that my beloved wife and daughter may see even less of Dad this month. Paul Mok and I may share the same dog house.

As usual, busy month! We had a couple of new church dedications, harvested our rice at the training center, Benny Hinn Ministries was here to host a Christmas party for the homes they support, Bob Hollandsworth stopped by to check on the steel building his ministry donated, (40’ x 60’) which will serve as a roof for our rice mill (see picture of building next to bin picture). We took 48 of our church leaders, Divisional Superintendents and District Supervisors, by bus, truck and air to Penang Malaysia for the Eastern Council of Foursquare Churches meeting. There were 19 countries and around 400 people present. Many of our group had never before been out of Cambodia. What a contrast! Malaysia can hardly be described as a ‘third world’ nation, with six lane highways and sky scrapers. It was a great time to build awareness of the fact that they are part of a big family and reinforce a unity of purpose.

On a personal note Hannah turned 17 on Thanksgiving, (Nov. 25^th) an event I was sorry to miss, but I was replaced by my older daughter Chanta, who came for a short (Pictures in Website) visit, we passed in the sky going both directions. Also, November saw the arrival of Mr. Ryan Taggart, a nurse who will help in leading our many medical teams, giving Anna Blake some relief, and perform various and sundry other tasks. Great to have another slave!

Have a great Christmas!

Ted, Sou and Hannah,

Cambodia