FOURSQUARE CHURCH
FOURSQUARE CHILDREN OF PROMISE
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CAMBODIA
FOURSQUARE CHURCH FOURSQUARE CHILDREN OF PROMISE
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FCOP Update -- July 2006Dear Friends and Family, Perspective is everything! We really do get a narrow field of vision from our own eyes. Some people actually feel sorry for us for giving up all the comforts of life in the US for Cambodia. You are all familiar with Jesus saying, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life.” (Mk. 18:29-30) Now, I’ve gotten pretty good payback, just as I was promised. On Father’s day (I didn’t even know they knew about Father’s day in Cambodia!) I had more than 100 kids get up in church and sing to me. Then, one orphan wrote this: Dear Lovely Pa and Mak, Happy Father's day! It is 7 years now that I have been working and living with you. Pa, you are great father! I am living as an orphan life for years, I have never feel the taste of father at all, but you give me this taste....more than that you gave this taste to more than 3000 orphans. Pa, thaks for your grace to me, give me new chance to growth up in life( spiritual and body). Without you I don't have today life and I don't know how my life gone na be...one of my cousins he has AIDS, another one went to jail from crime, he kill many people. I thank God and you so much! I am staying away from those kinds of problem. On behafl of 3000 kids I thanks you and Mak! this point make my tears come...I may have aids or go to jail for some reasons..but you are so bless to me. I wish I could share my testimony of your greatest work in Cambodia some day As for me and my family I will serve the Lord. I love you so much....you are great great father and I honer you for acting as father. I countinuely pray for your work and your health, family and wisdom.
Love Your Son, Now, that can bring tears to your eyes! But, perspective?? Have you ever considered those left behind? What about the family I left. How do they feel? I guess I have not given it much thought, but I have been an absentee father and grandfather. Sou and I have been in Cambodia for the birth of all our grandchildren (five). Most of them don’t recognize me. And though my children have been very supportive of our adventure, I am sure it must hurt them. They don’t get the payback that we do, yet I know they have paid a price. So, “Thank you!” To: All who ‘let go’. Not that I don’t get bummed out, I was practically brain dead, glazed eyes staring at a glowing computer screen. Try as I did, I could not bring myself to tackle the 11 building applications for a key donor, and the 150 pages of project reporting that was being requested by a supporting foundation. The tank was empty. Leave it to a wife to recognize the drain. “Why don’t you and Peter (the national church president) get out of town and gather the information needed for the building applications?” I felt an immediate surge of energy, called Peter, and we were on the road in an hour. We drove 600 kilometers, visited 6 new homes and a fish production training center over the next two days, and came back totally rejuvenated. I finished the applications, wrote abbreviated versions of the requested reports, and still feel good. http://www.missionreports.com/tedandpetertrip The biggest boost came from visiting a new church/home that is just beginning to fill with orphans. There are two brothers there, eight and ten years old. They were the children of a laborer at a rubber plantation. Their father died of AIDS, and the plantation told the mother she’d have to leave the property. She had no place to go, as she was HIV positive. She knew no one would take the boys if she was with them, so, she disappeared, leaving instructions for the boys to go to their grandparents. The problem is grandpa and grandma didn’t want them, so they wandered over to an uncle, he refused to feed them even though they hadn’t eaten in two days. Tired and discouraged they just started walking. It became dark and they didn’t know what to do. There was a new building along the road with a concrete fence. The gate was locked, there were no lights, and a wind driven storm began to pour down. The boys found that by huddling along the wall, on the leeward side of the building, most of the rain blew over them, but the dog inside the property knew there were intruders nearby and began an incessant bark. They heard shouts from the residents, and then a hail of rocks started flying over the wall in their direction. Fortunately, the trajectory of the stones was over their heads due to the height of the wall. Cold, wet, and too tired to care, they fell asleep. At dawn the dog was still barking. The curious resident came to investigate and found the boys curled together sound asleep. He was the pastor of the Ou Rang Oue church/home. Thousands of square miles, only two church/homes in the province, and they ‘accidentally’ fall asleep at the wall? Who says there is no God? Fed, clothed, deloused, and reconciled with their stone throwing fellow orphans, the boys are very happy to be the newest residents of the home. Peter and I were happy to meet them. Busy month as usual, and except for the first day of the month, and four days in the middle, while I attended a mission board meeting in Indonesia, I was in Cambodia for June. The tractor factory kicked out two new “mud hogs” which are performing beautifully in the rice fields of Cambodia. One of the hottest growth segments of the church is among the garment factory workers, mostly young women. Dozens came to Christ this month.
It was a bountiful month for food support, and
we want to thank the donors. These truly are
“Gifts of life!” http://www.missionreports.com/feedmystarvingchildren http://www.missionreports.com/bcrgaafwr Fence builders from the North Central California District of Foursquare Churches under the leadership of Phil Jones blessed the Phsar Leu Church home with new security, and a face lift. Thanks Team! http://www.missionreports.com/phsarleu_june06 Three or four kids can tear up a house; imagine what 30 or 40 can do? Thank God for work teams! The students and faculty of Life Pacific University put in some slave labor renovating the Ta Gnoak Church/home. That was a real lesson in servant leadership! Thanks! http://www.missionreports.com/life_pacific_06 One of the great successes of June was the reconciliation that took place between two key district leaders at the “Training All Pastors” session. First 24 key leaders met to study then they trained 130 trainers of trainers. Gossip is as deadly as a bullet and maybe more cruel. It isn’t always malicious, but can still be devastating. A district supervisor’s wife made a comment in jest, and it was repeated as a serious indictment. By the time it reached the ears of her best friend, the wife of another supervisor, the damage was beyond repair. Two families that had been closer than blood relatives no longer could be in the same room. Peter was distraught. He did not know what to do. The cancer had begun to grow. Sou spoke to the supervisors. She spoke on the ‘spirit of murder’ and ended with foot washing and communion. It was a good day for Kleenex sales, as there was not a dry eye as the two enemies hugged and forgave one another. God is good! All the time! http://www.missionreports.com/pastoral_training2006/index.htm That’s a good word to end on. Have a great month! Blessings!
Ted, Sou and Hannah Olbrich, |