FCOP Update -- November 2005

Dear Friends and Family,

Hey! I just had an original thought. Yes, it really can happen! Maybe God allowed Paul to be put in prison so he could get some rest? What’da ya think?? I have to admit, the prospect has seemed like a pleasant alternative to me this past month. Nah! Just kidding! But, jail has been on the minds of many in Cambodia. A prominent radio personality was jailed for making “inappropriate comments” regarding the border settlement reached with Vietnam, the leader of the opposition party is under multiple indictments, a prince is being sued for his “inappropriate comments”, eight NGO’s were booted out of the country, the Monarchy was threatened with abolishment, and the military was turned out to prevent a coup. It is still tense here but, if I really wanted jail, I know how to get there. So, see! I was just kidding. One thing is for certain, Prime Minister Hun Sen is a strong man who is not to be trifled with. The government Ministry of Cults and Religions has banned all new church permits. The seat was purchased by a Muslim in this officially Buddhist nation. Go figure? In Cambodia everything does indeed have a price. One bright spot is the appointment of one of our pastors, Cheang Ka, the man whose wife was so terribly hurt in an accident, as the Director of Social Concerns for Bantemeanchy Province. BTW, his wife is now walking. PTL!  To view pictures from the past month click here   http://www.missionreports.com/nov_update05

We are nearing the end of the rainy season, which is usually the wettest time of the year. Mud, our old adversary, took its toll this month, greatly enriching or mechanic and emptying our pockets, on one trip to northern Cambodia, close to $1000 damage was done to just one vehicle with no accidents or major mechanical failure, just things like ball joints, shock absorbers, radiator, battery, etc. Still, I like mud better than dust. Construction has been a challenge due to the difficulty of moving things like cement powder, steel and bricks. Try moving concrete powder in an open truck in a monsoon. We had a construction team from Arlington Foursquare Church, Riverside, California, come and build the fence around the Rice Mill, http://www.missionreports.com/riverside05 which they paid for, and is chugging away at full speed of 10 tons per day. That is until yesterday, when the Russian diesel gasped, blew a big puff of white smoke, and died. The good news is that since diesel is three times more than L.P. gas, I had purchased a 100hp L.P. gas tractor in the US, which was sitting in the parking lot. We are now doing a speedy retro-fit. Thank God for our “Tractor factory”. They overhauled the tractor, but the real news there is that their first Cambodian 4x4 tractor is finished and ready for sale. It keeps 20 of our youth in employment and they have 12 more to build. The town that has formed up around the church and rice mill is called, “Rice mill that the foreigner built”. It now boasts about 50 homes, 8 stores, and a new 12 room high school. The Church/Home is now accepting orphans and the first batch is now settled in. The day I got there one small girl was sick with high fever and on an I.V. She was prayed for and sent off to a Siem Reap children’s hospital.

Wow! The Foursquare Foundation Programs, Training All Pastors, Saturation Evangelism, Music Evangelism and Medical Evangelism are really kicking into overdrive.  Remember, the area stricken by drought where the woman with a broken arm was healed? The week after the Cambodian Church visited the village 124 people showed up at the home group meeting. The pastor explained that he had no food for them. They responded that they were aware of that, but that they wanted to be part of a group that cared for people the way the church had. Virtually all of them received the Lord that day. That’s just one of the new groups springing up around the country. I have a few pictures posted, but most areas do not have cameras, yet! Yesterday, we distributed 20 new digital cameras to our District Supervisors, we hope it produces a lot of documentation.  http://www.missionreports.com/grants

Medical Evangelism got a boost from the Norwegian Foursquare Church They traveled to Rattanakiri province and slogged their way to three different locations. Doctors and nurses from Cambodia joined the efforts and in three days treated around 700 people. The pastors made sure everyone heard the gospel and many responded. The region is primarily animistic and the people practiced animal sacrifice. Anyone who saw the movie “Apocalypse Now” and recalls the sacrifice of the Water Buffalo will understand what I am talking about. For small ailments chickens are hung on a string, throats cut, and blood is spilled for atonement. Buffalo sacrifice is only for major events as they are prized possessions. A new church is being constructed in this region. http://www.missionreports.com/kiri_medical_2005

George Butron, my boss and friend (No! That is not an oxymoron.) from Singapore, brought Dr. Mary Ann Lind, Fulbright Scholar, author, and professor of Asian History at Biola University, to Cambodia early in October. She has spent the last three plus weeks gathering information for a book on the work here. Her trip was preceded by months of research, and now she returns to begin the daunting task of condensing the volumes of information she has accumulated into one concise book. It might be a little thick. Many people have been urging this project forward, and private contributions have funded it in entirety.  It’s a great story, if I do say so. Hey! I think I will read it myself. Yes, I can read! (a little)

Have a wonderful November!  We plan on it, if I stay out of jail. Do they serve Thanksgiving dinner in Cambodian jails??? Hmmm?

May God bless you each and every one! We thank God for you! We wouldn't last a day without your prayers and help.

"Pa Thom" (me), on behalf of the foreign contingent to keep you posted,

Ted, Sou and Hannah Olbrich

Anna Blake, Ryan Taggart, & Wendy Hicks