Easter Sunday is around the corner as we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Glory to the King of King!
We arrived back in Bangkok last week from Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam We had at first contacted the China Embassy in Hanoi and were informed that they could not grant any Chinese Visa if we come under a tourist visa to Vietnam as this is only done for those holding a work permit or resident permit in Vietnam. As such our original plan to go to Hanoi, has been cancelled, so we took a bus back to Bangkok just to apply for the Chinese Visa. The travel time from Ho Chi Minh to Bangkok is quite a long journey, about 22 hours, Praise the Lord for a smooth journey and we got our Chinese Visa in Bangkok immediately after we applied the next day!
We have booked our flights and will depart next Thursday for Macau where we will spend the first 2 weeks. We will depart to Guangdong by bus and from there take the train to XiangfanCity, Province of Hubei. The Lord has provided us with free accommodation during our journey and we will be able to stay on there for over one month. During our stay, I will be training the church leaders, evangelism, preaching and praying for the city.
After our mission in Xiangfan, we will be going to Nanjing and Beijing to have fellowship with the Christian communities for 2 - 3 weeks. We believe that God is going to transform China into a city which loves the gospel because the people are hungry to learn more about the Word of God.
Finally, we will go to Tianjin and settle down temporarily. I will seek for a job as an English teacher in Harbin and Jenny will be search for a course to study. Bro. Lee, my friend who offers his parents in-law home for us to stay, will also be providing us with free board as well. Blessed be our Bro, Lee and his family too.
Let’s get back to my report.
On 1st March, 2009, we went to Sa Kaew (eastern Thailand near the Thailand-Cambodia border) and spent quality time with Ajarn Anan and his family members together with Ajarn Pawpon. We visited a non-believer's home and shared the gospel with the husband and wife. She shared with us that she saw a shining white man standing in front of her and she felt curiosity about Him. We believe the white man is Jesus Christ as her husband was very ill. I prayed for the family as everyone laid their hands toward them and I believe that Jesus already touched her heart. The time has come for the Ajarn's to continue sharing the Word of God with them.
We would like to promote the above picture as Ajarn Anan’s wife makes these cloth dolls for decoration. I witnessed their joyful hearts on serving God full time and using their money to help the needs of people. She also taught Jenny how to make these dolls. If anyone is interested to buy large quantities of these dolls, please contact me for the arrangements.
On 5th March 2009, we travelled to Siem Reap, Cambodia. There we were invited to go to the school that is managed by an NGO. Then the school director invited me to teach English to the teenagers and I was given an opportunity to share about Christianity. They were so excited to find out who is Jesus Christ.
On the 7th March 2009, we went to Baray, Cambodia to continue doing my mission, as I had promised the local pastors in October 2008. Thus far, each time we have arrived to a new destination, we have been invited to attend a wedding ceremony! During our stay, we visited the primary and secondary schools as we spent time with the teachers and students there. They are so excited to see foreigners visiting their schools. When the local pastors saw us, they too were so excited to see me and to meet my wife for the first time! Praise the Lord as Pastor Kea shared with me about his padi field which gained a double harvest as he recalled that I had prayed for his field in October 2008 when I was there while his neighbors gained only a one time harvest. Others asked him how he gain a double harvest and he told them to “Trust the Lord”.
We met some obstacle during our mission in Baray. A mission team from DUMC Malaysia came to the centre to do some mission service, so we did not do much mission activity until they left for Phnom Penh. While they were in Phnom Penh, the mission leader gave a direct order to the local pastors through SMS requesting them to stop us from doing any activities there without any grounds or reason. When the local pastors saw the SMS, they were caught up between DUMC and myself. Although we never judge him, yet he would not talk to me directly but rather used a 3rd party to communicate. We would not know if he have his own agenda. All of us are working on one direction, it is to bring the Good News to people while increase their faith and love. They really desire me to train their young pastors, youth leaders as well also attend the church camp while we conduct water baptism for the elders. Due to this situation, we decided to shorten our stay in Baray.
Then we left Baray and continue our journey to Kampung Speu (Southern of Cambodia) whereby the place has no toilet and electricity. We were invited by Evangelist Moses who had stationed there for two months after his marriage. When we were there, we were informed that the villages are 100% follower of Buddhism and we spent some good time with the community people there. Moses able to gather the some people around and I share the Word of God to them by parable terms. Then all of them who attend accepted Jesus Christ as their savior. Praise the Lord! Then I met some men who love drinking alcohol and I shared wisdom Word of God to them. They started to wake up and they really want to stop drinking as they cried. We stayed for couple of days and then went to Phnom Penh. On Sunday, we received SMS from Moses and he told us that the people who drank alcohol went to the church. Let's give Glory to the Lord!
On the March 22nd, 2009, we took a bus from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam that we don’t need to change buses when we reached the border.
This is how Ho Chi Minh City looks like and enjoy the pictures and movie clip.
We were invited by Rev. Dung Nguyen, a Vietnam pastor to attend his mission cell group. I was delighted to share about my mission experiences as well the Word of God to them.
In Vietnam, the Christians are not allowed to share the gospel to the people, if the police find out, they will face many problems and for foreigners will be deported from Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh City is more relax city compared with HanoiCity. We must always careful with the situation there as well in China too. We must pray for Vietnam to open the door for gospel as well freedom of religion. Praise the Lord.
We do need your prayer support and also your provision support as our journey is getting longer this round. I hope that all reports that I send to you all will encourage you as the Lord lead all of us. Our God is Good, Amen!
