Open Doors; Open Hearts

“And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains." Colossians 4:3

Inside a Pagoda (Buddhist Temple)
when we went for a burial of a friend of
my friends' father

As a Daniel learner*, apart from learning language and observing the culture around me, one of the other things I am required to do is to read about the Cambodian history.  In January I started a reading marathon of reading one book a week and it has been heartbreaking to read about the Cambodian history.  When I was reading Killing Fields Living Fields by Don Cormack, there were times I would put the book down and just cry.  The book focuses on the history of the church in Cambodia but also mentions what the whole country went through especially during the Pol Pot regime.  Before Pol Pot in April 1975, the church had grown to about 10,000 believers only to be trimmed down to about 200 believers at the end of that very dark period in Cambodian history in 1979.  And like the terror they went through was not enough, the church underwent another 10 plus years of persecution from the government being denied

freedom of worship and some of them being put into prison because of the name of Jesus.  One thing that encouraged me as I was reading is that God is Sovereign over the nation of Cambodia and He is not blind to what they went through in the hands of the fellow countrymen.  What the devil intended for evil, God turned it for the good of the church in Cambodia and used it to save many people as many of them started to question their Buddhist beliefs and came to find answers only in Christ.

My language teacher and me during a cultural visit  to a school. Unfortunately we went on a day when there  were no pupils.

My language teacher and me during a cultural visit 

to a school. Unfortunately we went on a day when there 

were no pupils.

A typical Cambodian countryside home

         

One thing I thank the Lord for right now, is that the doors for the gospel in this country are open.  That does not mean that the Cambodian Christians still don’t go through persecution in the hands of the fellow countrymen – whether direct or indirect.  The other day I asked my Khmer friends what is one of the challenges in sharing the gospel in Phnom Penh and they said it is closed doors.  They explained that in the countryside, people live in community and there are no gates or high walls.  What that means is that people are accessible unlike here in the City of Phnom Penh.  Also, with the horrific things the country/people of Cambodia have gone through, it is only obvious that their hearts become untrusting and suspicious.  But who can blame them really?

 Therefore: -

• Pray with me that not only an effectual door of ministry be opened but also that the hearts of the Cambodian people be opened to the gospel.  Pray for all who are serving here in Cambodia – ministries and churches.

• Pray that the believers in Cambodia will unite as one and join hands to see the Kingdom of God come to Cambodia.

• Thank God for an open door to my neighbor’s house who has continued to help practice language and even taught me how to make one Khmer dish.  Also thank God for the grace he has continued to give me as I learn the Khmer language and culture.  Pray for more opportunities to interact with Khmer people.

*OMF term for those who are learning language and culture before they launch into their respective ministries.  It was adapted from the book of Daniel.