IBISR (International Bible Institute of Siem Reap)
God continues to look upon our preaching school with mercy and kindness in Cambodia. We are entering into our final quarter for the second year students. With that said we continue to restructure our curriculum to try and make this school self sufficient. This is a daunting goal, but Phanat (Director on site) continues to lead in this area. We have discussed many ways to help make this a possibility and are working hard in our short term and long term goals. We will continue to need your prayers on this behalf as we want to make the Extension school in Cambodia a self supporting, doctrinally sound and exciting place to study and preach God’s word. We are very excited about the plans ahead.
Plans Ahead
Here are just a few of the ideas that are already being implemented to aid in the success of the school: Having teachers teach one or two full days a week and then being able to work the others so that they can get off foreign support. Having new students pay for their own food (with some exceptions) this is the norm in Cambodia even though they are very poor. We hope to be able to arrange the schools schedule in a manner that allows the students to take a day off each week to earn some money or go home to help their families out. Phanat has a parcel of land near one of the villages and they will soon start learning to grow certain crops to eat and also sell in the market. Chann, a teacher at the school and also minister at the church in Siem Reap, is learning to raise pigs to sell. We have plans to have experts in this type of self supporting education go over and teach them how to become more self sufficient. This is a very exciting time for them as they see the benefits of being self supported and have hope in the physical nature as well as spiritual.
Prayerful Needs
Please pray for the work being done in Battambang. After many weeks of long trips and many hours of study the work has run into some resistance by some Pentecostal denominations of Korean persuasion. The ones who have been studying with our Christians apparently were in a group that does not agree with obeying just what the Bible says and they also have run into the common temptation over there as to “what will you give me if I join your church” mentality.
Churches
The largest congregation continues to be that in Siem Reap and is doing well. They continue to grow and teach the word strongly in Siem Reap. They are to be commended in their giving as they do not make much at all but they continue to help support their preacher Chann, the nearby Christian run orphanage, and some things regarding their building. Their confidence in the Lord is uplifting, encouraging and heartening.
The church at Leang Dai village is still growing and we hope to have some more young men from that village take a look at enrolling in the school of preaching.
The church at Takam continues to be one of the fastest growing congregations. Although it has slowed down some we continue to see interest in learning God’s word and they have many children growing up learning the Bible and the hope that God offers. We have 3 young men currently enrolled in IBISR who will go back to their home village of Takam and continue to work with that church. A young man named Lon, who will be graduating the first of August, has expressed interest in being a leader there and is a very good student of the word. Please pray for these young men and the church at Takam.
The church at Svey Reng needs your prayers as we have 3 graduates working with that small village. They are a long way away from the personal support in Siem Reap and must work very hard at penetrating the peoples hearts there.
Trip & Thanks
I will be traveling to Cambodia the last week in July and the first week in August. Please remember me in your prayers and support. I’m still amazed as to how fortunate I am to be in this environment and have you to thank for helping make it happen. It is good for me to remember how the One Church supports the good works in the mission fields. I look forward to reporting to you again as we see Gods Kingdom grow in both Spirit and in number in Cambodia!
Peace in Christ,
Wes Autrey, Cambodian Coordinator, BVBID