The Welch’s Grapevine

for the Glory of GOD!

April Greetings from Cambodia!

Praise the Lord God Almighty. His name is higher than every name ever named. His steadfast love and mercy goes on forever to all people in every place. His glory is beyond what we could ever think or imagine. There is no god like our God.

We send you news of happenings in the Kingdom of God within Cambodia. Without the Lord, we could not be bearing fruit for His Vineyard. Without the encouragements, support, prayers and love you lavish on us our work would suffer. We always thank God for your participation in His work in Cambodia. Please don’t stop praying for our ministries.

Khmer New Year tradition requires soak everyone with as much water as possible

Khmer New Year tradition requires soaking everyone with as much water as possible

Cambodia has so many national holidays. It seems like every month we write to tell you about another one. April brings the Khmer New Year three-day holiday, a celebration like our Christmas and New Year rolled into one. Gifts are exchanged. Traditional games are played. Water is splashed on all. It is a time for all Cambodians to return to their hometowns and celebrate with their families. Foreign workers often use the break from work as an opportunity to travel too. However, we enjoyed the peace and quiet of an empty house and city by relaxing at home. Please pray that all the Cambodian Christians stand steadfast in their faith when they return to the strong influences of their Buddhist families and friends back home.

SNACK children receive gifts bought from funds donated by the Ladies Class at Sunset Church of Christ

Fruit basket gifts for the village and commune chiefs

The SNACK Program celebrated Khmer New Year with gifts for the staff, the village leaders and the children. Each staff member got a new T-shirt. The village and commune chiefs received fruit baskets and the children received a variety of items including, masks, notebooks, pens, pencils, nail clippers, toothbrushes and toothpaste. We really enjoyed the grace of giving as each gift produced a smile and a thank you. We’re especially grateful for the funds provided to bless these children with gifts. Please pray that the goodwill produced by the holistic efforts of the SNACK Program ministry will continue to open the homes and hearts of all the villagers, both children and their families to the praise of God’s glorious grace.

The SNACK staff have lots of New Year’s fun with some sporting their new T-shirts.

Khmer New Year gifts for the SNACK children

Early morning devotional time share by our staff and family

Early morning devotional time shared by our staff and family

Almost every morning we gather with the staff for a time of devotion and prayer. We read God’s Word, discuss God’s Word and commit to God’s will. Sometimes we practice telling Bible stories or parables from our memory, much as we do with the children and their families in the SNACK villages. Most importantly, we then discuss application for our lives. God’s Word is transforming us all as we hold His Word in the highest esteem. Please petition God for us all to grow in love and obedience to the will of God?

Lead evangelist and SNACK Program Operations Manager, Vanna sharing the Word

Dennis teaching disciple making to the SNACK staff

Our team of SNACK evangelists meets with us bi-weekly for a time of vision-casting and discussion of the work. We encourage one another in the Word and pray over our efforts to share the story of God from the creation to Christ among the people in Cambodia. We ask you to pray often that our efforts in the SNACK villages with bear much fruit for the glorious Kingdom of God.

Dennis and the SNACK Evangelists study God’s Word together for growth of the Kingdom of God

Theary helping a couple of young ladies memorize Bible verses

At a recent meeting with the evangelists they presented us with a request from some parents in a village. It seems that they are very concerned about the direction their kids are taking (sound familiar?). They asked our evangelists to help these teens. Our guys discussed and prayed about it and then came to us with the idea that on one day each week they would work with these teens. Furthermore, they decided that a guys group and a separate girls group would be best. They unanimously suggested that our Theary lead that group of young ladies toward true, abundant life in Jesus. This new ministry will start in May. Please bathe this in prayer!

Recently Dennis traveled to the countryside on an early Sunday morning to share God’s story, His Good News with some villagers. Many kids and adults gathered around to hear the story and ask good questions. We pray that our efforts to reveal the true Word to the Cambodian people bears fruit for God’s glory.

While he is in Cambodia, Dennis and Dale Lundy frequently meet together

Dale Lundy and Dennis frequently meet together

Dale Lundy, from the Saint Louis, Missouri area, has been serving in Cambodia a couple of months each year for several years, teaching at the Bible school, encouraging and teaching the church and encouraging the full-time missionaries. We enjoy sharing lunch together and discussing the work and the Kingdom. We enjoy other regular lunches with full-timers every week too. Please join our prayer that we will spur one another on to greater love and good deeds done in the name of Jesus.

A community of practitioners meeting together

One such get-together is with some guys who are also committed to disciple making and church planting. They share a vision with us that in our lifetimes all of Cambodia might have an opportunity to hear, believe, turn and be healed by the message of the cross. Please pray that we are effective practitioners of the Great Commission.

May 2nd we will depart Cambodia for a ministry reporting and fundraising trip. Our travels will take us to California, Washington and several places in Texas. We beg you to pray for the fruitfulness of this trip. Sharon will return to Cambodia on June 2nd while Dennis will travel on for two weeks of teaching and encouraging in Papua New Guinea with Sandy Detherage, returning to Cambodia on June 18th. Please pray that all of our ministries continues to exalt the name of Jesus and reveal God’s beautiful light is an ever-darkening world.