Kids...tough love...grace

First problem with the kids in the house.

Let me give you a little background. I thought they were at a dorm.  Well, that was the way it started seven years ago but it has turned into more of a orphanage. Just like Sara said it would.   

it turns out that these kids have been there four years. Many bad habits. What happens is they get everything given to them so they don't know how to get along in the real world. Soe Pean (sorry if spelling isn't correct) is 17 and will not do any thing unless he is told.  Will watch everyone work but just sit there. So yesterday  I talked with Chinda about the situation. She said she knew. I asked why aren't you doing something about it. Her response: The only reason they are here is because of you. If I were here by myself I wouldn't have them.  

I did not come to do orphanage work. I came to do business. So after we talked for about two hours I decided he (Soe Pean) needed to leave for a few weeks. See if he liked living in the village with his family. Fishing and farming. I told him before he left that he had three choices.  Go home and be a farmer, find another orphanage,  or grow up and be the leader of the other two younger ones. It is Khmer New Year so school is out until the15th of April.  It is a good time for this to happen. I think it is a "God thing."  It is up to him to decide what he is going to do.  Pray along with us that the Lord speaks to him. In America we say "one bad apple spoils the box." Here they say "One bad fish make them all smell bad." Have to get ride of the bad fish.  

This was not a easy thing to do. It is so good to help. What a blessing. But sometimes tough love is the best love. I do know, that after today, everybody knows this is not an orphanage.  And on that, here is another note on a couple of orphanage here that were closed down. You can read it in the Phnom Penh Post English newspaper. You can get it online.

http://www.phnompenhpost.com

  

One of the orphanages is in Phnom Penh the other in Siem Reap. Both are Christian orphanages. Both closed because of sexual abuse by the directors. Both are being investigated for trafficking in children. Does not make Jesus look real good. 

So making the choice I had to make was very hard.  If you want to no more about orphans in Cambodia  email me and I will send links to those that are trying to really make a difference. Also John has some insight on it.

Easter was a hard day but also very blessed at church today. They showed Compassion of Christ. I don't care how many time I see that it always has a profound effect on me.  Where would we be if Jesus decided it was just a little to hard. If He chose not to go to the cross. We all no He could have. But He didn't. I whine when things don't go my way. He didn't say a word as they scourged Him to death. 

I am so unworthy of his grace. I am so blessed He doesn't see it that way.     

The stone was rolled away! And I am in Cambodia!

God bless you all.

Pray for Soe Pean.  

On a lighter note this gives a whole new meaning to getting mileage out of your moto.

Last one of me. very hot today 42c  107f  And April doesn't start for for a few more hours. Then starts to cool off.  By June you are really looking forward to rain. Hasn't rained since Christmas. When they say rainy seanons and dry seasons they mean it.

Bye for now from God's country. But then, it all is!

Mark

mtmasingale@gmail.com

Pics

The first picture is my bed room outside on deck.  

6:49 am and 90 degrees already. Been around 104 every day and getting hotter. April is the hottest.

Next pic business license. Got it two days ago. 

Smoker is coming along. Have two people on it. The smoker needs to be done in two weeks. Equipment should arrive here around the 10th of April. Smoker is double blocked with mortar between them. 

Next is kitchen. Almost done. Doing floor now. He said two weeks, so maybe by the end of next week.

Last one of electric. Done well. Everything I had to hire electrician for expensive. Well for Cambodia. One of the only things for which you need to have a license. Chan will finish it all up. 

Things should be done it time for equipment!

Five!

Wonder what would happen if we tried this type of study in our fellowships?!?

D.

___________________________

I would send this to more people but have not gotten email addresses from others since my gmail went down on my old account!

Tonight was the most amazing Bible study since I have been here in Kampong Chanang. They don't do things like we do. They read a chapter then someone tells them what it means. I have been trying to work something new so all have input and others can see what God is doing in there life.

So last night we read about Jesus being rejected in his own town. Even after they saw Him do miracles and heal the sick. So I asked everyone to write down five things that Jesus has done in their lives that only Jesus could do. They are one family so you would think they would know what has happened in each others lives. But as we read what Jesus had done, they were anazed at what they didn't know about each other. 

It was truly a God-thing. 

They want to keep trying this out. Only read a little bit and each of them tell what it means in their life. Wow!   Pray that the Holy Spirit keeps working in ways we don't expect! 

Here is a photo taken at Channa's house.     

As you can see it's a hard life but somebody has do it. Might as well be me :)

I love Cambodia!      

God bless each one of you,

Mark

mtmasingale@gmail.com

bolted tires...

Was good to talk with everyone. So good to see others coming down to take time to pray with me.  Wonderful to have Mosaic Fellowship get together each Tuesday at five in the evening for this special time.  The Lord is so good. Everything is coming together just the way He wants. Waiting on the Lord with the right attitude makes all the difference in the world. 

The Japanese students left yesterday. It is good to see the Lord move. Neither of them were Christians but after the girl spent two days at Channa's house she now wants to know more about Jesus.  Channa told her how the Lord has changed her life and I have been a blessing to her family.  

Wow! Don't even no what I have done. But the Lord knows!   

I do know that there was huge impact because when she left she was crying. Can't wait to hear what Andy has to say about it.  

Here a couple of pics of the the Japanese. And couple of the smoker things are getting done. Slowly. That's life here. Slow.

That last pic is of a truck tire they fixed. Not sure I would want it on my truck. But it just shows that they use everything until it is no good and completely worn out. The patch is on the inside too. Bolted together. I bet it holds.

God bless you all,

Mark

Gotta love the people!

One of the smokers being built

A bolted together patch

x

Beyond Christianity Seminar

This is the seminar Mark attended.

SATURDAY, March 16

3:30-5pm: Introductory Session

(Option: Join a group for dinner after the session)

SUNDAY, March 17 

9am-10:30: Session #2

10:30-11am: Coffee Break

11am-12:30pm: Session #3

12:30-1:30: Lunch Together

3pm-4:30: : Session #4

(Option: Join a group for dinner after the session)

________________

The seminar was about "How do you take Jesus to the Buddhist, Hindu, and Muslim culture?" 

Wow!

What happens now is if they convert to Christianity they are shunned in the village.  If they are young they will not have any thing to do with them in most cases. Where is Jesus in that?  It has been something I have been struggling with ever since I first came here to Cambodia. I don't have answers but would like to find them.   

When I am in Cambodia I want to be Cambodian. That's what I love about the people and the country. But no matter how much I want or how long I am here I will never be one. I will never be fully Cambodian. And no matter how hard I try some things will still get to me.    

Like "TIME."  If you make an appointment at 9:00 that means it could be any time after 9:00. Usually within a hour. But not always. In the States we have day planners. Some even have month planners. And we keep to them pretty close. As a business man I always wanted to be the first one there. That's what I was taught. That your time was as important as mine. Maybe more.    

But here they look at it differently. They know that you had something important to do so they will wait on you. Because you are important. I do okay with "TIME" ninety-five percent of the time. Chinda and I have a saying, 'Cambodian or American time.'

So what I am trying to say is you can not take over one thousand years of culture out of people. Everything in Cambodia has to do with belief, songs, statues, and Wats (temples). It would be like trying to make us French. We could adapt, but we would never be French.

So what to do I? 

This conference left me with more questions than answers. I talked with Pastor John about this before I went. He brought up a phrase i hadn't heard. It is "A Jesus Follower." Well, that was the word most used at the conference. Saying when you can go to the Wat and pray to Jesus you will still be part of your community. Let them see what Jesus is doing for you! Wow!

 

This is happening in Thailand In Chiang Mai. One of the men talking is from Navigators and has lived there for nine years. Hiss name is George McBride. His email is GEORGE.MCBRIDE@SERVETHAILAND.COM. If you want to know more about what he is doing. 

As for me I believe something needs to done or we will never reach the masses. But it is not for me. I will pray about it.  One thing that can happen when you start to go in that direction is the church is not going to be happy. Why? They are being  taught by the West that you go to hell if go back to a Wat.  So there are many things to consider. My mission here is to do business. And in doing that, you don't want to upset anyone. They are your customers.

  

This ministry has to be done by someone that God has truly called. It could a rough road and if you haven't been called to this type of ministry, it could get very lonely. I know what I need to do is to open the door. For someone to understand what needs to done. As I said, the seminar leaves a lot of questions.   

Please pray about this!  

I have copy of the forward to the conference. It is very good. If any one wants it email me and I will send it to you  

God Bless,

Mark

mtmasingale@gmail.com

Fish filters for Jesus!

What a way to start a week!   

Set all three bases for the fish filter. Not a big deal. But it is here! It is 40c. 104f. Hot!

God has a way of letting us know we are on the right track if we will listen and wait.  

Patrick has been in Kampong Chanang for nine years. He helped start a Christian English school. It is making a profit. They are turning it over to Life for Living Church. I happen to attend that church along with three others.   

He has a farm with large pond on it. 25 yds x40 yards. That's where the filter is. He is going to stock it and I am going to show him how to do it.   

Solar is being used to run a 24 volt water pump. 2500 gph. They have ten times the size garden now. They said they would keep me in veggies!  

The first filter will be working in about two weeks.  

God is so good! 

Patrick wants to do filters in the other surrounding villages. Be able to talk with them about Jesus while he is helping them. What is great is he has his own support.

Andy is bring 2 more Japanese students on Sunday. They are going to spend two !     

God Bless

Mark

mtmasingale@gmail.com

Waiting....

An update

Not totally sure what to write. I had a long stay of visiting my family so did not get on much to post news from Mark in Cambodia. I will try to convey what he has told me by way of email and skyping when we get a connection.

Mark is doing well.

One major point of pray is for all the appliances to arrive in good order. The time frame is much different from here. Unable to just go down to the appliance store and get it delivered and going in one day.

Have to order and then wait. And at times wait even longer.

Rather like us waiting.

And so while Mark is waiting, he is learning and continuing to make relationships with people in the village. He went to a conference a couple weeks back which he said was good.

We would like prayer that we could have better lines of communication. Skype has been temperamental, at best, lately.

Marks new email:

mtmasingale@gmail.com

As soon as I get some more pictures and words from Mark to post on this blog, I will.

Thanks for praying over all involved in this ministry.

Continuing to joy in the journey,

David