Sina

BM:

Friday morning was my first experience teaching English to the children in the village. The teacher who leads the class is an incredible man of God whom I pictured below, his name is Sina. 

Sina lives a life completely sold out to Christ. I had the pleasure of spending most of the day with him and got to meet his family before heading to the school. He has three children, and his only son, David, is paralyzed from the waist down and cannot speak. His wife has also experienced brain damage since their third child and can no longer take care of herself. He cares for his family very much, and even with their conditions lives a missional lifestyle as a house church planter, English teacher, and prayer warrior. He had so many stories to tell me about healings and miracles that he's seen and how Christ has been using him to reach the villages around Kampong Chhnang. I don't think I've met anyone in Cambodia (or America) that leads a life as devoted and obedient to Christ as Sina has. He was a big encouragement for me, and taught me more about the power of prayer and persevering for Christ through trial and affliction. His ministry is supported by Mark and a local pastor, doing what he does would not be possible otherwise. Please keep him and his family and his bold proclamation of Christ to those who have never heard in your prayers.

Me and Sina

This morning I got to return to the church I worshiped with last weekend called Light for Living. We celebrated communion together and then had a fellowship meal after the service. I got a chance to talk more with my friend Pirun who wanted my help to advertise a benefit concert being put on by his church soon for those in poverty in Cambodia. I'll be inviting my students to it and some of the others I know from Mark's business. They're hoping to have a turnout of around 300 so be in prayer for that as well. 

Got to experience my first Cambodian wedding this afternoon as well. They're a lot different than American weddings. They're usually one of the only opportunities people have to get real dressed up in their communities so they go all out. They're pretty expensive affairs, but one of the ways that the bride and groom try to cover the costs is by inviting everyone they know. It is customary for the guests to pay between five to ten dollars which go straight to the newlyweds to help pay off all the costs. Usually they end up breaking even. They dance much different here too. You walk around in a circle and move your hands around in circular movements and don't touch anybody. With Father Mark and I being the only white people at the wedding, they made us dance, which was luckily easier than dancing at weddings in America :P but very strange nonetheless. It was still a fun experience and the Cambodians seemed to appreciate us being more than just observers. 

Pray for the week ahead for me. Got a full load of classes but a broken computer still so I can't rely on technology to help me teach anymore. Also am still in line to preach next Sunday at the youth group but still haven't thought of a message. Pray that God would draw me and FM's hearts closer to His and that we could learn what being sold out for Christ really looks like from people like Sina. 

Tons of food!

I was thinking about how pissed off the bride would be if this happened in America