I wanted to write and give you an update on the Bible schools I mentioned before. Two weekends ago concluded both the Krung and Jarai Bible Schools. This is the 9th year of Bible school and the 2nd year that both the Krung and Jarai have had the Bible school in their own respective languages.

I was able to spend the week out in O Chum with the Krung. 7 church leaders taught the students who gathered from surrounding churches. It was incredible to see 8-9 different churches represented and over 30 people listening to the final week of Jesus’ life being taught from the book of Matthew. These church leaders were sent and supported by their churches and the others who came did so at their own expense. They learned about the characteristics of a leader both negatively from the Pharisees and positively from the beauty of Christ’s own example, the Shepherd laying down His life for the sheep.

It was also a fantastic opportunity to get to know the believers from these various churches. You get to just live with them for 5 or 6 days in a row: eating, sleeping, and bathing as well as the teaching sessions. We awoke each morning to the thump, thump of villagers husking their newly harvested rice fresh from the fields. I can’t help but reflect and rejoice that these believers and this Bible school is the harvest of many years of diligent work by the missionaries here in this province.

This example of a diligent farmer is in fact one of the illustrations Paul uses in 2 Timothy as he exhorts Timothy to endure and to train faithful men. This is the book that will be taught in the province wide Bible school this weekend. This session is kind of the Bible school for the teachers. Please pray that these men will take the exhortation to be steadfast and seek to train up faithful leaders themselves. You can also pray specifically for me as I teach. This will be my first time formally teaching adults in Khmer.

Our family is doing well. Lydia is keeping busy rearing our beloved children and keeping house. God has seen fit to give us a season of better than average health for which we are very thankful. Thank you for your prayers for us in this regard. You can however pray for our co-workers the Moody’s who are having to return to the States for a while in order for the doctors to find out the reason for their daughter’s poor health over the last several months.

We glory that our God is always faithful. He is truly a great God and we are so awed to be called by His name. We hope this finds you growing in His grace and in the knowledge of our Christ.