Burdens

Last year, Tom and I made a commitment to read the Bible together and pray daily. We realized that this commitment would be challenged by spiritual powers and by our own flesh! It has taken great grace to rise at 5:30 and often it ends up being later and rushed. Sometimes it's interrupted by children or phone calls - yes, can you imagine phone calls at 6:00 am??? Cambodians are up early! We have tried to keep it sacred. It is becoming more and more sacred as we see the fruit from this time in our lives and in our children's lives and in the lives of our church folks.

I often find myself burdened under cares - as all of us can be at one time or another. I know I'm supposed to cast my burdens on the Lord. But, in the busy-ness of the day, I often forget. I find myself taking on all those cares and my spirit is affected. I get concerned about my children - that I'm missing things, or I'm not being a good mother, or I'm not doing enough as a missionary wife or I'm falling short in this area or that. I won't expose ALL my concerns!

Oh, I know I'm not supposed to worry about those things. I could quote several verses about worry being sin. The temptation to worry is so great. Our human nature is consumed with figuring out the unknown or predicting and protecting ourselves from problems BEFORE they happen.

But today - as happens every day now, I got a nugget. I love nuggets from the Word. It really is like a treasure - like when you get a beautiful piece of jewelry and you hold it up to the light and watch it glimmer and shine and you admire it's beauty - but the nuggets from the Word are even better than that. I'm still turning my nugget around and around. In fact, the psalm that I read was chocked full today, but this one was like the Hope Diamond for me.

Psalm 68:19 was the nugget. I've read it in the KJV and it's always a comfort (blessed be the Lord God who daily loadeth us with benefits), but when my husband read it in the Khmer Bible, it was phrased a little different. It read"blessed be the Lord God who daily bears our burden..." and I was just struck. Why am I bearing burdens, when He bears them already? It was like He said - "I've got that one covered, you go on and do something else." Or, "why are we both carrying this burden?" I've been redundant and I hadn't seen it. I always seem to be ok with the bigger picture, but the little things I figured belonged to me. "Now," He told me, "can you see I've got the little ones covered, too? Yes, Lord, I do. I'm free to do Your will.

The trusting heart to Jesus clings nor any ill forbodes
but at the cross of Calvary clings, praise God for lifted loads

Singing I go along life's road
Praising the Lord, Praising the Lord,
Singing I go along life's road
For Jesus has lifted my load

The pictures show only some of what we've been doing this past few months. The pictures from Kampot are of a piece of property we were given by a church member in Phnom Penh to start a church and also to use the property to raise cattle to help the ministry be independent from the support of missionaries. The men working on putting up the fence around the property began the work of evangelism about 3 months ago. There has never been a gospel witness in that area and there are no Buddhist temples. Vibol, Tia, and Pheip have been teaching the folks in the village who are interested in learning about Christ. There has been a great interest there.

The Svay Roloum Church finished the walls and doors and windows in the church and are now working on getting the inside painted. We just baptized 4 people and welcomed them into membership last Sunday.

Please continue to pray for the many different ministries in which we are involved. Phnom Penh is growing as we have begun an intensive evangelism and discipleship program in two areas of Phnom Penh. Many people are showing a genuine interest in the gospel and are meeting during the week on their own for prayer time and fellowship and encouraging each other in the Lord. We are thrilled for this obvious work of the Lord. Two weeks ago, these folks brought a total of 67 vistors all of whom were presented the gospel.

We are excited about what the Lord is doing!