TIME—Things I Must Enjoy and Things I Must Endure.

(Series of Shine reports)

“Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,  and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.” Romans 5:3-4

I rejoice in God for He has a purpose in our suffering, and it is right to trust God even if the process seems long and difficult. These past months have been hard for many of us, but praise God for He is in control and faithful.

It gives me joy and encouragement to witness the changes in Nika’s life.  She is growing in her newfound faith, praise the Lord.  Nika has endured challenges in her life knowing that it is for her own good. She has finally decided to surrender to God her carved idols at home by getting rid of them. She shared and asked for prayer during our Bible study because her mother is starting to keep and worshipping them after getting rid of them out from her room. Since she was the one who purchased them, she shared the Gospel to her mother and father about the true living God. Recently, we burned these idols after our Shine Sunday cell worship. Nika gave her testimony before the burning of the idols and we pray together declaring God’s victory over Nika’s life. We were singing, He is The God of The City while burning it. God is evidently working in the life of Nika as she continues to study His Word. She invited another lady to our Bible study; her name is Lida, she has been studying Bible with us for two months now. Nika plans to enroll in DTS program at WYAM for 6 months early next year. By the grace of God, Nika is gifted a passion for sharing the Gospel of Jesus to unbelievers. Thus, listening to her every time we have a conversation brought me into tears because I can see myself in Nika’s burning heart for evangelism. Indeed, Jesus is actively working in transforming lives and calling people to do His work even in the midst of difficulty and suffering. Glory is all His.

Nika was pouring gas into the carved two wooden idols.

.Burning idols.

Praise & Thanksgiving:

1. Praise God for Shine's intentional discipleship, it birthed a cell Sunday worship for more than a month now.

2. Glory to God for His grace in Nika’s transformation.

3. Thanks to God for His sustaining grace and protection as I meet new and old contacts both in-person or virtual every day.

Prayer & Supplication:

1. Pray for the current Covid situation in the country, there’s a surge of infected people because of the Delta variant esp. in Battambang.  Some streets are in lockdown and all public markets for 14 days.

2. Pray for me, as I do series of reports. I have encouraging stories to share. Good health as tomorrow in is my second dose of COVID vaccine.

3. Nika’s spiritual growth as God is not done with her yet and salvation of her parents, this is her frequent request.

Nika and I after prayer, and behind us were the burning idols. 

“ But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  I Corinthians 15:57

In Christ,
Mary Jane G. Aragon
BSOP Cambodia missionary
https://mjaragonbsop.blogspot.com
P.O. 369 Box Battambang City, Kingdom of Cambodia

+855770305008