Shine
In the same way, let your light shine
before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your
Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:16
Evangelism: Nika’s growing faith in Jesus is
bearing fruit. We have been praying for her cousin, Pisay, she joins the Cell
group fellowship irregularly. God used Nika to share Jesus Christ’s salvation
and forgiveness. Pisay finally believes in Jesus as her Lord and Savior! We
rejoice and give thanks to God for His mercy and grace to Pisay. The three
children of Pisay came with her sometimes in our cell group. She is also now
praying that her husband will come to know the Lord Jesus. Nika with her
classmates at DTS went to Preah Vihear province for two weeks as part of their
evangelism class. When they came back to Battambang, she was not feeling well
yet she joined our Sunday cell group. We have eaten our lunch together at Shine
and then the following day, she was tested COVID positive. I need to do
self-quarantine also for a few days and praise God for His protection and
grace. We are all fine, those who were with us on that day, and Nika is healed
also.
Home Bible study: Mak Ya and Mak Chan were excited in our Bible study class; we listened and prayed for one another while holding each other’s hands. Mak Ya was not feeling well that day though but she was just fine. Then the following day they need to have a rapid test at home as several of the girls are getting sick. Ten were tested COVID positive including Mak Ya. So, we stopped for two weeks our Bible studies because Mak Chan got tested positive as well. They are all fully vaccinated. Again, I need to boost my immune system with Vitamin C and exercise. By God’s grace, I was just fine and we resumed our Bible study with excitement and thanksgiving to God for His healing mercies.
Banquet night at Shine this year was again special. 27 young people attended and were blessed by His Word in 1 Corinthians 13:8, “Love Never Fails.” Grateful to God for the help of Maria, a Filipina YWAM DTS student with Singim, Sopheak, Nika, and Gideon in the preparations. Nika and Maria are classmates in DTS class and stay in the dorm together. God is using Shine to help her adjust in Battambang as it is her first time in the country. She will be in the country until June, next month, and then will serve as a staff of the YWAM ministry in Mindanao, Philippines.
Womens’ Day: Kanhchany invited me to join the outing she organized with the women at her workplace. It was God’s beautiful gift to everyone as we enjoyed the beauty of nature by the river and garden in the Samlot district for a day. God led me to a young woman in the group whom I know for years now. She was sitting alone, we talked, and immediately she was in tears. So, I invited her to walk in a quiet place to help her process her emotions. She went through a lot as a teenage girl, and now that she’s in a relationship, the feeling of shame and inadequacies makes her feel guilty and dirty. However, God’s Word gave her comfort and peace. We prayed together and released forgiveness to those who hurt her physically and emotionally. And now I continue to pray for this beautiful woman as she prays to be a full-time servant of God.
Good fellowship: Singim, Dara with her husband, Sivhuern, son Sovathana, two aunties, Savy with baby Hannah, and Maly came to Shine for a lunch fellowship. It was a great time of togetherness, fellowship, and prayer as four of them are teaching in far distant places. Everyone was happy to catch up with one another. Dara and I spent time in prayer at Shine before heading to her school after Khmer New Year and it was God’s appointed time of encouragement as she is now making a difference in the lives of her high school students and fellow teachers.
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New Bible study contact: Saoheu is our new Bible study
student at Shine for two months now. He works at World Vision and was
recommended to study with me by a former monk but now a servant of God, Nan. He
is now leading a team in another district and Souheu is his staff. Sauheu heard
God’s Word in their office's devotion but have no time to dig deeper at work as
he is assigned to a community in a village. So, Sauheu is happy in expressing
how much he knows now about God, yet he is not ready to receive Jesus as His
God. We are done studying the attributes of God, and what is God-like. Next
week our lesson will be about how sin came into the world and the depravity of
man. Another World Vision staff joined last month in the Bible study class. His
name is Sarath. Everything now to Sauheu is information and gaining knowledge.
Let’s pray for transformation as the Holy Spirit speaks.
Motorcycle accident: My motorcycle collided with another motorcycle end of March. I saw myself flying away from the motorcycle. Someone came and picked me up. I was fully geared and I thank God for my backpack that protected me from that fell to the ground. The guy whom I collided with was driving fast and he didn’t see me because of the blind spot. Both of us were okay, so the bystanders nearby and the guy who helped me up suggested that we should leave and we shouldn’t wait for men in uniform to come as we will be both in trouble. When I reached home, I was traumatized by the accident and ended up crying, but with a grateful heart because again God proved to me His awesome protection amid the danger. God is good.
Pastors meeting: Evangelical Fellowship Cambodia (EFC) meeting went well, as we listened, encouraged, and prayed for the Pastors in the Battambang area. We met for two consecutive days. I met the core leaders on Friday morning as the head, Lukro Sano resigned as the main leader in December last year due to the current big responsibility at work. So, taking the initiative to meet the rest was something important, and I learned so much from these old Cambodian pastors. My presence as the only woman somehow brings balance, a woman of peace by God’s grace. Glory to God.
Meet & Greet: Cambodian Teachers Community (CTC) met recently at Shine for the first time in person. Pastor Pheakdey from Phnom Penh came also to speak about the goal of CTC, which is reaching and discipling the teachers. I invited some new Christian teachers from different schools and organizations in Battambang. Eight teachers came and were pleased with the Meet & Greet fellowship. They were encouraged by the opportunity and responsibility to evangelize their colleague teachers at work.
Please pray for:
1. BSOP
has raised the budget of each fieldworker by $50 because of significant inflation in Cambodia. This can only be
implemented when increased support comes in for each of us. Pray with us that
God will bless my current support team members as well as provide new partners
to join me in God’s work there in Battambang. Thank you!
2. Spiritual growth
of Sopheak, Pisay, and salvation of her whole family.
3. Good health, I
am under the weather these past few weeks.
4. Salvation of
Saohue.
5. House contract, it’s not yet done though my landlady signed it already. However, the seal from the village chieftain is not yet done.
6. Healing for my sister, Maria, she had a motorcycle accident yesterday.
7. CTC movement launch in Battambang on
June 3-4, next month.
The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him. Nahum 1:7
--
In
Christ,
Mary Jane G. Aragon
BSOP
Cambodia missionary
https://mjaragonbsop.blogspot.com
P.O. 369 Box
Battambang City, Kingdom of Cambodia
+855770305008
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