Week 1 in review

Week 1 Dec. 26, 2011 - Jan. 1, 2011


After about a week of separation, the two parts of our ministry team reunited in Siem Reap. We are staying at the Green Park Village Guest House, which is next door to the local market and on the outskirts of the main tourist section.

Half of the team was immediately dispatched to a youth group at an orphanage, where they sang songs, gave a teaching and played games.

On Monday we visited a “slum” neighborhood that we are calling “The Village.” It is made up of wooden huts along a dirt path with 80 men, women and children living there. Our contact, Emmanuel, has been teaching the children English and about God for the past several months.

Emmanuel wanted us to expand the ministry to include the parents, teaching them the value of educating their children for a better future. The team’s approach with the parents was that we wanted to get to know them and to share a little bit of ourselves and our relationship with Jesus with them.

On Friday, we showed the villagers the Jesus movie and four women, one man and several children received Jesus into their lives!

Another ministry that Emmanuel is part of is an outreach to a prison drug rehab program. Every Thursday and Friday we will be visiting the 20+ inmates and sharing the love of Christ through music, food, testimonies, English teaching and games.

A fringe ministry we have also adopted is reaching out to the workers at our guest house. One of the amenities they provide is free transportation around the city. Since we’re only on the field about an hour at a time, the drivers have been staying with us at the locations and sitting in on our ministry time.

The son of the owner of the guest house, whose name is Som, has been interpreting for us at The Village. As he hears the word of God spoken we are praying for his transformation! Mom, another worker, takes us to the prison and joins in as we sing Making Melodies in my Heart.

Our hearts are opening to the people of Siem Reap, we are growing closer together as a team and we are seeing God’s Spirit move in this city. As always, we are praying for more!