Five months in Cambodia!

It's hard to believe we have been here for five months now! The past few months have been a great experience filled with opportunities, challenges, joys, sorrows and a lot of work. We thank God for all of these, for through them we have grown closer in our walk with Him and in our ties to each other.

Opportunities

Before coming to Cambodia, we had made contact with a church here who was looking for someone to lead their youth work. We came by faith, not knowing whether this relationship would come to fruition or not. It pleased God to do so, and in September David started working in this role with the International Christian Assembly (ICA). This meant a much busier schedule, but it's worth it. Because of his position there, David has had many opportunities to teach the Word and preach the Gospel, in gatherings that ranged from small bible studies (10-15) to larger groups (100-150) at churches, schools and youth retreats.

Meanwhile, we continue to work at Hope International School—Taara as high school music teacher and David as counsellor. Hope's purpose is to teach and support children whose parents are ministering in Cambodia, and for us it is an honor to be able to serve these brothers and sisters who are giving their lives for the expansion of the Kingdom of God in this country.

Challenges

We are still in the process of adapting to our new context. We had a tough time when we arrived, because the place we were going to live in was not ready for us and would not have been suitable for our family. As such we had to hastily find a solution in terms of housing, which meant we ended up spending much more on our monthly rent than we had budgeted for (almost twice as much). The good news (though bad in terms of adapting, especially for the kids) is that in March of 2015 we will most likely be moving again, since the school will be relocating to the North end of town. We are already looking for our new house, which Lord willing will have a much lower rent.
 
One of the other main challenges we have faced here is in regards to our health. Since arrival, all of us have been hit by the "Pol Pot purge", as it is facetiously known in the missionary community in Phnom Penh. But we have had other illnesses as well that caused a little worry, including a suspicion of dengue fever with Elena, which turned out to be nothing more than a bacterial infection, cured with antibiotics. With our family of six it might be hard for all of us to be healthy all the time, but we hope that as our bodies adapt to our new reality our health will grow stronger as well.

Joys

At the end of November we were joined by David's parents, Solano and Betty Portela, who came to visit their grandkids (and as a bonus got to see their son and daughter-in-law as well). After a few days visiting the school, the church, and our neighbourhood here in Phnom Penh, David and Solano left for South Korea to participate in the International Christian Educator's Conference (ICEC Asia 2014). At the conference, David presented his lecture on Social Media and the Shaping of 21st-century Minds, which was well-attended and well-received. He also had the opportunity to network with representatives of other Christian schools in Asia, particularly in the area of youth pastoring and counselling.

We are also joyfully looking forward to Taara's parents' (Eldon and Ruth Gamble) arrival next February. They will be spending about a month with us, and during part of that time Taara will be travelling with the Hope camp and David has received an invitation to speak in Japan—we thank God that Eldon and Ruth are career missionaries who will be able to survive for a few days on their own in a new country (and will, of course, enjoy their time with the grandkids)!

Sorrows

Two months ago, a Brazilian family connected to the school suffered an unimaginable loss—the death of their 21-month-old daughter in a tragic accident. David was involved in the process of supporting the family—going with them to see the body, helping with the arrangements for the funeral and translating the sermon to Portuguese. He continues to meet the parents for ongoing counseling and encouragement. We praise God for the opportunity to weep with those who weep and to bring the comfort of His word to their hearts.

We also feel sorrow as we are faced with the tremendous need for the Gospel that exists among the young people we work with. While we understand we won't always see the fruit of the seeds we plant, it is our hearts' desire that the Word of God will reach these hearts, so many of which are in rebellion to God in spite of the Christian context around them. This sadness turns into joy and praise to the Father when we are blessed to see the Spirit work and to behold a new birth.

Projects for 2015

In January and February, David plans to start studying khmer with a christian organization called Gateway to Khmer, who specializes in teaching the language to missionaries and NGO workers. It will be a heavy load (15 hours a week) and it is not cheap ($450 for the first module), but we believe it to be a necessary investment into our ministry in this country. The hardest part will be continuing to meet all the ministry needs during these weeks!

Our goal with the youth work at ICA is to prepare them to be part of the Church, wherever they may be. As such, we have explored topics such as "Identity in Christ", "What does it mean to love God with all your heart, soul and mind", "Can we be good without God?", "The purpose of the Church", "Gifts, talents, and service", among others. In 2015 David will be doing a 12-week series on the history of the Church, followed by Francis Schaeffer's 25 Basic Bible Studies. We hope this content and the relationships that are forged in its study will contribute to growth among these young people, bringing them closer to our Lord and enabling them to act as part of the Body of Christ.

At the same time, our work teaching and counselling at Hope International School will continue. The move to a new location will certainly bring new challenges in terms of commuting. Taara will be working in the new campus, but David will have to divide his time between campuses in the North (primary and high schools) and South (primary only, where Lucas and Elena will continue to study until the end of the school year).

Thank You

Our gratitude goes out to all of those who have supported us this year, both materially and spiritually. Your prayers have strengthened us and your contributions have allowed us to continue and expand our ministry here in Cambodia. We pray our Lord's richest blessings over your lives, and wish you a joyful Christmas.

Firmly in our Lord's grip and forever trusting in Him,

David, Taara, Lucas, Elena, Lisa and Leila

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