Without Walls

Hello everyone,

In this update we want to tell you about something we are building in Saang: not a building of concrete and wood and nails, but rather of faith and obedience to what God is speaking. In fact, our hope is that it will actually be “a building without walls!”

For some time now, we have seen that our Foundation Center in Saang will become a church. But this is the year that seems right to begin the church-planting process. No pun intended, this is a big step for In His Steps!

Since early spring, we have been working on the necessary applications with the government and a local Christian network (the Evangelical Fellowship of Cambodia) to officially establish the church. Although we have been told that it may take some time for our government application to be accepted, we believe that in the right time God will make a way.

Meanwhile, we have begun holding weekly Sunday services at the Foundation Center. Local Christians have shown great interest: attendance has been good and the foundation that is being laid is strong. We will continue to teach and disciple those who will be church leaders, raising them up in their giftings so they can minister effectively.

When we say we want our church to be without walls, we mean that it should be much more than a “Christian club”. Our prayer is for a church made from and ministering to the community: an established group of local believers that reaches out to everyone they meet with the love of Christ. That’s why it will be named “Gospel Community Church.

Why is it not enough for NGO’s (non-governmental organizations) such as In His Steps to minister in Saang? Why is it necessary for a church to be planted? We believe God’s heart is to raise up the Cambodian Church, not just in Saang but across the nation. There may be a time when God calls IHSI to a different village, province, or even country, but with a strong church already in place, ministry to the community doesn’t have to stop. God is faithful and he wants to be faithful to the hurting and those in need through his global Church, including the church in Saang. 

We’d appreciate your prayers for the planting of Gospel Community Church of Saang, that it would truly be a light to the community that is rooted and grounded in Christ!

 

God bless,

IHSI

Teamwork

Chim-reap-suah! (“Hello” in the Khmer language)

These past few weeks have flown by here at In His Steps… On Tuesday we said goodbye to an outreach team that was visiting us from our New York home church. The team was made up of nine teens and adults. For three of them, it was their first time in Cambodia!

The team did many things in their short time here, including leading a children’s VBS, taking our Loaves and Fish orphans on a fun field trip to a museum and water park, helping with Foundation Center repairs, and preaching at our new Sunday morning services in Saang. They also led games, performed dramas, and spoke at our weekend youth programs, taught English and guitar, led devotions for our Sak Saum women, and much more. In other words, they were quite busy!

At the end of all IHSI outreaches, we hold a “love feast”, a going-away dinner for the team with all of our staff. These are great opportunities for testimonies from team and staff alike. The team shared some of the highlights from their trip, and our Khmer staff spoke of how happy they were to see old friends and build new relationships. It was clear that everyone involved in the outreach was very blessed in many ways.

We love welcoming teams into our ministry family. IHSI views each outreach as an opportunity for team members to learn and grow while they are helping others. It was great to spend time with them and hear what God was teaching them during these past two weeks.

The team arrived safely back in New York this morning, and by now they are probably all resting from the effects of jet-lag! Meanwhile, we are back into our “normal” schedule (although life in Cambodia can be rather unpredictable). We look forward to more teams to come, and not just from New York… If your church or youth group would like to join us for a missions trip to Cambodia, we encourage you to click here and get more information!

God bless,

IHSI

A New Life

Hello everyone! A lot has been going on in the ministry since we last posted here. In fact, we have gained a new son! A young boy who was in our Loaves and Fish program recently moved from his caretaker’s home to our Foundation Center to live with staff.

Joshua is about eleven years old, an orphan who had been living with his uncle’s family. We supported them for 3 1/2 years, providing food and vitamins, covering education costs, and offering many other benefits to help them raise him. Unfortunately, it came to our attention that there was increasing alcoholism and domestic violence in the home, with the uncle frequently beating his wife and sometimes threatening or harming the children as well. After meeting with the man and giving repeated warnings, it became clear he was not willing to change.

With the approval of the village leader and both Joshua and the uncle’s agreement,

Loaves and Fish gained legal custody and moved him to the Foundation Center. To mark the beginning of this new life for him, we bought him new clothes, shoes, and books. He will continue attending school and will be raised and mentored by our staff.

Joshua is a sweet boy who is already growing by leaps and bounds! Before, he seemed afraid to look people in the eye, but a newfound confidence is growing. His playfulness, joy, and diligence in studying show how positive this move has been for him. In his free time, he’s been having fun learning to ride the new bicycle we gave him!

It’s great to see Joshua begin to flourish in a safe and loving environment. Our heart for him is that he would be deeply rooted in Christ, growing up as an example and leader in his community. We believe God has great things in store for Joshua, and for all the children in our programs.

We’re blessed to have been able to help Joshua leave behind his dangerous circumstances and find a better life. He is just one of many orphans here in Cambodia who are often in danger even in their homes. Alcoholism, abuse, child labor, and lack of education about children’s rights are all a part of this problem. As you may know, we are planning to build a children’s safehouse on our Foundation Center property. To help support this effort, you can go to our website.

Please continue to keep Joshua and our entire ministry in your prayers!

In Christ,

IHSI