These days...

April flew right by... I guess time flies when you're on holiday! Here's a photo update on what's been happening during the last while.

Our 2-week Khmer New Year holiday was rather quiet around here, but it was nice to get some extra rest after many busy days of teaching. And actually, even though a lot of the kids were gone, quite a few things happened.

Caleb (Tim's oldest son) and his now-fiancee Savorny had their engagement ceremony in her village. It was a very nice occasion, simple and beautiful!

A family from Canada came to volunteer and stayed through the long holiday. They brought 7 of their 9 children - all boys except for the smallest two, which they adopted from Vietnam. We had a lot of fun with them! They helped to build a playground for the school, put on a spiritual emphasis week, and helped with many other things. All those kids especially provided a good dose of comic relief! :D

How many kiddos does it take
to pump a bucket of water? ;)

Ollie working hard to dig holes for the playground.

Sabbath afternoon under the Maddocks' mango tree.

April equals mango season, as well as many other kinds of fruits. The kids are always after the fruit in the trees!

Shoes knock down fruit really well!

Barang and his prized cashew fruit.

Near the end of our holiday, we had the annual orphanage birthday party, complete with games, Wendy's yummy vegan pizza, and a slippery homemade water slide.

Yovan

Mun, Yuhan, Sombech

Lots of fun, especially with soap!!

One of the girls and Nhy

We recently began school again, but I only taught my Grade 11/12 English class for about a week before they stopped studying to prepare for their upcoming evangelism trip.

Grade 8.

Grade 9 in the science lab.

On the tire-climbing portion of the new playground.

Grades 11 and 12 are now doing evangelism in a nearby village, Svaysor. Keep them in your prayers as they work!

Sreymao and Lin doing visitation.

Teaching English and Bible.

I hope to share more with you soon about some experiences I've had with students recently. There have been many challenges and yet some blessings that have re-inspired my faith in God.

So yes. It's very busy here! Students and teachers alike are starting to count the months, weeks, and days until we finish the school year. We're nearly there - about 12 weeks left, not including holidays. I'm looking forward to taking a trip home for a month this summer.

God willing, I am planning to return after my visit home, for another school year. There is so much work to be done among the students and I don't feel that my portion of the work is done yet. But... I am still rather short on living expenses for next year. If you would like to help sponsor my work here in Cambodia next year, please contact me via Facebook or e-mail: emmykrishe at gmail dot com.

It's over

Camp came... and went.

Registration...

Child Evangelism class

RC Airplanes class

Digital Photography class

Firebuilding class

Health Evangelism class

A few spare minutes...

Unit sharing - each person shares from their devotions 

Line call

Second week campfire

Fishers of Men unit

One of those who caught the fire :)

Sabbath afternoon outreach - Health Evangelism class

Listening...

Even though I was sequestered away up in my little office on the hill for most of camp, I had a few special opportunities to spend time with campers during the space of two weeks. Choir practice afforded me a spot next to a camper who made a very special decision by the end of the week (see her counselor's post here).  Two nights as a relief counselor put me in the youngest girls' unit one night and the oldest unit the next - very different!  One Friday afternoon I spent some time with the RC Airplanes class. With each wedge into the camp experience, I was able to spend quality time with individuals who were willing to talk and share their heart. It was so special!

Only three nights ago, I sat on a log bench and listened to teen after teen share how much Christ meant to them, how they had been changed because of camp, and how they were going to live their lives differently than before. More than one made a public 100% commitment to Christ - and I could tell they were serious.

Just imagine how quickly God's work could get done with consecrated young people like these sharing with everyone they know! Life is tough, and there are obstacles to overcome. But with God's strength, these youth can go anywhere and do anything for Him! I can't wait to see the way He leads their lives. :)

"With such an army of workers as our youth, rightly trained, might furnish, how soon the message of a crucified, risen, and soon-coming Saviour might be carried to the whole world! How soon might the end come—the end of suffering and sorrow and sin!"*

*Education, page 272

Photos by Jonathan Hill.

His dreams

Wow. Talk about inspiration to get out and tell people about Jesus! My friend Sammy showed this video at our church evangelism training class and it re-motivated me to my true purpose in life.

Something I learned while at AFCOE: Once you've learned the principles of evangelism, you can't just go back to your regular job and say that it was a great and awesome experience. You become accountable to use what you learned for the rest of your life. Your calling in life is soul winning. 

You might be a mechanic, a nurse, a designer, a student, a lawyer, a writer, a cashier, an IT, or any number of things, but that is only your way to earn money and survive. Your actual occupation is to be a soul winner.

Don't make the mistake of following your own dreams when God's are so much more grand than you could ever imagine. He has a special work for you to do, even if simply at home, and He will give you the courage and energy to do it. Be prepared for a life of ultimate adventure!

Lord, send me anywhere, only go with me.

Lay any burden on me, only sustain me.

Sever every tie, save the tie that binds me to Thy heart.