A warm but a good Sunday in Battambang!
It has been a few weeks since we last posted, I guess we have been busy! The city here was interesting today, hopefully I can post some pictures...a movie/documentary company not sure; we have heard it is from France, with the cooperation here in Battambang; closed down much of the city center to film what it looked like when the people were made to evacuate during the Khmer Rouge period (1975-1979). The Khmer Rouge refers to the rule of Pol Pot, Nuon Chea, leng Sary, Son Sen, Khieu Samphan and the Communist Party of Kampuchea over Cambodia. This four year period cost approximately 2 million lives through the result of political executions, disease, starvation and forced labor.
A bit of a history lesson on Cambodia, but this does make for a young, poor country as many of the educated were the target of the executions. Also it makes a country hungry for the gospel of Jesus Christ, Buddism is the main religion of this country with Muslim the next in line. We had two dear young women over for lunch today after church and were sharing about Jesus and it is quite amazing how Buddism is a good introduction to who the living God is! One of our guests has been a Christian for several years in fact she teaches at School of Biblical Studies at the YWAM Base. The other young woman is new to Christianity with many questions. Sharing the gospel truths is the most exciting task on this earth! We serve a risen Savior He is in the world TODAY!! Yes our Lord Reigns!
We are teaching English again each weekday! Pronunciation class most are graduates of level 12 but know their need to enunciate more clearly! Charlotte who we teach with had a great challenge last Friday! She gave words like "1-edge, 2-itch, 3-it, 4-each, 5-age, 6-hatch, 7-hitch..." what she did was number each of theses words and gave the words aloud and the students had to come up with her "phone number" from the given words. The students struggled very much with that, very much we have our work cut out!!
We moved again if you don't keep up on Facebook with us, it is a very very good move! No Kareoke Bar next door to keep us awake at night! And the price is so much better, it is closer to downtown, so walking distance to the market, drink shops and restaurants! So good less biking in the dark! We are all about that!
We helped a YWAM family move and have been helping a bit getting some things fixed at their house, challenges we are happy with! Oh I must share when you are working with YWAM it is like the melting pot of the nations! Also helping Jeff and Melissa move were the Russian YWAM outreach team (most speak only Russian), and the Crossroads Team from Kona, that team has Americans, English, Norway, to name some of them. Many languages but one God!
One of Jeff and Melissa's daughters is teaching us Khmer, not sure who has the biggest challenge Reisa or we!
Also Ed has done a bit of repairs at the playground at Jeevit's House, some boards need replaced..termites or rot either one but it cannot wait another year!
We attended our first Khmer Christian Wedding! They celebrate!! it was fun and a learning experience, so thankful to be a part of this Christian couple who has chosen to serve the Lord to bring the gospel to their nation!
We found out our new apartment will host 13 people, it was a privilege to host the Crossroads Kona Team for supper the evening before they left Battambang! We are praying for each of you to go forward in God's plan for your lives you each are people God has specifically called into His service somewhere, some how! Thanks for touching so many lives in your time in Battambang!
More blog following pics...for some reason the pics worked their way into the words, and I am ready
for bed and not going to spend more time adjusting, and that is the honest truth :)
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| a deserted Battambang this morning |
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| another picture depicting the Khmer Rogue |
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| Our new neighborhood across from our apartment |
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| The football field we see from our apartment |
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| being silly, after Wednesday evening meeting |
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| Ed and Mek |
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| Ready for guests at the wedding dinner |
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| Chicken dinner stopping for a cool drink |
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| Yuka and Ed |
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| Kvo and Channouen |
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| Ed, Rina and Myslelf |
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| Kunthea, Izzie, Laura and Whitney |
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| Nigm and Dara getting married! |
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| The fruit walk |
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| Beth, Katie and Rina |
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| Ed and Jeff in Khmer attire?? |
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| Deb and I went all out Khmer style |
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| Ed and I at entrance of wedding |
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| Ed and I with Nigm and Dara at the parents honor eve |
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| Waddell girls, Reisa, Hannah and Zerah |
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| Reisa teaching old folks Khmer |
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| Ed fixing the playground swings |
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| being fitted for a Khmer dress all of $7.00 to rent |
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| prayer time before english classes |
We did make it out to the land that Ed worked on last year it was so amazing to see how much had been completed and it has just begun, so much more to do!
We are enjoying fellowshipping with old friends and new over meals at base, restaurants or their homes or our home; a true blessings to share the goodness of our Lord together and building relationships. Hoping to start a small group in our home, pray for God's leading on that!
This afternoon we met some of the Mighty Girls Football Team, (soccer ball in America) they are GOOD! and lovely Christian girls, the four we met, and their coach Abby were competing with some of our YWAM folks on a game! tough competition, ours were mostly guys! They all got a great workout in the heat! We have a great view of the Football field from our apartment. Ed said "I see some good sized white folks.. I think YWAM is playing".We walked over he was right, but of course there were many Khmer playing also..some competing barefoot! ouch!
So many opportunities to let your light shine in a dark world, one was visiting with a gentleman on the street this afternoon, started some good conversation..praying we or another christian continues it someday soon!
This week we must renew our visa's so we will be journeying somewhere this week to accomplish that task, we are hoping we can do that in Phnom Phen to meet some missionaries of the CRC serving there!
Prayers and blessings to all of you who choose to follow our blogs!
We as well covet your prayers that we may continually be bold for Jesus!
Ed and Mary Rozenboom
