April already!

Greetings dear family and friends!

Thank you for your prayers and please continue in prayer for our hearts and the hearts we meet!

The break from teaching at the Youth Center has been busy, the first week of break our team from The Bridge, Ottumwa, Iowa was here for a good week, including our daughter Melissa, her husband Chris and their daughter  Hannah! It was awesome to have the whole team here but having family experience Cambodia first hand was beyond awesome! It was busy, but also some of the time, especially I, Mary spent supporting those who were not feeling well AT ALL! Most of the team had time that they needed to be very close to the bathroom or just in BED! Many different foods...which many had fun trying but maybe proved not to be so fun later!! But I believe God used each one in ways they can only imagine and they each saw God at work in Cambodia!! Their medical missions in the villages reached out to many people, people who  were so blessed to have Dr Ryan and the Medical and Spiritual Team reach out in Jesus Name!

This past week we were blest in a new way! Nation2Nation happened here on our YWAM Base in Battambang! 25 Nations worshipping and praising God together! A glimpse of Heaven here on earth!
Speakers from South Africa, Iran, Canada (native American), Switzerland and Cambodia!! The goal to reach every tribe and nation in Jesus Name! Amen!! AMEN!!

April starts many firsts for us, Ed will start tomorrow morning by tutoring a young boy who has special needs, his parents are missionary counsellors here working for Rapha House Ministries, with girls who were taken in by traffickers and now are having their souls and needs met thru Rapha House.

This week we get to work with some of the Mighty Girls teaching more advanced English! The Mighty Girls are a football/(soccer in USA)  and they are good! They just won the championship for High School in Cambodia!! Proud of you Mighty Girls!! We are blessed to get to know so many awesome ministries going on here in Battambang and build relationships in Jesus Name!

The Youth Center teaching starts up again after the Khmer New Year which is April 13-15 a very big celebration here in Cambodia!!

Thank you too for those who have been lifting me, Mary, up in prayer for my bug bite turned to cellulitis, praying the second dose of IV's I had today will help this clear up, I am feeling much better and so grateful to Dr Simon, Kyle, Melissa and Jo who have all kept check on me (and Tara from a distance) and guided, prayed, so many prayed over me, I felt so much love through this bit of a bump in the journey.

God bless each of you as you live your lives in His service!

Ed and Mary Rozenboom

A very special supper prepared for our family! Thanks Dom, Kyle and Jamie!!

Hannah painting on hands or faces, fun!

Tara totally in control of her "kids painting"

Joe and Chris triaging

Sara and Laura filling more bowls for hungry kids!

Kids eating Missy telling a story

Not sure who got wetter the men or the kids, water ballon filling, Ed S. have that answer?

Dr Ryan with Sat and Leng, conference or chat?

Ice Cream Party for last day Pronunciation Class!

Pray for Cambodia!

Greetings from Battambang!

A balmy 104 degrees on a quiet Sunday afternoon. Yes it is hot here, but we know it is not as hot as it will get!

The first pictures are taken in our classroom, some of our awesome Pronunciation Class students. This past week, we asked them to write what is the most Beautiful thing in the World to them. We were astounded by their answers: Love, My Family, My Parents, A Rice Field, The Beach or Ocean, The Sky, Ankor Wat, The Cultural Museum...

From that we started talking about our God who created the world. Tomorrow we will continue on that subject, what an honor to share about our Almighty Amazing God, Creator of the Heavens and Earth!

 We hope and pray the Holy Spirit prepares hearts to hear of the gift of God's Son sent to earth for us.

These young people are amazing and it is such an honor to teach them and build relationships with them, to share this time in their lives.

Meeting with some one on one sharing scripture and our faith.

Since our last blog we made the trip to Phnom Penh to renew our visa's. Check done!

 We have some pictures of transportation and travel we would like to share with you.

When they transport anything they make it worth their while, the load is FULL.

To the right you will see a pickup load of supplies and people to do the work... undoubtedly there was more than they could hold so they tied on a two wheel cart that bounced off the pavement every time it hit a bump, which is all the time.

We were pretty sure the two wheel cart would not make it, tied no with ropes...maybe it did...maybe it didn't ??

We passed it so, we don't know.

 Our guess is these little pigs are going to market..


This is the most common way to haul hogs, or tied without the basket on their backs with their legs tied together.

Occasionally we see trucks hauling a full load but this is the most common hauling method.

 Traffic in Phnom Penh is crazy, we thought Battambang was crazy, it is nothing compared to this busy growing city. If you look closely they go every direction, they choose to to get where they need to go!

My theory for traveling on bicycle here is glance at intersections, if you see something bigger than you at a major intersection...stop, otherwise do not look anyone in the eye and keep going...

We walked or took a tuktuk in Phnom Penh, we do our bikes in Battambang. We are looking for a car Ed has had two scrapes with moto's so far this year and we are thankful neither were serious.

We were able to visit with some of God's servants in Phnom Penh. Shelly Boer who works with Iris a ministry for street kids and women at risk.

We visited with Monica at the YWAM Base, it was good to see and hear about their ministry there. And those outside of Phnom Penh.

We had lunch with some CRC and RCA background ministries. Sorry we didn't take pics of all the great servants serving, but we did get a few!

The Suhs, Gil and Joyce...thank you for opening your home for us to share lunch and fellowship.
It was awesome meeting your family and Deb and Mark Wilson and Zach.

Also Justin VanZee was there he is starting his ministry in Phnom Penh also!

While here we had the pain of loosing a dear sister-in-law, being far from family. We have the peace that passes all understanding, of knowing we shall see her again in Heaven one day. But not being present with family was painful. Thank you all for your prayers for all of our family during this time.

Excerpts from Pray for Cambodia!
"Cambodia is a nation with a broken past...the Vietnam War, civil war and the Khmer Rouge regime's purge left the country in tatters...

The effects are still felt today...A level of suspicion and distrust hangs over the culture, even permeating family life, previously a bedrock foundation of Khmer culture. The stifling economic effects of war and oppression have contributed to Cambodia being the second-poorest nation in East Asia (ahead of Myanmar), despite significant progress in recent years...

Stonghold of fear, despair and oppression are being broken as Cambodians experience freedom in Christ."

"He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor..." Isaiah 6: 1-2

God bless each and everyone of you!
In His service,
Ed and Mary Rozenbom

February 16th a warm but good Sunday in Battambang!

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 :)

a deserted Battambang this morning

another picture depicting the Khmer Rogue

Our new neighborhood across from our apartment

The football field we see from our apartment

being silly, after Wednesday evening meeting

Ed and Mek

Ready for guests at the wedding dinner

Chicken dinner stopping for a cool drink

Yuka and Ed

Kvo and Channouen

Ed, Rina and Myslelf

Kunthea,  Izzie, Laura and Whitney

Nigm and Dara getting married!

The fruit walk 

Beth, Katie and Rina

Ed and Jeff in Khmer attire??

Deb and I went all out Khmer style

Ed and I at entrance of wedding

Ed and I with Nigm and Dara at the parents honor eve

Waddell girls, Reisa, Hannah and Zerah

Reisa teaching old folks Khmer

Ed fixing the playground swings

 being fitted for a Khmer dress all of $7.00 to rent

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

Cambodia 2014

Transitions to a new normal!

This past week has been a week of leaving our home in Oskaloosa, Iowa and starting up a home in Battambang, Cambodia for the time we hear God calling us here...

Where do we start, well of course a long flight over the tundra of which we do not see. We had a bit of an interesting 14 hour flight the gentleman in the aisle seat chose to sleep most of the 14 hours, a deep sleep so Ed and I had to crawl over him; as whatever he took to sleep took hold or maybe he normally sleeps that soundly...but getting out is one challenge; but getting back in, if you care to imagine us stepping on his arm rest going over him to the middle seat... hopefully a video was not being taken I am certain it was not pretty; but you do what you have to do!

Ok after a few nights in different hotels we found a furnished apartment, after much looking like international house hunters :) we decided a furnished apartment was the wisest choice and nice is an understatement for the area, so we feel extremely blest! I have an oven and a clothes washer WOW!!!
A big thank you to Borith our TukTuk driver who knows where everything is and is pretty awesome at interpreting for us.

We acquired our bicycles for current transportation, we will see if we upgrade...daytime is challenging in itself; but nighttime can be downright dangerous!

We have started with English classes again, this year working with a class in pronunciation, I know that in itself is a big word. But it is so different for the Khmer to pronounce our language, so pray we may teach with clarity! We are excited for this opportunity, it totally opens doors for building relationships and sharing about Jesus! This all happens on the YWAM base so we are free to teach about Jesus, in fact for those who are not familiar with the Youth Center it was established to teach English, Computer skills, guitar or whatever gifts those currently on base are blessed with. Approximately 400 youth come to the Youth Center each weekday, and one of those days is set aside as God day; so we teach world religion, how to read the Bible, Bible stories and relationships. This is an amazing opportunity!

We have renewed old relationships and starting already to build new ones! Sharing meals with new friends and old.

A big thank you to Beth and Casey Dierking for help in phones and internet, Beth you did awesome talking to the Apartment staff, even they were impressed as we were! You go girl!

We have a dear friend whose Grandmother died this past week, we were able to attend a memorial supper with her and her Muslim family; thank you Rina your family is so loving, compassionate and caring we understand your pain in the fact that they do not recognize Jesus as their Savior. It was a very humbling experience thank you for sharing that with us!

So many people here have never heard of Jesus..."Therefore I want you to know that God's salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they WILL LISTEN." Acts 28:28
In Exodus God asked Moses " Who makes a persons mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say." Exodus 4:11 &12

Yesterday in church our friend Hocoun (I probably murdered that, he is from Norway) gave the message one statement he made sticks with me...It's not the thought that counts, it's the deed! He said if I told my wife "I thought about bringing you flowers tonight." do you think she would be impressed?  No not so much; but if I came home with flowers...then she would be impressed. Just like us if we think we should do something; God wants us to follow thru and as He states all through the Bible HE will go with us every step of the way!

This morning at Monday morning base worship Rady Huch spoke on working together to further the gospel, going to the nations! The importance of how about 7 years ago this base was started with 5-6 people now the staff is close to 70, the majority are Cambodians, and God is calling the Cambodians to go to neighboring communities and nations to share the gospel.

So follow through, do what you know God is speaking to you about he promises never to leave us or forsake us! He didn't say it would be easy street, but what path He chooses for us...HE walks with us each step.

Serving His Servants,
Ed and Mary Rozenboom

Rothana and little sister

Grandmother's grave Mosque in background

Supper with family

Us respectfully in Muslim headdress

Women preparing the supper

Monday Base Worship - Awesome start to the week!

Tomorrow we head back to the States

Greetings to all, pray you all had a very blest Easter and celebrated our Lord's conquering death and the grave! Giving us a new life in Him, hope and promise!

We were able to celebrate in two services one a sunrise service on base and the second one we headed out to Pastor Timothy's church. Each service a blessing, then this morning we had an awesome praise gathering for our Monday morning worship! And a great challenge by one of the pastors who is leading  a class that will be held at the base all week on church planting!

Well the past week was a whirlwind having the Bridge Team here doing clinics, helping at Jeevit's House!  I would love to post tons of pictures but some little glitch in technology and it will not let me download any new pics...bummer!

One afternoon we took our turn counting trucks, it was a hot humid day, as many have been lately, but a bit of a storm brewed and we got a bit wet, the kind truckers offered us a retreat in their trucks. We cannot speak the same language, but there are always pictures we could totally share pictures of farming in Iowa, grandkids, motorcycles those things are any language...and then some of our staff who speak Khmer at times come and ride with the truckers taking any opportunity to show and tell who Jesus is, we pray we may plant seeds that could help change a nation in one generation.


We have a bit of finishing up things here since the team left, we had a busy but exciting weekend. Rady and Sopheap took us to see their home in the village that they just rented and will be living there for sure on weekends, it will be so good for their family. Little Sasada has grown so since we arrived and he will have a place to run and play soon! They will be able to invite people in to hear of Jesus there is no church in the little village, so God has placed their family there to shed the light of Jesus!

In the evening we were blest with a meal by Samphas and Phally and awesome fellowship, sharing in the goals and dreams of these amazing Christians whose goal is to share the gospel and their nation blesses us more than we could ever hope to bless them!

Yesterday sharing a meal with Piseth and Sineout their first anniversary, so fun, blessings you two! And in the evening Borith and Synoun went to supper with us, Rothana and Namun...we had a great time! A fabulous day of celebrations of life, life in Jesus Christ!

My one sadness was yesterday morning in our ride to sunrise service and seeing empty hollow faces, faces without hope so many more need to know the good news of Jesus Christ. God's call in Matt 28 is for all of us, go ye into all the world...and in we are told Acts 28:28 "Therefore I want you to know that God's salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!" note those last four words "and they will listen!" If we tell them they will listen, it is our duty all of us as Christians to share the good news and God promises they will listen!!


This past time has been many goodbyes to the contractor and workers at the land, to the workers at dollar store, to those at the bank we stop at, the drink shop people, the people we rent from, to our students from English as we see them in the community...of course all at the YWAM Base whom we have grown to love dearly...good bye for a time...

God bless each one of you, are we seeking God's call for us at this time in our lives, what is your calling what is mine? then are we listening???

Do not be ashamed of the good news, people will listen!

In Christ's service,
Ed and Mary Rozenboom

Ed's looking good, another memory

 Hello we are still in Battambang...been a bit busy so haven't posted for a while.

the roller smoothing the dirt and the cows like the path

at the Thailand border loads pulled across

 Today is Saturday, we
cleaned the house and then left so it would stay clean....

We ventured to a cafe we had not been to yet, called Green Mango a great place, especially since they offered meatloaf one of Ed's favorites :)

I had a hard time picking pictures this time, so many to post but I gave you a sample of he past few weeks. Ed keeps busy between the land and teaching, I added a class after the KONA team left so I was teaching two levels.

Our transportation and Arie our dutch friend

 I know that doesn't sound like much but when you need also take part in other activities, Monday morning worship, Wednesday evening worship, a few times we have taken in a DTS or  SBS teaching, there is prayer at 12 noon for the land every weekday, followed by lunch at the base.  Then back for teachers meeting at approximately 2:30pm then teaching until 6pm... just saying, time flies!

Mary's class

This past week was finals for all English students, so that was a lot of review and then oral testing and a final written exam. Then for teachers correcting and adding all the quarters grades deciding if they pass or fail, it is huge for these students, many of them are university students especially in Level 12, or they are out of university and already have jobs. So this is huge it is another class added to their already full load, I did have to fail 6-7 students their speech is not understandable, they are not ready...it was a hard day, but I tried to encourage them not to give up.

Ed's class ...he had a great lively bunch in level 10, and my second class was level 9, I really enjoyed those kids to ok so 3 of them were 20, I hope they don't mind being called kids. Ed was just telling me of one of his kids; she and her brother, work to save money ($7.50) so they can come to take English, their family is very poor.

The one picture of at the Thailand border, was our day of going to Poi Pet to renew our visas, always an interesting day, we thoroughly enjoy it.

Then the picture at the top many of you have heard Ed tried flying this past week, he did not succeed! As you can see, he is alive and added 5 stitches to the cost of a big $15 at the Emergency Hospital. He was working at the land they were headed into town to get more supplies. Ed, Rady and Rothana were riding in the back of the pickup, Rady had told Ed he should sit on the floor, Ed was sitting on the tailgate which was up, just cooling off in the breeze. Making a turn to go across the bridge the driver suddenly stopped because the bridge was closed (it had not been before) well the truck stopped but Ed did not he went flying thru the back window of the pickup, thus the top picture... we are all very thankful it was nothing worse! So again we praise God for protection!

The picture at the bottom shows us at one of noon time prayers for the land, every Thursday we go out to the land to pray. On this Thursday we were told to write a truth and bury it in the dirt, we want God's  truths at the base of our land, as the foundation on which we build. From the base that will be built here we pray may it continually proclaim God's truths for generations to come.

Praying God's blessing one each and every reader, we thank you for your love, prayers and support!

Ed and Mary Rozenboom

Praying at the land