Stateside Visit

I am sitting at my friend's house writing this.  I am enjoying my time in the United States.  It is always good to get back to "civilization."  It is good to eat meat that I can chew, to over indulge in ice cream and brownies, and to watch the NBA playoffs.  It has been great to sit with friends and family and share what is going on in my life and to catch up with all that God is doing in their lives, and to share at Churches and home groups about what has happened in Cambodia during the past several years. 


These times in the states are good for our family.  Every member of my family is enjoying our visit.  It is good to touch base with everyone, to hear English spoken the way it should be (I am not talking about English as a second language, but to hear Southern English again, all of our native English speaking friends in Cambodia are west coast families), and to get refreshed in our souls.  God is faithful to meet us when we need Him.  The last three years in Cambodia has taken a toll on us physically and spiritually.  There is a cost to seeing the Kingdom of God advance.  


In our two months here, we are getting out bodies back to normal and, more importantly, getting our spirits refreshed.  It is refreshing to worship with others in our native tongue, to get hear messages that encourage and challenge us, and to meet with people that we love and fellowship around Christ.


I wish that we could see everyone while we are in.  There is never enough time to fit everyone in, just ask my parents and in-laws.  I am thankful for the time that we are getting to see people though.  If you are in the Birmingham, Alabama area, my family will be at Faith Community Church on Sunday, May 27th at both of their services.  If you are in the Fishersville, VA area, my family will be at Church on the Hill for their missions weekend June 3. 

For times and directions,

Click Here 

I feel like getting outside of our day to day routine in Cambodia has given me an opportunity to hear the Lord.  I think some exciting things are around the corner for my family and for Lighthouse Ministries.  I look forward to what the next few months hold.

The sign leading to my great grandfather's old farm.

Washing Feet

In Cambodia, there is a custom during a wedding ceremony where the bride is supposed to wash the husband's feet and then the couple is supposed to wash the parents feet.  It symbolizes that the bride is to serve the groom and that the couple is to serve their families.  The Church in Cambodia, has expanded this ceremony to include the groom washing the bride's feet as well.  It represents that he will be serving his bride and loving her in the same manner that Christ loves him.  I love these customs.

Recently, Coy, one of the young men who used to live at Heritage House, was married.  He asked Kristen and I to be his parents during the ceremony.  Many times during the day I was reminded of Christ's love for His bride.  The imagery was there throughout the ceremony of how much Jesus loves His Church and how He longs to express His love to us.  This was nowhere more apparent than during the foot washing time of the ceremony.

During this part of the ceremony, I was reminded of when Jesus washed the disciples feet (John 13:3-5).  I know that there is much symbolism to this story, but on the most basic level, it shows how the God-man, Jesus Christ, would do something that was desperately needed.  Living in a part of the world where my feet are constantly dirty, I understand how important it is to wash my feet.  When I read this story, I am overwhelmed by how Jesus served in a way that was practical.  He made Himself uncomfortable so that the disciples could be taken care of.  Then, after setting the example, He tells me to do the same for my wife.  To love, cherish, and take care of  her the same way that He does these things for me (Eph.5:25).  That means, many times, to make myself uncomfortable so that she can be taken care of.  

I am glad that the Church in Cambodia is setting the standard for men loving and serving their wives.  I pray that Coy will be a great husband and follow the example set by Jesus.  I pray that for myself as well.

Sick and Thankful for It!

 After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he left all, rose up, and followed Him. Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house. And there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them. And their scribes and the Pharisees complained against His disciples, saying, “Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

Luke 5:27-32

For our family devotions, we are listening to a chapter of Luke each night, then reading Michael Card's (yes, the singer, he is an accomplished author as well) commentary on the gospel of Luke, then listening to the chapter again with a new perspective.  It was an awesome way to get fresh revelations on the Christmas story.  It has been a great journey so far and it has really been a boost for our family prayer times as well.  

A few nights back, we went through chapter five.  I have read this countless times before, I have even preached a few sermons on it through the years, but as the Bible so often does, with this new reading, I was overwhelmed when I re-read the story about the conversion of Matthew.  How in the world could Jesus put together this band of disciples.  How could you have Simon Peter, Simon the Zealot, and Matthew working together (Luke 6:12-16)?  That would be like putting Neut Gingrich, Barack Obama, and Ron Paul on your leadership team.  How in the world would these guys work together?  

Matthew, a tax collector, working with Simon Peter, a hard working fisherman who had to pay taxes to this guy, and Simon the Zealot, a guy who wanted to forcefully remove all Romans and those who worked with them from the land.  Talk about a strange group to bring together to try to build a kingdom with.

What struck me was not the group, or the fact that Jesus called Matthew into the group, but what jumped out at me was Matthew's response to the call.  He immediately followed Jesus, he got up and left behind his old life, then he threw a party to celebrate.  I think we need to celebrate more whenever someone enters the Kingdom and begins to follow Jesus.  Unfortunately, a group of religious guys crashed the party and got upset with Jesus for spending time with "sinners."

I love Jesus' response, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  I have not come to call the righteousness, but sinners, to repentance. (Luke 5:31-32)"  Note that Jesus did not say that Matthew was not a sinner.  He did not try to defend Matthew at all.  I am sure Matthew would have admitted as much as well.  After all, when you have been forgiven and throw a party like he was, it's not hard to admit your faults.  He was celebrating his new life, I am sure he had no problem with recalling where he had come from.  Jesus wanted the "righteous" to remember what it was like to be set free from their former lives.  

I am amazed at how we so often forget what we are being rescued from. Jesus  is not just saving us from hell, he is saving us from the sickness of sin.  The sin that puts a great divide between us and the Father.  Not only that, we can easily forget that there are others who are still in the stink that, by the grace of God, has been washed off of us.  Jesus gave it all away to spend time with a sick man like me.  I want to give my life away to let the sick know that there is a Physician who can heal whatever illness' they have.

I want to spend time with the "sinners" just like Jesus did.  I love the gathering of the saints, but is it possible that we can take that gathering beyond the four walls of an organized meeting and party a little like Matthew, Peter, Simon the Zealot, and our Lord?  Let's get out among the sick and proclaim the love of the Physician.  That is the example that Christ set for us.  Let's be bold and follow Him into those places that make us uncomfortable and trust that He will use us to bring healing to those who are sick and need redemption.     

     

Thanks to my good friend, Ross Jones, for recommending the Michael Card book.  I pass along this recommendation to anyone who reads this -  Michael Card Luke, the Gospel of Amazement.

Wrestling with God

I am reading a book by my favorite worship leader, David Ruis.  The title of the book is The Justice God is Seeking.  David is one of those rare worship leaders who can worship, evangelize, preach, proclaim, and challenge all at the same time.  If you listen to any of his albums, which I highly recommend that you do, you will worshiping and right in the middle of it all, you might hear that still small voice challenging you to a higher way of living.

I love to be challenged by the Lord.  Those of you who know my preaching, know that I also love to pass that challenge along.  There are times when you have to wrestle some things out with God (Gen. 32:23-25) by yourself.  There are no quick answers and no sermons to listen to help you through it.  As I am reading this book, I am in one of those moments; wrestling, sweating it out, trying desperately to get my point across.  Just when I thought that I was winning, Jehovah Tricky (to steal a phrase from my good friend Jim Hill), did one of those MMA leg twists on me.  As I write this, I find myself laying on the mat, knowing that I am whipped, but still trying to find a way to honorably get up without losing face.  

As I wrestle with God's justice on the earth and what that cost is for myself and my family, pray for me.  I will let you know what I learn after I surrender. 

Run to the Father

He sat in the office staring straight ahead.  He looked like he had no emotions at all, but I knew that behind those steady, black, eyes he was scared.  He did not fidget, move, or answer our questions.  When he finally spoke, his voice was steady, only someone familiar with the culture could detect the slight tremble in his voice.

I have been working with orphans in Cambodia since 2002.  I have been the international director of Heritage House for eight years.  I have dealt with many Khmer children and youth and I knew what was going on inside of his mind.  He was afraid that he had disgraced himself and he was afraid of "losing face" with the staff and other children.  So, instead of asking for forgiveness, he was going to save his dignity and be kicked out of the house.

His name is Dyna.  He is 14 years old and he enjoys playing computer video games with his friends at the internet cafe.  He is doing an internship at a local moto repair shop while on summer holiday from school.  His boss had let him off an hour early and he had gone to play games with his friends.  One hour rolled into the next until finally it was 7 pm and he wondering where the time went.

Instead of returning to the house and telling the dorm mothers what had happened, he went to a near-by field and spent the night alone.  During the night, we prayed, searched, and worried about Dyna.  The next morning he awoke and went back to the internet cafe.  Vutha and Srey Oun found him there sometime that day.

So here we sat, trying to decide what to do with Dyna in the Heritage House office.  As I look back over how he arrived here, I am reminded of my own life.  As you hear his story, you might be reminded of yours as well.  It starts with one bad decision.  We do something that seems right in the moment, but it is not long before what felt right is now turning out to be, well, not right.  It is draining our time, our energy, and taking us away from the things that matter - our Father, our family, our real friends, and our focus. The next thing you know, one hour is two, two hours are three and now it is dark.  Its much harder to find your way home in the dark.  Instead of going back to the place that is safe, we find ourselves alone in a field.  We are cold, afraid, and scared while everyone at home is warm, secure, and sleeping peacefully.

Dyna was afraid of what Vutha and I would think of him.  He thought that in his sin, we were going to be harsh with him.  The truth is, we were both teenagers once.  We know what it is like to make unwise decisions and although we would not excuse his transgression, we were more worried about his safety and would surely forgive him if he asked.  The fathers in his life were a safe place.  We love Dyna and see the potential in him.  Where he saw failure, we saw immaturity.  Where he felt hopeless, we felt hopeful.  Where he felt defeat, we felt confident that victory was near.

Like Dyna, we have a Father who is a safe place for us.  When we make mistakes, when we absolutely blow it, when we find ourselves lost, alone, and cold, we can run to our Father and He will receive us.  All we have to do is admit that we sinned and He will be there with open arms to receive us.  Jesus told a pretty good story about lost sons in Luke 15.  If you find yourself lost, pick up a Bible and read it for yourself.  You might be surprised what your Father's response will be if you come back home.

Dyna finally broke down and asked everyone to forgive him.  He was surprised at our reaction and acceptance.  His "friends" had told him that we would be mad and that he would never be forgiven.  He was welcomed not only by us, but also by the other children.  We were all worried about him.  The other children were thrilled that he was back home as well.  If you are away from home, I suspect that you will be shocked at how the "other children" respond to you when you return.  The Father sets the tone for that, and as His children look to Him and see His concern and love, they respond accordingly.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins

and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 1:9     

Habits

I have a hole in my right shoe.  It is right in the arch between the ball of my foot and my heel.  As a matter of fact, I have a hole in the exact same spot in most of my shoes.  It's not because I walk funny, although I do have this mix of western and Asian strolling going on nowadays.  I have a hole there because of the way that I ride motorcycles.

I got my first dirt bike when I was 10 years old.  It was a 1978 Honda XR 75.  It was a few years old when I got it, but it shined that first day.  I learned how to ride in cow pastures, on dirt roads, and the lake bottoms.  I graduated to a XR 200 when I was 14 (that's when I started breaking bones, too many to count).  Then to a KDX 200 my senior year of high school.  Since then I have had a variety of mopeds, dirt bikes, and street bikes in the United States and Asia.  I love to ride.  It is my primary source of transportation in Cambodia.  In our first five years of living here, I put 20,000 miles on a dirt bike.  That's a lot of miles riding primarily on semi-paved roads, dirt roads, and, on occasion, through rice paddies.

Because I have ridden for so long, I have ingrained habits.  Because I used to race a little and ride the lake bottoms a lot, I sit a certain way on a motorcycle.  I hold the clutch with two fingers, always.  When things are getting a little hairy, I slide up on the seat, never worry about the back wheel, just focus on the front, I pull my elbows up, and play the throttle according to the situation.  I rarely use my back brake, except to slow for certain kinds of corners.  So, I always put my right foot on the edge of the peg and it wears a hole in my shoe.

My riding style is a habit.  When things get really sticky, I have 32 years worth of habit to lean on to get me out of it.  My other habits, ones far more important, are prayer and Bible reading.  So, when life gets a little sticky, I have something that automatically kicks in and I can lean on and trust to get me out of the situation.

One Woman's Faith

I stood uneasily as the wooden floor beneath me creaked.  It was hot and sweat was dripping off of everyone in the room.  I looked around the room at this ragtag bunch of misfits.  Here we stood, the banana farmer,  the village mid-wife, the cook, the pastor, the single mother, and the missionary.  I looked at the woman lying on the bed and knew that unless God did a miracle, that she would be dead soon.  We stood, worshipped the One who knew her suffering more than anyone, laid hands on her, prayed for healing, cried, whispered words of love and encouragement from the scriptures to her, and left the room quietly to let her rest.  She was a young believer in Jesus, a mother, a nurse, and a survivor.  She had lived through the Khmer Rouge, she had survived the rebuilding of the nation.  But here she lay dying of cervical cancer.  Her husband had left her and her children years ago to take another wife. 

She represented to me the young Khmer Church.  The struggles that she faced I see daily in the Church in Cambodia.  She had given her heart to the Lord several years ago while a group of people met with a missionary weekly for one year.  After the missionary was unable to meet with the group anymore, her faith waivered and she returned to her former ways.  She was going to the pagoda again.  Offering sacrifices to the spirits.  Her life was filled with the terrible knowledge of knowing the truth and yet, rejecting it for a lie (Rom. 1:22-23).  She was trying desperately to make sense of life, to survive, and to take care of her children and now her grandchildren. 

When Vutha moved to Kampot, the group contacted him and asked if he could start meeting with the  few who remained.  For two years he has been meeting with the small “water fall” cell group.  The group remains small, but it is growing in the knowledge of Christ (Eph.  1:17).  After the group was meeting again and being strengthened, the lady asked if she could return to join them.  She was embarrassed that she had been so easily pulled away from pursuing the Lord and felt that she had failed when there was no one around to encourage her in her walk.  The group eagerly embraced her, loved on her, and rejoiced at her return.  She was still weak in her faith, like all of us, but she was growing.  She had been back for almost a year.

Five days after I stood with the brothers and sisters at the foot of the bed, our sister went to be with the Lord.  When I got the phone call, I cried.  It was a blow to all of us.  I did not cry because she was dead, I knew she was now with the Lord.  I cried for her family.  She was the only Christian in her family.  Her children demanded a traditional Buddhist funeral and refused to let Vutha speak or share the gospel.  They feared that it might bring bad luck to the family if Christians were involved in the service. 

Vutha visited the family after the funeral and shared the Hope that their mother and grandmother had.  He, once again, shared the gospel with the family as he has many times in the past.  I am thankful that to have known this woman.  Her struggle was our struggle, her strength was our strength, and her Lord is our Lord.  I am so thankful that we do not have to mourn her death as others do.  Though her body sleeps; she lives with her Savior!  Pray for the family to know her Savior and for the young believers here to be strengthened.

“But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep,  lest you sorrow as other who have no hope.  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.”  1 Thess. 4:13-14

God of the Hopeless

I pulled out of my gate at 6:30 this morning and saw him ambling down the street a quarter kilometer away.  It is impossible to miss his silhouette.  Head down, shoulders slumped, and unshaven; he walks on as he does every day.   His feet shuffle down the dirt road with the familiar pat, pat, pat of flip flops hitting the dirt and rocks.  As I pass him, he refuses to look up, to make eye contact, or to acknowledge my presence in any way.  His clothes are familiar; I have only seen him in two, possibly three different shirts.  Today it is the dirty, green stripped button up with the small hole in the shoulder.

His look is the same that I see all over the city as I go about my day.  It is the look of a man who is hopeless. 

He and I are alike in so many ways.  We both have two sons that we dream will grow and become men with a future.  We both have a wife that we want to provide for, to take care of, and want to shower with love and affection.  Our wives are both spiritual people. 

We also are very different.  He has not job or source of income.  He gets up daily with no plan other than to hope that someone will ask him to help them and that he can get enough money to buy food for the day.  I get up with a full day and more than I can accomplish on my plate.  His sons are undersized for their age.  Mine are normal and non-descript by most standards.  His wife is a soothsayer. She is paid to summon dead ancestors, to predict the future, and to cast spells on people.  My wife is a Godly woman who people seek out for guidance, affirmation, and prayer. 

The most obvious difference in our lives is that his wife is HIV positive.  Without a miracle, she will be dead in a few years from a disease that has the potential to more damage to Cambodia that Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge ever did.  She knows she is dead, the children know that she is dying, and her husband knows all too well that the situation is hopeless.

I pray for him often.  I ache when I see his face.  I see one man among thousands enduring the same fate in this nation.  God sees every one of them.  His Son is Hope; the only Hope that my neighbor has.  I pray that his hopelessness will turn to hope in the resurrected Christ.    

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,”   1 Peter 1:3

Missionary Vision

“Missionary work is church work. It is not a steady stream of glamorous and exciting events, but a slow and steady perseverance in preaching, teaching, evangelizing, and shepherding. ”

Brad White

I took a test before we moved back to Cambodia. It was one of those tests that tell you what your strengths are and how to use those strengths to encourage others. I enjoyed the test and really enjoyed my time with the couple who taught our team. Mark and Melissa Medley, if you are reading this, thanks for taking the time to meet with us and guide us through maze. The test listed your top five strengths and helped you focus on using those things that are natural to you and how not be frustrated by the gifts and strengths that you do not have. Instead of being frustrated by your lack, build on your personal strengths and "staff your own weaknesses."

My top strength was "context." Simply put it means that you learn from the past, yours and others, and view the future through past events. It helps you avoid pitfalls that others have made and to see things that worked and to apply those things to your present situation. The test really helped me understand my personality and probably explains why I was a history major in college. So, the following is my thoughts through the "context lens" of missions; past and present.

I have a great burden for the Church and for the lost. I ache to see the Kingdom of God established in the nations of the earth. While I appreciate the heart and desire of many Churches in western nations to send missionaries and teams to the far reaches of the earth, I am wondering if we ever stop to evaluate the results. Do we stop to listen to the foreign missionaries who have lived on the field for years or to the indigenous brothers and sisters to see what the real needs are. Is our missions for the glory of Christ or for our own selfish gain? Does our going really just make us feel good, or are we going for His name to be lifted up? Do we go to the nations to "teach the heathen," or do we go because we have heard the heavenly calling and must obey it? Are we sent as a part of the Body of Christ or are we on our own mission?

If it is so easy to go and have hundreds or possibly thousands of conversions in a few days, then why is the whole earth not turned to Christ yet? If is it so easy in foreign fields, why are those numbers not reflected in western nations? I am amazed at what I read on social networking sites from people who have only visited a country for a few days, do not know anything at all of the culture of the people, and yet are able to have 1,700 people get "saved" in a week. I do not doubt the sincerity of those who post these things or that they really believe them. However, does the scripture not show us that the greatest missionary who ever lived, Jesus Christ, took time to be with the people and live among them (Matt. 1:23)? Why do we think we can take a shortcut, avoid any real disappointment, discouragement, and disillusionment, and be back in our native land eating in our comfortable homes leaving the long process of discipleship to a few of the "called ones" who have to live with the "savage" peoples? Does anyone ever stop to ask how many times these people have been "saved" and yet, they still worship idols?

Don't get me wrong, I am called to a "savage" land. I want to disciple the people of S.E. Asia. I have ministered in the west and I know there are many disappointments and difficult times there. I do not envy my pastor friends in America, Canada, and Scotland who have to shepherd the people of those lands. I am merely asking, no, begging, when you come for a short term trip, come to serve. Come to learn as much as come to teach. You have much to offer, but you also have much to learn. As Derek Prince said, "God gave you two ears, but only one mouth." Listen to what God is showing the people working there and come to serve that vision.

I have read and heard of reports of the mission agencies stating the numbers of converts in certain parts of the world. Many times when those numbers are added up and totaled together, the numbers of converts often are three times higher than the population of the nation. When you talk to missionaries living and working in those nations, it is obvious that the numbers of true converts do not match the numbers posted by the various agencies. Are our numbers more important than the true work of God?

I am not saying that short term missions is not important to the vision of the local Church and to the missionaries themselves. I am simply saying that in scripture and in Church history, the way that nations are won for Christ is when a group of people (Paul, Barnabas, Silas, Timothy, Hudson Taylor, Gladys Aylward, William Carey, Amy Carmichael, James Fraser, Adoniram Judson,etc.) go to a city/nation, live there, and share the gospel. In modern history, 17th century on, it usually takes 50 to 100 years of constant missionary involvement from a group of people before the gospel takes root among the local population. By living and dying there, they build up national leadership that then grows the Church.

Most of the great missionary "hero's" of the past would not make it in today's missionary climate. Many of them saw little fruit in their lifetimes. But by their faithful sowing, a harvest has been reaped in the nations where they served. The "Lamb that was slain is receiving the reward of His suffering" because they refused to be moved from the vision that was given to them. They suffered beyond what most of us could imagine. They buried wives and children in foreign lands and yet endured for His glory to be revealed to the people.

The quote at the beginning of this blog says perfectly what I am trying to communicate, "Missionary work is...a slow and steady perseverance in preaching, teaching, evangelizing, and shepherding." I pray that the western Church has the patience and willingness to endure to see a glorious bride prepared for Christ.

Pleading With False Gods

But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Would you plead for Baal? Would you save him? Let the one who would plead for him be put to death by morning! If he is a god, let him plead for himself, because his altar has been down!” Judges 6:31-33

This is a very familiar story found in chapter 6 of the book of Judges. Gideon had torn down the altar of Baal, under the cover of darkness because, “he feared his father’s household and the other men in the city too much…. (v.27)” In the morning, the men of the city wanted to kill Gideon and the other men with him who had torn down their altar and idols.

Usually in this story I focus on Gideon’s fear. I can easily identify with him because I am not sure, but I probably would have done what he did. I would have really wanted to please God, but would have been really afraid. So, I would work out some sort of compromise in my mind where I could obey God and minimize the cost. Honestly, I am not sure what I would do if God told me go to the pagoda next door to my house and to destroy it. I know the cost to me and my family would be huge!

The other night in our family devotion time, we read this story again. I found myself focusing on a different aspect of the story for the first time. As we were reading, I found myself in the place of the men of the city. What do I do when others tear down the idols and altars in my life? Sure, the places that I find myself worshipping are not as obvious as the people where I live. I do not get up and burn incense to deceased relatives every morning. I do not go to the pagoda and offer sacrifices to the spirits in order to have good luck. But I do have idols in my life just the same. I am sure you do as well. Some are obvious: sports teams and television. Then there are those subtle ones that I worship at: my doctrine, my style of worship, my view of righteous social agendas, etc.

Like the men of the city, I find myself defending my idols. In my Church circles it is easy to push aside most of the assaults on my idols. I just say something like, “Hey brother, you need to watch out, your letting a religious spirit creep into your thinking.” That works for those challenging your time, how you spend your money, what entertains you. Another common defense of my idols is to say, “Wow, you are really letting the culture influence you. You have watered down the truth.” That one works on the assault to my motives on social agenda issues. After all, my agenda is righteous, so I can hide my motive to be right behind that, right?

I find that the subtle idols are dangerous because they can most easily be disguised as ___________ (fill in your Christian jargon here). Doctrine is important, worship is important, social agendas, and the rest are important, but sometimes we can find ourselves letting these take the place of relationship with this amazing, holy, loving, Christ.

I find that the idols in my life, even the “holy” ones, keep me away from the God of love. The Holy Spirit has challenged me this week to lay down my idols and to see if they can defend themselves. If they can’t, then they need to go. I want to get to that simple Christianity that just lives to the glory of God daily by loving Him and loving my neighbor.

Joash was a pretty wise man. Will you follow his advice this week and let your idols defend themselves if they can?

Empty Money Box

As I opened the money box, I was surprised to see that it was empty. It was the first Monday of the month and I had gone into the office early to get the staff salaries and rent ready. I looked into the box in disbelief. I called for Tola and Coy, two of the young men from Heritage House who work at the school as security guards, to come. Tola came around the corner and I asked where Coy was. He told me that Coy had not been there all weekend long. I stood in disbelief as my mind whirled and I realized that Coy, one of my Khmer "sons," had robbed the ministry.

Coy's father, an ex-Khmer Rouge solider and cadre leader, was murdered when Coy was 10 years old. His father was a shaman for their village and had made alot of enemies in his past. Coy and his siblings heard the gun shots from a few hundred yards away, but he was dead by the time they reached him. His mother immediately abandoned the family and moved to Thailand. Coy's sister, the oldest of 11, had married a pastor and tired to care for the younger children, but they did not have the resources to care for them properly. So, Coy, and three of his younger siblings, Krum, Yaht and Srey Ma, came to live with us at Heritage House. They have been a part of our family for over six years now.

For a week, Vutha and I tried to contact Coy. All of our attempts failed and we grew more and more frustrated. We spent a week on the emotional roller coaster of guilt, "how did we fail him?," to anger, "how could he do this to us?", to prayer, "Father, help us and protect Coy!", and over and over again. Finally, Coy's brother-in-law, the pastor, got ahold of him and called us. We scheduled a meeting and prayed that he would return.

I finally got the call from Vutha saying that Coy, his brother-in-law, and two other men were at his house and wanted to meet with me. As I walked into the room, every eye was on me and I knew that the first few words were critical. Coy stood as I walked in and bowed in Asian respect. My emotions were overwhelming and I really did not know what to say or to do, so I did what came natural, I hugged him and told him that I loved him and that, more importantly, Jesus loved him and wanted to forgive him. The tension in the room immediately lifted as the presence of the Lord filled that place.

We talked for over an hour and Coy returned the money that he had not spent (about 80%). We have scheduled a payment plan for the other 20%. One of the men who was with Coy was not a Christian and could not believe how we reacted to the situation. In Khmer society, things would have been much different for Coy. I was excited to see how Vutha handled the situation as a Khmer Christian, a pastor, and a father to the Heritage House children.

As we finished our meeting, we prayed for Coy. When we were done praying, Coy fell into my arms and wept openly asking for forgiveness. This is against everything in Khmer culture, he is a young man, and they do not cry and no one here asks for forgiveness without the grace of God coming on them. I wept with Coy and I rejoiced in his humility and the fact that he was once again right with the Father.

Coy is living with his sister and brother-in-law again. We all felt that was best for him at this point. He called Sterling last week, they are good friends, and talked for awhile. Before they hung up, he asked that Kristen or I call him sometime. I was out of town, but Kristen called and they had a good talk. I will call him tomorrow to check on him.

"...love will cover a multitude of sins" (1 Peter 4:8), and I am thankful for that. I am thankful for the love of Christ that forgives and covers my sins, I am thankful that he can pour out in my heart an attitude of love toward a young man who made a bad choice. I know that this is part of the dealings of God in Coy's life and that Coy's future is going to be a good one as long as he continues to humble himself to His Savior.

This orphanage thing can ripe your guts out at times, but I praise God for His goodness and faithfulness in my life, in Kristen's life, and in the lives of the children at Heritage House. He is good!

Slum Dog Millionaire

I have put off watching the movie Slum Dog Millionaire for a long time now. It is not because of the reviews or that fact that I rarely like foreign films. I have heard nothing but rave reviews of the movie. I have friends who have lived and worked in India for years and they said that it was a very real account of life there. I have simply not wanted to watch it because it would force me to look deep into myself and examine places that I like to keep, well, unexamined. Things like attitudes, motives, the way that I spent my time, energy, and money, and my attitude toward the poor.

You can watch a movie like Slum Dog Millionaire and do one of two things: first, say something like, "Wow! Praise God that I was not born in a situation like that, or secondly, wrestle with why you were not born in a situation like that. I tend to fall into the second category. Now, if like me, you fall into the second category, then you have to do some soul searching and come to some conclusions. If I was not born into a situation like those children in Slum Dog, then what is my responsibility toward those who were? What was it that Jesus said, "To whom much is given, much is required. (Luke 12:48)" What is required of me? Why was I given much (if you are reading this and come from a Western nation, you were given much too)? How do I respond to those who were not given much?

I watched the movie, now I am wrestling. It is a good wrestle, the kind that I need from time to time. If you have not seen the movie, pray about it, and if you feel like a good wrestle with your soul, watch it. I pray that it impacts you the way that it has me. If you need a good first hand look at life for the majority of the world I will tell you what Mother Theresa told everyone who wanted to know what was going on in Calcutta, "Come and see." Our doors are always open, we will make a spot for you and you can see what God sees in millions of lives around the world every second of the day.

The Orphans Cry

The older girls from Heritage House had a sleep over at our house a few weeks back. Kristen and Elizabeth LeMarr had them over to play games, eat popcorn and watch a movie. We like to do icebreakers with the kids from Heritage House just to see what they are thinking about things.

We usually do one serious one and one lighter one. On this night, Kristen asked the girls a light one to start off. The question was, “If a genie granted you one wish, what would you wish for?” The girls started around the room and the answers ranged from, “I would wish for a good job,” to “I would wish for a nice moto,” until finally it came to Churp. Chrup is a 14 years old and is a very serious young woman. When it was her turn to answer the question, she sat quietly for a few seconds and then said, “If I had one wish, it would be that my entire family really knew Jesus.”

Chrup’s older sister, Srey Neeung used to live at Heritage House. When she was sixteen years old, she decided that she wanted to move out and live her own life. Their mother had died in child birth with their younger sister, Srey Night. Their father had left them with their grandmother and remarried. Srey Neeung went back to live with their father and work in a sweat shop. Chrup prays daily for her older sister and father.

Srey Neeung gets married this week. When we asked Chrup if she wanted to go, she said, “No, I cannot go because Srey Neeung is going to marry a man who is not a Christian. She knows the truth but is choosing to disobey God. I cannot go and say this is alright.” In this culture, it is a huge step to not go to a family function. Chrup is really taking a stand for righteousness . She is putting the word of God and the truths found there ahead of her culture and ahead of her family (Luke 14:26). It would be easy for her to go and say, “I am going to be a witness.” However, she is letting her older sister know that she loves her, but will not sit by while her sister chooses to disobey God. For this, I applaud Chrup.

Churp has a burden for souls. However, it is not the burden that says there is an easy salvation out there; just say this prayer and then live however you want. Her burden is for a true, soul saving, life changing salvation that brings freedom in Christ. Chrup, as evidenced by the answer to the question that Kristen asked, is also not concerned for the things of this world. She has fixed her eyes on the eternal and cares for the things that really matter. She is burdened for her family, her friends at school, and her country.

I am convicted as I write this because I see in a 14 year old young woman what should be the burden of my heart. I pray that the Holy Spirit will be the “unction” in my life for what really matters. I pray for a fresh burden for souls.

What I Saw The Other Day

One of my constant prayers has been that the Lord would allow me to see what He sees and to feel what He feels. I know that I cannot handle all of what He sees and feels, but I also know that He will not put more on me than I can stand. I pray this way so that I can stay sensitive to the needs of a lost and broken world. Since living in Cambodia, I must say that at times, it has been overwhelming to see the needs around me.

I was riding back on my motorcycle to the house that we were staying in last week when the Holy Spirit just gave me a small glimpse of what He sees every second of everyday. As I left Heritage House, I felt that small voice inside whispering for me to "open my eyes." This is what I saw on my five mile ride home:

• A woman craddling an infant in her arms bowing down in front of two monks as they chanted "blessings" over her. I cannot imagine how desperate a mother must feel in this society. She was just wanting to know that things would be alright for her child in this life.
• A girl on a bridge just staring off at nothing. Her face was etched with sorrow and hopelessness. Yesterday an 18 year old girl here hung herself beside Heritage House because she could not handle the sorrow any longer. Did she ever hear the Message?
• A poor city. Poverty that most of us in the west cannot imagine. Boys playing in the open sewers, small thatch "houses" with multiple families living in them, and filthy children playing in the streets. I wish that I could put into words what the scene was like. I ached as I rode and thought that could my children.
• A young child (possibly two) playing in the middle of the street as cars, motos and bicycles pass by on all sides.
• A row of restaurants that serve as brothels. I saw teenage "beer girls" standing outside with the look of someone who has already given up on life on their face. At 16,17,18, these girls have lived lives harder than you or I will if we live to be 80 years old.

As I drove, I could sense the Holy Spirit speaking to me of the needs all around and that He wanted to meet each person individually. God does not see us as a mass of humanity, some nations rich and some poor. He sees individuals, men and women, boys and girls as we are - all created in His image, all broken from the sin in our own lives, all in need of a Savior.

I see these images, ones forever impressed upon my heart, and I want to scream, I want to cry, I want to give it all away so that others can know how much Jesus loves them. After these experiences, I usually make it home and all I can do is pray. Pray for God to use my family as His voice. Pray that we will not talk about being the hands and feet for Jesus, but that we will be His hands and feet.

That was my ride home. What was yours like? Did you ask the Holy Spirit to allow you to see the needs around you? Have you really listened to those that you work with? Have you talked to your neighbor in awhile. Please don't just invite them to Church. Be the Church for them. Let them see Jesus living in you. Cry when they cry, hurt when they hurt, rejoice when they rejoice, and let them know that Jesus loves them. He loves you, he loves me and he wants to use us to reach a world that is dying without knowing Him.

Pray for me and I will pray for you as we journey together on different parts of the earth.

Servant of a Passionate God
Lewis Burke - Romans 8:31

Kampot - Week One

We had an amazing trip to Cambodia. Southwest Airlines is hands down the best airline that we fly inside of the United States. The lady at the check-in asked where we were going with our unusual luggage and when I told her, she asked if we wanted our parents to go to the gate with us. She then gave us a pass so that Kristen's mom and dad and my dad could walk us all the way to the gate. Not to mention the free bags they allow you, always fly Southwest if given the option.

We arrived in Cambodia after 23 flight hours fresh and ready to take on the world. We arrived at midnight, so we spent the night in Phnom Penh. Vutha took us the next day to buy two motorcycles (can't live in Cambodia without them). Needless to say, Sterling was excited about getting his Honda AX1 250. He will be sharing with Kristen while Benjamin and I will be riding the other one.

After spending a long, hot day in Phnom Penh, we drove down to Kampot. Vutha was following on one of the motorcycles and I was driving the orphanage truck. Right as we left, it started raining. Now driving in the rain in the states can be a hassle, but here, it can be dangerous, especially when your windshield wipers don't work. So, our three and a half hour drive turned into a five and a half hour drive. I am still not sure why we did that, but between the jetlag and rain, it is the grace of God that we arrived.

Our first few days in Kampot were tiring, but wonderful. Our first service at Hosanna was encouraging. We shared communion together and just to look at all of the Khmer brothers and sisters sitting there and thinking how diverse heaven will be oneday brought a smile to my face. I am so grateful for the blood of Jesus that brings every tribe, tongue, nation and people together under His Lordship. That afternoon I went to a cell group where former enemies from the war sat together fellowshipping because of Prince of Peace.

As always, seeing the children at Heritage House humbles us. To see what this society views as worthless, not only surviving, but thriving, is amazing. God truly is the Father to the fatherless. He takes those that the world disregards and sets them in places of honor. Kristen comes alive when she is at Heritage House. The boys were really excited to see their old friends and to play with them also.

During the week we reconnected with some missionary friends here and met some new ones. We went to a cell group of ex-pats this past Sunday. It is exciting to see what God is doing with the diverse groups here. We meet a French brother and he offered us his guest house for the week until we move to house sit for another couple. He lives on the river and we have had a great time. The boys get up and get school done so they can swim. This morning we took a swim before school started.

We are having trouble finding a house for our family. We have the house sit for two months before the couple returns and trust that a house will open up for us by then.

This afternoon, Vutha and I are taking the Heritage House kids swimming and fishing. I assume the much more of the former. I praise God for His faithfulness! I am really excited about all that the next few years will hold for the nation of Cambodia. I sense great things are around the corner.

Thank you for your prayers!

Servant of a Passionate God
Lewis Burke
Rom 8:31

Kampot, Cambodia

Passion for Souls

Something happened to me in a tent in the Middle East in 1991. I cannot explain it in words really. I just knew that Jesus was real and that I wanted everyone that I came into contact with to know Him. It was not just a wanting, but a burden.

After the war, my enlistment was up and I left the Air Force and went to college. My first two years were at Walter's State in Morristown, TN. I had two goals entering every class; first, to tell everyone in the classroom about Jesus and secondly, to make an A in that class. Well, at least the first one I was able to accomplish. I carried a backpack full of tracts. I had a tract for every occasion. I promise you, everyone in that school knew who the crazy Jesus guy was.

Since that time, I have had many opportunities to share Jesus with others. I have been in many countries sharing the love of Christ and have shared Him here in the states. However, as the years have gone by, I lost the backpack. I put the tracts up and used methods less brash.

A few years ago, our friends from a neighboring country in S.E. Asia came to visit us in Cambodia. Their country is a closed country. This family has known hardship when it comes to serving Jesus. Many of their family members have been imprisoned for the sake of Christ. They live under constant threat of being caught as Church leaders and being put in prison themselves.

While they were visiting us, we took them to visit a school that our friends ran. As we were taking a tour of the school, a man from their country was there. He worked as a general maintenance man for the school. During the war, he could not handle all of the things that he was required to do, so he deserted the army. He was living in Cambodia as a traitor to his country.

For two days, our visiting friends were such an encouragement to us. We had prayed together, had wonderful fellowship and enjoyed our time together. What happened after meeting this man at the school forever changed my life though. The lady who was visiting us, saw the man and went after him. She asked him his story, why he was in Cambodia, and what his life was like. He shared his entire story, as she stood listening intently. When he was finished telling his story, she said, "I forgive you for deserting our country." She then went on, with tears in her eyes, to tell him about Another who would forgive him if he asked. She stood, with tears rolling down her face, telling him about the love of Jesus Christ.

She had the burden. Love, passion, desire, and boldness, they all came out of her. It was the love of God for a lost soul flooding out of her as she shared about Jesus. When we left, she did not come back to the house for fellowship, she went to her room to pray for that man's soul. She was not going to let go with a simple, "Jesus loves you." She was going to storm heaven until that man was rescued from hell.

I don't know if I will pick up the backpack full of tracts again or not, but I do know that I will never worry about being comfortable when telling others about Jesus. He is worth talking about and He loves the lost. I will, by His grace, share with everyone that He allows me to. I pray that I will love as my S.E. Asian sister does - loving God and loving man.

In case you are wondering what the lost think about us Christians, take a look at this clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhG-tkQ_Q2w

Pray for me and I will pray for you. "May the Lamb that was slain receive the reward of His suffering!"

Servant of a Passionate God

Lewis Burke

Rom 8:31

Fighting with the Monks!

When had been in Cambodia about six months or so when I went out to visit our friend's family. Lyda had been living with us for most of the time that we had lived in Cambodia and we had been out to visit her family a few times. They live in Kampong Cham province. It was one of the 50 Khmer holidays (Second most in the world I am told. I wish I knew who had more) and she was back in the village visiting her family.

Her village is about two hours on a paved road and three hours on a dirt road. I was excited to get out in the countryside and spend some time by myself on the motorcycle. The directions to Lyda's village are quite strange. After you pass the Muslim complex on the paved road, take the first right dirt road. On that road, go straight until you hit the Mekong River. Take the boat across the river and stay straight on the dirt road until you go through the little section of wooden houses and take the first left. After the left, you go for an hour or so, following the river until you see a little village area, at the tallest coconut tree, look for the really small dirt road and turn right on it. You run right into their house a little ways up that road.

I love Lyda's family. Her father used to stay with us whenever he visited Phnom Penh. He is one of those wise old farmers who knows just about everything there is to know about living off of the land. Everytime he came and stayed at our house, he asked to watch the Jesus film. He loves that movie. As a matter of fact, when his wife was old enough to shave her head and go serve at the pagado, he said no. He had decided that Jesus was the real thing, so he did not want his wife serving at the Buddhist place of worship. It caused a real stir among the village elders, but he held strong. There are no Churches in his village, or even within three hours or so, but he still felt like Jesus was the true God, so he was willing to serve Him the best that he could out there in Kampong Cham.

While visiting Lyda's family, I heard that the neighbor next door had suffered a stroke. Lyda asked me to go and pray for him. As we walked into the house, there were 10 Buddhist monks sitting all around the man, fanning and chanting so that when he died, his spirit would blow out of the area not haunt the village. The man was lying on the floor with his wife sitting beside him. He had a pool of spit running down his face and chin. I have been in alot of situations that seemed hopeless, but I am not sure that I had ever been in one like this.

I laid hands on the man and began to pray. Of course, being the great man of faith that I am, I started out the prayer something like this, "Oh Lord, if it be your will, please help this man's family after he dies, etc." It was the weakest prayer that I could have prayed in the moment because I was intimiated. However, as I prayed, faith began to rise up in me. My arms began to burn and I knew that God was going to heal this man. I started to pray in true faith and proclaim that Jesus Christ was Lord of the situation and that He was healing this man. I began to shout out the prayer and as I did, the monks began to shout louder. Pretty soon we were in a shouting contest. My prayers to the living God and theirs to demon spirits. It was like something in the old testament being lived out right before my eyes.

I really knew that God was healing this man and that he was going to be alright. I was afraid to open my eyes, but told Lyda to tell the man and his wife that Jesus Christ, the true God, was healing his body and that when he was well, he was to give his heart to Christ and serve Him. I slowing opened my eyes expecting the man to jump up and testify. When I opened my eyes, the man had not changed at all. He lay on the floor, drool sliding down his chin, not able to speak.

I left the village right after that for my long, lonely ride back to Phnom Penh. I cried all the way, feeling like I had disgraced the name of Jesus. I wrestled with the thoughts that now the entire village would think that Jesus is not real, but merely another weak god. I told the Lord that I would contact our home Church and let them know that we would be returning to the states because I was a failure as a missionary. I begged God to forgive me and to send people back to the village who could proclaim the gospel effectively.

When I got back to Phnom Penh, Lyda called from her village. She told me that when I was gone about two hours, the man had gotten up. He was totally healed and had his wife fix him something to eat. The monks had all left. The man could talk, his speach was clear, his body was fine, and they wanted me to come back out there. I went back out the next day and the man and his wife gave their hearts to Jesus. They told me how their children had left for Phnom Penh and never came back to visit them. How they were lonely and had noone to help them on the farm. They rejoiced to hear the amazing news about Jesus dying for their sins and gladly received Him.

I learned alot on that trip. Mainly, that God really does love people and that He can use anyone to deliever the message of His Son. Even us faithless, at times, missionaries. That He is the same yesterday, today and forever. That He can heal those in hopeless situations. That we do not war against flesh and blood, but against principalities, powers, rulers of darkness, and spiritual hosts of wickedness (Eph. 6:12). I was not fighting monks, I was fighting a demonic system that wants to enslave the Khmer people.

God is moving in that little village in Kampong Cham. We have prayed for years for a Khmer pastor to be raised up and sent out to plant a Church there. The field is ripe, the laborers are few. We are praying to the Lord of the Harvest to send out laborers into that field (Matt. 9:37-38). We are also praying for a real move among the "spiritual" leaders in Cambodia. That God would reveal Jesus to the 50,000 monks working in Cambodia.

Releasing Your Children to the Will of God

"And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life."

Matthew 19:29

Two weeks ago, I had the privilege of meeting someone that I had heard about for years. Paula (I am withholding her last name because of where she minsters) is a missionary who has lived in Russia for many years. I heard about Paula through the Prices, Jeff Oakes and Russian friend, Maga. Everyone who told me about Paula said what an incredible person that she was and how powerfully the Holy Spirit was using her to reach out to people for Jesus. Maga is not a Christian and yet and is amazed at Paula's faith and courage. Maga does not give out praise easily. So, when he was telling me about Paula, I knew that I had to meet her.

Paula has lived in a war zone in the former Soviet Union for many years. When she first went to Russia, it was as a college student. She knew that God was calling her to missions, but felt like she would live in Africa. After being in Russia for her studies, she knew that God was calling her to stay and minister there (Acts 16 - Macedonian Call).

She had visited a war zone on a short term outreach and felt the Holy Spirit tell her that she would be ministering there and that her confirmation would be when her mother told her that it was alright. Now, what kind of a mother would tell her single, 25 year old daughter that it would be alright to move to a Muslim area of the former Soviet Union in the middle of a war?

Well, I got to meet the type of mother who would. Paula, her mother, Jo, their friend, Connie, and another Russian friend were traveling through the states and called the Church to see if we had a place for them to stay. Jeff was out of town and asked me to meet them and help them get settled in.

Benjamin and I took them out to dinner (Kristen was out of town and Sterling was staying with a friend). After dinner, we took them to a cell group so that they could share their testimonies. Connie shared how she was called to serve the team in Russia and had been there for almost three years. Amazing stuff! The Russian lady told of how she came to serve the Lord and how He had faithfully taken care of her family during difficult times. Remarkable stuff! Jo, Paula's mom, shared about how she had lived with Paula in Russia for six years and I was blown away. What a way to spend a retirement! Then Paula shared how the confirmation came to move to the war zone.

Paula's mom had visited Paula with a team of five men from their home Church in England. They were ministering in a refugee camp in the war zone. On the last day, Jo was leaving to go back to England and said, "Paula, I know that the Lord is calling you to minister in this place. I release and bless you to do the work of the Lord."

What a thing for a mother to do. Again, Paula was 25, single, and a woman. She would be living in a war zone caught between Muslim extremists and Russian soldiers. She was willing to lay down her life so that others could know about the love of Jesus. Here was her mother willing to not only release her daughter to the will of God, but to bless her in what Jesus had called her to do.

My hearts prayer is that Kristen and I will be parents who are able to do that, regardless of the cost. To release our sons to the will of God and to bless them in it. I do not know all that the Lord is calling our boys to do, but I know that in these days, the cost could be high.

I thank God for the Paula's and Connie's who are out there at the "ends of the earth." I also praise Him for the Jo's who will bless their children in the calling. I was privileged to meet these women of God.

Servant of a Passionate God
Lewis Burke
Romans 8:31

http://www.lightinseasia.org/

Back in the States!

We made it back to the United States. It was an incredible trip and we praise God for all that he did during our time in Cambodia. Right now we are still fighing jet lag pretty bad. Kristen and Benjamin are staying at the house in Johnson City while Lewis and Sterling go to a leadership seminar at Heritage Fellowship in Jefferson City. On Saturday the boys have their last basketball game and then next week we go to Strong Rock Christian School in Georgia and Faith Community Fellowship in Alabama to share about the vision of the English School. No rest for the weary!

As soon as we are over our jet lag, we will update everyone on the trip.

Muslim Village in Kampot Province

If you would like to see more photos from the trip, you can visit our website:

http://www.lightinseasia.org/

Thank you for keeping us in your prayers during the trip! We witnessed the hand of God during the entire time that we traveled.

Servant of a Passionate God

Lewis Burke

Rom 8:31

Phnom Penh

We have had a really great time in Phnom Penh. God has truly given us the desires of our hearts to see everyone that we needed to see. In a third world country, it is often difficult to connect with people.

Friday night we arrived in Phnom Penh after, in Kristen's words, "The most peaceful car ride that I have ever had in Cambodia." The driver went slow and did not take any silly chances. We also never got more than five feet from another car, water buffalo, cow, child, chicken, cat, dog, or old man in a wheel chair. It was amazing! I did not know these drivers existed. Praise God for answering prayer.

After we arrived in Phnom Penh, we had dinner with our good friends Sonja and Tola Kim. On Saturday morning, we came down from the lobby of our hotel and there was Pastor Siani. He was picking up a mission team from Singapore who were staying at our hotel. Kristen had prayed that if we were suppose to run into him that we would. It was great seeing him and hearing how everyone from Banteay Meanchey is doing. After spending a few minutes with him, we had breakfast with Daren and Jodi Beck. Friends of ours who have lived in Phnom Penh for years now.

After spending the morning in Russian Market, we stopped by the new "mall"and had Swenson's ice cream. I had heard a rumor they were here now, but wanted to see for myself. Again, praise God for answered prayer. It is good to know that I can get real ice cream every few months when we move back to Cambodia. HA!

Last night we went to see our dear friend Lyda. Her mother and father were in from Kampong Cham and it was an incredible time. Her father used to stay with us when he came to Phnom Penh and we spent many nights and days out in his village. He is 72 years old and his health is holding up. He used to love to watch the Jesus film at our house and would watch it over and over. He is one of those special people in our lives who have touched us deeply through the years. I never have time to visit him on one of these trips and it was so good of the Lord to let us run into him at Lyda's house here in Phnom Penh. We sat on the floor for over an hour with them catching up. It truly felt like we were visiting family. I really cannot express how thankful we were to see them all. God is so good!

We leave tonight for our long trip back to the states. We have over 36 hours to get back to Knoxville. Please pray for safe trips, our luggage to arrive with us on time, smooth airplane rides, our health, and for no delays. We really hope that we can check our luggage from Phnom Penh to the states. We do not have want to have to pick up our luggage in Korea.

We are very thankful for all that God has done on this trip. We are blessed. Thank you for praying for us during this trip. We pray that the Lamb that was slain would receive the reward of His suffering through His Church in Cambodia!

Servant of a Passionate God
Lewis Burke
Rom 8:31

For Prayer Requests for the Trip;

You can Visit our Website:

www.lightinseasia.org