Grace Baptist Church - Phnom Penh

GBC-Kandal Steung Christmas Program

2011-12-05T23:56:00.000+07:00

This past Sunday, December 4, we were at Grace Baptist Church – Kandal Steung, pastored by Bro. Siem Bunthol for their Christmas program. The small place of worship we built last year can no longer contain the number of people Bro. Bunthol has every Sunday. They have made an extension on the side of the building to be able to accommodate more people. It is a blessing to preach the Word there and see a lady coming to trust the Lord Jesus Christ as her personal Savior.

Soteriology Class

2011-11-25T22:47:00.000+07:00

It is always a special blessing teaching at CBBC. I taught Soteriology (the doctrine of salvation) to the combined 2nd and 3rd year students. I had a total of 17 students. A clear and proper understanding of the Bible teaching of Salvation helps a believer to be more appreciative of the riches of God's grace bestowed on sinners and adds to more joy in the Christian life which in turn impels the believer to more consistent and dedicated service to his Savior and Lord. Please pray that these students at CBBC will grow in the knowledge and grace of the Lord and would yield their lives to serve God unreservedly in the reaching of their fellow Cambodians with the Gospel. CBBC has a total of 26 full-time students and several who are auditing or completing credits for graduation.

Short and Sweet

2011-10-29T20:44:00.001+07:00

1-Minute Video Presentation
I was asked to do a 1-minute video presentation of highlights of our ministries this year and this video is the finished product. I hope this will help friends know more of the things that make life exciting here in the country of Cambodia.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ogmcbuIeVRM

Evangelistic Camps 2011

2011-09-08T13:52:00.002+07:00

We just finished the 10^th batch of our Evangelistic Camps 2011. This far, there have been 4,528 who attended the camps. A total of 1,158 have trusted the Lord as their Savior and 426 were baptized from the different churches who brought people to camp. There are still 4 more batches to go before camping season 2011 will close. We really thank the Rawlings Family and Foundation for putting up the camp facility and in helping us with the resources to organize and hold these camps.

Bro. Son's Family Joins Grace Baptist Church!

2011-08-22T13:41:00.000+07:00

Bro. Son was baptized last year and has been coming to church regularly with his family ever since. Last August 21, his wife, three of their children and two nieces were baptized and added to Grace Baptist Church. Please help pray for Bro. Son and his family that they will all grow in the Lord and be good witnesses to their neighbors and friends.

Vacation Bible School

2011-08-08T13:38:00.000+07:00

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2219612100864.2127605.1564503526&type=1

Our young people at Grace Baptist Church with help from our volunteer staff and the Flanagan family, held Vacation Bible School for almost 200 children from August 1-6. The special highlight of the VBS is when our young people gather the children in small groups and explain to them how and what it means to put their trust in Christ as Savior and Lord.

CBBC Graduation 2011

2011-07-13T13:34:00.000+07:00

Last July 12, 6 men and 1 lady graduated from Cambodia Baptist Bible College. It always brings mixed emotions to see these men and women mount the platform to receive their certificates. It is very heart-warming to hear them give their testimonies of how the Lord has carried them through Bible college years, thank their Pastors, loved ones and friends who helped them and then express their dreams and anticipations of what lies ahead. We realize that these new graduates are going to the forefront of the Gospel battlefield and that they need our support and fervent prayers more than ever.

Missions Conference 2011

2011-05-16T16:18:00.004+07:00

We held our Missions Conference from May 11-13. We had many of our local Pastors whom we are helping attend. Two of them, Bro. Sothea and Bro. Bunthol were saved, trained and sent out of our church. The Missions conference was a blessing to our people and to brethren from other churches who came to attend. Our church is not really giving much to Missions yet but we want to emphasize that this is the main reason why churches are started and why they continue their existence. I wish we can say that we are growing dramatically in this area but not so. However, we are undeterred in our efforts and we are confident that “we shall reap if we faint not”. Your prayers for us in this area is very much appreciated.

GBC 9th Anniversary

2011-05-03T23:30:00.001+07:00

Grace Baptist Church – Anlong K’ngan celebrated its 9^th anniversary of existence as a church in Anlong K’ngan, on the outskirts of Phnom Penh city last April 24. Bro. Srim Sara, the first Cambodian missionary to a foreign field, was our special speaker and he brought a very powerful message that has blessed and encouraged many of our people. While we had more people than normal with many first time visitors, it is odd that nobody made any decision to trust the Lord for salvation that day. However, a woman who attended came back the next Sunday and got saved! Our schedules are not often synchronized with the Lord’s schedule and so we just gladly follow His when He makes the changes on ours!

BBFI Global Fellowship

2011-03-25T00:11:00.002+07:00

It was a special and wonderful blessing to be back home home in the Philippines when the Baptist Bible Fellowship International Global Fellowship Meeting was held in Cebu city from February 21-24. The huge gathering of preachers, pastors, missionaries and church workers was very inspiring. It was such a wonderful time to see old friends and to meet new ones who are serving the Lord in many different countries around the world. The worship and fellowship time was really uplifting. Dr. Armie Jesalva and the brethren at Bible Baptist Church - Cebu were such wonderful hosts for the monumental occasion.

AIC - SY 2010-2011

2010-10-19T21:56:00.000+07:00

Academy International Cambodia Started the new school year last September 13, 2010. At present there are 30 students enrolled. The student population is composed of Cambodians, Americans, Filipinos and Japanese. We thank the Lord of the sacrificial and loving service of our Academy staff in the training of these children both in academics and in the things of the Lord.

CBBC Update!

2010-10-19T15:04:00.001+07:00

Cambodia Baptist Bible College is already two weeks into the school year 2010-2011. Including those who are trying to complete credits for graduation next year, we have a total of 41 students all in all. It is really a blessing and a privilege to be witnesses of how the Lord transforms newly saved believers into effective servants of the Lord. While not all who go through our Bible college go into full-time service, we are very thankful for those who keep on in the service amidst all kinds of trials and testings. We praise the Lord for our fellow missionaries and Cambodian brethren who are really a tremendous help in providing able instruction for the students at CBBC.

New Musicians!

2010-10-19T14:32:00.000+07:00

We are very thankful to single lady missionary Sis. Minda Gallarin, for being able to take a couple of weeks break from Thailand to come and teach our staff and children how to play the violin. It is really an amazing blessing to see our staff and children being able to play simple songs after a just a few hours of instruction from Miss Minda.

GBC-Kandal Steung

2010-10-19T12:36:00.000+07:00

Bro. Siem Bunthol at Grace Baptist Mission - Kandal Steung reports of people getting save last July and August. 5 new believers were baptized and added to the church on the last week of July. Another blessing for Bro. Bunthol is the birth of his second son last October 6. Please pray for the health of Chenda, Bro. Bunthol's wife, and their new baby.

CBBC Graduation 2010

2010-07-10T16:32:00.005+07:00

Cambodia Baptist Bible College held its 9th graduation ceremonies last July 7, 2010. 10 men completed the prescribed 3-year curriculum for the Graduate of Theology course and 1 young lady finished the 3 years of study required for the Certificate of Christian Education. CBBC continues to be a vital force in the training of more laborers and workers in the vast harvest field of Cambodia. For the school year 2009-2010 we had more of the alumni of CBBC who are either pastoring churches or serving as assistant pastors involved in teaching the various courses in the college.
Rev. Corey Gordon, Pastor of Callie Harbin Baptist Church, Villa Rica, Georgia, USA, was our guest speaker for the CBBC graduation and Baccalaureate service. His messages from God's Word were a real blessing and challenge to the graduates and everyone in attendance in the programs. Bro. Gordon was accompanied by his wife, Kristy, and 4 other members of their church.
One of the graduates this year is Nieng Mien, one of the bigger boys we have at the Power of Grace Children's Home.

Grace Baptist Mission - Kandal Steung

2010-06-07T22:24:00.052+07:00

The beginning of year 2010 has brought dramatic changes to Bro. Bunthol Siem and his work at Grace Baptist Mission - Kandal Steung. For some reason the owner of the house they were renting did not want to renew the lease for the house they were living in which was also being used for their church services at the end of 2009. Because there were no other places available to rent in the community, the only option available is to build. Although we had very limited funds, we did our best to help Bro. Bunthol to build a house where they can both live and hold regular services. Although the place they built was not as beautiful as the place they rented in the past, Bro. Bunthol and his people are very happy because they have more freedom in their own place and instead of funds being forever gone when paid as rent, they can use whatever resources they have to improve on their own place. Please help pray for Bro. Bunthol to eventually have a more decent place of worship and that his people will continue to grow in their faith in the Lord. Bro. Bunthol reported that there are 2 new believers who will soon be baptized. Praise the Lord!

GBC-AK 8th Anniversary

2010-05-10T22:03:00.035+07:00

We celebrated the 8th Church Anniversary of GBC-Anlong K'ngan just after our Missions Conference. While we are not growing as much as we want, we are happy to see some of the members of our church growing in their understanding of God's word and in their desire to serve the Lord. It is always a blessing to see visitors come on special occasions like this and it is a great blessing to see them come to trust the Lord as their Savior in the service. Rejoice with us for the 2 precious souls that got saved on our anniversary Sunday. It is always a highlight when people are ushered into the Lord's kingdom on any worship day!

Missions Conference 2010

2010-05-10T18:08:00.027+07:00

We held our annual Missions Conference at GBC-Anlong K'ngan las May 5-7, 2010. It is our primary desire to teach our people to realize and be actively involved in the greatest task of all, that of reaching the world with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. We tried to encourage our church members to be burdened for their own people as an initial step in reaching the world. This year's chosen theme was "My heart's desire is that they might be saved." We are so encouraged to see our Cambodian brethren learning to give of their finances to help support Cambodian local pastors and missionaries serving outside of Cambodia.

Shaken But Never Forsaken!

2009-12-10T22:46:00.005+07:00

We are so thankful to the Lord for giving us the grace to go through the ordeals mentioned in the previous posts. We were kind of baffled that such horrible incidents happened to us but we know that God is never baffled nor surprised by what His children have to go through in life. While we may never know God's exact reasons in allowing these things, collectively, when these things are put together, they are the ingredients necessary to help us become tougher in times of future trials and more tender on those going through similar trials. We thank you all our friends for your prayers for us through those very trying times. We have followed-up with the local police for leads or developments on their investigation several times but it seems like no progress or any work is being done at all. We just have to let that thing go and move on forward. We are very grateful to all the friends and brethren who have helped financially for us to be able to cover all of the monetary obligations incurred from the losses. The prayers offered on our behalf and words of encouragement have been truly meaningful and precious to us. Yes, we were shaken but we know we were never forsaken. Never forsaken by the Lord and by you all. We can never thank you enough for your kindness.

Training Cambodians to Reach Cambodians

2009-10-14T22:22:00.005+07:00

Cambodia Baptist Bible College started the new school year last October 12. At present there are a total of 44 students getting training in how to properly handle God’s Word and to minister it to the needy people. It is our firm belief that if Cambodia is to be reached with the Gospel effectively then more dedicated men and women need to be equipped, challenged and sent forth to harvest the millions of Cambodians still groping in darkness of sin and superstitious beliefs.

Train Up a Child...

2009-10-07T21:50:00.003+07:00

Academy International Cambodia continues to minister to missionary kids and Cambodian children. Last September 14, AIC started school year 2009-2010. At present there are a total 51 students learning both academics and Biblical principles in the school. Our volunteer staff are really a wonderful blessing for their unselfish and sacrificial services rendered to help prepare children to become the future leaders of society.

Another Tragedy Trying to Ruin the Victory!

2009-09-10T21:20:00.004+07:00

The recent Evangelistic Camps were tremendously exciting except for two separate tragedies that tried to distract and derail us. Honestly, we have been shaken and have not yet recovered from the first attack of the enemy when this recent blow hit us leaving us in some amount of shock. On the third week of our Evangelistic Camps, a 14 year old boy and over a dozen friends went to swim in the pond after the fun games were over. None of of his friends were aware that one of their buddies did not come out of the water. During meal time that evening, the boy was nowhere to be found. His friends started searching for him until they came to the edge of the pond and saw his shirt. Several of his friends immediately plunged into the water and were shocked to find his lifeless body. Last Tuesday, September 8, while we were having lunch at a restaurant along the busiest boulevard of Phnom Penh, some people broke the window of our parked vehicle in full view of many people who were scared to call for help and took off with my computer bag containing my laptop, various documents, my passport and a substantial amount of money. The money was intended for payment of the the bus fares for the final batches of the Evangelistic camps and some support money for our fellow missionaries. We went to the police station to file a report and we were told that we ought to be thankful that they stole the money with our belongings without having to rob us at gunpoint or even worse. We are indeed thankful that we were not harmed bodily. Now we have a tremendous financial need to pay for the bus fares and to restore the lost support of our friends. Please help us pray and help us that these needs will be provided.

Evangelistic Camps 2009

2009-09-06T21:35:00.008+07:00

We concluded the 15^th Batch of our Evangelistic Camps 2009 last September 5. Our overall total attendance for 15 batches was 13,077. A total of 2,667 people got saved during the camping season of five weeks. There were 691 new believers who followed the Lord in water baptism and a total of 127 surrendered to study in Bible college.

We praise the Lord for His wonderful works in saving so many people and in touching many lives at camp. On our last night at camp, one young man came up to give his testimony. With so much enthusiasm, he said that last year, he was just a curious attender but he got saved after hearing about how Jesus Christ loved him and how He died to save him. With a radiant face he said, “This year, I am at camp because I wanted to be here and I brought many of my friends because I wanted them to get saved too.” One touched life like this makes all the effort worthwhile!

We thank you so much for your prayers and in helping us make an impact in the lives of many Cambodian people. May God bless you.

CBBC Graduation 2009

2009-07-15T20:56:00.000+07:00

Cambodia Baptist Bible College held its 8th Graduation Program last July 8, 2009. Rev. Todd Flanagan, Missionary on deputation for Cambodia was our special guest speaker for the occasion. 3 ladies and 6 men received their diplomas for completion of 3 years of study for preparation for the Gospel ministry. Please pray for these graduates as they continue to seek the Lord's leading in their lives and the ministries they will be serving in. Many of these graduates are already involved as staff and workers in their respective churches. Please pray that these young men and women will rise up to become the future leaders in the propagation of the Gospel in Cambodia.

Baptism @ GBC-AK

2009-05-11T20:59:00.004+07:00

The Lord is indeed the One who adds to His church. Many times we lead people to the Lord who we think would become church members quite quickly. We try our best to work and follow up on them anticipating that they will be committed to the church and the Lord's work soon but not soon enough as we have projected. But at the same time, the Lord will bring other people to our ministries and we are just blessed to see them do what is right before the Lord. So let's just work and let the Lord add to His church!

GBC - AK 7th Anniversary

2009-05-11T20:34:00.004+07:00

GBC - Anlong K'ngan celebrated its 7th Anniversary last April 26. Bro. Prak Kunthy, Associate Pastor at Russey Keo BBC was our special speaker. Our people were challenged from God's word about taking responsibility for the work the Lord has commissioned his people to do. Our theme was taken from John 9:4, "I must work the works of Him that sent me." 3 precious souls were saved, several commitments were made including one coming to present herself for baptism. We praise and thank the Lord for his many blessings upon Grace Baptist Church - Anlong K'ngan.

GBC - AK Youth Fellowhsip

2009-03-24T12:13:00.003+07:00

At GBC – Anlong K’ngan, there were several professions of salvation in church services and in visitation for the month of February and March. Many of these newly saved are receiving instructions on baptism and we look forward to seeing them getting baptized in the future. It is a blessing that we have many older teen-agers at Power of Grace Children’s Home because they are very active in leading in children’s outreaches and in the Youth Ministry of the church.

Baptism at GBC - Kandal Steung

2009-03-24T11:40:00.009+07:00

Last March 15, Bro. Siem Bunthol at Grace Baptist Church, Kandal Steung, baptized 5 young believers. This is actually Bro. Bunthol’s first time to administer baptism by himself. He was both nervous and excited about it. In the past, he has been bringing believers ready for baptism to our church in town or waited until there is a special service where we were able to participate and did the baptism for him. Bro. Bunthol and his church were able to purchase a piece of land suitable for building their meeting place and parsonage and they are praying for funds to be able to start construction.

Power of Grace Children's Home

2009-01-26T23:16:00.000+07:00

All the children at Power of Grace Children’s Home are doing well. There are no significant illnesses except for the usual colds, coughs and other aches and minor cuts and burns. All the children enjoyed the break they had during the Christmas season. We were able to take them for an outing which they enjoyed very much and are very thankful for the special treat. Our learning center at Power of Grace is in need of more qualified volunteer teachers to help even for short term. If anyone of you feel lead to come and help, please let us know.

AIC 2008-2009

2009-01-26T20:55:00.000+07:00

The 3 weeks of evangelistic camp, the preparations before it and the ensuing activities after has virtually obliterated what is supposed to be a 2 months school break. Academy International Cambodia (AIC) opened the school year 2008-2009 in September. At present there are 57 children enrolled in our school. Please pray for the these students to become more conscious about their personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ while they are still in their tender and formative years. Please help pray for our volunteer missionary staff as they devote much of their precious time in influencing these young people for the Lord. Please pray also that we can have in-roads into many of the homes these children come from through the school ministry.

Evangelistic Camp 2008

2008-09-05T18:41:00.000+07:00

During the month of August we were able to hold a series of Youth Evangelistic Camps. A total of 8323 people from Phnom Penh and the surrounding provinces attended 9 batches of camps held in a span of 3 weeks. There were 2204 people who came to profess salvation in Christ and a total of 394 believers baptized at the end of each batch. Please pray as the churches who brought these people work on following up on those who were saved and baptized. Please pray also that we will be able to continue to hold camps like these as this is very effective in getting the message of the Gospel to the thousands of the youth population of Cambodia.

Power of Grace Children's Home Dedication

2008-07-14T21:26:00.000+07:00

After almost 2 years of building trying to outpace the rising prices of construction materials, the new home of Power of Grace Children's Home was finally dedicated on July 11, 2008. We thank God for the kindness of C3 Missions International and Grace Baptist International in providing the needed funds for the completion of this beautiful 3-storey facility. The new dormitory is capable of housing up to 120 orphans and children at risk. Combining all the children from Living Waters and Power of Grace, we now have 53 uniquely different children running up and down the building and creating cheerful noises around Power of Grace Children's Home.

Please continue to pray that these children who are sheltered at Power of Grace will all know the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior and that they all will respond to instructions to become productive citizens of society and even become future leaders of Cambodia.

CBBC Graduation 2008!

2008-07-09T20:26:00.000+07:00

Cambodia Baptist Bible College held its 7th Graduation Ceremony last July 8, 2008. This year we had 4 men and 1 lady successfully complete requirements for graduation. The 5 graduates of the Bible college are listed below with their respective ministry involvement.
- Soung Vanna is pastoring a church he started when he was in his second year
- Sous Sophal is one of Missionary Billy Haas' assistants and also has his own outreach that will become a church later
- Kith Vibol is Dr. Felipe Castro's assistant and in-charge in one of their churches in Kampong Thom
- Keang Sokhon is the mission Pastor of Missionary Rainier Rolda's mission work in Mondolkiri

- Pang Im (the only girl in this batch) - is praying to be a missionary to the tribal people of Mondolkiri province.

Please help pray for these graduates that they will be always sensitive to the Lord's leading in their lives and that they will become effective workers in their respective areas of ministry.

AIC News Bits!

2008-07-06T20:10:00.000+07:00

One of the unexpected blessings we have for the 11 years of ministry in Cambodia is the development and growth of Academy International Cambodia. Started originally as a homeschool for our 3 sons, AIC has developed into a Christian school where Cambodian children and missionary kids get academic and biblical instructions that help prepare them for life. AIC has a student enrollment this year at 45. We held our Annual Awards Banquet and ABC's Graduation last July 5. We were so blessed to have had Rev. Delbert Hooge as our guest speaker for the occasion. Rev. Hooge was the person used of the Lord to encourage us to start the school when we first got to Cambodia. It is our desire and prayer that AIC will continue to grow and become an instrument for us to get the Gospel into more Cambodian homes and families.

One of the 8 graduates form our ABC's program is Sroh Keo, the youngest child we have at the Living Waters Children's Home. Sroh was just 6 weeks old when he was taken into our children's home.

"Go and Help" - Missions Conference 2008

2008-05-21T00:32:00.000+07:00

Grace Baptist Church – Phnom Penh held its annual Missions Conference from May 14-16. All the local Pastors our church helps support were in attendance. Their reports and messages were very encouraging and uplifting. We are praying that our people will grow in their commitments and that others will be more consistent in their missions giving so that we can help support at least one more local Pastor this year. At present, GBC-PP is helping support 7 local Pastors (3 of them are sent out from our church) and 6 missionary families serving in 4 foreign fields.

GBC-AK 6th Anniversary!

2008-05-14T23:13:00.000+07:00

Last April 27, 2008, we celebrated the 6th Anniversary of Grace Baptist Church - Anlong K'ngan. Our chosen theme for this year was "Be a Blessing". We had the usual anniversary service with several visitors and a guest speaker, Pastor Gnoun Sitha of Bethany Baptist Church - Chrouy Chungvah. Pastor Sitha was the Valedictorian of the first batch of Graduates from Cambodia Baptist Bible College. He was a real blessing to our family and our church during that special day at GBC-AK. Anniversaries always come with special fun, special food and special fellowship!

New Year, New Blessings, New Challenges!

2008-01-29T21:18:00.000+07:00

As we have mentioned in our previous report, the Lord is so gracious in allowing us to start year 2008 in a very positive note. We know the road will not always be rosy but we are learning to rejoice with each and every segmental victory in our journey of service to the King of Kings here in Cambodia.

We are very thankful to all of you who are unceasing in your prayers and sacrificial in your giving so we can continue in serving God and the Cambodian people here in the land of our calling.

Feeling Great in 2008!

2008-01-14T00:48:00.000+07:00

The Lord is so good in allowing us to close out year 2007 with the wonderful blessings. While no one is sure of the timing of the Lord’s birth, the year-end season is really a very good opportunity to present the Gospel message to curious people through various special programs and activities. 5 youngsters got saved at GBC – Anlong K’ngan on December 23. On the afternoon of the same day, we were able to attend services at Grace Baptist Mission in Kandal Steung pastored by Bro. Siem Bunthol. It is really heartwarming seeing the young people trained by Bro. Bunthol present a drama on the Nativity with ingenious Cambodian props.

The first Sunday of 2008 at GBC – Phnom Penh was made sweeter when Phalla, the mother Bro. Sophea, our preacher at GBC – AK, raised her hand indicating she wants to be very sure she is saved. After counseling with her, she said she wants to obey the Lord in baptism.

For personal blessings, it is a special joy for us seeing TJ, our eldest son, teach at Cambodia Baptist Bible College. Having our children getting more involved in the ministry seem to charge us to keep on going and doing more for the Lord. Thank you very much to all of you who prayed for the well-being of our children and their obedience to the Lord’s will.

We now have a total of 53 children at Power of Grace and Living Waters children’s homes. As the kids grow and their number increase the challenge of raising them is becoming more demanding. However, even at this stage we see the wonderful fruits already. Not only are the children getting saved but they are growing in the grace of the Lord as well. It is so fulfilling to see these children become musicians, songleaders and Sunday school teachers. It won’t be long and we will be having preachers and committed Christian workers from these children who originally had bleak and dismal outlook in life but were given hope because you prayed for them and supported them.

The dormitory building construction is slow-moving but we praise God for the financial provision for the finishing through Grace Baptist Church, Powder Springs, Georgia. We will be combining the two children’s homes to maximize the effectivity of efforts and resources when the current school year ends in July.

Thank you so much for keeping us in your prayers and for supporting us. With you behind us, we know year 2008 will just be great! May the God bless you for your faithfulness.

Youth Evangelistic Camp!

2007-10-11T04:25:00.000+07:00

The Evangelistic Camps held from August 12-18 were really fruitful and exciting. It was our first time to have 3 camps held one after the other. Overall, the 3 camps were attended by a total of 2010 people with about 60% unbelievers. 768 souls were saved, 197 were baptized and 105 committed to enroll in Bible College either immediately or sometime in the future.

Youth Camp 2007

2007-07-30T00:16:00.000+07:00

Here are some pictures of the youth camp held last July 23-26, 2007 at The Highlands, Rawlings Resort & Conference Center.

Cambodia Baptist Bible College Graduation 2007

2007-07-20T22:31:00.000+07:00

We want to thank you all who have sacrificed to support financially and fervently prayed for Cambodia Baptist Bible College. This year 11 graduates walked the platform to receive their certificates for successfully completing 3 years of study. Two of the men (Proh AKA Peter and Vanni) who graduated are from Grace Baptist Church - Phnom Penh.

Pictures and More!

2007-06-05T22:38:00.000+07:00

May these pictures paint the thousands of words that our mouths can't utter. May these images convey the wonderful thoughts that our fingers can't type on the keyboard !

"Arise And Go Into God's Harvest"

2007-05-21T00:26:00.000+07:00

Would God be pleased with a church that is not involved in fulfilling the Great Commission? The answer of course is an emphatic 'No'! God is always pleased when His children do what little they can to bring His message of love and salvation to a dying and hell-bound world of sinners. GBC-Phnom Penh held its 5th Missions Conference last May 16-18. Our chosen theme this year is "Arise And Go Into God's Harvest". Rev. Ronald Gutlay, Filipino missionary in Thailand, was the featured guest speaker. The messages he brought from God's word really challenged our people and also the brethren from the other churches who came to attend. Our goal is to teach our fledgling church that regardless of its size, age, ethnicity and financial standing, we are responsible for the spread of the Gospel wherever we have the open door to do so. We want to challenge our people to pray, to give and to go so others will hear of salvation in Christ. The services included testimonies and reports from our local missions pastors, special music and culminated with the giving of special gifts to the national pastors that our church is supporting. Every night dozens of people were at the altar praying and making different commitments to the Lord. Please help pray that whatever decisions and commitments made by our people are commitments that will remain and eventually yield fruits to the honor and Glory of God.

Mother's Day 2007

2007-05-20T23:28:00.000+07:00

Mother's Day has always been a special day for Daisy since we had our first child 22 years ago. The addition of the Children's Homes to our ministry 3 years ago has made being mother much more special as we have an ever increasing number of children calling her Mama. This year is super special for Daisy as she is now experiencing how it is to be the mother of a baby girl, Michelle. We have enjoyed caring for our 3 boys when they were little and we thought taking care of an infant at our age now would be quite tedious but Michelle's arrival into our lives has added a special joy to our family. All our 3 sons (the youngest of whom is almost 18 years old) are happy to have a sister.

Mother's Day is special too as 66 mothers came to our services in both churches with one father and 4 mothers getting saved during the services.

Swift but Sweet Furlough!

2007-04-13T21:41:00.000+07:00

Dear Faithful Prayer Partners,

Greetings of peace and joy in our Savior’s most precious Name!

This update was out sent from Baguio city, Philippines. What a refreshing feeling to be back in our home city! It is so good to be able to kiss, hug and embrace loved-ones whom we have not seen for over two years. It was our intention to have a longer furlough but it seems like that is something we have to reserve for a much later time in the future. For now we have to make the best of just 5 weeks of stay here in the home front!

The main purpose of our coming home to the Philippines at this time was to be able to witness our eldest son, TJ’s graduation from Asia Baptist Bible College at BBC, Sta. Mesa. It is rather hard to believe that we have advanced that much in age almost like in a wink of an eye. TJ was just 12 years old when we first set foot on Cambodian soil. After spending 7 years in Cambodia, he has learned the Cambodian language well and could speak fluently. We appreciate everyone of you who have made special effort to pray for our children. We sincerely appreciate also all the teachers and staff at ABBC who have invested their lives in the instruction and training of TJ to become a good servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. Please continue to pray for TJ and all our children so that they will always follow the Lord’s leading in their lives.

Going 10 in 2007! This year we will be completing 10 years of ministry in Cambodia. As we look back we can only say that it is only by God’s grace that we have come this far. Apart from God’s grace we also acknowledge all the help from everyone who supported us, prayed for us and encouraged us through all those years. Grace Baptist Church—Phnom Penh continues to go forward in spite of some trials. Members relocating to different parts of the city have helped cause a decline in our attendance.

GBC-Anlong K’ngan is holding on under the leadership of Bro. Sophea. Bro. Sophea graduated from CBBC last July 2006. He also helps in overseeing the Power of Grace Children’s Home. Power of Grace now has a total of 36 children. Most of the children in the home are already saved and the older children are involved in teaching little children in Sunday School. A new dormitory is under construction to accommodate 100 orphans and children at risk. Please help pray for sufficient funds to complete the new dormitory within this year.

College Day CBBC held its annual College Day last February 23, 2007. This day is dedicated to the honing, recognizing and rewarding of students who have dedicated their talents for the service of the Lord. The day showcased the display of various students’ talents and gifts in singing, songwriting, oratory and preaching. Tokens of appreciation were given to all contestants who have participated in each event and of course, prizes were awarded to the contestants who have excelled in their respective categories. Each year, we see remarkable growth and improvements in the talents and skills of the students of CBBC. Much more remarkable is the prospect of these students maturing and becoming the future leaders in their churches and in the overall evangelization of Cambodia. Please continue to pray for and support CBBC as we continue to train and raise more laborers in the Lord’s harvest.

We are so thankful for your prayers and sacrificial support for us and the ministries in Cambodia. Our family is doing fine. All of us are in good health and we continue to experience the Lord’s blessings upon the ministry. The trials that we go through pale into insignificance when we remember your unwavering support and prayers. We sincerely pray that the Lord continually pours His blessings upon you and your ministries as we all occupy till our Lord comes again.

Yours for Cambodian souls,

Mike & Daisy Valdez

Blessings From Heaven in 2007

2007-02-24T01:20:00.000+07:00

Not So Eventful Year-end!

2007-02-24T00:27:00.000+07:00

The end of year 2006 was not so eventful for us. Aside from teaching in Bible college, supervising construction and other ministry routine, we had 6 Christmas programs and attended 4 weddings. 2 of these weddings I officiated personally. One wedding was special because it was the wedding of the Pastor of our mission church in Kandal Steung. Bro. Bunthol got married to Sis. Chenda last December 15. You will notice that their attires look like costumes in a Chinese play. Most Cambodians still dress in these traditional attires during wedding ceremonies.

Train Up a Child...

2006-12-14T00:13:00.000+07:00

We just opened a new Christian school using the School of Tomorrow program at GBC-AK. Initially, this will be mainly for our children at the Power of Grace Children’s Home. We want to open this to other children in the community when we have better facilities. We are currently building a 3 story dormitory suitable for up to 100 children. When this is finished (hopefully by the end of June 2007) we will use or present dormitory building for the Christian school. Please help pray and give so we can have sufficient funds to finish the building. We need at least $20,000.00 for the completion of the building.

GBC-AK Moving Forward!

2006-12-14T00:01:00.000+07:00

Grace Baptist Church – Anlong K’ngan is doing fine. Souls are getting saved almost weekly. We baptized 4 new believers last November 26. Bro. Sophea is really a big help and blessing in that work. He is able to connect and relate with the people very well and they are responding to his leadership although he is much younger than most of the men in the church. Many of those who got saved recently are workers in our on-going construction project. Please pray that these newly saved will grow to maturity and become faithful members of the church.

GBC-Phnom Penh 9th Anniversary

2006-10-16T20:57:00.000+07:00

We celebrated our 9th church anniversary last Sunday, October 15, 2006. Our guest speaker for the occasion was Rev. Noel Dig, Pastor of Bethany Baptist Church in the Island of Mindoro in the Philippines. Our theme for the celebration was ‘Provoke one another unto love and good works’. We had a total attendance of over 170 adults and children. We had a treat of blessings through the testimonies, the special singing and the great instructive and encouraging message brought by our guest speaker. One lady got saved and one young man came forward for baptism. Several of our church members were at the altar making different decisions for the Lord. At the end of the service we dedicated to the Lord two children from two of our families in church. Of course, a Baptist celebration is never complete without food so we did have fellowship around some Cambodian food after the service.

CBBC News in Pix

2006-10-11T02:13:00.000+07:00

CBBC has opened its door to the students for school year 2006-2007. A total of 59 students were in class as of Tuesday morning, October 10, 2006. There are more students who were not in attendance as many of them are just completing credits for graduation.

Academy International Cambodia

2006-09-23T00:14:00.000+07:00

The first week of September was devoted to moving, fixing and arranging furniture for Academy International Cambodia. We moved AIC to the same building with Cambodia Baptist Bible College and started school year 2006 – 07 last September 11 with a total of 34 students. This is the most we have ever had at AIC.

Missionary Retreat

2006-09-22T23:48:00.000+07:00

Another treat for us during the month of August was the Asian Baptist Clearinghouse Missionary Retreat. All the missionaries using the services of ABC in Cambodia, except those who were on furlough gathered for 3 days at the seaside city of Sihanoukville for spiritual refreshment and fellowship. Missionary veterans, Rev. Lloyd Baker and Rev. Paul Byars brought very much needed and to-the-point messages from God’s Word that warmed and encouraged everyone in attendance. The missionaries have drawn deep from the experiences of these precious Men of God, they went home to their respective places of service with a sense of being refreshed and better focused on the tasks and trials each was facing.

Evangelistic Camp

2006-09-22T23:13:00.000+07:00

From August 16-18, we had our very first joint Evangelistic Camp. We were all thrilled to have seen 831 people gathered at the Rawlings Institute Campsite. This is a unique camp as about 65% of the participants were unbelievers some of which have never ever heard the Gospel from anyone before. Needless to say, we have run into some difficulties as we were prepared for a maximum of 600 campers only. However, the difficulties vanished when we saw over 300 souls saved and over 100 baptized at the camp swimming pool. We can not express our appreciation enough for the efforts and labor of love done by our friends from Community Baptist Church in Pasig City, Philippines under the leadership of Pastor Greg Lyons in helping us both in the preparations and in the actual execution of the programs during the camp.

Youth Camp 2006

2006-09-22T22:54:00.000+07:00

The Annual National Youth Camp last August 9-12 was attended by about 380 young people from different churches. The speakers at the camp challenged the young people with the theme of "Cambodia for Christ". Many souls were saved and many young people committed their life to be faithful in serving the Lord through their home churches while many others surrendered to go to Bible College.

CBBC Graduation 2006

2006-08-05T01:22:00.000+07:00

Last July 6, we had our 5th Commencement Exercises at Cambodia Baptist Bible College. Dr. Billy Wood of Grace Baptist Church, Powder Springs, Georgia was guest speaker for the occasion. Four ladies and 13 men walked the platform to receive their diplomas. Two of the men who graduated are members of Grace Baptist Church – Phnom Penh. Bro. Siem Bunthol is now ministering in a pioneering work in Kandal Steung. Bro. Sophea, the salutatorian of the graduating class, is our assistant pastor at Grace Baptist Church – Anlong K’ngan. Most of the other graduates are helping in their respective churches with some of the men preparing to start new churches in the countryside of Cambodia. We are so thankful for your faithful support for CBBC these many years. Your prayers and financial support is being multiplied several times over through the graduates coming out of Cambodia Baptist Bible College.

Courageous Creativity!

2006-07-29T20:39:00.000+07:00

Part of the thrill of being a missionary is being able to observe other people’s strange ways of doing things. Some of their unusual ways here are driving their motorcycles on the opposite side of the road. In the market you spend time trying to look for items you need and the salesperson will insist to you that the product they have is just as good or even better than what you are looking for, even when it is obvious that it isn’t and sometimes it does not even come close to being similar with the item you wanted. Often when you ask someone to do something for you, the instant answer would be “I’m sorry, it can not be done.” or “It’s not possible.” What they actually mean is; “We’ve never done it that way before.” or “We’ve never seen it done that way before.” Honestly, at times when the flesh kicks in, these could become excuses for irritation!!!

On the other hand you can observe unusual ways that often strikes you with wonder. Sometimes you find yourself saying; “Wow!” Cambodians are very creative and in the name of survival more courageous than most of us. On the roads, at least, courageous creativity is a way of life in this country! Just look at the pictures!

P.S. - Please don't misunderstand me as saying; this is how we go to the market or transport things ourselves. We haven't acclimatized ourselves that much yet! Who knows? Maybe in time we will!!!

Father's Day

2006-06-23T22:51:00.000+07:00

How many children do you have to have to be a father? The more, the merrier, maybe! I think this is the case with us here at Living Waters Children's Home. Including our two biological children who are still with us, we have 16 children from age 4 years old to 20 who greeted me Happy Father's Day last Sunday. Our home is filled with children's noise from early morning till sleeping time. There is plenty of little boys' yelling, girls' giggles, children's fights and a lot of times unending reporting of this guy did this and that guy did that! There is also the unending competition of the little ones for attention from Papa and Mama. Taking care of these many children has definitely added to our daily work load but the added dimension has become another avenue of joy and fulfilment in our lives and ministry.

New Ministry Baptisms

2006-06-23T22:18:00.000+07:00

Bro. Siem Bunthol is a member of our church who will be graduating students from Cambodia Baptist Bible College this coming July 6, 2007. About the end of last year, he has been going to a place called Kandal Steung. This is about 26 kilometers (approx. 16 miles) from Phnom Penh. He has been conducting Bible studies with adults and Bible clubs with children on a regular basis. Several women and teen-agers have been attending his Bible studies regularly. Many of them have professed faith in the Lord Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Last Sunday, June 18, eight new believers from this ministry came to ba baptized at our main church in the city. Please pray for Bro. Bunthol as he will be working more at Kandal Steung after his graduation from Bible college. Please pray that he will be able to find a suitable place to stay and at the same time utilize as a place of worship and other ministries. Please pray for his safety and for his daily needs as well.

Missions Conference 2006

2006-05-31T07:20:00.000+07:00

Early on in the ministry here in Cambodia, we tried our best in teaching and motivating our Cambodian brethren to be involved in reaching lost souls with the Gospel. The 3-day Missions Conference we had last May 22nd to 24th was just a highlight of the continual teaching we do during the weekly worship services. Our Cambodian brethren who are doing mission work within the city and around the countryside reported about how the Lord is blessing their respective ministries. They also mentioned challenges they are facing and asked for help in prayer for certain needs. Other than the small cash love gift given from the church's missions offerings. Our church people were divided into several groups and each group gave a special gift for one of the mission pastors our church is helping to support.

We were blessed to have Pastor Jesse Lubiano as guest speaker for the conference. Pastor Lubiano is the Senior Pastor of the church where we were first members in Baguio city in the Philippines. The church is now called High Crest Bible Baptist Church. Pastor Lubiano's messages on giving for the sake of World Missions were both challenging and inspiring.

Another special feature of this year's conference was the choir organized and conducted by our eldest son, TJ. This is the first real choir we ever had where the singers actually sang 4 voices. We will be missing TJ's services in this area when he goes back to Bible college very shortly soon. The song rendered by the choir was special because it is an original composition by 2 of our young men in church, Bro. Proh and Bro. Sophea. Already the song has become a 'hit special number' in the churches of our circle of friends here in Cambodia.

Mother's Day Pictures!

2006-05-30T21:32:00.000+07:00

The Lord has blessed us with three very healthy and good looking boys; TJ, Mikee & Paul. They were all quite small when we first arrived in Cambodia. Being raised in the mission field, they are aware of many less fortunate children around them. They understand very well what it means to have parents who love and care for them that they are glad they are able to share their parents to the children at Living Waters Children Home. The 14 children living with us at the home lovingly call us "Ma" and "Pa". The youngest of them is a 4 year old boy name 'Sroh' while the oldest is a 16 year old girl named 'Seoun'.

Power of Grace Children's Home Update!

2006-05-30T20:57:00.000+07:00

We thank God for His care in keeping the children at Power of Grace all in good health. All the children seem to be growing so fast. Aside from the proper physical and emotional care the children get at Power of Grace, the spiritual education is also of a primary importance. Two more girls were baptized together with 3 other believers at Grace Baptist Church - Anlong K'ngan last May 7. Most of the bigger children in the home already know the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. With the help of Bro. Sophea, the children sing special numbers periodically during the Sunday services.

GBC - Anlong K'ngan 4th Anniversary

2006-04-27T21:51:00.000+07:00

We celebrated our 4th Church anniversary at Grace Baptist Church – Anlong K’ngan last April 2, 2006. Just reminiscing the memories of how the church began and looking at the people who got saved and now happy serving the Lord surely warm our hearts. The one soul saved and the two believers baptized were added highlights to the festivities of the occasion. Newly arrived missionary, Bro. Jun Embao was our special speaker.

Growing by God's Grace!

2006-03-09T23:24:00.000+07:00

Grace Baptist Church - Anlong K'ngan is experiencing God's continued blessings. People are getting saved every week in church and in the home Bible studies conducted by Bro. Sophea, Bro. Piseth and Om (Uncle) Sem. Five of the six people baptized last Sunday were fruits from the labors of these faithful brethren. The sixth one is Panya, one of the bigger boys from the Power of Grace Children's Home. The man in the middle is blind but he did not use his blindness as an excuse not to follow God's command for him to be baptized.

God is good and God is great!

2006-02-04T01:13:00.000+07:00

Dear Faithful Prayer Partners, Greetings from Cambodia! God is good and God is great! We are ever thankful to the Lord for His great goodness to us. We are still here even if you haven’t heard much from us lately! We sincerely appreciate you all for your unceasing fervent prayers for us. Your faithful financial support is greatly appreciated too. We are very thankful to all of you who remembered to send us greetings during the Christmas and New Year seasons. We want you to know that your remembrance of us has greatly encouraged us and somehow given us more energy to keep on in what we were doing for the Lord. The knowledge that you are there intensifies our joys knowing that each blessing and victory is not only for us to enjoy but for you as well. God is good and God is great in giving us partners like you. Thank you very much for your love and prayers. We love you too! Mike & Daisy w/ Paul John