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Asia Leaders Meet in Cambodia

It was an honor for Marilyn and I to join nearly 100 leaders from Cambodia, Hong Kong, Japan, Australia, Philippines, India, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Canada and the United States for the Asia Missions Congress, held in Cambodia, August 22-29, 2001. We are thankful that Paul and Anne Sterneman (Paul is superintendent of the West Virginia Conference) were able to attend this event with us.

Our time together proved to be days of high celebration, focused missions seminars, significant times of worship, prayer, praise and biblical teaching. Together we sought the Lord for His direction in the work of the Free Methodist Church in Asia.

It was an honor for me to lead in the service of ordination of Art Chutong, our leader in Thailand, and to take part in the dedication service of the Korsachaliah West Free Methodist Church, one of newest of seven Free Methodist Churches planted in Cambodia since our beginnings there in 1994.

Thank you for your prayers for us. The challenge and opportunity before us is huge! Pray that God will increase our vision by deepening our love for all people everywhere.

Our prayer is that God would help Free Methodists establish a mature church among the peoples of the world. We are totally dependent upon Him.

[Read the Phnom Penh Declaration, drafted at
the Asia Missions Conference.]

Since "a picture is worth a thousand words," here are a few pictures that tell the rest of the story.

#1 Executive members of the Asia Pacific Free Methodist Missions Association. My special thanks to Rev Polly Ho (front, center) who has served as the Executive Director with a passion and love for the people of Asia.

#2 Many led us in spirited worship and pictured here are our brothers from India!

#3 We met in triplets to fervently pray for each other, and for the unreached people in Asia.

#4 It was a joy to lead in the service of ordination for Art Chutong (wife, Pat). God has richly blessed the launch of our ministry in Thailand.

#5 Here are the vibrant new leaders that God is raising up in the Free Methodist Church in Cambodia. Our thanks to them for hosting us, and sharing with us their passion for Christ and the church.

#6 A graphic reminder of the tragedy of the killing fields in Cambodia (picture taken there). Two million Cambodians were killed by the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s. Many leaders of the Christian church were among those killed. My prayer is that there will be such a great movement of God in Cambodia that this tragedy will never happen again.

#7 Visiting the Free Methodist International Child Care House of Love, a bright light of hope in Prek Thei, ministering to children and families in the name of Christ.

#8 Our first view of the Korsachaliah West Free Methodist Church before we "docked," after crossing the swollen river.

#9 Balancing on the plank walkway over the floodwaters to reach the church for the dedication service. (Praying a lot!)

#10 Waiting for the service to begin. It was a typical day in the rainy season, very hot and humid. During the service, a blustery afternoon thunderstorm drove warm rain sideways through the decorative open windows on to the worshipping congregation. A common occurrence for them.

#11 Making final preparations for the service with Dr. David Yardy, Asia Area Director (on left, by the window) bringing the message. Dr. Art. Brown, Director of World Missions (on floor in center) ministered each morning from Nehemiah 1-4.

#12 Pray for this young vibrant new congregation. God is at work!

#13 The formal picture at the close of the dedication service

#14 In northern Cambodia, we toured the Angkor Watt area, one of the seven ancient wonders of the world. It is an incredible series of Buddhist Temples built in the 9th and 10th Centuries.

#15 The temples were abandoned (due to wars) and left vacant for over 500 years. They were overgrown and "rediscover" about two hundred years ago. When fully operative, one million people lived within the walls, of this capital city of Cambodia.

#16 Our "tour group" at Angkor Watt. The capital moved to Phnom Penh when the Angkor Watt area was abandoned.