From Timothée in Cambodia
This will be a short one. You’re probably already getting overwhelmed with the many Christmas newsletters coming your way... Some highlights of the past month or so:
The Third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization in South Africa was a tremendous experience. Cape Town 2010 brought together the most diverse gathering ever in the history of Christianity. Almost every nation on earth was represented. Though I must say I have forgotten what most speakers preached about (including John Piper!), none of the 4500 delegates will ever forget the testimonies of the 19 year old North Korean girl who had escaped into South Korea and of the American missionary whose husband died a few months ago at the hands of the Taliban.
The day I landed in Cambodia I was back at Phnom Penh airport late at night to welcome a team from France (11 teenage girls and 3 adults), who after more than a year of preparation and saving for their plane tickets, finally made it onto Cambodian soil. They ministered to needy children for 10 full days. One of the highlights was to help clean up one of the dirtiest slums I have ever seen. Bags and bags of rubbish were collected. The children from the slum who joined in were invited for a 2 day camp at the sea. 14 French folks taking 14 slum boys and girls to the beach!
In October, Phnom Penh witnessed one of the worst floods ever. The area where I live, being prone to floods, got badly hit. The rain kept on coming and the water level kept on rising. A lot of documents, and photos at my place got damaged. There were up to 60 cm of water inside the house! Even the fish were swimming in my living room! So I decided to move house. I now live in a really nice place in a quiet area, with lots of space, on higher ground and now closer to the slum of Bang Tampon.
On November 22, at the end of the Annual Water festival, Cambodia went through what the Prime Minister called ‘‘the worst tragedy since the Khmer Rouge regime’’. Hundreds of Cambodians were killed on a bridge in a mass stampede. Hundreds more were injured. Others are still missing. A national day of mourning was held two days after the tragedy. Some of us took 24 children to the Riverside the day before the stampede. Never in my life have I seen so many people gathered in one place.
The Bong Paoun Project is going well. New volunteers (big brothers/sisters) are joining hands in reaching out to street-working children.
I continue to preach in various churches, inviting believers to get involved in the project. Pray God will stir the hearts of many of His people here. Yesterday I came back from Sihanoukville, South of Cambodia where I was preaching at a gathering of Christians from 33 different churches across the country. I took the opportunity too to encourage the hundreds gathered to get involved in reaching street working children in Cambodia.
After more than 11 years in Cambodia, I have never been so excited and fulfilled in my ministry. Reaching out with the Gospel to the poor is the best job in the world!
Have a blessed Christmas and a great New Year!