Paul 的个人资料Sternbodia照片日志列表更多  |  工具 帮助 |
|
|
2008年12月 Cambodian Christmas
2007年2月 590 Baptized!What a day! I had the great privilege to participate in a mass baptism service with nearly 600 people being baptized. We traveled about 2 1/2 hours from Phnom Penh to meet up with more than a dozen churches whose pastors had been trained by Pastor Barnabas in the Institute of Church Planting that he runs. Everyone gathered in the field near the lone tree by the edge of the reservoir that provided only a small fraction of the needed shade. I learned that the small children sitting obediently in rows waiting for something to happen had never played a game before and didn't know how. So I reached deep into my past and came up with Duck, Duck, Goose to teach them. They loved it and play for at least an hour. When the musicians finally arrived we began with a time of worship; followed by a message from Pastor Barnabas from Romans 6. Then, most of the people there worked their way into the reservoir. There were many leaders there and the people were baptized very quickly. It was like a stampede of people coming out of the water. It only took about 5 minutes to baptize everyone. After the baptism, everyone re-grouped near the tree for another message by the visiting director of Ambassadors For Christ International. He encouraged the people who were just baptized. Afterwards, we all shared in a communion service together. I learned from some of the people that only 20 years ago that entire area where we were was a Khmer Rouge stronghold. And that only 15 years ago, the large field that we all sat in was a mine field. It's amazing how God can turn a mine field into a place of worship and hear the gospel preached and baptize new believers. 2007年1月 Courage Is Doing What You're Afraid To DoI had an opportunity to preach yesterday at the request of Pastor Barnabas. Normally, the preparation of a sermon is very challenging and stressful for me, but this time it wasn't. My goal was to share a message of encouragement for the New Year. I started from Joshua 1:6-9 and went from there. I used the theme of "Courage is Doing What You're Afraid to Do". Three times in those verses from Joshua God commands him to "Be Strong and Courageous". I used some illustrations from 9/11 and the courage displayed by those on Flight 93 and of the FDNY. I encouraged them that making mistakes is good because it leads to growth. It's better to try and fail than to not try at all. As expected, everyone thought my language blunder of the lemon falling through the kitchen ceiling was quite amusing. I left them with an exhortation that God had given them Cambodia as their inheritance, as God had given Israel to the Jews and they should occupy it for God's glory. They should not be desirous to leave the land that God gave them. That they are not a helpless people, but God is their strength and his grace is sufficient for them. I shared this interesting quote by Theodore Rossevelt, “The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena... who strives valiantly, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in worthy causes. Who, at best, knows the triumph of high achievement and who, at worst, if he fails, fails while daring greatly so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.” 2006年11月 Institute of Church Planting GraduationI had the privilege to attend the eighth graduation celebration for the Institute of Church Planting Cambodia that Pastor Barnabas heads up. Each year he trains 30 pastors and church planters from around the country in an intensive 3 month program, followed up by weekly sessions. The 30 pastors come and sleep on the floor of our church for the entire 3 months in order to receive training. Many different pastoral topics are covered and a number of the faculty are visitors from foreign lands. Over the past 8 years Pastor Barnabas has training over 200 pastors and planted 300 churches through this ministry. It's a truly awesome work of God in Cambodia. 2006年7月 Eleven-Church BaptismOn June 29th our church, joined by ten daughter churches, traveled to the Batik River for a rare display of faithfulness to the Lord. We all gathered by the river for a worship service using traditional instruments that don't require power. Pastor Barnabas gave his usual animated message. Then everyone went for a long stroll to the tip of a peninsula reaching into the river where 200 people formed a single, long line of faith.
It was exciting to watch, clap and cheer for those being baptized. Mai was especially proud of 'her' kids, many of whom were baptized. Paul took lots of pictures.
Afterwards, everyone strolled back the the picnic area to have lunch and fellowship. |
|
|
