October 2023 newsletter

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. …whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.” James 1:21-25

Health outreach, testimonies at a bible school

Last month we joined some hospital colleagues who were doing a small health outreach to students and people living locally there. While there we were able to visit some old friends who lead a Bible school. The school is about 2 hours from Phnom Penh. One evening we had a wonderful fellowship, sharing testimonies and singing praise to God. Some of our young doctors from MMCC shared about their journey of faith which was deeply encouraging and inspiring for the other young Bible school students who come from across Cambodia to learn about how to serve as pastors and teachers of the Bible in their local communities after they graduate.

Medical outreach at the Bible school

the outreach team and bible school students and staff

Pastor Koi with his beautiful 2 stringed Khmer fiddle or ‘tro’

MMCC hospital

We have just started the new cohort of nurses and student nurses in our nurse training on Wednesday afternoons. We were delighted to celebrate the graduations from students in the last cohort, as well as 2 nurses who completed our inhouse leadership training- see some photos!

Among the international workers at MMCC, we had a very good short retreat with the female staff. We discussed effective approaches and strategies for mentoring and discipling our Khmer colleagues. We also spend time sharing together our different strengths and motivators, which helps us to better work together and to overcome conflicts. Did you know that the number 1 reason that mission partners leave the field early is inter-team conflict? Working on these relationships is essential, even more so as we seek to role-model overcoming conflict with our national colleagues. Mission partners at the hospital come from 6 different nations, so cultural differences can be huge!

Some of our international colleagues have been facing very challenging situations. We have had 2 cancer diagnoses in the last month and we had one family left the mission field due to their eldest daughter’s ill health. We mentioned in our February news, it’s now confirmed they won’t return, which has severely limited our surgical services. Please pray for our hospital team.

At the same time, we give praise to God for an amazing breakthrough - the MMCC Board had been working for over 5 years to purchase some neighbouring land to enable expansion of our patient services. In August this was finalised. Praise the Lord for this opportunity and we are prayerful into the designing and planning for the potential to be led by God- not our ways but His we pray. In September we started regular prayer walking around and through the hospital each Wednesday after work and each time God draws our attention to different people and matters to pray for and encourages us with scriptures to direct and feed our prayers.

October is the month of the Cambodian Pchum Ben festival, which is a festival to pray to and appease their ancestral spirits. It is often a time that Cambodian Christians face pressure from their Buddhist family to offer sacrifice and perform rituals for dead ancestors and spirits, sometimes blood offerings are made. Please pray the Cambodian church would shine as light into the darkness and that believers would demonstrate love and respect for their families but also live out their allegiance to Jesus.

Some pictures from our celebrations in August of our 5 nurses who completed our in-house nurse training course and 2 nurse who completed the leadership course. We have just commenced our new nurse training course this year with 6 students.

Prayer Circles Cambodia

We are glad and excited to anticipate two forthcoming prayer rides this month, so please pray for the planning and for the actual rides- that God would direct us as we decide where to go, who to stay with, who to speak with and for readiness to speak words that give life. Memorising scripture helps in these circumstances! Pray the riders would be equipped spiritually to serve, to work as a team together and to bring blessings and peace to the different homesteads we are welcomed into.

Upcoming dates/events:

• October 13-16 Prayer Circle Ride to north Cambodia (including Anlong Veng) (coincides with Pchum Ben Khmer festival celebrating the dead and appeasing spirits)
• October 20-24 Prayer Circle Ride to east and north Cambodia
• Wednesdays- PG nurse training and prayer walks at MMCC hospital
• And in mid- November InterServe team day gathering

Thanksgiving and prayers:

• Pray for our international colleagues at the hospital who are facing treatment for cancer: two colleagues in the past month have been diagnosed with cancer.
• Pray for the upcoming prayer rides anticipated in October to the north and north east Cambodia.
• Give thanks for adjustments with the EMR system at the hospital. We pray for the new administrative tools and processes that Yong is teaching the hospital admin staff and department leaders.
• Thanks for great celebrations of the graduating nurses at MMCC hospital.
• Praise God for the Bible school we visited that is teaching young believers to pastor and serve Jesus in their rural communities.