Queridos amigos,
In March, the sun starts raining down its heavy, humid gold showers on our heads. We look for places to retreat out of the heat (in vain hopes that the shade will offer relief from humidity!) And in the heat, and in the shade, we do as the Cambodians do. We watch, and we wait. We notice that while the air may be heavy with golden heat, our river road has begun to boast golden showers of a different kind.
Cassia Fistula is a terribly unromantic name for such a stunning tree, and so I prefer the street name of “Golden Shower Flower”. It is not very creative, but it is much more apropos to its beauty. I savor the abundance and delicacy of these trees, cascading their wealth onto the street below. They are so lovely and so generous with their blossoms. God has blessed us abundantly in these days, and so we want to share our blessings with you, our witnesses to God’s beauty being worked out in our lives.
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Province – Blessing Blossom #1:
God is continuing to open doors among the Kavet people, who Scott visits each month. They are responsive to the Gospel and desiring of the transformation that God’s presence brings. Men stop drinking, husbands stop beating their wives, children have more food to eat when the peace of God is sown in hearts. We praise God for the many young people (both Kavet and Cambodian) who have been taught and trained through the Discipleship Training Schools, and are now back in their Kavet villages, leading house churches. Scott taught one week on our identity in Christ for the current two-month Discipleship Training School (DTS).
City- Blessing Blossom #2:
Five years ago, Scott began meeting with a small group of a few younger men in our church. They continue to meet weekly and have grown to around 15 men. Once or twice a year, the husbands get together with their wives and children. A few weeks ago, we had one such afternoon get-together at a nearby resort – totally planned by them. They ordered the food, planned games, and even brought babysitters for the kids after our lunch, so the adults could meet without interruption. Scott shared briefly with the group. He closed by asking the husbands to pray blessings over their wives. There were not many dry eyes in the room after this time together. This growing community of Cambodian Christians has been hands-down, one of the greatest blessings we have reaped in our years in Stung Treng.
Blessing Blossom #3:
Last summer I helped to restart a Sunday School program at our church. It had been long neglected, and, frankly, I had felt a bit too overwhelmed to add a full-on ministry to my plate. What finally drew me through my reluctance to start was the knowledge that all of the other moms at church felt the same way. We all had kids at home, husbands who needed to eat dinner, and we were all working in various capacities. No one person had enough bandwidth to take on Sunday School by themselves. So, in a desperate attempt to recruit more help, I pitched the idea of “the more the merrier”: the more teachers we had, the fewer times we would have to teach!!
By coercion and convincing, we managed to gather a group of 12 women. We sub-divided into groups of three. Each group was responsible to lead Sunday School only once a month. That sounded doable to us all, and so it was that we began. In a completely unforeseen turn of events, this group of initially reluctant teachers has transformed into an enthusiastic group of women. We have essentially started our own ‘mom’s group’ under the pretext of teaching Sunday School. I found the opportunity I was looking for to engage women on a regular basis. The ladies have become motivated participants on their own, and we now have women asking to join us as teachers because they see the fellowship we share with each other. It has become so much more than “just” teaching Sunday School. I cannot thank God enough for these young moms, and for the influence they are having on our church (as an additional bonus, many of them are the wives of the men in Scott’s small group!)
Home – Blessing Blossom #4:
I am so proud of my husband and his gift of bringing people together. We have a tight-knit, small group of expat friends here in Stung Treng. Scott got the dads of sons together for a camping trip on an island in the Mekong River. (Did you know the Mekong River is so big that it has islands? And the islands have beautiful sand and creeks and incredible mangrove trees? It does, and they do!! You should come see them!!) The boys will be talking about this trip for the rest of their lives. I am thankful for an intentional husband and for the blessing of friendship with families who share our goals and dreams.
Blessing Blossom #5:
Zachary and Samuel are growing so big (Zachary’s feet are bigger than mine now!!) and independent. We are looking for more tasks to give them in the attempt to train their wings for flight in a few years (gulp). Among other things, they are currently working on some different foods in the kitchen. They are braiding challah bread here, and it is fun to see their personalities at play in the way they approach food. One is v.e.r.y slow and methodical, and one is ready to jump in there and get things done. Can you tell which is which from the picture? 🙂 They are our biggest blessing always!!
Blessing Blossom #6: YOU!
We thank God for you and your prayers for us. Thank you, for your generosity that allows us to serve in Cambodia. Thank you to our families, for their sacrifice in sending us. Thank you all for your regular encouragement. You are a blessing to us, and we do not take you for granted!! May God bless you each today, to reflect his light and grace to those around you, as you walk into the world and relationships that surround you. May you be HIS golden showers of blessing to others!
Much love,
Andrea, for the Swards
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