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.

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

The post Sward March 2024 Newsletter first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

Happy New Year!! As I write this, the winds of change are blowing gently in Cambodia, and threatening to blow away our brief and beloved cool season already. And as I write this, many of you are shivering underneath piled feet of snow and shuddering winds!!

The winds of change in this new year also usher in a new ministry season for our family. For the past five years we have lived in Stung Treng and January to May (dry season) is the season in which Scott leaves our family at home for a week each month. He travels around to visit various Kavet villages and fellowships in the more remote areas of our province.

We’ve been sharing with you for some time that he goes out to the villages, but, thanks to another co-worker who has been traveling with him lately, we now have some pictures to share of these adventures. I thought some of you might wonder what exactly it means to “go out to the villages” – and decided to document this most recent trip for you as an example of what these weeks look like for our family.

A few days before his trips, we begin gathering “groceries” he will take to the villages, snacks to share during teaching sessions, or gifts for his hosts. This trip, we bought cinnamon bark at the market (“sweet wood”) as a hosting gift – because the villagers can boil it in their water to make it taste a little better. We bought a big bag of dried and shredded pork that can be easily sprinkled on rice, as a snack during teaching sessions. This is always a hit for the extra protein and vitamins it brings. Our missionary colleagues got a few precious bars of butter and blocks of cheese in the cooler!

Scott gets out his packing list each month to make sure he has all the needed supplies for a week away, with each night in a different village.

The night before he leaves, Scott gathers up all the supplies and packs them into his little duffel bag that he will carry on the moto with him. Everything he takes needs to fit on the moto.

Bedtime the night before he leaves always involves an extra-long wrestling session with Zachary and Samuel.

A few days before he goes, people start dropping by the house with things they want to send with Scott – either for the two missionary ladies living on the Lao border or for different Kavet people Scott will visit. This trip, the truck has filled up fast!! He drives our truck two hours north towards the Lao border to the town of Siem Pang. Then, Scott parks the truck at the YWAM house there and transfers himself and his things onto a moto. Once on the moto, he crosses the river on a ferry and then makes the rest of the trip by moto.

Once the car is loaded, Scott grabs his bag and is ready to leave. (That is my little rickshaw in the back .  I don’t do motos, so this is the family wagon when he is away .  )

Last hugs are given to everyone…

… and off he goes!

Once at the YWAM house of our two missionary colleagues in Siem Pang, the truck is parked, and goods are transferred to the moto.

Scott wears long-sleeved shirts, even in the heat, because they protect him from sunburn on the long rides. Our friends’ house is a short ride to the river, and then the river is crossed on a ferry like this. Once the river is crossed, all the roads are dirt, and motos or rough “cow-tractors” are used for transportation.

Once in the village, studies are taught at night and during the day. Each day Scott travels to a new village. He usually makes these trips with one or two Kavet believers. This past year, our YWAM teammate, Alli Blair, began joining some of these trips as well. She is a jewel of a woman, who first began working with Cambodians in Thai refugee camps in the 1980’s. She went on to move to Burundi in the 1990s, where she spent the next 20+ years. Feeling like she was getting “too comfortable”, she asked God where he would like her. At a young 70 years old, and in the middle of COVID-19, she found herself back in Cambodia, working with the Kavet and learning a new language!

Leading an evening Bible study.

Praying with and for all who come looking to meet with Jesus.

From the young….

…. to the old.

Jesus loves the Kavet, is at work among them, and we are grateful to be part of his team, bringing his light and hope and freedom.

Thank you for praying, thank you for sending us, and thank you for joining me today on our little mini-journey into, “Kavet-land” (as we affectionately call it . )

May God richly bless you this new year with his joy, his peace, his love, and his unchanging faithfulness, no matter what winds of change blow around you.

Much love,

Andrea, for the Swards

And everyone is happy to welcome Daddy home upon his return!!

The post Sward Family January 2024 Newsletter first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

As she embarks into her next phase of life, we would like to bless her with a financial Love Gift. We invite you to participate by contributing to the gift. Please prayerfully consider how much the Lord would have you give. The different options for how to contribute are listed below.

We also encourage you to read this note prepared by Sung Kim, FSW Regional Coordinator. As you will see, Sung has been an important part of Elise’s work!

Elise’s journey to Cambodia with Evangelical Friends began as an FSW board member representing her local church, Granada Heights Friends. After a trip to Cambodia with several FSW pastors and leaders, she felt God’s call on her life to return to Cambodia for long term mission work (she served two years previously with another organization). During her time in Cambodia, she has been an invaluable member to the work in Cambodia using her gifts to minister to and teach young Cambodians. She also traveled to various Cambodia Friends churches to teach and encourage our local congregations. Her love for people and value for relationships spilled over to her care and support for our team in Cambodia, which will be missed.

All offerings marked “Paty Love Gift” will be passed on to her in full. You can:

• Donate online aquí on Elise’s personal EFM donation page.
• Donate by credit card over the phone at 303-421-8100.
• Mail a check marked with “Paty Love Gift” to EFM, PO Box 771139, Wichita, KS 67277.

Thank you for considering a love gift to Elise as she steps into this next chapter of ministry.

The post Bless Elise Lature (Paty) With a Love Gift! first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

Scott and Andrea Sward | Serving in Cambodia

The Lausanne Movement was founded by Billy Graham in the 1970s and is a collaborative effort of evangelical Christians worldwide. As a movement, they have a fourfold vision: 1) the gospel for every person, 2) disciple-making churches for every people, 3) Christ-like leaders for every church, and 4) kingdom-impact for every sphere of society.

With this third goal in mind (“Christ-like leaders for every church”), ten Cambodian and foreign Christian leaders met last year to discuss how we could work together to form and equip Christ-like leaders in the province of Stung Treng. The result of this meeting was what we’ve begun referring to as Monthly Bible School (MBS).

Like the rest of Cambodia, most people in our province live in rural areas.  The majority are poor farmers. And while most church leaders do their very best to serve their flock and fulfill their calling, many have had little education and/or almost no pastoral training.

When we launched MBS in January, our hopes were modest. Given the time and money required for most church leaders to travel to the provincial capital, we knew it wouldn’t be easy for them to attend. Maybe we’ll get 15 people, we thought. Instead, we got 50. Since then, the number has only increased. We closed enrollment in March with 62 students.

Students come from churches of various denominations, spread all over our province. They meet for one full day every month. Classes are taught by Cambodian leaders and foreign missionaries. There’s a Bible overview class; a lunch-time elective on miscellaneous topics (currently on how to conduct Christian weddings and funerals), another class on how to study, teach, and preach the Bible (which I’m responsible for); a literacy class that runs parallel with mine; and a class on Christian doctrine. It’s a very full day!

To me, the unity among teachers and enthusiasm among students is evidence that the Lord is in this.  There’s been no attempt to plant organizational or denominational flags. Instead, teachers and students alike are motivated by one thing—to see the Kingdom of God come in greater fullness in our lives, churches, and province.

In the future, if the Lord directs, we’d like to start a new MBS cohort every year; and, perhaps, even offer night classes for working professionals. However, as is so often the case in missions, we don’t lack for students, but for teachers.

“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (Mt. 9:37-38).

Scott and Andrea Sward

Download this month’s prayer letter aquí…

The post June 2023 Prayer Letter first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

Hello, friends!

I am now one month into my sabbatical, and I am really enjoying it! I’d love to share some highlights from this past month, and share a bit of what I’ve been up to.

In case you missed my newsletter last month, here is a short recap… I am currently in the States on a four-month sabbatical. I have been in a long-distance dating relationship for the last several months, and my boyfriend, Evan, and I are taking this time to spend time together in person to discern our next steps. Evan lives and works in Virginia, so my sabbatical time will be split between California and Virginia. I am incredibly thankful to EFM for granting me this time, and for your prayers as Evan and I spend time together over these next few months.

During the first week of my sabbatical, Evan and I spent time with my family in San Diego and Orange County, and we had a great time! This was Evan’s first time meeting my family, and also his first time to California. It was a special time to finally be able to introduce Evan to my family, and to soak up quality time with them.

Before flying out to Virginia, we also had the opportunity to visit Granada Heights Friends Church (my home church), and they hosted a nice lunch for us afterward. It was fun to introduce Evan to my church community and to see many dear friends there. Though we didn’t have much time to see friends, we were glad to have dinner with the Kims and the Hoshis right before we flew out to Virginia!

For the past two weeks, we’ve been in Norfolk, Virginia, where Evan lives, and I plan to be here for another month or so. Evan works in international student ministry in residence life in a dorm called “The Globe” among international students who are students at Old Dominion University (ODU). It’s been really fun to meet many of his students and his community here! His community has been incredibly welcoming to me, and I’ve really enjoyed participating in his student events and meeting his friend and church community here!

I’ve really enjoyed the rhythm I’ve fallen into since being here in Virginia. I’m staying with Evan’s friends very close to ODU’s campus and also close to the Globe, so I am able to walk everywhere, and I’ve loved that (especially as the weather is warming up here)! I’ve also enjoyed using the university’s gym and library, and making the most of the time I have on my own while Evan is busy working. It feels like an ideal rhythm for my sabbatical to have some personal time for reflection and reading in the library, and to have a nice space to process my experiences and learn and grow in this season.

My sabbatical continues be a tremendous gift of time and space for me personally, and for Evan and me as we navigate our next steps. Thank you so much for praying for me and Evan, and for praying for my sabbatical. I’d love to ask for your continued prayers and we soak up this time together and seek the Lord for discernment about our future together. Thank you, friends!

Elise Paty

The post Elise Paty Sabbatical Update first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

Please read her update below.

Evan and I met online last May and we have been dating long distance since then. Evan is from Indonesia and has been living in the States for the past several years. He is currently living in Virginia where he works in campus ministry with international students. It was really wonderful to have him come out to Cambodia for Christmas and to meet my community here, and we also had the opportunity to visit his family in Indonesia. We are really looking forward to spending more time together in person to give us space to discern our next steps!

Evan and me at Angkor Wat Temple in Cambodia.

It was so much fun to have Evan stay with the Swards during his visit to Stung Treng. We really enjoyed time together!

I’m extremely thankful to EFM for granting me this sabbatical. It’s a tremendous gift to feel supported not only in ministry but also in the more personal ways that God is leading me in this season. Part of my sabbatical will be time with Evan in Southern California with my family and around Granada (my home church), and part of my sabbatical will be in Virginia, visiting Evan and getting to know his community there. We are really looking forward to this time together!

We’d appreciate your prayers over this next season as we spend time together and discern our next steps. Please pray that we would continue to hear God’s voice and be sensitive to his leading. Thank you so much for praying with us!

We share this update with you because, as a part of the EFM family, we want to…

• Keep you up to date when there are significant changes in our EFM family.
• Demonstrate our care for Elise and Evan through this discernment process.
• Invite you to pray for Elise and Evan.

Thank you for your support, prayers and concern.

Por Cristo,

Stanley David Leach
Executive Director

The post News About Elise Paty first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

In many ways 2023 feels like the start of a new season of ministry.

Here are a few new things for us…

In December we joined EFM at the Missionary Worldwide Gathering in Thailand. While there, we updated our ministry video and are excited to share it with you! This short video is a great way to learn how God is working through our ministry in Cambodia. Please feel free to share and use it as it fits your needs. If you are unable to download it, please contact the office at efmspanish@friendsmission.com.

In 2020 I heard about a new church in one of the farthest Kavet villages—near the Cambodia/Laos border. The Kavet are the largest tribal group in our province, Stung Treng. They speak their own language and have their own unique culture. For generations they lived in the forests and mountains. However, in recent decades, the Kavet have mostly settled in villages, and a small percentage of them have come to Christ.

Because of COVID-19 and impassable roads, I was prevented from visiting this new church until last month. I travelled there on motorbike with another missionary and a Khmer Christian leader. When we finally arrived at the village, we were greeted warmly by around ten believers. One Christian family welcomed us into their spartan home, prepared food, and began sharing how a couple years ago God used a drunken evangelist (!) to lead them to the Lord. Since then, they said their family had experienced peace and freedom from demonic oppression.

We came to later discover that this small group of believers didn’t have a single Bible among them. They did, however, have a Khmer hymnal. But since none of them knew the songs, they didn’t use it that much. When I asked what they did when they met for worship on Sunday, they said they prayed, encouraged each other to stay faithful to Jesus, and took up an offering. That’s it. Week by week, they prayed for each other, encouraged each other, and shared what they had.

Not having a Bible, their understanding of the Christian faith was quite limited, and they were eager to learn. But they’d also clearly encountered the risen Jesus, and they were trying to follow him as best they knew how.

“The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit” (John 3:8).

In 2021 a few Cambodian Christian leaders of different denominations and missionaries from different organizations met together to discuss how we could partner together to train church leaders in our province. After a few delays, last month we finally launched our Stung Treng Bible School with 50 students.

Our Bible School meets one full-day every month (the first Saturday). The first two-year module, consists of three classes—Bible survey, Bible interpretation and teaching (which I’m responsible for), and Christian doctrine.

We’ve seen the Lord’s hand in organizing this school, and in the enthusiasm of the students and we’re eager to see what God will do.

Our partnering organization, YWAM, has been providing aid to inmates at the local prison for over 20 years (food, blankets, mosquito nets, medicine, etc.). But, despite repeated requests, we’ve never been able to hold Bible studies in the prison. Recently, however, the new prison director informed us that he’d allow us to meet with prisoners for Bible studies if we built a building on the prison grounds for this purpose. This building would belong to the prison, but we’d have regular access to it. Since we’ve seen the fruit of prison ministry in other provinces, this is something we’re very interested in pursuing.

The prison director estimates that the project will cost $7,000. If you’d be interested in contributing to this project, we’d be deeply grateful. To make a donation, you can…

• Donate online, on our webpage aquí. Make sure to select “Projects | EFM Cambodia | Prison Bible Study as the project designation.
• Donate by credit card over the phone at 303-421-8100.
• Mail a check marked with “EFM Cambodia Prison Bible Study” to EFM, PO Box 771139, Wichita, KS 67277.

The post Sward Family February 2023 Newsletter first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

Friends Southwest Missions means the world to me. My wife and I served in Central America with FSW Missions in the late 1980s. (Yes, I am that old.) I visited Cambodia a dozen times in official roles. I have known the present Cambodian missionaries – Scott and Andrea Sward and Elise Paty – for many years.

I believe that God will use this partnership to do something more than we can even imagine.

WHY THIS CHANGE? Sung Kim, FSW Missions Director, recently wrote… “EFM has an excellent track record of sending and caring for their missionaries as it seeks to preach the Gospel and plant churches to the ends of the earth. They also have the organizational capacity to help FSW grow in our Mission in Cambodia and future mission endeavors. Because they are the mission sending arm of Evangelical Friends North America, the greatest advantage is the support EFM will give to our family of churches as FSW seeks to continue in our passion for missions.”

I would love for you to get to know the ministry of these missionaries and consider supporting their ministry. You can do that a few different ways:

Pray For Them

• Sign up to receive news and updates from Elise, The Sward Family, and all EFM Missionaries aquí. You will also have the opportunity to sign up for our monthly prayer letter that features praise and prayer requests from EFM Missionaries.
• Download our printable one-pager that features all EFM Missionaries aquí.
• If you would like to order prayer cards for Elise and/or The Sward Family, please email Krista Alvarez.

Learn About Their Ministry and ConsiderFinancially Partnering With Them

• Visit Elise’s personal webpage at https://catalog.friendsmission.com/paty. Her email address is elisep@friendsmission.com.
• Visit The Sward’s personal webpage at https://catalog.friendsmission.com/sward. Scott’s email is scotts@friendsmission.com and Andrea’s is andreas@friendsmission.com.

If you have questions, please contact Kimberly Mer, Director of Operations and Communications at kimberly@friendsmission.com.

Throughout this process, I continue to remember Paul’s words in Ephesians 3:20-21.

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen.”

God is at work in ways that are incomprehensible to me. I’m glad we are doing this together.

Por Cristo,

Stanley David Leach
Executive Director

The post We Are Excited to Partner With Friends Southwest! first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.