Autumn is quickly coming upon us!  Our family had a full, productive, and FUN summer. After a brief, two-week summer holiday in June, the boys started their next school year. We are hoping to leave for our deputation a little earlier than usual next year and thus miss some of the hot season here .  Zachary has started 7th grade, and Samuel is in 4^th grade. Scott has had many teaching responsibilities and some traveling teaching roles as well. A few weeks ago, one of my sisters and her oldest daughter came to visit us for a week.  That was definitely the highlight of the summer and such a refresher as we gear up for this next season!!

A few months ago, I shared with you in pictures what it looks like when we say that “Scott was going to the village”. Many of the expressions we use to describe our ministry assume that you can imagine what we are referring to. When we have visitors, I am reminded that pictures are worth a thousand words – they create a much stronger link between your imagination and our words. Scott usually devotes more time during rainy season to preparing lessons. What does this mean? Well, come along, and I’ll show you!

During the week, Scott tries to wake up early for personal study and prayer. By 7:30, he is in his office, ready to work. (A few days of the week, he has YWAM staff meetings, or breakfast meetings, or travels to some village or another – but on the days he is home, this is what his day looks like J)

Where it all begins – the coffee pot at our kitchen window and a brilliant sunrise over our landlord’s garden.

Scott’s small, crowded office (I stay out of it, or I would go crazy ), where all the writing happens! Behind him are two floor-to-ceiling bookcases of books, and stacked all around the office floor are more piles of books!

One of the ministries that Scott has poured himself into is developing resources in the Khmer language. As a teacher, he has utilized this gift by developing materials in the Khmer language that he can make available to other Christians for free. (There are more and more existing books being translated from English into Khmer, but very often, these don’t address some of the key cultural views that shape a person’s heart). In the past number of years, he has written Lord of Heaven and Earth (25 evangelization/discipleship lessons), Wisdom is the Best Medicine (health lessons), Rooted in God’s Word (52 lessons for house-church leaders), and

Preparing for Marriage in Jesus Christ (pre-marital lessons). He is currently working on a book for Christians regarding finances and another on Bible study methods. These books are available on a Christian resource website, where people can access and download them for free. It is encouraging to hear of people around the country using these books and seeing fruit from the lessons in people’s lives.

Four completed books on the Cambodian Christian Resources website

 In addition to writing materials, Scott does a lot of in-person teaching, for which he spends many hours preparing – in the above-mentioned office! He is currently teaching a group of elders once a month on topics related to church leadership and discipline, once a month in our provincial short-course Bible school, and in various other weekly Bible studies in different villages. On the days Scott works in his office, we all have lunch together at noon and take a short break after lunch. Then I go back to finish school with the boys, and Scott continues to work – either in the office or out at an afternoon Bible study.

A Bible study about an hour away from our house, a Kavet Bible study, and a Stung Treng Bible School Saturday session

Thank you for joining us in another ‘day-in-the-life’! Thank you for your encouragement, your prayers, and for standing with us as we serve our King here in his kingdom of wonder.

Blessings,

Andrea, for the Swards

The post The Sward Family | August 2024 Newsletter 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.