Cambodian New Year is just behind us

Cambodian New Year is just behind us (Apr 13-15).  The students in our childcare centres did not have to come to class since the beginning of April. The workers at the House of Love took care of the fish in the pond. This month also is the time to harvest peanuts, so some students had to go home to help out and take up the household work, which left them no time to study.

There is one day, however, that all the students from the three childcare centres participate in eagerly each year - a special outdoor activity.  Before the coming of Cambodian New Year, we took them to the water park in Phnom Penh, and everyone enjoyed it a lot for a day. The workers of the childcare centre got up early to prepare food. Thank you, God!  The children loved it, and went back home full of joy.

a boy working on peanuts harvest	group photo at the Water Park	kids on a truck to the water park

Habitat for Humanity Cambodia

How did I spend my time during the Cambodian New Year?  My Khmer teacher is a preacher, and most family members believe in Jesus. When they gather for holidays, they invite me. So my teacher's family and I know each other very well. His mother invited me to her new house for a house warming party in this New Year holiday.

My teacher's mother has lived in a poor community in Phnom Penh, and does a small food business for a living. Six months ago, she joined a project – Habitat for Humanity Cambodia. She can pay a cheaper price and purchase a new house by installments. This house building project is led by some voluntary agencies from countries like the U.S.A. and Australia, and the Cambodian local government.

The agencies received land from the government in Oudong, Kampong Chhnang, where they built 70 new houses, and each one is about 200 sq. feet. Despite the fact that the houses are not fancy, they are nice places to be called home by the local people.  In addition, each house is equipped with a cement water tank.  Rain water is directed to the tank via pipes under the roof, and this provides for the daily needs of the people.

My teacher's family and the brothers and sisters from the church gathered in the house after a tour by the teacher's mother. We had hymn singing and sharing. Then a pastor prayed for the new house, and the whole family of the teacher, and we enjoyed ourselves with a lovely lunch. Before we blessed the others and left, we played some Cambodian traditional new year games. It was a wonderful time.

New houses	slogan	slogan
prayer for the new house	lunch and sharing	Khmer New Year game

Things to be grateful for:
1. After the outdoor activity of the Childcare centres, God gave everyone a safe trip home.
2. The construction work and community service of the voluntary agencies helps the social development
3. We can have quality time to refresh ourselves and take care the household work in the new year holiday.

Prayer request:

1. May God use my Khmer teacher and his family to spread God's salvation to the local people.
2. Please pray for the security here. Foreigners are targets of thieves. May God keep us safe.
3. Missionary Mui Ling and I will attend a retreat for Chinese missionaries in Chiang Mai from April 25 to 30. May God give all the missionaries attending refreshment for our spirits.  Pray also for power for the speaker.

Christina

Mailing Address P.O. Box 602, Phnom Penh, Cambodia