Dear friends,

We are learning the importance of follow-up at a number of levels.  We need to keep following-up on what we are learning in our Khmer class; otherwise, the vocabulary we learned yesterday slips away as new words come today.  New words and phrases and structures are coming at us fast and furious.  At this point many people max out and derail.  Please pray that we can push through and find ways to embed what we are learning into our minds and everyday interactions. (Below is a sample page from our text book. Hope you can see)   

I (Joyce) went to the national women’s leadership conference last month.  What a blessing to be with Cambodian women church leaders!  We sang, we danced, we cried.  As I get to know them more, I am amazed at their faith and faithfulness oftentimes through persecution and difficult personal circumstances.  I believe that God is calling Christian women here to a new level of leadership and strength.  And, from what I saw at the conference, they earnestly desire to rise to the challenge. 

Here are some photos:  http://picasaweb.google.com/suhmission/EFCWomenCommissionConference09# 

So, I am glad that the Evangelical Fellowship of Cambodia Women’s Commission is committed to following-up.  And thankful that I have been invited to work alongside.  Starting in September a series of regional seminars are planned.  The topic is Christian Marriage and Family.  My part is developing some of the training materials and being part of the leadership and teaching team. In the process, I am catching a vision for the restoration of marriage and family here.  In the past, God blessed Cambodia with a solid family structure, but it came under attack during the Khmer Rouge years.  The deep wounds from those years seem to open and fester in family life.  When we ask village and church leaders the most pressing needs, they invariably mention domestic violence at or near the top of the list.  As we get to know people at a deeper level, we keep seeing just how shattered many families are.  If the church can be better equipped to bring Christ’s love and healing to families, what a way to live out the gospel! 

So, I ask for your prayers as I work with the EFC Women’s commission to follow-up.  Please pray that the regional events can be places where a movement for healing and restoring families takes flight.  Please pray that the materials will get to the heart of the issues and we can speak to people’s hearts.  Moreover, pray for the EFC Women’s commission staff (Mrs. Chenda, Lynny, Dy Noeuth, Oudam, Chenda) as well as Chann and other volunteers who work faithfully with very limited resources to fulfill a high calling in Cambodia. 

Our children, David, Isaac and Mary, will be returning to Logos International School next week.  We are looking forward to actually starting the new school year rather than coming mid-way which was difficult last year.  The kids have a busy schedule with some extra- curricular sports (soccer, basketball and, we hope, ballet) and piano lessons on their plates.  We are also considering engaging a Khmer tutor for them once a week to supplement their once-weekly class at Logos.  We are so grateful for how well they are all doing, but also recognize that they are vulnerable here.  Please pray for their health and safety and for them to do well in their school work, activities and relationships. 

Thank you for your continuing prayers, support and encouragement.

In Christ’s service, Joyce for the Suhs