Good Days

Last Sunday was a great day for us here in Phnom Penh...we started off by going to our church (or the one we seem to attend the most) and then staying after to eat Pho (a yummy Vietnamese soup) with all the other folks from the morning.  Over the past 10 months we have grown and developed our community into one that we love.  A community that we can sit and eat Pho with for hours if the hot weather would only allow.  Then came the visit to another church for the afternoon...

Early last week, I got a call from the Vietnamese pastor, Hue, who Asian Hope has gifted money to in order to jump start his church in Prek Pneu to serve the Vietnamese people. He has finished the church "building" and now ready to open the "doors."  It is a modest facility of a cement floor, a wood planked roof, no walls, and 15 new desks that can hold 30 or so kids.  He invited myself, Chris, Tom (my boss) and his family to the opening prayer for the church/school that will serve many wonderful Vietnamese children.  So at 2:00 in the afternoon (when the sun is at its peak) we drove over to Prek Pneu, and got there just in time to hear the children singing their first song.  The afternoon was filled with songs, a few thank you speeches, snacks, and lots of smiles all around the room!  It was amazing to stand there on that dusty floor and watch Chris teach kids how to flex their muscles, while Tom and I tried to express our excitement about this church opening.  I am still dwelling on the thought of how blessed we are to be here and be a part of these ministries.  We prayed, laughed, gave hugs, and left with grins on our faces as we know amazing work is going to be done in that church over the course of many years.

We then ran some errands around the city, and got them all done!  And in record timing.  We celebrate the small victories, and this one was a victory!  I can only hope this Sunday will be as good as last Sunday...

Enjoy your weekend!

(The above pictures are: the children sitting in their new desks, pastor Hue talking, my encouragment speech to the kids, children during the opening prayer, and the video is one of the many songs from the afternoon.)