It’s hard to believe we have been back in Canada for 4 months already. Thank you for your prayers and support; we feel immensely blessed in the varying ways that people have showed us kindness and generosity during this move across an ocean. One of our prayer warriors prayed for God to provide an angel to go before us (Exodus 23:20) and we can honestly say we felt God’s protection throughout the last few months. It was a blessing to reconnect with churches in Edmonton and Calgary, and now we are visiting with churches in Ontario to share about the work in Cambodia.
“Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared.” (Exodus 23:20)
We often get asked, “How has it been readjusting to life in Canada?” For those of you that are Marvel movie fans, I think it’s like multiverse travel. As America Chavez explained to Doctor Strange, “Rule number one of multiverse travel: You don’t know anything.” Everything seems familiar but it is slightly different. We are learning more about how the varying levels of Covid anxieties and recent social movements (#everychildmatters, #blacklivesmatter, #churchtoo, gender dysphoria etc.) have had a huge impact on social norms and churches in Canada.
The first couple of months were extremely stressful but we finally feel settled into our “home” for the year. Our kids are enjoying school and extra-curriculars, and God has provided new friends for them. As we visit with friends and family, we have been hearing about how many of you have also gone through dramatic life transitions and you have also had to grieve many losses. Thank you for sharing your stories with us; we are honored to stand with you in prayer.
In Cambodia, we have a ministry update for the welding vocational training program. This program began in July 2021 in partnership with other organizations, and we have had a total of 6 Cambodian and VN apprentices join the program. At this point, only one apprentice was successful in completing the one-year training and has been hired to continue as a full-time worker. There were many challenges in working with these marginalized and uneducated youth. We are glad for the opportunity to plant some seeds in these youth through mentorship and discipleship relationships. Thank you for your help in supporting this ministry. Please pray for the 5 apprentices that have left the program; may they continue to experience Christ’s love and presence in their lives, and may the seed of the gospel be watered in other ways.
Praise Items:
- God has been providing for our daily needs and blessing us with friendships
- We had one successful apprentice that has been hired for the long-term
Prayer Requests:
- Pray for God’s anointing as our family visits churches and shares about God’s work in Cambodia
- Pray for the 5 apprentices that left the welding program, may God continue to water the seeds that are planted.