If you were to drive through a village here, you would find yourself surrounded by beautiful rice fields. Rice fields here! And rice fields there! Rice fields are everywhere. If you were to open your eyes and look at them closer, you would notice that some of them are ripe for harvest while others will be ready in a month or so. Some farmers are joyfully reaping theirs now, while others are looking forward with excitement to their turn. They look forward to it, but harvest is not the most relaxing time of the year for them if we consider their demanding work in the fields. For instance, don’t farmers have to bend down in the heat of the sun to sickle their rice stalks, tie them up into sheaves, and then bring them back to their houses on ox carts to thresh and dry them? Isn’t it one of the most tiring and busiest times too? Aren’t some of them already overwhelmed by its workload, and have started searching for people to lend them a hand? Isn’t it indeed the most joyful time and yet the most strenuous time? Much of this parallels our experience as we labor as missionaries here awaiting a spiritual harvest. The work is exhausting but joyful. And ultimately, we are glad that this harvest depends not on the weather or even our zeal, but on the work of our God who is the LORD of the harvest.

We have been living in Angkjeay village in Kampot province for over 4 months now. The majority of our time is spent with the village church plant and our English outreach classes. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, we reach out to children and teenagers through teaching them English. We have divided the children into three classes. The first class between 12 to 1 pm is a class for students who have just started to learn English. There are 30 students in this class. The second class between is 1.15 to 2 pm for young children between the age of 3 to 8. There are 50 students in this class. The third class between 5:30 to 6:30 pm is a class for advanced learners. There are 20 students in this class. Most of them are either in secondary school or in high school. Therefore, there are about 100 children altogether.

On Friday afternoons, we have a 30-minute Bible study with the advanced learners. We are chronologically reading through the Khmer Children’s Bible with them, and then I give a short sermon on the passage and write down a memory verse for them to translate from English to Khmer. Since these children are back to school now, most of them can’t come early to read the Khmer Children’s Bible by themselves. But the two older classes have been memorizing the Children’s catechism in Khmer, and we have been going through it before class. In any case, we always begin our classes on Monday and Wednesday by reinforcing the Bible lessons that they learn in Sunday school class through reciting the memory verses and singing songs.

We’ve also been running Sunday school class on Sunday morning between 6:30 to 8 am. There are about 60 children attending that we know mainly from the English classes, and the neighborhood. We can see God’s faithfulness in drawing them to Himself. About ten of these students are interested in attending the church worship service with us at the church plant. As we only have a motor bike and the church plant is far from their houses, they are willing to take turns coming with us for the time being. We are praying that older students will be willing to ride their bicycles to the church plant after it has moved closer to their houses.

On Sundays, I have continued preaching at the Prey K’Chiey church plant, and Sokha continues to assist with the music. I recently finished a series of 10 sermons on the Ten Commandments. Four Bible school students in their third year of study from Esther’s village have begun to share the preaching duties with me, so I preach twice a month now. We are looking for a location for Sunday worship that is about halfway between missionary Esther’s location and our house. We have been encouraged by Orm Sorn, an older man, Ming Saron, an older woman, Oun Navy, a high school student, and eight other girls who have been faithfully coming to worship with us on Sundays. Orm Sorn and Ming Saron are neighbors. They have been riding their bicycles about 30 minutes from their village to worship on Sundays with us. Sorn used to work for a Christian NGO, but had a stroke and has numbness in both legs now. Ming Saron heard the gospel from her daughter who is married to a pastor in the city. We had lunch with them for the first time at our place last Saturday. We also took that opportunity to encourage them with God’s word and pray with them.

Oun Navy, a high school student has also been riding her bicycle about 30 minutes from her village to worship on Sundays with us. We went to visit her this Tuesday. She lives with her mother. Her father died many years ago. Her mother, neighbors, and relatives came to visit us while we were at her place. We introduced ourselves and shared the gospel with them, and we were touched by three women who asked Jesus to heal parts of their bodies: one of them had pain in her left shoulder and hand, the second woman had a constant headache and the third woman had a few growths in her eyes and a sore throat. We prayed for them and invited them to ride their bikes to church with Navy. Due to their age, I do not think all of them can.Though I believe that they will come if we conduct a Bible study at their place.

Also, we have continued building good relationship with Yeay Chrong. In spite of her poverty, she always drops by to give us whatever she has. She has been bringing us watermelons, pork, cakes, both raw and boiled sweet potatoes. She gets upset if we do not take them. She said if we do not take her gifts, we do not respect her. My wife often gives her food and fruit to eat whenever she visits us. Recently, she came while we were having lunch with our Orm Sorn and Navy, his wife, Ming Saron, Sophal and Sarath (two Bible college students) at our place, we invited her to stay with us to listen to them share Bible passages and their testimonies. We also praised God together with a few songs. My wife played the guitar and Yeay Chrong liked it. When she came by again the next time, she asked if my wife could play the guitar and sing for her again. She said that she could listen to the music all day long. Since we are going to start a baptism class, we’ve decided to invite her to listen. Pray that the Lord will bring her closer to Him.

Matthew 9:37-38 says this “Then he said to his disciples, the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Our situation echoes the truth of this verse. We have many opportunities before us, but we do not have the time to take advantage of them all. So please join us in praying that God will send more workers into the harvest fields.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Luke and Sokha

With our recent marriage and a few supporters needing to reduce support or stop support over the past few months, we are in need of some monthly support. If you are interested in supporting us or know a church or friend that may be interested in supporting us, please let us know. Here is the giving information: Donation website: www.mtw.org/donations

To donate by check write “Luke Smith- 17118″ in the memo line, and send it to: MTW, P.O. Box 116284, Atlanta, GA, 30368-6284.

Sokha and I have been in the village for about five weeks now. We’ve been adjusting to married life, living in the village, and new ministry responsibilities. We are living in the same village where I lived from January to March of this past year, but in a different house. It has been challenging to get used to life without running water, electricity, restaurants and supermarkets again. In addition, I had typhoid fever a few weeks ago, and am still not back to feeling normal. We can’t say that it has been an easy transition, but we pray that in the midst of our weakness that the power of God will be showed forth. As His ambassadors to these people, it’s our desire to see Christ’s great commission in Mathew 28:18-20 being accomplished through our lives. Therefore, we are much in need of your prayers.

We’ve been teaching children English three times a week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Children are classified into three classes. The first class between 12 to 1 pm is a class for students who have just started to learn English. There are about 45 students in this class. The second class between is 1.15 to 2 pm for young children between the age of 3 to 8. There are also about 45 students in this class. The third class between 5 to 6 pm is a class for advanced learners. There are about 10 students in this class. Most of them are either in secondary school or in high school. Therefore, there are about 100 children altogether. On Friday afternoon, we read the Khmer Children’s Bible with the advanced learners and have them translate a few sentences. We have also encouraged the rest of the children to come half an hour before their English classes to read the Khmer Children’s Bible. We begin class by reviewing the story that they read and asking a few questions. We’ve also been running Sunday School class on Sunday morning between 7 to 8 am. There are about 60 children attending that we know mainly from the English classes, but a few children also come that don’t come to the English classes. We strongly hope to see God draw these children to Himself.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, we spend time getting to know the the village, the village life, and the children’s families through house visits. This is the time of the year when rice seedlings are transplanted into the fields, and public school students are on their two and a half month vacation until the beginning of October. Since most people are farmers, all of them are quite busy working in the fields. Everyone has to help out in the fields. Even young children between the age 4-6, whose families are short-handed, have to help in the fields. Other than working in the fields, the villagers are skillful at catching and trapping fish, frogs, shrimp, growing vegetables, and raising chickens, ducks and pigs. Most families have their own small vegetable gardens, pig sties as well as chicken houses by their house. We can say that these people will not starve as long as they are diligent with their hands.

So far, we’ve taken several walks through the village. Every time, we are on a walk, we marvel at the views in the village. The sky, the shades of green in the fields and the mountains are indeed beautiful. We praise God for putting these marvelous paintings up for the villagers and us to enjoy. Gratefully, we are escorted by a number of our students from the English classes, and are welcomed into their houses for being their children’s teachers. Teachers are well respected in the village. This gives us a chance to build good relationships with their parents and family members as well as to share with them the reason we are here in their village. We normally try to pray for each other as we take turns to speak about God, the creator, how they were separated from Him by their sin, and His love to save them from their sin and His eternal punishment. Most people are open to the gospel though the old folks seem to hold tighter to their Buddhist and animist beliefs. Before leaving their houses, they often give us whatever they have as gifts such as fish, corn, fruit, and glutenous rice cakes.

Through these house visits, we met an old grandmother who has been disowned by both her son and grandchildren. Two of grandchildren’s houses are our neighbors. As a result, she has been living by herself in a shack surrounded by a small rice field. She cannot see well and yet she has to cook, buy food, and earn money by polishing the leaf-stems of coconut branches. She gets paid 400 riels (10cents) per kilogram of the leaf-stems. These are used to make an assortment of things like brooms and roofing thatch. She has a sister living in the US who has been sending her some money, but her other grandchild is the keeper of the money. He sends her some pork and a small amount of money every few days. We try to visit her more frequently to find out her situation as well as her needs. We’ve also been sharing with her the gospel and God’s great love, and even encouraged her to stop by our house to spend time and have meals at our place. One early morning about a week ago, she stopped by our house and handed some of her rice plates and bowls to Sokha as her last inheritance. Sokha was stunned and touched by her actions. Every time we talk to her, she often says she does not know when she will die and who will care if she dies. Our hearts break every time we think about her. If God pleases, may He give her a new heart to believe in Him before she dies.

We have also seen that a number of children are not taken care of very well by their families. Ravi, a second grader, has dropped out of school and is known in the village as a thief. A 7 year-old, Sam Art, and her younger brother Ream were left by their mother to live with their father and grandfather. We were told their mother is working in one of garment factories in Phnom Penh and would not return to them. Both children are lost in their own world, and hardly speak at all. A 14 year-old, Sophorn, and her younger brother, Ponleu, who are going to be in grade 7 and 5 next year are being raised by their mother, as their father has gone to work in Phnom Penh. Although Sokha was brought up in a Christian orphanage for ten years, she prefers to help educate and train the parents as well as to supply their basic needs so that they can take care of their children. We especially feel burdened to love these children help their families.

On Sundays, I have been preaching at the Prey K’Chiey church plant, and Sokha assists with the music. The group is made up mostly of students from the outreach work of missionary Esther and teacher Saran over the past three years. We are discussing how this young church plant can be slowly brought to maturity. There is much to be thought through, so we need your prayers as plans are being made.

With our recent marriage and a few supporters needing to reduce support or stop support over the past few months, we are in need of some monthly support. If you are interested in supporting us or know a church or friend that may be interested in supporting us, please let us know. Here is the giving information: Donation website: www.mtw.org/donations To donate by check write “Luke Smith- 17118″ in the memo line, and send it to: MTW, P.O. Box 116284, Atlanta, GA, 30368-6284.

The article below was written for people coming back from a short-term mission trip, but much of it applies for people on the field long-term too. Several of the points were a good reminder for me as I work here in Cambodia. It was written by Jeff Brewer and posted at http://www.sharefaithblog.com. So you went …

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Here is a link to pictures from our wedding: wedding album. Also, you can download the wedding program by clicking on this link: Wedding Program. The wedding ceremony was in the morning and the wedding reception was in the afternoon. In Cambodia, the wedding ceremony is normally held at the bride’s house. Usually, only family …

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Below is a picture of a billboard in California. And now its counterpart can be found in Phnom Penh. We live in a global age, but it would be best if some things stayed local. In a country where only a small percentage of the people are Christians, it would be nice if their first …

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I am happy to announce that I am now engaged to Sokha Seng! Last Saturday we became engaged the “American way,” and this Saturday we became engaged the “Cambodian way” with a Christian ceremony and celebration with friends and family afterward. Here is a link to the photos: engagement gallery I met Sokha shortly after …

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Only a few hours remain in my three month village stay. I’ll be moving back to the city for the next three months, and preparing to move back to this same village for another year. I have continued teaching a couple English classes for village students for the past few months. I have also been …

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The past issue of InVision Newsletter had an article entitled “How to Pray for Missionaries.” I thought that I would share it, since many of the prayer points really hit home with me as ways that I need to be prayed for too. 1) Pray for the health, safety, and physical well-being of missionaries and …

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