The testimonies below are from members of Christ Central SF. They were part of a joint short-term team with Christ Central Southern CA and Christ Central SF.

RYAN

This was my second trip going to Cambodia and I can say with confidence that it only gets better! When I decided to become a follower of Christ, I remember it all started with a simple gesture of someone approaching me and sharing the good news. Seeing how much the Gospel changed my life, I wanted to take part in the great commission and share the good news across all nations. 

This year, I was able to dedicate two weeks towards Cambodia missions where our church partners with missionaries involved in the MTW organization. On the surface, it’s a trip that involves learning more about the Cambodian history, teaching English to the youth, various crafts and games, sermons and worship, supporting bible studies, and to build stronger relationships with the church, the students, and the missionaries. 

But more than the events we organized or the lessons we taught, I am reminded of how great our God is. I am reminded of the courage and strong faith that is needed to go against what the world tells you and to say that God is good. I am reminded of the brothers and sisters that are across the world and that despite the differences in our appearances and in our languages, we worship the same God. I am reminded of the day where there will be no more sorrow and no more pain and until that day to hold on to the living hope that is within me.

With this being my second time, it was different in a sense where some things felt familiar. I wasn’t as culture shocked and it didn’t take long for me to adjust to the surroundings. At times, it felt like I was visiting friends hoping to encourage and be encouraged. For me, it wasn’t just a come and see kind of experience but more of a partnership – one where I feel invested in their lives and their lives to mine. I hope to see them again soon. 

It’s always difficult to put everything you experience into words, but I can only encourage those who are reading this to take a leap, to see what’s happening and be a part of it. You never know. A simple gesture can go a long way. 

MADISON

I did not know what to expect from this trip. I remember hearing about Cambodia from past mission reports, but Cambodia always seemed so far and removed from my world. It was difficult to imagine how God worked in a foreign country known to have such a dark and broken history. But God works in mysterious ways because being there has completely opened my heart to the country and its people.

In Angk’jeay village, I was amazed by how faithfully and joyfully the students served one another. At the end of class, all the children helped clean up the chairs and tables without complaining. As we instructed them about games and crafts, the older students translated for us so that the younger students could understand. They acted as role models and initiated serving without expecting anything in return. Young kids, as little as 5 years old, gladly practiced putting others before themselves. This was the norm. It was a reminder for myself that serving is a humbling act, meant to demonstrate Christ’s love for us. 

Although my time in the city was completely different from the village, I felt equally blessed to experience God’s faithfulness and presence there. The student-led praise at Khmer Christian Church was powerful. As they sang “Give Thanks” and “Broken Vessels” with eyes closed and loud voices proclaiming salvation through Jesus, I got choked up realizing that even though we were from different sides of the world, we worshiped the same God. They worship knowing how their choice to believe in Christ will bring persecution and hardship. For Christians in Cambodia, choosing to live as a Christian means going against so many aspects of their culture and as a result, it’s common for Christians to be disowned by their families. Despite the external circumstances, they hold on to the constant truth that is the gospel and happily declare it. 

Witnessing the Cambodians’ excitement for the gospel was moving and it forced me to reflect on myself. If they are able to live for the Lord with such joy and complete dependence on Him while they have almost nothing, then I, who have much more than I need, should be able to do the same. My time in the village and the city was heartbreaking and humbling, and I am grateful that God has so clearly taught and shown me how He is in control. God truly works in His own time with a greater plan in mind. 

It is incredibly clear how God is working in Cambodia. But I was only able to witness God’s presence because I was there. I encourage you all to come for yourself to serve, to witness, and to be blessed. Until next time, “joom rip liuh” [bye] and “preah yesu s’rawline neyeck” [Jesus loves you]!

SIMON

I’ve been to several mission trips in the past but this was the first time with Christ Central. Through this trip I was reminded of several things and I wanted to share some of them with you all: 

1. The opportunity that we have. A verse that kept going through my head on missions was Luke 12:48 – Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more. The churches in Cambodia have so little compared to us and yet God is using them to do great things. I was challenged by this. We have so much more freedom and resources simply by living in America. We can do more. I can do more. I can give more. 
2. The necessity of prayer. Because it was my first time, I didn’t know what to expect and I quickly realized I was underprepared. I hate being underprepared. I like to write down every single word when I preach. Thus, during down time, I found myself constantly thinking about the next sermon. In the midst of all this, I forgot to do the most important thing, pray. I was reminded that my words are not what save people; rather it is the Holy Spirit who uses the preached word who does the saving. I recognized then how much I have been doing ministry on my own abilities and how I need to be on my knees much more often. 
3. The importance of missionary care. What made this trip so unique for me was the opportunity to get to know the missionaries there. It was a tremendous blessing to be able to share stories and struggles with them. Through these interactions, my heart for them grew. Missionaries aren’t super heroes. It’s not always pretty; in fact, their struggles can be amplified living in a foreign country. I don’t have any tangible long-term solutions but what I do know is that as a church we must continually seek to support them as best we can because we are co-laborers. I miss them and their families dearly and I hope to see them again soon.

GLORIA

I didn’t feel like going to Cambodia. I made my decision but one of my prayers going in was, Lord break our expectations and make way. Honestly, from the first day he answered that prayer. 

During our 13 hour flight to Taipei, I was starting to feel really off. It wasn’t until we landed, everything hit me all at once. I had been undergoing an allergy attack the entire time of traveling. Immediately, Pastor Tim took me to Family Clinic, the hospital clinic of missionary Dr. Mark. I was put on IV and I was super nervous and disappointed that missions had to start out like this asking, “God what is this”?? Dr. Mark comes in but then he began to preach so much truth I actually needed to hear. It felt like was as if God had sat me down to speak in the midst of all the noise in my heart. Dr. Mark mentioned:

• This analogy of the “Bowl of Soup”. That after missions when we go back to the States, it’s a reality check. The huge difference in our way of living. It’s as if we are coming back as a hard carrot, but the more immersed we are in the world (soup), we become like this cooked, soft carrot blending in with the rest of the soup. 
• He shared that Jesus asks us to do 1 of 3 things: to go, to send or we’re being disobedient. I heard stories of trafficked girls with many health issues that are in need. I immediately felt attached because of recently having a heart for human-trafficked victims and how aligned that vision was while being in there.
• That this trip is all about the change that God is transforming in me. That he is already revealing my weaknesses and what I can’t control as I’m laying here on this bed.

It ached my heart to see what the enemy had stolen from this country and what I can’t wait for God to redeem, whether it’s many baptisms/ the spread of the gospel. Psalm 102:18 was a verse that rang in my head throughout the trip. It goes: Let this be recorded for a generation to come, so that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord.

The example led by the MTW team stirred my heart more than anything. It felt like I was watching living and breathing examples of how we decrease so that Christ may increase. 

I’m currently praying to hopefully return to Cambodia long-term. I don’t know what that means but I know that my heart can’t stay still from it. God showed me here what true Christ-following living looks like for his glory alone and I really can’t wait to go back. Praise be to God.

This blog post was written by Andrew. He came on a joint short-term team with Christ Central Southern CA and Christ Central SF.

What Does It Take?

What does it take to be a long-term overseas missionary? What qualifications does one need?

1. An open and receptive heart to discern God’s calling: Not every believer is called to be a long-term overseas missionary. However all believers are called to do missions in whatever context God has placed them in. For some, that context is cross-cultural and overseas. Too often we close our hearts off to the idea of overseas missions because we think it’s “too crazy,” or “not for me.” Sometimes we close our hearts off out of fear: “What if God calls me?” As believers we have ultimately surrendered our lives to Christ: “Not our will, but Your will be done.” We have decided to live not according to our worldly desires, but for the glory of God. If so, we have a responsibility to foster an open and receptive heart to discern God’s calling in our lives, and not close ourselves off out of what we think is best for our lives.
2. A desire to serve the under-served, especially in a cross-cultural context: Each of the MTW missionaries I have met all have a heart to serve the under-served. The medical ministry serves the outcasts of society, those who have been abused, cast aside, and forgotten. The village ministry serves the children in the village by offering free supplemental English classes, a pathway to a college education, and Bible education. The city ministry serves to equip and encourage the Christian church minority in the midst of a society that is overwhelmingly Buddhist. The MTW team is filled with members from all over the world and of different ethnicity, united in their desire and calling to serve the under-served in Cambodia.
3. A step of faith: I am reminded of Matthew 14, when Jesus walks on water and tells Peter to come. Peter obeys in faith and steps out of the boat onto the water. But, when he sees the strong winds, he becomes afraid and starts to sink. He cries out to Jesus for help and immediately, Jesus reaches out and takes hold of him. Long-term overseas missions may seem intimidating or even downright impossible like walking on water. Like Peter, there will be times when fear and doubt overtake us, especially in the face of hardships. But in those moments, our Savior is right there to rescue us. We are not expected to be a “super-Christian” that walks on water without fear or doubts. Nor are we expected to take on this task alone. What is expected of us is to take a step of faith, like Peter, knowing that our God is greater than the sum of all our fears and doubts, and that same God is with us, wherever we may go.

This blog post was written by John Lee. He led an eight person short-term team from Eternal Life Ministry http://www.yselm.org. John is raising support to join us in the village. https://mtw.org/missionaries/details/lee-john

July 19-30 2019 Cambodia Short-term Mission Trip

Thank you to everyone who supported the ELM Short term mission team!

This trip was a success, no one died or got seriously injured, and we got to witness God working in Cambodia through his church. We had the opportunity to serve by playing with the kids, teaching English classes, Bible studies, and an assortment of workshops.

This trip was a huge encouragement to me because I got to see my church members serving in the village where I will be serving as a long-term missionary and I hope to see this partnership continue in the years to come! (Come visit me in Cambodia everyone! I will be the best host) It was a beautiful blending of the two worlds that I belong to, and despite the language/cultural barrier we were all serving and worshiping the same God. What a wonderful God that we have!

Our Cambodia team reported to our church (ELM) on our mission trip to Cambodia during mission night a few weeks ago so we are finally relieved of our role as a short term mission team! However, there is still work for us to do in God’s kingdom “for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10

Here are some takeaways that Pastor Luke shared with our team as we prepared to head back to the states:

1. Have a village mindset.
   1. In the village, your life is very integrated. You can’t act differently around different people or at least it would be very hard to because, in a small village, everyone knows each other.  The person you buy your snacks from is your next-door neighbor and your children’s teacher lives down the road from you. In America, our lives are very compartmentalized, you might just see people at work as just your co-workers and you probably don’t see your cashier as your neighbor. What would life look like if we recognized the people we interact with on a daily basis as our neighbors and then lived out the command to love your neighbors as yourself?
2. The ones who stay are the ones who feel cared for.
   1. At Luke’s village, there is a girl who comes frequently to our ESL classes but interestingly, she is not really concerned about learning English. The reason she comes so often is because she feels loved by Pastor Luke, his family, and the church. One of the short-term team values that we agreed to as a team is to “Pursue of Relationships Over Results” and this is something that is worthwhile to bring back home. It is much simpler to think of church in terms of numbers (how many people showed up to this or that) but what makes a church aren’t programs and events but relationships. I want to see my church as a family first and love them well. Jesus said it himself that the second greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself.
3. Embrace your role in the church.
   1. We were all leaving the mission field and some of us may not be called to missions but that’s okay. We shouldn’t feel guilty about staying back, there is much work to do even in America or wherever we may be called to.

This blog post was written by Mason. He came on an eight person short-term team with Eternal Life Ministry http://www.yselm.org.

It seems like only yesterday that we were on our flight to Cambodia. Our team leader, John Lee, put together a manual that contained numerous articles regarding the current state of Cambodia, MTW’s core values, short-term mission values, and devotionals. The team read the manual to prepare our hearts and begin the trip grounded in the Lord. When we landed, we were greeted warmly by Pastor Luke, Chris Tak (an MTW intern), college students, and the hot weather. After a three-hour van ride, we arrived at Angk’jeay village, where we’d serve for the next week.

Over the course of the trip, our team primarily facilitated English lessons, taught Bible studies, ministered to children through Bible lessons and activities, and led praise. Our team also held special workshops, such as a computer class, personal finance class, guitar class, and photography class. We also partook in the village’s Sunday worship, which was a huge blessing because we got to worship God with people from all walks of life. For the worship, Pastor Walton preached the Word with the help of Bolong, a college student who interpreted the sermon for the Cambodian members. We also joined a Bible study with adults, which blessed the team tremendously. After a fruitful time in the village, we traveled to Phnom Penh, received an overview of Family Clinic, worshiped with the MTW team, and fellowshipped with college students from local churches. Throughout all the work, we developed rich bonds with the Smith family, MTW team, and the people of Cambodia.

Coming to a foreign country and serving constantly definitely came with struggles. We didn’t realize how big of a toll the heat and packed schedule was on us. Thankfully, Pastor Luke reminded us how critical getting good rest was to serve and to not burn out. Also, given the extensive preparation prior to the trip, we wanted everything to be perfect and stressed over every single detail. In these times, we’d remember the power of prayer and lift our anxieties to the Lord. The devotionals prepared beforehand were essential to once again see the big picture and know we are not doing any personal mission, but God’s mission. Although it was tough during the trip, the struggles definitely helped us to understand what the Smith family endures constantly and how we can better pray for them in the future.

The missions trip was certainly a blessing for the entire team. This trip was especially impactful for not only our team but also for our entire congregation because Angk’jeay will be the village John Lee will be serving long term. We all remember the initial village tour and seeing John’s future living quarters and how real it all became. As we were serving in the village, we realized that John is as much a member of the village as he is a member of our church. We’re excited to see our brother serve the amazing village of Angk’jeay and glorify the Lord!

We want to thank the Smith family for their loving hospitality. We will never forget Sohka’s delicious home-cooked meals that gave us energy throughout the tiring days! Because of the family’s warmth and love, we felt welcome in the village since day one. We also want to thank the MTW team in Phnom Penh for showing us the great work God is doing in the city. The entire team was a huge encouragement to us and we were truly able to experience God’s glory and faithfulness.

Below are pictures from the Christmas Worship Service

Below are Pictures from the Christmas Outreach

How can we help churches be sustainable? How can we help Khmer pastors earn a living when most of their congregation is made up of members who are subsistence rice farmers? These are questions that are not easy to address, but we have been trying. Below is an introduction to Pastor Sophearak and a sustainability project for a fruit tree orchard that is underway.

————–

I have know Sophearak for about 2 1/2 years now. After graduating from Bible school, he wanted to pursue ordination and partnering with Mission to the World, because of our shared reformed theological convictions. After coming under the care of the Cambodian Presbyterian Association, he completed a six month internship with me, Luke, in our village. His pastoral heart and ability to faithfully teach the Scriptures was evident and a joy to see. He is a diligent learner and able to clearly and warmly articulate the reformed faith. For the past few, years he has been been pastoring the church Damnak Preah (House of God) in his home village. The church was started in 2000 as a house church with his mom being the first believer in his family and the one who led several family members to Christ. Sophearak had been going down from Phnom Penh 2-4 days to serve in this church. In October, 2018, he moved back to his home village to live there and be more able to minister to the community. The vision for his church is: to build a community of people who desire to worship God through knowing the gospel and living out the gospel in the local community. Sophearak is working for the government junior high school, which is a big help in him knowing the community and having English outreach classes with the local youth.

This sustainability orchard project is designed to help him have the financial means to faithfully serve his local church, help other church plants, and provide for his family (he bears a lot of responsibility in helping his parents and siblings financially). As a team, we have found a declining scale salary for pastors church planting or paying an ongoing salary is very difficult to sustain over the long run. Most congregations in Cambodia, especially in the village, are not able to support their own pastor. This orchard project comes from Sophearak’s own initiative and seems like a project that he is invested in and will be able to manage while freeing his financial burdens so he can more faithfully serve the church. MTW’s Ambassador’s program has awarded a 2:1 matching grant for this project.