QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER March 2014 Church was built in 2004 with support from Mt. Hope, Boulder. Three-room school, adjacent to church, was built in 2005. Dear brothers and sisters in Christ: Introduction. The 2013 Risen Savior-hosted mission team had a successful trip to Cambodia from November 21 to December 6, 2013 to Siem Reap to host a Youth Conference, and then to Trinity Lutheran Church and School in Battambang. The mission team was comprised of members from five area LCMS churches: Bethlehem, Holy Cross, Peace, Risen Savior, and Summit of Peace. From left to right: H. Cameron, P. Cameron, K. Moeller, J. Witt, S. Pastor Peter and Mary Sok, from Koenig, N. Krueger, N. Krueger, J. Jacoby, N. Aufdemberge, & J. Schlieker; missing from photo are H. Oehlkers & C. Schlieker Trinity Stockton, CA and founders of Trinity Lutheran Church and School, joined the team in Siem Reap and Battambang. A Tribute to Roger Maves. Sadly, Roger was taken away from us in death, but we have the assurance that he has won the victory! He was ready to meet His Lord; we will miss him greatly. He was a wonderful man who had a big dream and a heart for people. He was inspirational to 1
all for the pastors and congregation of Trinity Lutheran Church in Battambang, Cambodia. Roger s funeral was held at Risen Savior Lutheran Church on December 14, 2014; the service was conducted by Pastor Pete Scheele, a long-time friend of Roger and pastor of Shepherd of the Rockies in Bailey, Colorado. Our condolences go to Marie and Roger s family. Roger s photo on display at funeral ceremony Honoring Those Who Served ceremony with folding of United States Burial Flag at Ft. Logan National Cemetery Mission Team Member Input. We are inviting members of the mission teams to share highlights of their visit to Trinity and Cambodia in this and upcoming newsletters. This quarter, Nan Krueger and Kay Moeller, members of the 2013 Mission Team, report on the major projects that they worked on at Siem Reap and Trinity Lutheran, and on impressions they have from their trip to Cambodia. Nan Krueger s Report. Just over a year ago, I attended an LWML event at which Kalia Lo was a guest speaker. She was wonderfully enthusiastic about the mission work that she and her husband Dr. Lo were doing in Cambodia. It was an infectious enthusiasm that got me thinking about the possibility of going on a mission trip. I love to help people, in fact, I volunteer regularly at my boys schools, sports events, and boy scouts events. A mission trip though? Was I really qualified? I ve never thought of myself as an evangelist. Happily I discovered that I am. Our team and luggage in Phnom Penh City traffic in Phnom Penh 2
This was my first trip overseas. I have always loved to travel and as we arrived in Cambodia the excitement bubbled over. We stepped off the plane in Phnom Penh into hot, humid weather very familiar to a girl from Louisiana. The drive to the hotel through the city was a mix of the familiar and the unusual. Their road system is a little more relaxed than in the U.S. It was slightly unnerving to see cars driving in both directions on either side of the road at the same time. The majority of vehicles on the road are motorcycles, and they regularly carry four to six passengers. The architecture reminded me of San Francisco with the houses lined up next to each other. Phnom Penh is as busy as any major city - a cacophony of sights, sounds and smells. Like any other city, its people are busy with their daily routines. As we drove through the city, we watched shop keepers sweeping their sidewalks and workers stocking supplies. Their lives mirror the same routines that most Americans live - work, eat, play and sleep. While we did see several Christian as well as other churches around Cambodia, the most prevalent of course are the Buddhist temples. There are numerous temples throughout Cambodia. Most have beautifully detailed architecture. Another common sight is the spirit houses spotted in yards. When I first saw one, I thought it was a birdhouse. They look like miniature Buddhist temples on a pillar or dais. The house is intended to provide a shelter for spirits which could cause problems for the people if not appeased. Dr. Lo s office in Phnom Penh Street side market Spirit house As we traveled through Cambodia the countryside was a peaceful journey past miles of green rice fields surrounded by water occasionally decorated with lotus flowers of vibrant red or purple against the water. There were grass huts on stilts neighboring large ornate homes. We viewed a mix of wealth and poverty throughout our trip. I think that strange dichotomy struck me more than anything. I can t imagine a grass hut next to one of the houses in our neighborhood. People were very friendly in response to our waves and smiles. The language barrier was frustrating at times, and I frequently pulled out my English to Khmer dictionary for help. Those that could read helped me and were often amused at my attempts at speaking Khmer. On a day when we went out to work on service projects with the youth groups, I was able to meet 3
several local families in the rural area outside of Siem Reap. We divided into teams to work on several different projects. My group first went out a remote site where a home needed repairs. We carried supplies and tools over a two mile path to a hut next to a small lake. The man of the house (who wanted to oversee the work) was called away to work at a farm, so we were unable to work on the home. Instead we cleared the area of debris and burned it. After we cleared as much as we could, we moved on to other projects. The second was another hut that needed repairs and the youth workers got busy replacing the old roof with new leaves. They used twine, soaked in water to soften it, to tie the leaves onto the bamboo or wood. If the twine was too thick, it was split. It was the most basic of homes that I had ever seen in person - a one room hut that was divided by hanging sheets to create separate rooms. The kitchen was right inside the doorway. There was a large ceramic pot with an open area for the fire at the bottom and a pan on top in which to cook. They were lucky enough to have a water pump just outside. We saw many of these at homes with plaques from the various charities that had donated them. As we walked by a neighbor s home we saw two small boys outside another hut. The oldest was around six and the younger was no more than three. Their parents were away working in the fields. Their hut was leaning and looked as though a strong wind would knock it over. It was an unbelievable sight of these children all alone in such rustic conditions. They were curious about us, but not sure what to make of all the activity. It is such a different world from the protected environment in which our children live. There were so many sights and experiences that I will cherish from this trip, but the children were the most endearing to me. One of my favorite memories is my son, Nick, surrounded by the children at Trinity Church in Battambang. At over six feet tall, Nick towers over people in Cambodia. The children thought it was fun to stand next to Nick and measure themselves against him. He did manage to teach a few children how to play frisbee. Rural area children Trinity children sing during service Nick with children 4
Not surprisingly, I discovered that we live very privileged lives in the United States. Not that what we have is undeserved, but rather unappreciated on a daily basis. We have all heard of the harsh living conditions in other countries: living in huts, the unavailability of fresh water, the sanitation issues, etc. What we don t regularly think of is the spiritual conditions. There was a difference between the children at Trinity Church and the children in the rural areas where we worked on projects. The Trinity children were more outgoing and gregarious whereas the other children were more reserved and cautious. I know the Trinity children have probably had more contact with foreigners, but I also believe that it is due to influence of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Hope is a powerful thing. After all that the people of this country have suffered and survived, hope is desperately needed. Not just hope for improved living conditions, but hope for improved spiritual conditions. I feel so privileged to have gone on this trip and share God s word with these people. I hope and pray for the Holy Spirit to work on the hearts and minds of the people we met so that we may meet again in God s kingdom. Kay Moeller s Report. I sadly see that the people of Cambodia have the probability of little change in their lives in 2014. We learned more than we taught during our two week trip. We learned some useful survival skills and others that only the Cambodians find necessary. We had to learn how to cross a street with few street lights or crosswalks by seeing an opportunity to bravely, slowly saunter across so the traffic could drive around us. We learned how to barter at the market and not buy from children so their parents would allow them to attend school. We learned to speak more Kay with work crew deliberately so our translator could accurately share our meaning and a waiter could understand our order. We learned to ride in a tuk-tuk that offered no seatbelts, air conditioning, radios or shocks. The daily life of a typical Cambodian family is devoted to survival. The weather is hot and rainy, or hot and dry so they have very primitive, elevated shelters to protect from the sun and rain. Their main food is rice, grown on small plots. Banana plants, various tropical fruit trees and greens of various kinds may grow nearby. Food is cooked on small fires contained in a metal or clay container. Their one kettle is placed over the small fire. Some have wells; others bathe and draw water from a 5 Enjoying good Cambodian food
nearby river. Hope is in short supply because of the Buddhist teachings of you have what you have and the lack of outside influence keeps them from dreaming of a better life. We learned that Christianity is a minority religion. The Christian youth with whom we shared a week of Christian living, teaching and working returned to a family and village where they will need courage to keep the faith and share with others. We hope and pray that the Word of God and the good deeds shared will increase the faith in the true God who offers salvation to all the people in the world. Conference catering equipment Tuk-tuk with Sarah, Camerons, & Norie Ministry Support: Much prayer and financial support are needed in order to share the Gospel with the people of Cambodia. If you cannot be a missionary abroad, be a missionary at home and help support those who can take God s Word to Cambodia. Ongoing Ministry Needs: Financial Gifts: Checks should be made payable to Cambodia Trinity Ministry and sent to the church office at Risen Savior Lutheran. All gifts will be personally receipted by Pastor Peter Sok. One hundred per cent of all gifts go directly to the ministry. Schedule a Presentation: To schedule a Power Point presentation and video for your group, please contact the church office at Risen Savior Lutheran. 6