Siem Reap, Monday, June 8, 2009

Monday, June 8, 2009, 1638 ICT
Siem Reap, Cambodia

"Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waiteth for the Lord: he is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name. Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in thee."
Psalm 33:18-22

This afternoon, as I write this message, I am listening to an audio recording of the worship service in Luling yesterday morning. What a blessing our modern technology is to enable our family to be in touch with our home congregation, family, and friends on such a regular basis.

Psalm 33 is another comforting and inspiring selection from God’s word. In this Psalm we are reminded that God sees us wherever we are and even in the midst of our afflictions and difficulties. He is looking upon them that fear him and upon those who hope in his mercy. He delivers our souls from death and he keeps us alive even when he suffers famine to come upon us. He doesn’t promise that famine will not come, but in the midst of it, he sees our distress and provides that which we need. Therefore, our soul learns to depend upon him. Our souls wait upon him for deliverance in every trial. He is our help and our shield, our defense against every enemy. Our heart learns to rejoice in him because of our trust in his name and nature. So, with the Psalmist, our prayer is for his mercy to be continually upon us as we hope in him.

Thank you all again for your many prayers on our behalf as well as for the many personal messages you have each sent to us. Our Saturday evening was trying as Beth began to complain that her stomach ache was continuing to worsen. We considered a trip to the International hospital at that time, but decided to wait until Sunday morning to see if it worsened. Sunday morning, because of Beth’s illness, I did not attend the worship service with the area church congregation as I had intended too, so we woshipped in our home. We sung hymns from the Old School Hymnal and Primitive Baptist Hymnal and then I shared a message from the life and experience of Samson (our current study in our family devotions).

After worship, we took Beth to the Royal Angkor International Hospital which is north of Siem Reap near the airport. It is in total about 5 mi from our home. We were pleased to find a very modern and suprisingly efficient facility and staff. The language barrier was still a hinderance, but after some blood work, urine tests, stool sample and a CT scan though they were unable to diagnose appendicitis (though they also could not rule it out) and decided that Beth was suffering from a gastro-intestinal bacterial infection and related dehydration and potassium deficiency. She was admitted to the hospital for an overnight stay for administration of antibiotics and fluids.

Rachel stayed with Beth at the hospital while I returned home and attempted to care for Emily, Jer, and William. We did make a stop along the way to purchase a dust mop and a vacuum cleaner. Hopefully, these two upgrades will make a big difference in the level of cleanliness at home.

Today we learned that the home internet connection for which we had hoped will not be possible through the company we had ordered it through (they don’t have a node in our neighborhood). I am now seeking other options to get us online. Your prayers in this matter will be appreciated.

Beth is back at home now and has a 7 day course of antibiotic as well as an anti-parisitic medication. Please continue your prayers for us.

God Bless you all!


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Friday, June 5, 2009, 0445 ICT
Siem Reap, Cambodia

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he hath made in the earth. He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah." – Psalm 46

What a blessing this Psalm is to me this morning, as it has been to countless others throughout the centuries. How great is our God, that he inspired a mortal man centuries ago to pen such timeless and perfect words regarding the splendors of the unchangeable eternal God and then preserved them through the ages to deliver me time and again from discouragement and dispair. These same words thrilled the souls of the prophets, the apostles, the reformers (see Luther’s treatment of this Psalm in his great hymn), and the saints of the Baptist church throughout the ages.

It is indeed a blessing to be reminded that my hope and trust is not in man, but in God himself. The God who created me yet sustains me, He is my help and my strength. It is He of whom the Apostle Paul says, "Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." There is assurance to be found in the fact that He has delivered in days past, knowing that He will yet deliver. This comfort is not mere idle hope, but possitive assurance wrapped up in knowledge of God’s purpose and grace.

We will not be afraid, though the earth be removed and the mountains be shaken to their core. It is Jesus who said but a little bit of faith will enable us to exert similar power through God’s enabling hand. There is a river which flows from the very presence of God. It makes glad the hearts of His people, and the church of God is sustained and strengthened by its streams. Again, the Saviour promised "a well of water springing up into everlasting life." Where is the strength of the Holy City? God is in the midst of her. Even in this dark land of idolatry and pagan rites, God is here among his people. Though the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things, yet God is in His Holy temple.

As the tumult abounds and uncertainty seems the only certain thing, what a blessing to rest in the promise, "the Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge." He is not only the God of Israel, but the God of Jacob. Jacob who wandered in the wilderness fleeing the anger of his kindred, not seeking after God, but only seeking his own timely deliverance. Jacob who was a deceiver, a supplanter, one who did not seek that which was pleasing to God. He is the God of Jacob who changes hearts and lives for His own purposes. Of whom it is said, "He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye." To be led about and instructed of the Lord is not an easy thing, but to be kept as the apple of His eye, secured by his own strength in His mighty hand is a blessing beyond measure. This is security to be kept by the mighty hand of God, to have Him engaged in our defense, to hear him say, "for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye."

"Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he hath made in the earth." To God is attributed the desolation of portions of the earth. It is His power that makes wars and fightings to cease. He is the only one who can author true peace. Seeing the desolation of a land ravaged by genocide, by war, and by intellectual folly and pagan superstition only serves to heighten the reality of these verses in my consideration. In the midst of this desolation, these conflicts and seeming hopelessness, the Lord speaks through His word, "Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth." What strange words these must have been to the Psalmist. What strange words to be sung by the Israelites. Not, exalted before, but among the heathen. God’s purpose even then was manifestly to be gloried in all the earth among every nation, kindred, tongue, people and nation. Our hope and assurance is found in a God of power and of purpose who is working even today according to His eternal purpose. He will be exalted among the heathen, and in all the earth.

It is this purpose that Paul exalted when he wrote to the Ephesians, "Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord"

The eternal purpose of God to make known His wisdom and glory in all the earth is that which has guided the proclamation of the gospel through the centuries and has established and sustained his church whose very existence is for his glory. It is with the assurance of His purpose and never failing strength that we can proclaim with the Psalmist, "The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah." Meditate on these things.

As I lay awake this early morning reflecting upon the events of the past week and indeed the past two years in my life and that of my family, these verses came as the answer to bring peace to my troubled soul. Things are difficult for us here as a pampered 21st century American family. We are used to and indeed expect the "comforts of home" and in many ways depend upon our modern "conveniences" to even survive. Yet our Lord has led us through an amazing path to this day and this place where we are called upon to make what in reality are very small sacrifices, yet which in the moment seem great indeed, for His purpose and for His glory. It is so easy to lose focus, to get caught up in the moment and to forget the reason that we are here. I don’t mean here in Cambodia, but in existence. We are here to bring honor and glory to God: the One who created us, gives us breath, salvation, and all things.

My purpose in this place ought to be focused.

  • I am here for the near or long term to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to a waiting people prepared afore by His Holy Spirit.
  • I am here to teach to faithful men those things which have been committed to me by those who God placed in my life as my mentors and fathers in the ministry and those things which I have learned from the very word of God as I have been led by the Holy Spirit.
  • I am here to confirm the faith of those who have been established in the present truth, and to preach liberty to those who are captive to the darkness of this world, turning them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God.
  • I am here to "do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith."
  • I am here to provide a godly example of obedience to the faith before my wife and children while leading them in accordance to God’s word and bringing them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
  • We are here to "make known His deeds among the people" by the testimony and witness of lives changed by His mighty hand.

Thanks be to God for His blessings and mercy in saving me from so great a death that I might live for His glory.

Thank you all for your continued prayers for us as we learn together lessons of contentment and of trust.

A fortress firm, and steadfast rock,
Is God in time of danger;
A shield and sword in every shock,
From foe well known or stranger.

– C. H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, unattributed

A sure stronghold our God is He,
A timely shield and weapon;
Our help he will be, and set us free
From every ill can happen.

And were the world with devils filed,
All eager to devour us,
Our souls to fear shal little yield,
They cannot overpower us.

– Martin Luther
translation from S. W. Christopher’s, Hymn Writers and Their Hymns, 1866
(quoted in Spurgeon’s Treasury of David)


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Siem Reap, June 2, 2009

Siem Reap, Cambodia
3:30 PM ICT

We are nearing the end of day 5 in our family’s experience in Cambodia. I can’t get over how slow things seem to be here. I suppose that we will get used to it eventually, but everything seems to take a long time to accomplish. Most time is spent waiting on people, and nothing and no one seems to be on time (I know, those of you who know me best are thinking that sounds just like me).

I was able to identify and diagnose the electrical problems that we were experiencing. The voltage at our home fluctuates between 165VAC and 215VAC. The operating voltage for equipment and appliances over here is 220V – 240V. The cause of the low voltage is a significantly undersized electrical service wire. We are waiting for the power company and the house owner to work out the details on fixing the problem. Please pray that it will be resolved soon.

We originally purchased two electric burners for cooking, but because of the voltage problems, we had to instead purchase a gas cooktop. It is working well, and to date we have eaten scrambled eggs and rice, chicken stir fry and rice, chicken and rice, and spaghetti. Ah, yes, rice, Brother Zack, can’t you just taste it?

Today’s great accomplishment was the acquisition of a local telephone number for my phone and an order for internet service to our house. When it is connected, we should be able to have a regular telephone line with which to communicate back home. Also, I will be able to do a better job of updating our website and facebook accounts, and the children will be able to access the school related resources upon which we have come to depend so much.

Last evening we were able to get one of the laptops and the projector working so we were able to enjoy a family movie night with VeggieTales Moe and the Big Exit. It was a refreshing touch of home for all of us. The children were very excited and went to sleep peacefully afterwards.

I spent a good bit of the night afterward working on the water tank and well only to determine that the well was dry. I am a bit concerned that it may not be able to keep up with our demand. It ran for a short while this morning, and we are getting about 6 inches of depth in the tank for each time that I run the pump. It is a new experience for me and certainly will increase my awareness of water usage/conservation.

I spoke with Dara this morning, and God willing, we are scheduled to visit with him at the orphanage on Saturday morning, June 6. Tomorrow we will try to visit with David here in Siem Reap and begin to discuss the work at Varin and other related congregations.

I have not yet experimented with loading pictures on the blog page. Meanwhile, those of you who are on Facebook can see a number of photos that were uploaded this morning.

Please pray that God will direct us through the next few weeks as we continue to explore the realities of life here and seek His will for us in the work that is ahead.

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We have Arrived

After a very long and somewhat difficult trip, we arrived safely in Phnom Penh on time at 9:40 AM ICT, Friday morning in Cambodia, Thursday evening in America. Were it not for our dear friends the Hales kindness in meeting us at the airport with a van and much assistance, we would not have been able to make it. They followed us to our home in Siem Reap, and though the real estate agent and landlady were not expecting us until Saturday, we were able to unload our luggage and move into our home on Friday evening about 5:30 PM. The past two days have been exhausting and an adjustment, but with the exception of a few electrical power and plumbing issues, all is well.

We are thankful for each of our friends and loved ones whose prayers have sustained us thus far, and are quite confident that with your continued encouragement and prayers we will be able to adjust and thrive in our new home. This morning we were able to worship in our home with Bill, Jennifer, and Kathrine Hale. We sung a variety of songs of praise and worship and Bill and I each shared a message from Proverbs 16 regarding the use of sweet words and speach and the answer of the tongue and preparation of the heart being from the Lord.

It is now early morning in the USA. We are praying for our loved ones at Luling and elsewhere as you are preparing for your weekly worship services. It is our hope to contact Brother Dara and David later on this week to begin making plans for the next few weeks.

Thank you all for your e-mails, comments, and messages that you have sent our way. The Lord willing I will begin replying personally within the week.

Posted in Cambodia PB Ministry | 3 Comments

The time of our departure is at hand . . .

Well, after what seems like months of waiting, the time of our departure is at hand.  No, not in the sense that the Apostle Paul meant it.  We are not anticipating a departure from life itself, however, in so many ways, the life that I have known for the past 30 years or so is about to change in ways that I cannot even begin to catalog.

We are forever grateful to our many friends and family who have expressed their love, good wishes, and encouragement toward our family in this transitional time, and are most sincerely thankful for the many prayers that we know have gone up on our behalf. 

To those of you who have not been able to encourage us because our path and decisions are too far from your ability to understand, we appreciate your willingness to overlook that which you have perceived as our foolishness as you have also joined in prayer for us.

Much has been accomplished in the past few weeks as Rachel and the children have diligently packed up and stored away most of our possessions adn the life that we have become so comfortable with.  On the one hand, iti s a bit of a challenge to pack all that is important to us in 12 checked bags and one each carry on suitcase, yet, on the other hand, it is amazing exactly how many possessions will actually fit in that amount of luggage. 

Our home is feeling very empty, especially, as my Rachel and our four children have left for an extended visit with family and friends in Tennessee and Mississippi.

Our departure time is fixed at 6 PM on the evening of May 27, 2009.  We hope to be safely moved into our home in Siem Reap not later than Friday, May 29.

As I am home alone this week and next, I am faced with a number of projects which remain unfinished.  Please pray that I will find the self discipline and attentiveness to complete those things which must be accomplished.  The short list of items before me are:  Gadget guy that I am, I need to rid myself of those items not necessary for the work that is before me and find a way to consolidate and stow my toys in a manner that will enable their transport.  I need to finish cleaning and organizing my office which will house my library while we are away.  I need to complete the remaining doctor’s appointments and travel documentation.  I need to finalize the remaining billing and project handover for my secular job and make the necessary arrangements to allow my continued service to my company as I attempt to telecommute from our new home.

God willing,  Iwill be in service with Luling church this weekend, and with Shiloh church of Stephenville, Texas the following week.  We are looking forward to our final service with Luling church on May 24, as Elder Vince Hardy is scheduled to preach the gospel. 

Again, please keep our family in your prayers.

Posted in Cambodia PB Ministry | 2 Comments

Welcome to Weyel World

Welcome to Weyel World !  You are invited to join us as we explore and familiarize ourselves with WordPress, and as our family continues our  journey of faith which will lead from San Antonio, Texas to the Kingdom of Cambodia and undiscovered pathways beyond.

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