Monday night prayers 16 April 2018

We just came back from Kampong Tom last night. The boys went with me to visit my friend John at their church for Khmer New Year. We stopped first at Thor Piang Rosey and visit with my friend Heang. We went to Chak Vey village to talk to the guy that cut the wood for us and he was finished with it. God has such a good sense of humour. I recently got some money to build this little building and it was just enough, almost to the sent, for the wood. Now we just need to clean the land and we can start to build the building. Things are a bit slow here right now as Khmer New Year is still celebrated country wide.

We went to meet John and his whole family and had a great time. The next day we did some serious 4x4 driving and went to the little temple as well as climb the mountain to see the jungle from above. It was a hot and humid day but the fun made up for all our troubles. Please pray with us that we can get some favour from the Health Department in Ratanakiri. I need to submit papers again but to set up a new year schedule is something of the impossible as my friend Samai is still working in Stung Treng. Pray that we can find a way to go around this.

Toinette came back last night as well, from the Philippines. I was a very emotional as very timely visit for her. First she did the No Apologies Camp and then she had time to meet her old midwife friends. She could share and encourage her friends that are going through their own difficulties. We praise God that she could meet them again and had some fun with them all. She came back and said that the Philippines are still “home” to her. Pinoys you rock.

Please pray for Fe as her radiation treatment started today and will run for 25 days.

Journey Update: A Real Farm to Table experience...

After my 12th chemo last Thursday , Noel and I had the chance to visit Ate Cynthia Tizon ,our dear friend who owns Charisma Farm in Pampanga. We were welcomed by fellow missionaries from Thailand and our Asian Center for Missions ACM Pampanga Mcarers with some Pastoras.

What a wonderful time of fellowship, sharing of testimonies, enjoying tbe organic veges and fruits fresh from the farm. Thank you Lord

Please pray for our good friend Manus Olivier that is in Cape Town busy with the planning and setup of his Radiation treatment plan of 5 weeks that will start on the 24^th April. He is a true Namibian boy in the big city and I am sure he long back home to his coastal town and the sand dunes. Pray that the Lord will sustain his health and heal him in this difficult time.

Please pray for Toinette’s brother Quinton as his Prostate counts are high and he had to get a very painful biopsy and will hear the results this Wednesday. We pray together that God will heal this young man and help him in this very difficult time.

People are ready for God, but they want hope, not a debate. The Daniel Dilemma" (How to Stand Firm & Love Well in a Culture of Compromise) - Chris Hodges

We pray that this week will be a great week for you all.

Love

Rossouw-clan

Monday night prayers 09 April 2018

It is Khmer New Year, the 3^rd one for us living in Asia. The boys have holiday and with Toinette away, boys rule. Keeping these boys busy is not an easy task. Anton is busy with a mural on his bedroom wall that will keep him busy for a while. Friday we will go down to my friend in the province for some time in the jungle. Long time since I could ride in the jungle with the 4x4. It is dry season now and it’s possible. Please pray for safe driving on these terrible roads. Talking about good weather! We had rain and cold here in April, that’s unheard off. Sleeping under a blanket in the night is not usual for now. Like my friend say: ”if this is Global warming’ bring it on, life in Cambodia can do with some cold.”

Toinette is off to the Philippines and will conduct a “No Apologies” workshop that started already today. Continue to keep them in your prayers as so many young lives need to be impacted. HIV and STD’s is a real problem in the Philippines and young children need to be aware of these terrible things.

“”The Philippines’ human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic is a “national emergency,” the head of the AIDS Research Group of the health department’s Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) said on Monday. Dr. Rossana Ditangco warned that the government’s current approach to the epidemic means that “we can’t control the rapid rise of HIV infection.”

Ditangco is no fear-monger. The latest statistics from the UNAIDS’ 2017 report indicates the rate of HIV infection in the Philippines has become the highest in the Asia Pacific region. That data demonstrates that in 2016, 83 percent of new infections in the Philippines occurred among men who have sex with men and transgender women who have sex with men. The sharp rise in new HIV infections in the Philippines since 2010 stands in sharp contrast to decreasing or stagnant rates of new infections in other parts of the Asia-Pacific region. Philippine Department of Health data indicates that the country’s HIV infection rate grew by 140 percent from 2010 to 2016, with two out of three new HIV infections among 15 to 24-year-old men who have sex with men.”” https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/08/01/philippines-hiv-epidemic-declared-national-emergency

Please pray for Roger and Deb from our church here in Siem Reap. They are on their way to Kratie with a group of people to go and do some evangelism and help the local people. Pray for safe travels as well as for open hearts to listen to the Word of God.

18 of us including the van driver who for the most are first timers of long distance travel. Motion sickness is real but we bring with us Faith, Hope and Love to Kratie province. Thank You, Lord, for this opportunity to take Your message out there.

327 kms more.

We appreciate Your prayers for our safe travels.

Pray for Fe:

Journey Update: FAMILY ADVENTURE

Paul and Josh are off from school now. Praise God for how He sustained them during their rough transition. We appreciate all kinds of support everyone had extended to them.

Now, they have to be with us in Manila because my radiation will start soon.

This is another challenging part of our adventure. My Radiation will be for 25 days(everyday except weekend). My boys are supposed to enjoy their school break but they have to be with us. Today, i am with Noel at the hospital for CT Scan/ simulation. My Radiation will start on Monday(April 16) until May.

God's message at church yesterday was timely. THE TESTING OF our FAITH... reveals who we are and who we believe in. We hope to remain steadfast in the Lord.

We need PRAYERS...

- STRENGTH to handle the effect of radiation on my body.

- WISDOM for my doctors, that they would do the right thing.

- GRACE for my family- that they will enjoy the journey, inspite of the challenges.

- PROVISION - we need finances for our stay in Manila and for some chances we could take our boys to enjoy their break while here. I am looking for sponsors for Paul and Josh to attend a Summer Camp in Tagaytay together with their cousins on May 1-3.

We keep declaring blessings from the Lord to you for your kindness and care for us.

One of our small church, River of Life Fellowship’s members, Ovaltine is currently in Phnom Penh due to a bleeding ulcer. God really is busy with him as he struggles to stop drinking but attend church regularly and is an active member or almost the only man in church. Pray that God will heal him , not just from his ulcer but also from his terrible drinking habits.

More on Khmer New Year:

 It is called “Khmer” New Year because Khmer are the dominant ethnic group within the nation. Ninety-five percent of Cambodia’s 15 million people follow Theravada Buddhism, which is also the official religion.  The calendar they follow is deeply steeped in their Buddhist religious traditions. The Cambodian  New Year falls on either the 13th or 14th of April, depending on the dictates of an ancient horoscope reading called “Maha Sangkran.”

Khmer New Year arrives just after the harvest has been gathered and safely stored, which is significant since the majority of the population are still involved in agriculture. In fact, an earlier lunar calendar was abandoned in favour of the present solar-based one in order to ensure the holiday fell just after harvest time and before the rainy season.

The celebrations begin on New Year’s Day, but they last for three consecutive days. On the first day of celebration, Cambodians dress in fine clothes, go to family shrines with lit candles and incense to burn, and thank Buddha for his teachings by bowing to the ground to his image three consecutive times. To bring good luck on this day, the Khmer wash their faces with holy water in the morning, wash their chests at noontime, and wash their feet just before going to sleep.

On the second day, great attention is given to helping the poor through charity. A special dedication ceremony to family ancestors is also attended at a monastery. On the third and final day, the images of Buddha are washed in a mixture of water and perfume, which is meant to symbolize the washing away of evil deeds. Elders are also washed in this way, and doing this is thought to bring good luck, happiness, and long life. Good advice is also sought upon washing parents and grandparents in this manner.

Traditions

Some of the Cambodian New Year customs include:

Erecting a sandy mound on the grounds of a temple. The mound is formed so as to represent the Buddha in the centre and his four favourite disciples all around him.

Among many special foods prepared this time of year is kralan, a cake of steamed rice, coconut, coconut milk, beans, and peas. It is pressed inside a hollow stick of bamboo and slow-roasted over a fire.

Numerous games are played, both by children and adults. Street corners are crowded with people dancing and playing these games, and passers-by often have water thrown at them.

Thank you very much for praying for us. May God bless you all and a blessed New Year to some of my Khmer friends.

Love

Rossouw-clan

Monday night prayers 02 April 2018

I was wondering what to do for Good Friday but the cross took over my thoughts. I went off and made 3 of them, pretty big for us about 2m in length and weigh about 40kg. Jesus’s cross was about double that height!! After making it, I had to carry it for 10 m and was exhausted doing that. It struck me, How did Jesus, after the severe beating, carried that cross, even if it was only for a short distance??They say it was about 0.3km, and he could not even carry it the whole way. No wonder!!! The wood of my little crosses borrowed into my shoulder, how much pain was it for Him on his already beaten body??

But that was not the end of it. He rose again in 3 days and we could celebrate it with a sunrise fellowship (no sun cause it was raining) but luckily we know that He rose again. If Jesus could die for a sinner like me, he definitely can do it for you as well. Jesus did the ultimate sacrifice on the cross for us. We are so privilege to be called. Children of Christ!!

A small testimony from the village. A while back, I went and check some ears in the place where Toinette always go for a Health talk with the local ladies. Found a small girl with bad ears and gave her some drops and meds. The mom took her for a check-up to the local doctor again and he asked her, “Who gave you meds because her ears were fine”. She replied:” the Jesus doctor gave me some meds.” There you have it, without even knowing it we can impact people by giving a small bit of ourselves. God is good.

Anton won the picture drawing in school. They had to draw the school from the front. His picture will feature on the next school brochure. So proud of our little artist. Please pray for Toinette as she will leave for the Philippines by the end of the week. Pray for travel mercies as well as for there No Apologies workshop on the 9-11 April. The subjects will be HIV and Pre-marital sex has its consequences. This will be her first time back in Davao after more than 10 years away. Pry for her emotional strength as well.

Here is some news from my good friend Manus Olivier. This is when he was just out from an operation. He is back at home and need to wait till 24^th April to start with an intensive 5 week treatment. Pray that God will be with him and that he will be encourage by many friends. If you want to write to him personally, write me and I will give his address or follow him on FB under Manus Olivier.

There is an interesting journey ahead - For my English speaking friends.

My friend

As I am waging a paper war together with the amazing nursing staff at Panorama Medi-Clinic in order to be discharged, I am filled with gratitude. Yes, I am grateful for this new take on life that God gave me today, here and now. A thought strikes me that this part of my life which lies ahead, is going to be an interesting one.

I realise that before birth…No! Even before the universe was created, God has already planned an interesting journey for you and me. To me the best about this journey is that we are allowed to help plan it. Every single day we add a little to our own travel journal. God did not finish our journals – He chose to make us part of the writing experience.

Hopefully we can follow the example of a famous painter. When he was well in his 90s, he was asked which of all of his paintings he regarded as the best one. His answer took all by surprise when he declared: The next one!

My family and I know this new journey will go hand in hand with many challenges. How will I cope with five weeks’ radiation in extremely sensitive areas? I do not know. Yet, so what if I know or not? What I do know, however, is that I have the opportunity to live, to write, to bear testimony, to believe and to motivate because I am part of His plan for this world.

Ideas of what I can still do, are plentiful. Yet it does not mean that I can direct God the way I want my life to be. No, I can do whatever I am able to, according to what God expects from me. Still, I may leave the rest to Him. God gave us reason, intellect. Surely He gave it so we should use it. And yes, we should pray to God to renew and reshape our thoughts the way He wants them to be. (Romans 12:2).

What I know for sure is that God will give us the strength we need to face every challenge but He will supply that strength, not when we want it, but when He knows we really need it. He is indeed a God of the present…now.

He is in control.

Take care!

Manus

Some news from Fe.

March 24, 2018

KILLING CANCER NOT PEOPLE

We are blessed with a trip to Kuala Lumpur to hear the speaker /author of the book Killing Cancer not People. Expectant to learn from Sir Bob Wright.

Great to be with friends, Ptr Rommel with Jeralyn n kids.

Praise God for a good break in between chemos , a time of learning and reunion with friends.

Friends are Treasures...

We had a chance of being reunited with Ptra Shanney on a very significant day in the life of their church( House of change). We were there when they closed the deal to use Novotel Function room to start a church near Pavilion Mall, on April 1.

Ptr Joseph and wife took a time off out of their busy schedules just to meet up and treat us to an authentic Chinese restaurant. Food was really good there.

Of course, our visit won't be complete without meeting our dear Filipino family friend, Clave, Irish, Pinx and Skye. Being with them in a Vietnamese restaurant and ate some Cambodian dishes,filled our hearts with joy...then we recalled our memories together in Cambodia.

Our last night out was with Jason...much food and fun. Amazed that black canyon had the Vermicilli salad and tomyum soup that we missed from Cambodia. The free massage was unexpected...

After meeting a Nutritionist/ GP and attending the seminar made me watch my diet closely but oh, i had some cheats, to be honest.

Practicing the Sabbath once a week keeps us focused and prioritized regarding our place within God's plan. The Daniel Dilemma" (How to Stand Firm & Love Well in a Culture of Compromise) deur Chris Hodges

Love
Rossouw-clan