It is Khmer New Year, the 3rd 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
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