Whatever Lord : Monday night prayers 08 April 2019

O my completely forgot to write, its holiday here as we are almost in Khmer New and everyone around are on holiday. This holiday is the biggest holiday on the Calender year. People already start to go to the provinces and visit family, so they will return in 2 weeks time. A little bit later on.

A team from PCM-Patient Care Ministry with Donnie and his crew , all from the big city. We know each other already a long time and I love working with them. Together with Doc. Tim and Tricia and his Khmer staff, we did an outreach first in Thor Piang Rosey. I forgot what it is to have a real clinic done in such a fashion. I am working on my own and do not have the luxury to have a pharmacy, Triage and a doctor station. I need to do all of that by myself. It was great watching these guys working together as a team. We could help a lot of people.

The next day we took the truck into the jungle. We made it almost to Rum Jopon but just 2 km to go, the truck broke badly. We tried our best to fix it but could not. My friend from Som Poum came and he went to down on bike,after 3 hours they were back with a mechanic, just to turn around and go and get welding machine. Another 3 hours later we could repair the truck. The team was great, they walked all the way to Rum Jopon and we could give them some meds. These guys really do action with love.

We came home at 10pm and all of us were exhausted. The next morning they did another clinic at the church but I had to fix my truck and could not join them all the way. Thank you Donnie for bringing your team and helping.

Something very good is happening in Thor Piang rosey as they start to worship at the house of Heang. They had about 25 people the first Sunday and now 3 families want to be baptised. I look at them how they prayed for the people who is sick and is proud of them as they grew in Christ over these years. This is just to show that we do not need a church building to have church. PCM is part of New Life Fellowship in Phnom Pehn and they are big on church planting in the whole of Cambodia. I asked them to come and help as the churches really need some help.

New Life Fellowship has over 250 church plants throughout Cambodia and by the end of year 2020 hopes to reach 500 church plants. Our ministry is a small part of that big picture showing the love of Jesus through helping people with medical needs. I believe Patient Care Ministry has the potential to open many doors through medical help to plant churches in places where there is no church. We are looking into more ways we can do this. I have some ideas but lack the help and resources to do these things so please pray that more help will come.- Donnie

Please keep the following people in your prayers:

Andrea Calitz for encouragement in a very difficult time

Deon and Sonja Botha to be healed completely

Fe for preparing to go back to the operating table on the 13 April

Khmer New Year 14-16 April 2019

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.