End of October 2024 Update

Voting from abroad is no picnic! This is the third time Peter and I’ve voted from overseas; each time, it’s been an adventure. On the positive side, being out of the States insolates us from 24-hour political messages and texts: on the negative side, downloading the ballots (the servers don’t trust foreign emails), printing them at a copy-shop (the paper sizes are all out of whack), and mailing our voting envelopes (no overseas mail can be sent except from the capital city), was…shall we say… challenging. To my horror, the cost of air-mailing the ballots (which takes 6 weeks) would be $62.00 per envelope-- too rich for my Scottish blood! We had only a two-week window from receiving the ballots to the deadline for mailing them… and for one week the entire city was shut down for Pchum Bun (a celebration when ancestors supposedly rise from their graves and must be fed). At the 11th hour (when I'd reached the panic stage,) we put our ballots in a diplomatic pouch at the US Embassy, which got them Stateside in time. Hurrah!

          Apart from voting, a necessary evil of LIVING in a foreign country means making plans for DYING in one. Over the years, on each of our missions, we’ve made arrangements in case one or both of us get run over by a truck (or tuk-tuk, as the case may be.) As foreigners, if one of us dies, we MUST call the police, who sweep in, confiscate computers/phones/jewelry for“evidence,” and send the body to a Buddhist pagoda for expensive“lamentation and cremation,” for which they receive a kickback. You have no say. Avoiding this potential scenario entailed another trip to the US Embassy, a notarized and witnessed will, arrangements with a mortuary, and instructions left with a Khmer friend. At the end of the satisfactory mortuary arrangements, Peter said cheerily, “We’re looking forward to doing business with you!” Really? I may need to sleep with one eye open!

            As we continue to train Disciple Making in the provinces, in October teaching two new groups of children’s ministers, church planters, and leaders, we are falling into a familiar routine: we travel by Ekareach Vans to Chhouk (the barbecue duck haven), teach one group, travel to Takeo the next day for the second session, flag down a homeward van when done, teach mid-week at the seminary, and frequently preach on Sunday. We are such favorites at the Ekareach Van depot (Cambodians don’t tip but Peter believes in “blessing” the tuk-tuk drivers who earn roughly $2.00 to $5.00 per day) that there is a general scramble to help us. Let it be noted that the Vaughan’s do NOT travel light, even on this weekly sojourn. By the time I’ve packed all my teaching supplies (plus anchor charts and prizes), as well as Peter’s “staples” (peanut butter, coffee and coffee maker, thermoses, nuts, powdered protein, electrolytes, fruit, back braces,) we’ve got substantial luggage which must all be jammed-crammed into or on top of the tuk-tuk. But we are not complaining. We continue to be grateful for how our LORD has opened so many doors here and for His continuous protection and provision. To receive pictures, week after week, of disciple-makers out in the field making disciples and providing clean water with filters, is incredibly encouraging.

            And sincere thanks for the funds for the Bibles! Every day we get new requests for Khmer Bibles, sometimes for new dormitory students coming into Phnom Penh to study, sometimes for church planting groups doing outreach, sometimes for women’s Bible studies. What a joy to say “yes” to these requests! A prevalent ministry in Phnom Penh, undertaken by many churches, is renting a large house and supplying Christian staff so that poor but academically capable students from the provinces can come to study at university. Many who experience such loving care from Christian leadership become Christian during their studies.
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            As Floridians and North Carolinians struggle to recover from the devastation of Helene and Milton, so in MaeSai, Thailand,  and Tachileik, M____________, teams wrestle to dig out from the tsunami of silt following Typhoon Yagi. Because of deforestation upstream in M________, there remained little vegetation to anchor the earth, and nearly half a mountain flowed with the flood into and over the houses, drying to a cement-like consistency. Without heavy equipment, they are attempting the impossible by hand, teams working together house by house to make places livable. Our team continues to supply food, sleeping mats, and fans to Burmese refugees, as well as to teach their children. They are making progress…but, oh my! What a formidable and daunting task.

            Our Children’s Rescue Home in M________, even though located in Tachileik, was not severely damaged by the storm, although strongly affected by the lack of clean water and availability of food. Several children suffered debilitating skin issues, which, thankfully, are resolving. They struggle with adequate lighting at night to complete their homework. Tachileik, a tropical city, gets dark early.

            In the Dominican Republic, Pastor Jaime and his wife Jackie continue to press forward on several fronts, ministering to Saturday Kid’s Clubs, preparing women’s group members for baptism, helping Haitian pastors find additional locations for churches (two pastors established this year already have satellite churches), organizing clothing drives, and planning for a Haitian pastors’ training in November. Frustratingly, the Manna Packs have not been released from customs, so no food distributions can be undertaken. Instead, the team has tried to help by distributing clothes. It is a challenging time for the Haitians in the Dominican as they face increased hatred and new deportation laws: recent news bulletins indicate about 10,000 deportations daily. But Jaime tells me their focus is unwavering; “Dhey no worry ‘bout church buildings or programs, Miss Joan. Dhey just wanna spread de Gospel.” Amen.

            Christmas is fast approaching, and a shipment of nativity Khmer coloring booklets is on its way, courtesy of Kids of Destiny in Thailand, for distribution to children at December outreaches. I’ve been searching for large quantities of colored-pencil mini-packs to accompany the booklets… not an easy feat in this Amazon-less country. Even Lazada, the Chinese equivalent of Amazon, doesn’t ship to Cambodia, presumably judging the “extra” challenges too daunting. So far, we’ve had no luck at the “dollar store” equivalents...however, we've posted inquiries to an online ex-pat Facebook group which rarely fails to produce, so we're hopeful for answers!          

  We can't say often enough how thankful we are for your love, support, and encouragement, and how grateful for the opportunity to be in a country where the Gospel doors are wide open and the harvest is white! We are humbled by the Cambodians' hunger for the Word and their gratitude to those who bring it.            

Later this week, Americans will either be thrilled or devastated by the election results. Here in Cambodia, we are reminded of Who is in charge, remembering that no one comes into power without His consent, and mindful that He has used less-than-ideal leaders in the past for His purposes.                       
           
I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. Psalm 121: 1-2