Dear Praying Partners,
This is what the Khmer people believe about “Pchum Benh” festival. This is the festival of the dead. They commence from September 16 until the 15 days countdown will be finished. During this 15 day period they believe that the deceased ancestor’s spirit will hover around the entire place looking for food because they are hungry. They prepare choicest food to offer at the temples close to their houses or villages. Moneyed Khmer will visit 7 temples and offer food and give large amount of money to the monks so the spirits of the ancestors will go to heaven. If you don’t have enough money to give, then there’s no guarantee as to where your ancestral spirits will go. On the other hand, looking at the lives of our monk students, this time would also be a stressful time for them coz Khmer people will pay them money to pray for the ancestor’s spirit and if the smoke from the burning incense ascends to heaven, then the prayers are received. If not, then that will be a huge pressure on the praying monk. September 28-30 is the high light of this festival where Khmer people go to the temples to offer food and some money to the monks. They wear their finest traditional clothing to appease the spirits.
Last Thursday we showed the Passion for Christ movie in Khmer language to our students. Many stayed the whole time until the movie ended. It was such a powerful time where some of our monk students cried during and after the movie. Many were touched by this eternal truth that our Lord’s suffering and death liberated us from imprisonment of sin and hell.
Last Sunday was also the first Sunday of worship and service at our ministry center. We combined all our cell groups of our students who are interested to know Christ. We felt that this is the time to plant a church from this young believers and interested candidates who wants to know our God.
This is how you can pray:
1. Please pray that the Holy Spirit will work in the lives of the students who are regularly attending our bible studies and even in our future Sunday church fellowships.
2. Pray for the monk students that we have that our Lord will reveal Himself to them in their dreams and that the movie they have seen will bring about a huge opening of truth in their lives.
3. Pray for our Sunday fellowship and service with the students.
4. We ask nothing but our Lord Jesus Christ’ salvation to come to the students that we are reaching out.
Let’s do this together!
Father,
“Let your will be done on this earth as it is in heaven. We ask for your gift of salvation to come upon the lives of these young Cambodians who are seeking for truth and eternal life. Amen.”
Your ministry partners,
