Stephen & Angela Benefield: January 2010 Prayer Letter
Dear Praying Friends,
Finally, An Open Door For More Space
As many of you already know, we have been looking for a bigger place for our church to meet for the past 18 months. This past week, our landlord came to me with a proposition to do some remodeling and give us more of the building, which would double the size of our auditorium. God has already answered some prayers and given me some direction on this decision, but I will stop short of saying that it is a done deal. Please pray for wisdom in this issue.
Thanking The Lord For 2 Jobs Lost In Our Congregation
I know that may sound a little crazy to say, but let me explain. First of all, jobs here are very difficult to come by. Therefore, when a person gets a job, they usually do whatever they have to do to protect it. Second, jobs here have a way of killing spiritual growth, because most jobs require the employees to work every single day in the month, or at best they will allow two days off per month. The work hours are usually from early morning until night, with a 2 or 3-hour rest period in the middle of the day. Those hours make it impossible to attend any church services. Third, many of the jobs here have varying degrees of involvement and exposure to sin and wickedness. Phnom Penh is a large and immoral city with thousands of bars, nightclubs, karaoke and massage parlors, gambling establishments, and restaurants which sell more alcohol than anything else. Sadly, getting a job has been the death knell for many a Christian.
Here are two "lost jobs" for which I thank God. Bunda has had a very, very sad and rough life, but has grown spiritually by leaps and bounds this past year since her salvation. A couple of Sundays ago, she told me that she had gotten a job at a flower shop. That Thursday night when I announced the answered prayer in our mid-week service, Bunda began to cover her face and get embarrassed. When I inquired about what was wrong, she said that she went to work there for a couple of days, but that she got let go when the boss found out that she was a Christian. Bunda's exact words: "The boss doesn't like Christians." I told our church that I was proud of her, because many people work for months or years at their job and no one ever suspects them of being a Christian. I'm sure it won't surprise you to learn that in less than two weeks time, God provided her another job...far less hours, far more pay, and Sundays off!
Paree is Ta's older brother, and he had moved in from a village to seek work in the city. Ta had led Paree to Christ at home a couple of years ago, but his spiritual growth has been minimal. In recent weeks, we have seen some long-overdue sings of spiritual growth. A couple of weeks ago, he told me in passing that he had gotten a job at a new restaurant. That night after the service, he asked me if I thought his new job was appropriate for a Christian. I shared a few Bible principles with him quickly and then had to leave to take some people home. I was mildly surprised the next day to hear that he had quit the job. Only later did I find out that as Paree told people in the church about his new job, one by one they started to tell him that Christians shouldn't work at those kinds of places. I am thankful for Christians who are willing to practice Hebrews 10:24 and "consider one another to provoke unto...good works." Now, if I can just work on teaching them some tact...
Do You Need Any Cambodian Resources?
One year ago I began writing a discipleship course for new Christians entitled "More Than Just A Savior". It covers 10 special relationships that every Christian has with God. I introduced this course to our church by having it taught in our Sunday School classes. It has been a tremendous help to many of our folks, and we are getting near the end of the series. I am looking forward to presenting certificates of completion to many of our people who have attended all of the classes, turned in all of their homework, and have quoted all of the memory verses. Please pray that this course will continue to instruct and edify new believers as we begin using it in one-on-one and small group settings.
Finally, I want to mention a couple of resources that may be of interest to you. From time to time I have individuals in America ask me for some Cambodian tracts. In the early days, I had little to offer, but that is not the case anymore. I have a good selection of tracts and booklets, which I would be happy to send to anyone who is trying to reach Cambodians in America. Please contact me via email to let me know what your needs are. The other resource which I recently came across is an excellent 50-page booklet about Cambodia. It covers a brief history of Cambodia, gives an overview of Buddhism, and also gives very interesting sketches on the various people groups of this country. The book is packed with great pictures, and will be enjoyed by anyone wishing to know more about Cambodia or pray more effectively. I can get these inexpensively, and I would be happy to send one to anyone who requests it (one per church). We appreciate your support, and hope that we may be able to help some of you in return with these resources.
Sincerely,
Stephen Benefield
