You are there......!

It's so blessed to be able to watch a child at prayer. Their innocence and earnestness as they approach the Father, just puts us to shame.

I watched these girls praying in Andaut. And what really moved me was apart from their piety, the suddenly realization of where we were. This wasn't in some fancy modern church in the city. Or a youth fellowship in some Christian school. But we were in the middle of the jungle, miles from anywhere remotely urbanized. Even with the GPS I would be hard put to point out our location on a map. A villager had remarked that he could not imagine that foreigners would come all the way into the jungle to help them. But yet there we were, watching, as these young girls clasped their hands and prayed as if there was no one else there other than they, and God.

And it struck me that even though the world may not know of the existence of this tiny village, our Heavenly Father certainly knew. He was already there in Andaut. And He certainly knew these girls by name.

The Psalmist wrote:

"You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.

You hem me in--behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast."

If our Heavenly Father is in Andaut, there is no reason why we should not also be.

Singing and praying in Church@Andaut

Socka praying in Andaut

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwPYJQThqr8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwgSawfxX0Q

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2SSn_GLfkk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEENrkP8Mls


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYX1R8MKCHI

Kids singing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pjKvk2Ajc8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZI-NT3bOaQ

Church@Andaut

It was still not an easy road to Andaut....especially as it had gotten wetter from the rains. It took 45mins in our faithful yellow bus just to get to this ditch. (It did finally get pass the obstacle, but eventually succumbed to a lube leak when we were at O Ta Saeng.

We finally decided to walk the remaining few hundreds to the church at Andaut.

They had been waiting since early morning for us. And it was such joy to see them with Bibles and songbooks. Not all could read though; many were still illiterate. Socka started them going, Josephine led them through some chorus, and Ps Peter shared with them from Psalm 73.

From left to right: Saran, Ps Peter, Esther, Socka, Khiem, Josephine, Samuel, Lily. The new church building in the background.

Saran

What a fine young man he has become! It cost so little to have made such a big difference. Au kuhn Preah Ong!

Boeung Rial - Light of Life School

The rains haven't been particularly impressive this year apparently, and the flood plains haven't flooded as well as it should. Boeung Rial hasn't been able to relocate to their usual deployment site this time of year.

The access to the village has also been tricky. Too marshy to go by car, but too dry to go by boat. So we made the journey by motorbike, through mostly reasonably dry dirt tracks, but negotiating through some tricky stretches of 0.3m-deep muddy pools. From Boeung Rial we were able to take the usual long boats to the floating school.

Light of Life School @ Boeung Rial

Clockwise from left: Esther, Ps Kea, Ps Samreth, caretaker Juhan's daughter, Ps Peter, Chern Chern

Forget the F1.... this is way better!

Note the bike coming through the muddy pools at the back? That's Chern Chern bringing up the rear of the convoy. In front from left is Ps Samreth, Ps Peter and my rider Kimsour (also the pastoral assistant for BoeungRial). He travels this same challenging route every week to minister to the village.