We at IHSI want to wish all of our supporters, suscribers, and partners in prayer a Merry Christmas. May your holiday be filled with joy as you celebrate Jesus' birth with your loved ones!

- IHSI

Yay Phait with Pastor Pheaktra

At our weekly women’s group meetings, Yay is often the first to exhort others to trust God and pray when times are difficult. She has the credibility to say these things because she lives them out and never complains. Even her stories of hardship and family difficulties are interspersed with thanks to God for his faithfulness and examples of his answers to her prayers.

When our staff saw that Yay Phait's house was growing dilapidated and offered little protection from the recent bad weather and flooding, we decided to help her by building a brand new house. Once the floods had receded and her land was dry, we moved forward as quickly as possible to construct a Khmer-style stilted house for Yay. It’s one of two houses that we have been able to rebuild this past month. Below are some pictures of the construction process and Yay enjoying her new home!

Pray for Yay Phait and her family, as her grandson recently passed away due to struggles with alcohol addiction. And keep the other elderly members of Gospel Community Church Saang in your prayers too, that they would be blessed with health and provision for everything they need. 

- In His Steps

We recently received a donation of 200 Khmer-language copies of the book “Bait of Satan” through Messenger International. Having already partnered with John and Lisa Bevere for other projects, we were excited to have an opportunity to bring this resource to Cambodians in their own language. After meeting with their Asia contact in Phnom Penh, we loaded up a tuk-tuk full of books and brought them out to Saang for distribution.

Even in Phnom Penh (Cambodia’s capital city), there are not a lot of quality Christian resources available in the Khmer-language. In rural areas like Kandal province, many pastors have little or no access to Christian books and teaching materials. When we arrived with “Bait of Satan” in hand, these pastors were quick to open their copy and begin reading, hungry to learn more.

As we made our rounds delivering the books, we heard many stories of how devastating flooding in the region has challenged pastors and their congregations dealing with the aftermath. Although things are getting better, many families still have a lot of work ahead repairing homes, cutting down waterlogged crops, and trying to resume life as normal. Eric and Pheaktra were able to offer some advice, but more importantly, listened as pastors shared their concerns and struggles.

The following week, we continued with our next initiative: giving away eyeglasses that had been donated from a family in New York. Re-visiting each pastor and again spending time to encourage and advise them, we also distributed glasses to them, their families, and congregation members with vision problems. It was perfect timing, since many of them had their books on hand to test out the new eyeglasses!

Whether visiting pastors in their homes or meeting with them each month at our pastors’ fellowship, we want each church leader in our area to know that we love and care about them. Being in ministry can be a lonely calling, which is why we emphasize listening to and encouraging each other, not just giving resources or dealing with ministry business. We want each pastor in Kandal province to know that their service to God is not for nothing, and they are not alone! Today, please join us in taking the time to pray for the Body of Christ in Cambodia. 

- In His Steps

Working with local village leaders, we learned of many neighboring families that need help and had not received any government aid. After investigating, we began buying supplies and coordinated an event to distribute them to those most in need. Below are some photos from this morning at the Saang commune center, where we gave bags of rice, noodles, tracts, and more to 54 local families.  

For now, we are focusing on the immediate problem: ensuring that those most affected by the flooding have their basic needs met. But we know that in the months ahead, more needs will arise, as floodwaters drain and reveal the true extent of damage to the area. Meanwhile, the cost of food and other staples is already increasing.

 Please keep Cambodia in your prayers, that God would show his compassion to those in need through In His Steps and others on the field. Also, pray for government leaders in this time, that corruption and lack of infrastructure would not hinder their designated relief funds from reaching people in crisis. If you would like to support our flood relief efforts, click here to learn more.

-In His Steps

Whether preaching, teaching, or coloring with kids, this team was a great example of humility, service, and love. As a ministry, we were so blessed by their cheerful attitudes each day! Below is a fun video with some of the highlights of their outreach. Enjoy!

But Cambodia is changing rapidly, and the way that people do things is changing with it. Computer experience is now on par with English language skills as a key to job opportunities. It seems that every corner in Phnom Penh is touting computer classes, internet tutorials, and typing tutors. Yet for most Cambodians, the cost of a computer is more than their year's earnings, and those in rural areas rarely even see one!

We want the very best for children in our care, and know that in a changing world there are many things they must learn in order to thrive. As they express their hopes and dreams for their future, we have been looking for ways to equip them in the area of computer literacy. 

Through donations from many in the U.S., we are happy to announce that we are finally able to begin meeting this need through the installation of several computers at Father's House! This past week, Jacob and Eric have been busy finding desks, setting up hardware, and troubleshooting as we prepare for our very first computer classes for Father's House children. Not only will Father's House kids be learning computer skills, but our staff will receive more training as well. That way, they can teach others in the future when we have enough funds to set up a computer classroom for the community!

Our goal for Father's House children is to equip them to fulfill their destiny, whether as an accountant, farmer, doctor, or repairman. As they receive unconditional love from our staff, we want each child to know that they have a secure place in our hearts and God's, no matter what path in life they choose to take.

Just as we believe God's promise in Jeremiah 29:11 for hope and a good future, we believe it's our responsibility to prepare each child in our care for that future as best we can. From new computer classes and cooking lessons to homework help and Sunday School, we are committed to doing everything in our power to help them be successful at whatever their hands find to do in the future! 

-In His Steps

Psalm 127:3-5(a)

In Cambodia, superstitions surrounding every area of life often lead to distorted ways of thinking. For instance, giving gifts to pregnant women is considered taboo because many believe it invites a curse. As Christians, we want to model the biblical view that children are a gift from God, and that He wants to bring blessing, not cursing. 

Hengs rests while Elizabeth takes a napFor the past nine months, we've all been waiting for a very big blessing indeed: Pheaktra and Heng's first child! Those of you who follow our blog know that Pheaktra is pastor of our church plant, director of our Foundation Center, and that he and his wife Heng oversee Father's House, our safehouse for at-risk children. Add pregnancy into that mix and you've got a very busy couple!

On Saturday, Sak Saum women and staff hosted a surprise baby shower for Heng in Saang. We explained to allPheaktra holds his first child that, contrary to Cambodian superstition, our celebration would be a blessing, not a curse. Heng and Pheaktra were happy to receive the many gifts, and their faces showed their excitement as those who attended expressed their wishes and prayers for the family. That same night, Heng went into labor! Pheaktra drove her to the hospital at midnight, and at 3:30 a.m. their beautiful new daughter Elizabeth was born. Thankfully for Heng, the delivery was easy and fast, and she didn't even need any pain medication! 

As overseers of Father's House, Pheaktra and Heng have already been taking care of ten at-risk children. It's a 24-7 responsibility that requires commitment, patience, and love. They've been doing a great job, and we know that they will be wonderful parents to their new daughter. Please keep them and baby Elizabeth in your prayers!

- In His Steps

In January, one of the orphans in our care suffered a serious burn accident in the home of his caretaker. PonLu, a six year-old boy, was reaching for something near a pot of boiling water and knocked it over, burning a large percentage of his body. Our staff rushed him to a children's hospital, where we learned he would need to spend some time recovering to reduce the chance of infection and let his skin heal.

Cambodian hospitals are often dark, miserable places, with few amenities and incompetent care. Doctors often withhold treatments unless they are bribed, and simple things like a glass of water or a clean bed can be very hard to find. We feared that it would be a difficult time for PonLu, especially since hospital staff made it difficult for us to visit him often. 

PonLu with his caretaker, before the burn accidentAlthough the odds were against PonLu recovering easily, God used his situation to reach out to others. It was encouraging to see the influence that even a six year-old orphan could have on those around him: doctors, nurses, other patients and their families were all asking about him and talking to him, amazed at how he would practice the alphabet, sing songs, and interact with others so joyfully in spite of his pain.

Soon, "VIPs" such as government officials and wealthy businessmen began stopping by to visit PonLu, bringing him gifts and checking on his progress. This is unheard of in a society where orphans are considered second-class citizens, hardly worthy of notice. PonLu turned that way of thinking on its head by being one of the most friendly, intelligent, and cheerful patients that the hospital has ever encountered! 

PonLu recently was able to return to his caretaker's home, and his burns are almost healed. We are so thankful for his recovery! His name means "light", and it is clear that God wants to use him as a light to others. Please keep PonLu in your prayers, that he would have complete physical healing and that he would continue to be a bright light in dark places!

-In His Steps

The team leads children in a song at a local pastor's church.Team members taught each week at our Saturday youth group meetings.Children at Father's House enjoyed building relationships with the youngest team members.The team used dramas, songs, and other activities to share the gospel.Sponsoring a marriage seminar for pastors and their wives helped to bless the local church and build unity.Team members gave practical teachings on health and hygiene in rural villages.

Sak Saum girls performed a dance taught by a team member at our Sunday church service.The team got around via tuk tuks driven by some friends of IHSI.The team sponsored an outing to the water park for our Father's House children!Hard work is an important part of outreach!Our leadership team benefitted from weekly lessons on Biblical principles.

Successful outreaches are all about unity and service!Our church leadership and staff pray for the team during their last day with us.Sak Saum women said goodbye to the team by performing a traditional blessing dance.

If you are interested in visiting In His Steps ministry in Cambodia, learn more here.

God bless,

IHSI