Newsletter | February 2024
Sing to the LORD, for He has done glorious things. Let this be known in all the earth." (Isaiah 12:5)
We’re thankful for a wonderful and productive 2023. We continue to focus on our core mission which is:
“To care for the physical needs of the poor and vulnerable women and children in southeast Asia and beyond in order to lead them to Christ.”
Christmas outreach - December 2023
December’s Christmas outreach was a wonderful time of sharing the Gospel with much food and fellowship. December is a great opportunity to share Christ since many people in Cambodia celebrate Christmas. Dozens of villages celebrated the birth of Christ with a day of teaching, worship, and prayer. During the Christmas outreach programs sponsored by Cambodia Impact, 713 people accepted Christ. Praise the Lord!
John and Pastor Saran
On December 3, our dear friend and brother Pastor Ry Saran entered the presence of Jesus. We celebrate the life of this dear man who was a brother in Christ, but he was like an earthly brother as well. Saran was the translator for my parents starting in 1996 and became an important part of our family. His own father was killed by the Khmer Rouge in 1975. Our life of ministry together was amazing, uplifting, and filled with the joy of the Lord as we worked together for the Kingdom in rural Cambodia. His delight in serving God and his passion for sharing the Gospel inspired me and many around him. We will miss him dearly. Please pray for his family as they continue the work of planting churches and teaching Bible studies in the dozen house churches around Svay Kang village.
A house church started by Pastor Saran in Svay Kang
Another house church started by Pastor Saran
Looking ahead, 2024 promises to be a busy year and, with God’s blessing, another year of increase. Our prayer is that God will provide all that is needed to expand the work we do. We are asking God for more wells, additional house churches, more converts to Christ, and His favor in expanding the reach of all we’re engaged in. God is so gracious to give His blessing of love and mercy to the Cambodian people and to the work we do.
Linda and I plan to go back to Cambodia in March. Please pray for our travels and for a productive time with our staff and ministry partners as we seek to increase our impact in 2024:
We are planning to expand our reach to additional villages where we can plant and support house churches.
We are deciding where to install more water wells and toilet facilities.
We are investigating the expansion of our medical missions outreach.
We are hoping to expand our Bible outreach program and launch our first “Village of Light."
We’ll provide more information in the future about these exciting plans!
In addition to all these expansions, we are also dreaming of how to fund a new facility in Phnom Penh that would house a church, a medical clinic, classrooms, and a conference center. This is a multi-million dollar project which is beyond our current budget and funding. However, we know that our God is big and can provide all that is needed to continue the outreach of our ministry partners.
We are also dreaming of building a Christian school in Poipet, a town on the border with Thailand. The education of children is key to changing the future of this nation and pushing against the tide of poverty and false religion that currently smother Cambodia. This too is a big project which will require significant resources. God can provide, and we ask that you join us in praying for the right doors to open as we secure the funding needed to accomplish these dreams.
Receiving new school supplies - Children to School Ministry
In 2024 we will also be looking for tangible ways to expand our ability to send more children in rural villages to school and to help make sure they stay in school. Educating this next generation is a critical part of helping to break Cambodia’s generational cycle of poverty. At this time, many children are forced to drop out of school and do manual labor in order to help their families survive. This is a common occurrence in rural villages. Please pray with us about how best to change this damaging cultural practice.
A young house church member
“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." (Ephesians 2:10)
As we look to 2024, we hope and pray that God will provide all that is needed to support our work of sharing the love of Jesus with the people of Cambodia. Would you join us in praying for Cambodia and the work we are doing there? We are thankful for generous friends and donors who make our work possible by funding the support of so many important needs among our Cambodian brothers and sisters.
Please forward this email to friends and family that may be interested in the work taking place in Cambodia. Introducing others to the work of Cambodia Impact will enable us to reach a broader audience and expand the ministry further.
Thank you for your partnership and thank you for joining us in sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Cambodia. Your willingness to stand with us is key to the incredible success of our mission and vision for this nation.
If you would like to get involved or hear more about one of the projects mentioned above, please email us at johng@jagrover.com. We would love the opportunity to tell you more.
Blessings,