February 6, 2004

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Last night we received a plea from the sponsor of a Bible training school. This school brings men from the countryside to study for three months and then sends them home to lead congregations of believers. These men come from many different denominations and backgrounds and are hungry for Bible knowledge.

The sponsor of this work came asking me to teach in his school, because he said, “I do not have qualified Bible teachers and I fear I am spending the money to bring men to the city, pay their housing and food, and am not able to give them the training they need.” He explained that many foreigners are coming to Cambodia and go through the country preaching and baptizing people to leave them without any hope of growing and developing in Christ.

After two hours of discussion, I agreed to teach one day a week and to help provide materials for the school to use in other classes. (We are in the process of having lessons translated into the Khmer language that we will share.) Through this effort we can share New Testament Christianity with them. Our staff of English-speaking Bible teachers has grown to ten with the arrival of Claude & Madge Lewis from Little Rock, Pete Shaw from Missouri, Ken Wilson from Washington and the return of Tiffany Dahlman. More than eighty students are coming to the Partners In Progress Center every day for individualized Bible study.

The number of Christians continues to increase throughout Central Cambodia. Of the eight rural congregations established in the last ten months, seven have doubled in size in the last three months. The preacher students have accepted our challenge to work toward doubling our numbers again in the next four months.

William E. "Bill" McDonough, Director
Partners In Progress
Phnom Penh, Cambodia