April 26, 2004

April 26, 2004 – Phnom Penh, Cambodia: Twenty two Village church leaders from five congregations have spent the last two weeks with us in Leadership training. Bob Buchannon and Ken Wilkey, missionaries from the Philippines, and Kirk McCrary from the USA have been teaching classes on “The God of the Old Testament” – Hebrews and the New Testament Church. Most of these men have been Christians less then one year and have sat on the edge of the chairs, taking notes and asking questions as these very capable and experienced men opened God’s Word to them. They will return home better prepared to share God’s word with their congregations and understanding more fully how His word applies to their daily lives. This is the first of a series of Leadership Training Extensions programs. We are trying to take the training to where the people are rather then bring them to a resident college. We can train them in their own setting and help them be better prepared servants without up setting schedules and jobs and creating dependency problems.

The response to our plea for funding to drill water wells has been encouraging and we have dug five thus far and are in the process of selecting other sites. Many more are needed and we now have a brother that is capable and trustworthy who can do the work for us. He has his own equipment and will be drilling as many wells as we can find the funds to dig. The drought continues and the controversial Chinese dams in the Mekong River North of Cambodia have sent the Mekong to its lowest level ever, according to officials. The decline in annual rain fall is the real culprit that has dropped the water table more then 60 feet in some areas. For $500 to $1000 you can provide a well for an entire village. This morning I visited one of our new wells and saw women bathing themselves and their children for the first time in a long time.

Eight of our English Bible Study Students have changed their hearts and lives and been baptized into Christ since our last report and many others are considering what they should do with the Gospel they have learned. We are now only three teachers with two more coming next week but there are far more students waiting to study then we can all teach. Won’t you recruit and encourage others to come for a month or longer and help us?

Opportunities far out number our resources. Not only are there students waiting to study the Bible in English but today another man came to where we were teaching and ask if some of us “could come to his village to teach the people the gospel?” The young man that had asked me earlier to go to his province, three hours to the south, came again today asking when we could come and teach the ten Bible Study groups he has formed? We are just three preachers and one of them is a half time university student and I need a translator to teach. This gives special meaning to Jesus words in Matthew – “Pray that the Lord of Harvest will send for reapers into the Harvest....”

Thank you for your prayers.

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