October 30, 2003

Today in Cambodia was especially joyful. As usual, students began coming to the Partners In Progress Center at 8:00 a.m. and continued to come and go throughout the day until 6:00 p.m. Each one is a joy with their particular set of questions about God’s Word and their revealing statements about their own beliefs, or absence of such.

One of my students, Vesna, said, “May I ask you a question?” You never know what's coming after that. It may be “How old are you?” “What do you think about Cambodian Politics?” or countless other questions that we’ve learned to answer by saying, “What do you think about that?” But this time his question shook me to my heels. “My cousin,” Vesna began, “saw my Bible study book and asked me if I was a Christian. I told him no, but I am studying with Christians and this book came from them.”

The cousin then went on to tell Vesna that he was a Christian, and that he had founded ten study groups in a province about ninety miles from here. Vesna’s cousin wondered if I would be willing to come and teach these people about the Living God? The cousin admitted that he knew nothing about the Bible, but believed it was God’s word, that Jesus was God’s Son, and that Christianity was the only hope of mankind.

What would your answer to his question be? Since I’m teaching six to eight hours per day, five days a week, and going to the village churches two days a week, I have no time to go to another place ninety miles away. (Ninety miles translates into four hours on Cambodian roads in our old Jeep). But the song “Come By Here” keeps ringing in my ears: “Many are crying Lord, come by here. Many are dying Lord, come by here. Oh Lord, come by here.” So I agreed to meet Vesna’s cousin and discuss going with him to teach his people. Everyone of you who pray for us and give a dollar are riding in that old green Jeep, as together we answer these calls. Ask the Lord of Harvest to send laborers. There are scores, or probably hundreds, of such opportunities.

To quote Stephen Covey and the sentiments of the Lord himself, “Let us never forget that the main thing is the main thing” because He Cares.

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