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A Heart for Bamboo & Thatch Churches!

About a year and a half ago, our local church asked us some personal questions in connection with our plans to start the project of building a church. We had already been blessed by the Lord as He gave us a beautiful five acre plot. One of the questions was "What one suggestion would you make to implement church growth?" I found myself writing "Find and remember His ways." At the time I wrote that I actually wondered what the meaning of that was. Shortly after that, in my personal time with the Lord, I came across the following quotes from Ellen G. White. "Our brethren have not discerned that in helping to advance the work in foreign fields they would be helping the work at home." "Let us rejoice that a work which God can approve has been done in these fields. In the name of the Lord let us lift up our voices in praise and thanksgiving for the results of work abroad." "Not all are called to personal labor in foreign fields, but all can do something by their prayers and their gifts to aid the missionary work," (Testimony #6 pgs.27-29). "To show a liberal, self-denying spirit is a sure way to advance home missionary work; for the prosperity of the home work depends largely, under God, upon the reflex influence of the evangelical work done in countries afar off. It is in working to supply the necessities of others that we bring our souls into touch with the Source of all power," (Gospel Workers pg. 465). When I read this I felt the Lord had helped me "find" the answer to the question.

Not long afterwards, I was watching 3ABN and came across the work that Adventist Southeast Asia Projects is doing. I said to myself, "This is the project that the Lord has led us to." I sensed God prompting me to do something for these dear people! Seeing that our little church in Oklahoma was struggling, I immediately thought we should step out in faith and help build a church in Cambodia first. Unfortunately, not all in the church caught sight of this vision. Yet I could not get this impression out of my head. My husband and I felt even though the church might not choose this, we would continue on, sensing that it was God's will for our lives. We decided that our local church building fund offering could be used immediately for the ASAP work. The Lord blessed us with small and large amounts and it was so wonderful to know that with each $550 a group of believers would have a bamboo & thatch home church on the behalf of the Shawnee SDA Church in which to worship, have literacy schools and spread the gospel to their own community.

We heard from ASAP how these churches were built in some of the worst areas of Phnom Penh, two of them being in Pr. Horng Sophal's district. Though they are humble in appearance, they are a blessing to the believers who now faithfully worship God in them every Sabbath. Joy filled our hearts as we saw the pictures of the grateful church planters and members. This venture in missions has been one of the most rewarding faith ventures we have taken. Our prayer is that more of our church members here in America will catch the vision to support missions abroad. It's a win-win situation!