Therefore go and make disciples
of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have
commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the
age.
Matthew 28:19-20
FMCMB Delegation with Cambodian Leaders
FMCMB Trip to
Cambodia July 31-August 14,
2008
Paul and Tina Holderman, former missionaries to Cambodia,
and Katie Lehman traveled to Cambodia with the goal of encouraging Ryan and
Bethany Umble and reporting on the status of the EMM work in Cambodia.
Dorm Ministry
The men's dorm has relocated to a new 4 level building. Currently the dorm has 20 men living
there. The women's dorm is home to 14
women.
Many have affirmed that the dorm ministry has made a
positive impact on many lives; reaching many areas of Cambodia. When students graduate from universities and
begin working throughout the country, they are taking Christian values and a
Biblical worldview with them. People
have commented that the EMM dorms are the best in the country.
Due to a drastic increase in food prices, the dorm budget is
not meeting the needs. The Umble's will
evaluate this year's budget and make recommendations for next year's food
budget.
Phnom Penh Mennonite Church (PPMC)
Paul, Tina and Katie attended PPMC both Sundays they were in
Cambodia. Paul gave a message on the
second Sunday. The church moved to a
new location last year. The new church
is a much smaller space and very crowded.
Because of high rents in Phnom Penh it is difficult finding a larger
facility.
The church has a large percentage of the dorm students
attending. The church as recently
started holding Sunday school before church.
Ryan and Bethany Umble
Ryan and Bethany hosted the FMCMB guests for their 10 day
stay in Cambodia. They were able to do
some hands-on jobs for the Umbles in their newly built house.
Katie played an important role by playing with the Umble's
children while Paul and Tina met with Ryan and Bethany. During those meetings they discussed an
overview of the EMM ministry in Cambodia, the Umble's role in PPMC, and the
accounting system for EMM.
Visitation
Paul and Tina spent much of their time visiting people they
had built relationship with during their 3 years in Cambodia. One of those visits was to the village of
Kampong Cham to visit a family and to see the methane digester. On another occasion they spent 2 nights with
a Cambodian family in Strung Treng.
This was a good opportunity for Katie to experience life with a
Cambodian family.
One of the highlights of the trip was meeting Sophorn, an
MCC IVEPer, who is now living with Katie's family and working at Shalom
Christian Academy.
