First Quarter Update 2022 (Big Announcement)

ebeck531
Jan 5, 2022
7 min read

Our aim is to unite with God in the mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual growth of an individual. We strive to see those who are at a disadvantage in a society to have every opportunity to mature and impact their nation in positive and lasting ways.

I, Eric, am writing this latest update to you from Bangkok, Thailand as I had the opportunity to love and serve a fellow missionary family that is dear to so many. The husband is receiving necessary medical services not available in Cambodia after suffering a stroke. I accompanied my friend, his wife, and 6-month-old baby to offer support and child care as they navigate this precarious situation.

It is a sacrifice to be away from my family, our students, and my home for these weeks, but I do it gladly. Our aim is to serve our God, love people in the way we would want to be loved, and to live as an example before the students we are training. We know the words of Jesus when He says the greatest commandment is to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind…And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-38)

We know these words, we teach these words, we study what they mean and how it might be lived out. Yet, it is one thing to learn these words and another thing entirely to live in obedience, love God, and serve people in such a way that we truly put their needs above our own. My prayer is that we can serve our friends, but also set an example for others, especially our students to follow. To lead and bring change to a nation like Cambodia will take men and women who not only know what is right, but act in the best interest of others. To God be the glory!

Family Corner

Hey everyone, Elizabeth here!

I pray that this new year finds you full of love and joy for all that God has set around you. We continue to love our life here, but certainly miss seeing friends and family in person.

Clara continues to do well in 10th grade. She recently got a bike for Christmas and enjoys riding with Eric. She is also excited to finally have Instagram. Feel free to look her up! Josh is enjoying 2nd grade, although Math is proving to be quite challenging. He still loves building with Legos and playing with Bakugan. Caleb will finally be allowed back on campus at Logos this January and finish out his Pre-K class not online. Both he and Josh are resuming Taekwondo in February. I am joyfully continuing to teach 1st grade.

I currently have 17 students; 2 are online, the rest are on campus. Also, I am so happy to have my classroom repainted. Check our website for photos! I have had lots of opportunities this year for professional development and to do various editing projects. I am continuing to run in the mornings and hope to do a couple of races while we visit the States this summer.

Eric tirelessly continues to pursue Khmer language learning, lead Bible studies and discipleship meetings, fix random stuff, pursue friendships that build him emotionally and spiritually, and is perfecting his cooking skills. His most recent interests include bread pudding and custard.

End of the Year Ministry Highlights

Finished studying through OT:

This year our aim was to see God’s big picture through the Old Testament so that when we came to the Christmas season students could make connections from the promises of God to the fulfillment in Jesus. This year we read and studied Genesis through 2 Kings.

Student led Bible studies and prayer meetings: We spend a lot of time making sure our students know what the Bible says, how to study it, how to understand God’s plan and how to apply it to their lives. Our goal is that they not only understand who God is, but are able to teach others about God. During the month of December, we studied the birth story of Jesus. The students lead each of these Bible studies. They taught clearly and in their own style--who Jesus is and why He came. It was amazing to see them connect their teaching to what we had been studying in the Old Testament this year.

End of the year activities: The end of the year is always the busiest time of year for outreach, evangelism, and reflection. This year was no exception.

Takao mission: We had the privilege of being able to serve a church in Takao province by hosting their first service since Covid began. We shared the gospel, danced, played games, gave 100 children backpacks filled with school supplies, handed out food to help 20 different families, and we fed around 120 people lunch after the service.

Birthday Party for Jesus: We hosted our 3rd annual Birthday Party for Jesus for the children in our neighborhood. Games, cakes, songs and the story of Jesus’ arrival was celebrated and enjoyed by our neighbors.

Christmas Party with students: We hosted a Christmas party for our students to celebrate the birth of the King. They enjoyed games, food, and gifts. We love sharing the joy of the presence of Christ with them.

Candlelight Service: We ended the year with a candlelight service together, remembering why Jesus came and the task he has left to His people of being light in the world.

Big Announcement: Next Phase in the Ministry!

We will begin fundraising and building a

Community Development Center and Dormitory

We are thrilled to announce the next phase of ministry here in Cambodia and hopefully a model that can be adapted and reproduced all over the world. We believe that God is giving us the opportunity to begin construction on a center in the heart of the city that will be used to:

engage, train, and provide development opportunities to a community deeply in need.
invite students attending universities in Phnom Penh to live at our center and receive training, mentorship, and discipleship in order to develop Christ-exalting leaders who will positively impact Cambodia.

When you first come to a country and begin a ministry you usually have a general idea of what you want to do and accomplish there. For us, our heart has always been discipleship. During the past 4.5 years of building relationships with students, training and mentoring them, as well as learning the language and culture – we’ve begun to see the ways in which we, as a family and ministry, can best serve the people of Cambodia. We have entered into a land agreement where we will be able to build a Dormitory and Community Training Center.

The Dormitory and Living Quarters

We plan to expand our capacity for housing university students from 14 to 22. We want to create a space for the students who live with us to be engaged in developing relationships with Christ and one another, as well as be able to focus on the studies they have so that they can learn, grow, and be equipped. We also plan to build a space for our family to live on the property with the students.

The living quarters will feature a boys’ dormitory, a girls’ dormitory, a central cooking and dining area, a study room with a library, a meeting/training room, and a prayer/reflection space.

The Community Training/Development Center

One of the biggest needs of our community that we can fill is the opportunity to enable the students who we train to take their skills and invest back into their neighbors in the same ways we have invested in them. We believe the best way to do that is to create a space on our property that bridges the gap between those within our dormitory and those on the outside. We are working with a non-profit design/construction company to develop a space where:

our students who are learning how to teach are able to teach children in our community that don’t have access to education.
our medical and nursing students can host monthly health checks and provide basic health treatments and medicine for the poor in our community.
our business students can create a simple sustainable business and practically apply the skills they are learning.

We want to create a space where our neighbors are seeing the hands and feet of Christ reach out to them and share His love and truth – not from foreigners like myself – but from their own people.

There are many things we will begin to share as these plans unfold, but for now celebrate and pray with us as we begin this journey and next phase of ministry here in Cambodia. There is a lot of work to be done before this becomes a reality but we are thrilled to see the direction God is leading the ministry.

Make sure you are connected to us through our ministry email so you can hear the back story that has led us to begin this phase now. Thank you for being a part of the journey with us and helping to further the Kingdom of God in this world! To God be the glory!

Prayer Requests

1. Please pray for our family: It is a joy to live and serve overseas, but it is also a challenge. We need wisdom as parents to help our children navigate a life and thrive in a land where they are foreigners.

2. Please pray for our students: It is a constant battle to live counter-culture and a life faithfully to the Lord. This is true everywhere, but the pressure from both the society and family is strong against Christian values and faith. Pray that their faith would be deeply rooted in Christ.

3. Please pray for the next phase of ministry: We are about to embark the next stage of the ministry here. It will take a considerable amount of patience, energy, wisdom and finances to see to completion. We have no doubt this is the direction that God is leading us, but it is daunting to consider. Pray for us to have wisdom, humility, and the right connections made to see the project through to the end.

4. Please pray for our trip to the US in June and July: Our family has been away from the US for 5 years. It will be a chance for us to reconnect with family and supporters. As well as to fundraise for the next phase of ministry. Pray for wisdom as we take steps to prepare.

Thank you so much for your prayers!

Make sure you are signed up for emails through our website at www.kingdomdevelopment.org to receive updates, photos, and news.

Thank you for partnering with us! To God be the glory!