God is with us

Today was the first of two days in the east of Cambodia. We are in a boarder town called Tbung Khmum. This is what Wikipedia has to say about it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tboung_Khmum_Province

This is the view from the church:

We arrived in time to pray before the session began. As we were praying two people in the team saw a picture each. One of a train traveling on a very long track. And the other of a torch burning brightly setting lots of other torches alight. The first torch was not held by anyone, it was the fire from the Holy Spirit. I felt that the train picture was telling us we are on the right track.

By the half way point in the morning it became clear that something very exciting was happening. We have been here for the full series of four two day sessions over two years. We have wondered a number of times how we can make the teaching and DNA of Agenda 1 clear and simple enough for the people her to be able to grasp it, see its implications for their own lives and their churches and then be able to apply it in their context. This area has many challenges, not least that many people have had no schooling or only very basic education. We have had a number of church leaders taking part who can neither read nor write. Today was different! Very different.

The morning began with praise and worship followed by the teaching sessions. The people grasped the teaching quickly, they were very active in all the team discussions and in the conversations in pairs which is part of Agenda 1. We finished the day on a high note. Everything was on track and there was a real sense of the presence of the Holy Spirit in the room and opening people's hearts and minds.

Here are some pictures from today:

Some of the participants live so far away that they will sleep over tonight in the church. When you go away to camp for a night how much "stuff" do you take with you? This is a picture of several people's camping equipment. They have a bamboo mat to sleep on and a bag with their clothes and other items. Traveling everywhere by moped, often more than one person on the moped focuses the mind on what it means to travel light!

Our team has been fantastic today, here are Peevey and Tom Kenneth taking a well-earned break.

I don't have a picture of Dara from today but here is an older one: