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Sanctuary West Students Go To SE Asia - University Ministry Story

Thank you for remembering our team on this last trip to SE Asia. We returned last week with a sense of wonder and gratitude although there were some significant challenges that we had not encountered before. I want to share a few brief blurbs about what God is doing in SE Asia:

• We did several teaching/training sessions in which folks had to travel great distances and cross the border illegally to come to the secret meeting location. Check this out…
  • One brother who lost his left leg as a soldier walked 6 kilometers with his wooden prosthetic, crossed a river, made it over the border to the rendezvous location
  • Another young brother, 21 years old and the father of twins, was turned back once at the border then found another way to sneak across.
  • A 70 year old man made the trek and asked if he was still going to be so poor in heaven. One of our students shared about the rich man and Lazarus and that wealth is not going to matter a lot in heaven. No one could wipe the smile off his face for the rest of the week. [He’s the one in the baptism pic on the right holding up his hands.]
  • Several dear ladies came ranging in age from 23 or so to 70. Beautiful, humble and hungry for the Lord.
  • We washed their feet, shared the Lord’s supper, and witnessed the baptism of 15 of the 20 folks who came…5 were already baptized.
    
  • Some need to hide their Bibles and evangelism materials in the jungle to keep the authorities from ransacking their homes.

• We traveled to several remote areas to encourage and strengthen the local Khmer church. Friends, the church of Jesus Christ is alive and well and growing. One group of friends asked us to stay an extra day for more teaching! There is a growing hunger and willingness to share the good news in their villages.  It had been over a year since one group had experienced any teaching and fellowship due to security issues.

• There is a cost involved to be a part of what God is doing in SE Asia. One of our team members was turned back at the airport in Toronto due to passport and visa issues. We never saw that coming. The security level has been raised since the last time we were there. In fact, there was a guard stationed at the end of our hall in one of the hotels one day to keep an eye on us. Our missionary friends are followed and called in order to try and be intimidated. It’s a hard life. There is a joyful seriousness that radiates from our friends to stay committed to the task to which they have been called.

As always, we are grateful for your partnership with us, and I hope this gives you a snapshot of kingdom activity in SE Asia.

Privileged.

Bob

Bob Royce

Lead Pastor

The Sanctuary West

www.thesanctuarywest.ca