Kandi Lay | Phnom Penh, Cambodia

As I write this, the New Year has started for me in Cambodia, but many of you in the U.S.A. still have a few hours to wait.  (There is a twelve hour time difference from Eastern Standard Time.)  But let me wish you a Blessed New Year already! The New Year brings a new trimester at the Antioch Bible Institute of Phnom Penh.  The students will be arriving today and classes start tomorrow.  Having been through one trimester already, I know how much work is ahead for the next three months – both for us teachers and for the students.  Please […]

December 18, 2017 Merry Christmas!  It’s the season for rejoicing in the gift of Jesus . . . and for Christmas parties.  What a privilege it was this weekend to celebrate with the International Worker team on Saturday (there is nothing like singing Christmas carols in English!) and then join the Christ’s Love Mission Church in their Christmas celebration yesterday (where we had a thunderous rendition of “Joy to the World” in Khmai). We have much to thank God for here at the end of 2017.  One of those Praise Points is the successful completion of the first trimester at […]

October 22, 2017 “Sit down and visit with us,” was the invitation given to Chantu, Shan and I, as we leisurely walked along the railroad tracks yesterday.  We happily joined the two ladies and talked about their families and their work, as well as, my skin color and age (always a point of curiosity).  This was the first time we had visited with these particular ladies, but were happy to do so.  Who knows what doors God might open up in our conversations with them? When our ministry group first went out to the railroad track community, it was a […]

September 17, 2017 We are into the third week of classes and everyone is adjusting to the new schedule and pace of life.  I still find myself tired by the end of the day, but loving the school, the students and what I am doing there.  God is good! One important part of school life is involvement in a ministry group.  This is a place for students to begin to use what they are learning – building relationships, being a witness for Jesus and teaching others about Him.  Three of the students and two teachers (myself included) have begun to […]

September 2, 2017 “It feels like one big family.”  That was my thought on Thurs., Aug. 31st while eating dinner for the first time with all the students and teachers of the Urban Ministry Training Center.  Part of the family feel came from the six children running all around – squealing and laughing, as they played together.  But part of the family feel also came from how well everyone seemed to interact with one another right from the first.  There was none of the awkwardness of new acquaintances, we were family – one family in Jesus Christ. The first day […]

August 25, 2017 The day for the opening of the Urban Ministry Training Center is getting closer.  September 1st.  It looks like we’ll only have a few students this first year, but that’s ok, because it gives us more flexibility as we figure out how things will work.  But we still need your prayers!  This last week before the students arrive will be full of last minute purchases and preparations.  Pray that we get everything done that we need to.  And pray for the students who are all from other cities in Cambodia and so will have to adjust to […]

August 12, 2017 Your prayers are powerful and effective – thank you for praying! The Urban Ministry Training Center (UMTC) plans continue to move forward.  We hope to open on September 1st with a small number of students.  Praise God, we found someone to oversee the kitchen and meals – and she’s from Poipet!  Moum and Heng are friends (and leaders from the Living Water Church) who came to Phnom Penh last year, so Heng could attend another Bible School where he received a scholarship.  Both Heng and Moum will teach a class this first trimester and will be living […]

July 23, 2017   I was headed to church yesterday morning by public transportation – AKA moto taxi.  The first hurdle was trying to agree on a price.  The first guy started at $5, a crazy amount.  Eventually, I found an older gentleman willing to take me for $2.  So off we went – to the end of the road – at which point he stopped at a little moto/bicycle shop.  There he asked for a hammer and then proceeded to bang a part of the moto back into place (this gave me great confidence in his motorbike).  When we […]

July 3, 2017 Greetings from Phnom Penh! I made it into Phnom Penh around 10:30 p.m. last night (Cambodia time).  Thank you so much for your prayers!  My travels were smooth (other than some turbulence on the last flight) and my luggage arrived with me – always a good thing. 😊 I just had a chance to look at the progress being made on the dining hall and residence building of the UMTC (Urban Ministry Training Center).  The dining hall should be finished soon and looks great!  The residence building is still in its beginning stages of construction.  Last I […]

On Saturday (July 1st), I’ll be headed back to Cambodia – this time to the capitol city of Phnom Penh.  A country girl living in the big city is bound to have lots of adventures and challenges, so I would appreciate your prayers as I make this transition. Although I am a bit apprehensive about life in the city, I am excited about the new ministry I will be joining – The Urban Ministry Training Center (UMTC).  The goal of the UMTC is to produce Christian leaders who know Jesus well and can bring Him to the urban areas of […]