Groth Report April 2007

From the Word

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes. Romans 1:16

Here in Cambodia we have finished celebrating Chinese New Year as well as Khmer New Year. Of course there are many traditions connected with both of these events. During Chinese New Year people were seeking a particular kind of tree to decorate their homes. This tree blooms, and it is believed that if there is an open yellow flower on the tree you select you will have a prosperous New Year. For Khmer New Year it is essential that you make a trip to the Buddhist Wat with offerings to assure blessings for you in the new year. There is one thing that is common to these two celebrations, and that is a small cylindrical object about the size of your little finger. A string protrudes from one end, and if you light it with a “checkhu” you will hear a loud “BANG!!!”   This was the illustration that Chuck used as he preached and talked about the “power of the Gospel.” Everyone nodded and understood the force and power behind a small “firecracker.” Yes, we believe God’s Word has power. You can see its power clearly in the events of our past month. What a blessing that Chuck was able to share this message of power to five different preaching stations over two days on a recent visit to Sihanoukville.

Current Events

Gospel through the Window

The power of God’s Word works through barriers. When I went to Sihanoukville to meet and greet the members of a future Sunday School workshop, it seemed a shame just to be satisfied with a greeting. Since Easter was so near I bought supplies, and instead of merely greeting I began.

Sunday School teachers learned the basic parts of a lesson and the teaching of the great story of Jesus’ Resurrection began. Soon there were fourteen teachers in the room and about thirty children and adults on the outside looking in. Why not capitalize on these spectators to practice teaching the lesson? So the Easter account was read, acted out, applied to life, memorized, and then the craft time began. Teachers learned the Easter symbol of the butterfly, made butterflies out of coffee filters and clothespins, and took home the pattern and materials to make these in their own cell church Sunday Schools. What about the spectators? They had heard the Gospel message and were invited by the local Sunday School teacher to come back on Easter to hear it again and make the butterfly project.

God’s Word has power to draw people to Him and to set hearts Ablaze with the message of salvation. Makes you wonder what will happen when the actual workshop takes place in June….

Building Gospel Bridges

Most of the time a volleyball net is seen as a way to separate two teams. How exciting to see it a volleyball court unites two very different groups of people. When the Hong Kong International School came to Battambang on a service interim there were indeed differences in the groups. HKIS students were urban; Battambang students were rural. HKIS students came from all parts of the world; many Battambang students had never been outside their community. HKIS students had the opportunity for superior education; some Battambang students had little formal education. HKIS students came from a world of computers, ipods and digital cameras; Battambang students came from a world filled with the sounds of crickets, televisions powred by a car battery, and a generator to run the instruments for their church praise group.

How to bridge these differences?? The first day the students did a team game where they had to work together to untangle a human maze. They moved dirt with shared baskets. They listened to music together, and even though different languages divided, the work united. As the days progressed, friendships blossomed and work partners between group members became obvious. As the court progressed so did the unity between two very different groups.

The last day was a remarkable celebration. Each group shared photos, Gospel messages and songs. The church was packed with people eager to hear what these youth had to share. The room was truly ABLAZE with God’s Spirit as these youth witnessed to each other and the community. The volleyball court was a great project. It left Battambang with a visual reminder of Christian love in action. It left HKIS students with a vision of what Christians share together as the Body of Christ.

So when does a net unite? When teams work together to create a playing structure that will draw others to the church grounds and give countless opportunities through sports relationships to share the best relationship of all - the bond with Jesus our Savior and the power of His Word for salvation.

God’s Word in a Tuktuk

Recently our daughter Kristyn came to Cambodia for a visit. One of our first trips from Phnom Penh was to Siem Reap. When we hired a tuktuk to get around, God blessed us with a marvelous sharing opportunity. The young driver had been a Buddhist monk and had many questions about Christianity. He asked for some Christian material to read, and what we had along was a copy of Portals of Prayer. He took it and read specific devotions and marked them for questions. Most of all he was interested in the power of God’s Word to make us part of his family since his own family showed little interest in Him. Thankfully one of our stops was to Bethel church and here while Kristyn enjoyed some playtime with the preschoolers, our tuktuk driver received a Khmer Bible and was told about salvation in his own language from the local Khmer pastor. God’s Word has power and we pray that this young man will come to know the power it has for salvation and eternal life.

 Easter - The Word’s Ultimate Power

The day was bright, sunny and WARM!!  Not much different from Easter in the U.S. We have asked our usual Battambang tuktuk driver to stay for church each time we visited there, and he has always declined. This morning was different. He came in and heard Chuck preach the glorious news of the resurrection!!! Chuck had a challenge as he thought of just what this man that we have grown to love needed to hear for salvation. Pastor Kosal handed the tuktuk driver a Khmer Bible and songbook. A young Christian girl from the Lutheran English school sat beside him and helped him find the places he needed in order to participate in worship. We invited him and his family for the afternoon Easter event. How wonderful to be able to share with him that day God’s powerful Word.

Easter Eggstravaganza

Even though I had planned ahead of time, somehow I left all the “stuff” for our Easter egg project in the hotel in Siem Reap, four hours from Battambang. When we arrived in Battambang on Saturday, I had to find vinegar, cups, spoons and food coloring for our Sunday afternoon Bible Time event - Easter egg coloring. The first things were easy to find, but the food coloring posed a greater challenge. Finally with lots of help from our tuktuk driver and persistence we were able to convince a local baker to sell us some of the food coloring they used in their icing.

On Sunday afternoon Kristyn and I set up under trees and prepared for the children to arrive. We told the Easter story and reminded the children of the new life that the Easter egg symbolizes. Soon children were dying eggs in bright colors, and eyes were wide with amazement. When more children arrived the first children shared the resurrection story with the next group. All the eggs were decorated with stickers of crosses and an Easter Bible verse. Kristyn even invited a passing shell seller in and she, too, heard the story of salvation and colored an egg to take home. All in all 110 Easter eggs were dyed, and the message of Easter was shared through this “EGGSTRAVAGANZA!” Our tuktuk driver brought his children back for the event. When the youth surrounded his daughter to help her practice some Khmer worship dancing, she said to her beaming father, “I want to come back here every week!!”

Oh, we did save back six eggs which we delivered to the bakery and the providers of the cups. They needed to see what we used their products for. Mostly they needed to hear the message that the eggs shared - “Jesus’ victory gives eternal life.”

Do you believe in the power of God’s Word? We do and are thankful that on this Easter Sunday God’s Word was working and powerful in the lives of people here in Cambodia.

We’d love to hear how God’s Word has been working and powerful in your lives. What has this powerful Word motivated you to do and share as you serve Him who is truly the “Word made flesh and the power for salvation?”

With continued Joy and Gladness over the power of our Risen Lord,

Chuck and Jeanette Groth

 

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Chuck and Saron the Tuktuk driver looking through his new Bible
Jeanette and Kristyn helping dye eggs

Too scared to move away from big sister, but now wanting to be left out!
Pastor Kosal and Mr. Seng our Battambang Tuktuk drive

Mr. Seng and his two children