Back in the States...a summary

Thursday, September 15, 2011 at the refreshing air conditioned Russian Market's KFC in Phnom Penh, Cambodia away from the hot humid weather, is where I last updated this blog.........now..I'm sitting in Knappa, Oregon, USA at my parent's home with a sweat-shirt and ear warmer on sitting here by the fire place while it's raining side-ways outside. Lol

More then what I can write has happened since that hot day in September. I will try and summarize the best I know how.

As soon as I got back, I felt like I had just woken up from a wonderfully, beautiful dream put back into reality (maybe even a false reality)! Because I know this world in America soooo well, yet the Khmer world is so familiar to me! I can close my eyes and I am right back there on the street of Phnom Penh, or in the province of Takeo....
I was almost in constant motion the moment I got home for close to 3-4 weeks, so I've hardly had time to reflect or process that I am NOT there anymore.

There is simply too many details to fill in on what went down the last 3 months or so that I was in Cambodia.

Because God made it so that I stayed there 2 extra months I had a few very Divine appointments with people that have blessed my socks off!

To name a few, there is my Mum Gail from Australia that has been here for me (on Facebook;) while I transition back into this modern culture (I knew her before, but not very well).

Then there is Ted & Caroline, Cindy, and Chad from the USA who's heart were really burdened for the ministries that Sothea is doing in Takeo (the Rice Field Church (RFC) and the school) and Sothea himself.

I think of when Paul says several times that he was so happy because one of his brothers in Christ had the same heart for a certain church and it made him so happy (2 Corinthians)! I feel the same with Ted & Caroline, and Chad! They have blessed my heart so much!!!

Cindy spent quite a few years on the mission field herself so she was able to encourage us in particular ways because she's been through it too. I pray God will continue to bless her beyond what she can imagine!!!

Then there is Laura, <3 I can't remember what month it was that I met her, but she is just a few streets down from me with a different organization. God started to knit our hearts together from that first time that we met at Water of Life !! She was able to accompany me out to Takeo one of the times I went out there in (I think) September and she also fell in love with it !! I felt so comfortable with her out there and felt she fit in like she had always been there! GOD is sO gOOd !!

Honestly, I never wanted to really come home (knowing that I didn't have a plan to go back, that it wasn't just a VISIT home). I wanted to come home to visit, but not to live.

I don't want the white-picket-fence-American-dream-life....

My heart is deceitful above all else the Bible says, so I must trust that He will guide me if I stay in His Word with a WILLING heart to follow hard after Him and do what He has put in front of me. I have been praying hard about what I am supposed to do while I'm here (and not miss that!). I have no doubt but am convinced that God has a specific reason that He brought me home.
I really want to move back to Cambodia until God tells me otherwise...right now, I'd love to go back within this next year (2012), but I honestly don't know how that all works out right now. Just praying and seeking Him.

I miss Cambodia very much, the way of life there, I miss Water of Life and all that are there, I miss Sothea and Nget and their students, and landlord and his family. There are so many in needs around this world, who NEED the Hope of Jesus Christ to save their hungry/thirsty souls (they are hungry for Jesus though they may not know it) !!

but I am content where I am here, because GOD has me here and not there for now.
I never, ever want to fall away from His beautiful Feet and Word! I want to be constantly offering praise to His glorious name !!

<3 Jesus Christ is all I can live for, without Him, I have no purpose whatsoever !! <3
<3 He IS my life !! <3

May God bless you all more and more with the awareness of His presence in your lives! =)

Love,

Lana Salisbury

Donation List

Hey ya'll (church fam)
My parents are coming over here to Cambodia soon and this is the list that Water of Life gave me of things that they could use/want that are expensive over here or that you just can't get.
If you would like to donate anything, please contact my parents.
Thank you all so much!
God bless ya!

Water of Life requests

Guitar strings ( any kind as we have so many different guitars)

Effects Pedal for guitar

Mic

Old instruments ( cymbals, drums sticks etc.)

Old christian T-shirts . Boys love them and size is not important as they

tailor them

**Thera flu night time powder packages .. We use a lot ***

**Pens . The ones here are so cheap they write for like one paper .

Double sided tape

Cloth sizzors

Cloth patches that iron on

**Extra large trash bags .. ( they don't sell trash bags .. Strange and we use

them Daily)

Costco trail mix (for me :) )

Payday candy bars ( for me also wow.. So selfish )

Christian stickers

Jock itch spray

Old shin guards , soccer equipment etc.

Christian dog tags .. (boys love these )

Don't Know Where To Start....

Don't really know where to start here...it's so long between the times that I write.

Right now, I'm sitting here at KFC (Khmer Fried Chicken;) next to the Toul Tompong market where I can get internet.

Monday of this last week was very discouraging with the second class out in Takeo...Sothea and I taught them "Who Am I?" by Casting Crowns. But then Tuesday night was much better and I taught them about Noah and the Ark. Sothea didn't translate and made them listen to me. He only translated a couple of times so that we didn't spend too much time and miss the point.
They are a very hard class...very skeptical it seems. Please pray that their hearts will be soft to the Good News of Jesus Christ.
1 1/2 weeks ago when I taught them that you are received of God ONLY by faiths and not by works (Cain and Abel), and they just laughed at us. ...Praise GOD! Truly, we know that it's the truth of Jesus Christ that saves souls, and so therefore we are not ashamed to say so. Yet, I still need boldness!

The VBS is going so great! I love the kids so much!! They are so young and very smart! I taught them about the 4 friends who had a friend that was paralyzed and let him down through the roof (because there were so many people in the house that Jesus was in) so that Jesus could heal him.
And Jesus didn't heal him right away...first, He said that the man's sins were forgiven...because Jesus knows that it's our souls that need the real healing. :)

Thank you soooo much for your prayers!
May God continue to bless you!

Lana Salisbury

the 11 year old boy now has a choice....

a village....

an 11 year old boy....

an enemy who is pulling countless billions of people into Hell with him....

parent's minds deceived by centuries of the Devil lying to them through the face of Buddha....

parents who want the boy to know the English language for a possible chance of a better life....

a man who obeyed God's call to go....

the 11 year old boy thinks he had the opportunity to learn the English language....

the 11 year old boy in reality has the end-all opportunity to hear about a God who loves him....

a God who knows exactly how many hairs are on that 11 year old boy's head....

a God who knows exactly what that 11 year old boy was thinking on his way to school....

the God who made every atom of every leaf of every tree....

the God who made every star and calls them by name who proclaim His glory....

the all mighty God who is planting the seed of Life in the 11 year old boy's life....

acceptance of Jesus may not be now....

acceptance of Jesus may not be soon....

but acceptance of Jesus may be....

this is his story....

we don't know the end....

but we have the choice whether or not we will have a part in that 11 year old boy's life....

this is a small ministry going on in Takeo, Cambodia....

God's Amazing Grace

Hey guys,

This has proven to be a challenging month.
Not with the ministry here, but in my own life, and with those at home. I feel the burden of my family at home and it's hard to be here when they are going through stuff.
I have been broken over my sin this past week a lot, as my Jesus comforts me a lot.
We read Isaiah 61 and verse 3 really touched me.
It reminded me of the song, "At The Foot Of The Cross" that we used to sing at Coastline, but it had been so long that I couldn't remember most of it off the top of my head, so I looked it up and was so encouraged!

"At the foot of the Cross
Where grace and suffering meet
You have shown me Your love
Through the judgment You received

And You've won my heart
Yes, You've won my heart
Now I can...

Trade these ashes in for beauty
And wear forgiveness like a crown
Coming to kiss the feet of mercy
I lay every burden down
At the foot of the Cross

At the foot of the Cross
Where I am made complete

You have given me life
Through the death You bore for me

I'm laying every burden down
I'm laying every burden down"

God has been showing me more of how disgusting and putrid my sin is to a holy God, but...then He is showing me in return, how AMAZING His GRACE is!!

Thank you all for your prayers!

Love,
Lana Salisbury

Moved Out

Hello all you people.
Uh…by the time I time to sit down and settle my thoughts, I am too lazy to write here. :p It’s a fault I should work on. So much has been happening here this past month!
On Wednesday, the 3^rd of August I moved out of the girl’s house and in with Rachael. (Rachael is from England and became a Christian after she moved her e to Cambodia a few years back.) She was living by herself and had been praying that someone could move in with her. After church one Sunday afternoon as I was eating at the market as I usually do with her and our friend Ing (a Chinese girl that she brought to the Lord about 2 years ago) she told me that she would split the price of her 1 room and kitchen/bathroom apartment with me if I wanted to move in. The price was tempting to say the least…and it is no farther away from the boy’s house than the girl’s house is…just maybe 1 ½ blocks away. I figured that I wouldn’t move in, if that’s what God wanted, until after I come back from America. But, since I’m planning to stay an extra 2 months (it just doesn’t feel right AT ALL to go home the end of September) I did the math...and decided to move out of the girl’s house and in with Rachael. After getting Rachael’s landlord’s approval and talking with Holly (leader of the girl’s house) and Randy (leader of the boy’s house) I got their blessing, but didn’t feel a peace about it…. :p I wasn’t sure what to think…sometimes it felt like, “of course I should do it” but then other times I remembered what my pastor would say, that sometimes things don’t pencil out on paper but God’s economy is different. And also, my pastor’s Mom told me this last December that no matter if I feel doubt or something, there will be an underlining Peace of what God wants me to do. So, what was I to do?! :p I know God’s voice (though I try to reason with Him so often to justify my own wrong desires) and knew that I don’t want to make a mistake (I fear what trouble I would get into for disobeying God…and besides, I did NOT want there to be a wall up between me and my GOD!) so I was almost to call Rachael and just tell her that it won’t work out because I simple don’t have a peace about it. Then…I got a peace, and knew that that was exactly what I was supposed to do…I can’t really explain it more than that…it was GOD’s peace!! (I love it…Christ is the Prince of Peace, and we are to know His voice and follow it by His grace and strength.)
So, all that to say, is that I moved in with Rachael last Wednesday and have been loving it so much! I am saving a lot of money (to maybe get a plane ticket back…or money for a motor when I come back so that I can go out to Takeo!...maybe.;)
I really am living my dream right now…I am living in an apartment with a roomie, I can buy my own food, etc! I’ve always wanted to do this…I just never expected it to be in a foreign, 3^rd world country! Lol) God is sooooooooo GOOD!!

God bless all of you so much!!

Lana

Summary For Coastline Family

Chim Rep Sew a (“hello” in Khmer) my Coastline family!

I am in Phnom Penh, the capital city of 3 million people here in Cambodia (Southeast Asia).
I am working with Water of Life (WoL), (a Calvary Chapel) which is a boy’s discipleship home (the goal is to raise up young men in the Word of God to be leaders here in their own county)...under Water of Life there is a girl’s discipleship home (where I live), one orphanage directly under WoL, several that we are affiliated with and several other ministries that WoL works with.
The people here are friendly and for the most part a very happy people despite the poverty that they are in.
I knew there were lots of different ministry opportunities here but I didn’t know which ones I would be involved with when I came.
The most regular ministry that I do, is out in the province of Takeo (1 ½ hr motor drive). Sothea is a young pastor who started a church and a school out there. I go out there to Takeo every Monday and teach 4 English classes using the Bible at the school. Sothea cannot teach them Bible because the students pay for the English text book, so because English is my first language I can use the Bible. It’s an honor to be able to tell these students about the One True God and about His Grace…and that you don’t have to work to get to Him! And telling them that He is the God who LOVES them!
I have gone several times to “the building” in Phnom Penh where it is famous for its child prostitution and done prayer walks. Sometimes I like to go out to the Rock Quarry where the people live and pound out rock by hand to make gravel…they make $10 per truck load which takes them about 1 month…I like to crush the rocks so that they Khmer (the boys from Water of Life) can teach the people…they also take a meal out to them when they go every Friday. They enemy is fighting hard for the hearts of some of the girls where I live…please keep them in your prayers…I could tell you stories, but it would take too long.|

The government is open to Christianity, but it may not stay that way. This is our window of opportunity to freely share Jesus and the freedom that He brings! ……. The prime minister of Cambodia is close friends with the leader of North Korea…that should explain a lot…. Please keep us in your prayers.

To sum up my time here so far, I would say, my time here is just beginning…. Despite the difficulties, the longer I am here, the more I want to stay and continue to help with the work that is already going on here.
A massive THANK YOU to all of you my family who pray for me and support me! You are a huge part of the work here!!!
May you be filled with God’s grace, joy, and love!
Lana

A word from the heart

Here I am again….

I’m sitting here in the school in Takeo. I came out too late with Sothea on Monday night to teach either of the classes, so I stayed an extra night…I didn’t want to go home at all, so, 3 days later here I still am, enjoying the quiet country side. Ha…I didn’t bring enough close to last this long, but that ok. J The plan, is that I’ll go back with Sothea and Nget after church on Saturday.
I was getting so caught up with everything in the city…like, I may have been doing good things, but didn’t have a whole lot of time for my Lord…I just wanted to sit back and get my head out of a whirl-wind. So…here I am.
I went and climbed up the backside of the Goso mountain where the king would climb up to the temple. It took Sothea and I 8 ½ minutes! J I felt like throwing up when I got to the top because I had eaten a bowl of rice and those sour patch candies beforehand! :p Lol (For dinner that night (Tuesday), I tried ants….lol, they were sweet…not sure what to think about it….)

I really love it here in Cambodia!! The longer I am here, the more I want to stay. Yes, I miss things about home…(there isn’t one conversation between missionaries it seems that within 1 hour or less that it won’t turn into a conversation about food! Lol) Sometimes, I just wish that it could be cold outside. I wish that I could be in a forest of Evergreens. I wish I could drive my car out to church (Coastline) and just be there with my family there. I wish I could look out over the Columbia River. I wish I could be at my parent’s house and just be with them. I wish so badly that I could see my brothers…that one really hurts. But, despite all of these things, I wouldn’t go home. When Jesus said, you cannot be my disciples if you do not hate your mother, father, brother…He didn’t mean that you hate them, but what He meant, is that your love for Jesus out-weighs your love for your family so much that in the world’s eyes it looks like hate. …To the world, if I really loved my brothers, my sisters, my Mom, my Dad, then I would go home to them and build myself a life there, but, I’m looking for a city who’s Foundation and Builder is God (Hebrews 11:10). When I stand before my God, I do not want to be ashamed of what I’ve done here in this passing earth.

A couple of hours later….
I just got done doing my laundry and taking a shower out here in a province! Hehehe I feel SO much better! Lol I only brought well, ½ change of clothes, and I was beginning to feel a little less than clean. ;) I got the water to wash my clothes and to take a shower out of these huge clay pots in the back that were filled up with rain water, so it is much cleaner than from the water in the brown pond in the back. Lol
I am really living my dream here…. I out in the world serving my God…and He is the same God of Israel, the One True God! He took Enoch, because Enoch pleased Him by faith…He was with Joseph through all of his trials and used him as a part of His big picture…He’s the God who heard Israel’s cry for freedom when they were slaves in Egypt…He was strong and faithful and delivered His people from Eygpt…He saved Rehab the prostitute because she believed in the God of Israel and not the gods of her people and hid the two Israelite men in Jericho…He’s the God who told Hosea to marry a prostitute to show the people of Israel that He is a faithful God, and if she will turn from her evil ways then she can be in perfect fellowship with Him and be with Him forever in perfect joy and peace!...He’s the God that came to this dark world as a helpless infant and grew up without sin…He’s the One who loved me, and died for me and then rose from the dead to save my soul…He’s the One who said He would never leave or forsake me…He is the One that said I do not have to be afraid because of His perfect Love…He is the One who said that I can have peace that passes ALL UNDERSTANDING!...He’s the One who gives me power through His Holy Spirit…He’s the One who said I am clean from ALL SIN because He paid the price that I owed…He sees me as perfect because He sees me wrapped in the righteousness of His Son Jesus Christ…what more could I possible want or ask for…?!?!? He’s the Shepherd of my soul! He protects, guides, and corrects me.

See what He’s done for you???
No matter where you are, live for Jesus Christ.

Lana Salisbury

June 29th Blog

Hello all,

It’s been crazy busy here…. :p Lol
My team leader, Daniel from my first trip here a year ago, is here with his new wife and another team. They have been a major blessing. I took them out to Takeo a couple of times and they taught Sothea’s and Nget’s class. The first week they taught about the prodigal son and the second week they taught on the brother in that story.

On Sunday, Sothea came over to WoL and Mary (from Daniel’s team) and Rachael (a missionary here from England) and I got together and figured out VBS schedule, activities, lessons for his and Nget’s students for their 2 ½ month vacation, that happens in about 3 weeks.
Please keep this VBS adventure in your prayers. It is a good open door opportunity to give the mystery of the Gospel to the students out there in Takeo. Please pray that their hearts will be open to God’s Love for them and that the enemy will not be able to pluck up the seed that is planted.

I had a fun adventure going out to Takeo last Friday night. I wanted to go to the Rice Field Church (RFC) on Saturday morning, and Rith and Bora were going out to their family’s house close there so I caught a ride with them. Well, about 1 hour into our 1 ½ hour ride Rith gets a flat back tire…so we stop by this person’s house who was watching TV and she helped us for about 2 hours…she fixed the same hole 4 times…. :p LOL It was so much fun!! Well, then, after we stopped by the party that they missed and got dinner and when we were just about to Sothea’s, Bora’s motor’s back tire popped…. LOL So, we got Sothea and Nget to come get us. It took us 5 hours to get to Sothea’s…we arrived at about mid-night. Hahaha, it was a lot of fun. J
That is just a little bit of what is going on…there is more, but that would take pages to write. ;)
May you receive God’s grace, peace, and Love,

Lana Salisbury

This Update Is In Sections...(so you don't have to read it all)

Chim reap soua (sp?;) everyone!

This last month has been very busy for me, and sitting down to write it out wasn't that most appealing thing for me. But, that is no excuse to you guys who want to keep updated with me, so I apologize to you.
I'll put my updated under headings so if you don't want to read the whole thing you can just read about a topic. :)

Katlyn:

Two weeks ago Katlyn's team from her church came for about 10 days. They were such a huge blessing and Christ's love shone through them so much! I wanted to do out-reaches with them but there usually wasn't enough room in the vehicles that they were taking. Along with Katlyn herself they left this last Monday. :( That has been a hardship for me having Katlyn gone. For about 1 month we hardly left each other's side. It was a friendship that I did not expect to happen at all. I thought that I would probably be hard to get used to the culture, and getting around the city, and going to the market and such, but God was so good and gave her to me! I knew who she was from Bible college, and from my last trip here, but we did not find out that we are SO MUCH ALIKE in almost everything except our bodies! Lol It was so much fun to have her here...we would finish each other's sentences, finish our food at the same time, give into chocolate (or any kind of treat) and not say how bad it was for us! Lol Just little things like that. It made that month very special to me! After she got baby Samuel she moved into the boy's house to take better care of him, and so I would go over there (1 1/2 blocks away) often and help her and make sure that she was eating. Lol And with her here, that is how I found out about Takeo! The plan is that she will be back the beginning of August a married woman! ;) <3 She met a guy here before I came and would talk to him over emails, and they fell in love, and are now engaged! They will live her in Cambodia! It was an honor and a privilege to witness and be a part of it all!! <3
I could go on, but I will not bore you with details. :)
God is so good!! I am not holding on to our friendship as if it is what gives me joy, and it is still sad that she is not here, but I see it as a blessed season from God and I am excited to see how God wants to use me out in Takeo more maybe and different ministries here in the city perhaps.

An update on Takeo:
I was unsure about how to continue with a good way to teach the Bible to Sothea's students.
During our (western woman's) Bible study every Thursday I asked for prayer to have wisdom from God on how to continue and strength, so Toinette said that she had some Bible lessons in story form that I could borrow to copy. That was Sothea's idea that I should get stories that are on paper and have questions for them to answer so that they have to focus on what the story is about. Before I would just write some verses on the white board and they would copy it down, then I would explain it to them...then a couple of times, Sothea played the guitar and we taught them some worship songs (they wrote down the lyrics). That was cool, but we wanted to start to do something that was a little more regular/scheduled.
So, on the Monday mornings that I can't ride with Sothea back to Takeo on his moto, I get up and Chou takes me to the bus stop to catch the 10:30am bus (which takes 1 hr. 45 min.). Long wrote out on a piece of paper in Khmer for me to show the bus driver where they are to drop me off...I keep that piece of paper in my Bible...and I usually start my timer on my iTouch when I leave the bus stop so that I don't miss my stop. Then I get a moto to drive me about 5 min. to Sothea's school (which is kinda in a house).
Nget asked me to teach his 10-11 yr old boys English class on (sometimes Mondays from 2-4om) Tuesday mornings from 8-10. I don't really know how to teach them very well (you could pray for me about that;) so I've been teaching them Christian kid's songs with fun hand motions! :D They really love to sing them! And I brought them a prize for (kind of) remembering the songs. I taught them the "I will call upon the Lord" (karate style), "I'm in the Lord's Army", "Ain't Nobody" (which I think is ironic seeing that I'm supposed to be teaching them English! ;D ;D I love it though!!!). After I teach Sothea's class on Monday nights we usually eat dinner (rice and something) and then we've been watching movies. Part of me going out there is to just hang out and encourage...it's really nice for me too to be able to get out of the city and be in the quiet country. After I teach Nget's class Sothea (and sometimes Nget) and I go across the street to a little coffee shop and get our breakfast (coffee with a LOT of sweetened condenced milk and ice! lol) and get on my computer tell 11:15am, then Sothea takes me to the side of the road where I will catch the 11:30am bus (haha if it comes...last time it didn't even come, so I had to take the 2:30pm one). I get back to PP (Phnom Penh) about 1pm.
I am so excited about Takeo!! I really enjoy going out there!

Learning The Language (Khmer; "Ka-m-i"):
I take 1 hour Khmer lessons with Sokleng from Tuesdays-Fridays at 3:30. I have not been doing very well, because I don't practice very much outside of my lessons. BUT, lol, it's a very easy language because there is not very much grammar...haha, which a really love! ;D Instead of saying, "I am going to go to the market" you say, "I go market" ("Khnyom tov pasa").
I can tell time fairly well...I try to say it in Khmer to myself or to the person with me so that it will become second nature. Or, I will speak KhmEnglish ;)...when I know a word in Khmer I say it in Khmer. :) I want to be able to have conversations with people. I went out to a province (about 3 hours one way) this last Thursday with Steven and Salomon (who is a Khmer teacher) so they could teach a youth group and met Salomon's family, and I couldn't talk to them...they tried to talk with me, but I froze up with the little that I know...so it's given me some more intensive to learn it faster. Living here in the city at WoL (Water of Life) I don't NEED to know Khmer, but once I go out into the province I'm not much good. Lol Even here in the city, it's much easier to get around if you speak Khmer, even though people here at least know a little.

Random Stuff:
A girl from England came here about 1 month ago for the same reason the I did. Her name is Millie. She lives at the Girl's Water of Life house. She had never been here to Cambodia before! She took an amazing step of faith with God's strength!!!
Please keep the Cambodian government in your prayers...they are trying to pass laws that will restrict NGOs (non-government organization)...people here for the most part are very open to the Gospel! And God's Word IS going out to people! So we pray that that freedom will stay open!!!!!! PLEASE PRAY FOR US! We do not want the restriction of our neighboring countries! I head that Cambodian's prime minister is like best friends with the prime minister of North Korea...one (if not "the") most persecuted nation on the face of this earth!... please don't forget to pray!!!
Being on the foreign mission field with other foreign missionaries, the enemy will really try to get you down at the seams. As we all know, the best way to over come your enemy is to "divine-and-conquer". Please keep us in your prayers in that regard too! There is a GOOD group of people here...well, lol, we are a bunch of idiots who God likes to use for His purposes. ;) We are love Jesus so much, and if that is all, then God uses us. :) It's a beautiful thing, because God tells us in the Bible that they will know us by our LOVE for ONE ANOTHER! In SPITE of our differences! ;) <3
Kerri, has asked me to help out with Srey Na's new baby boy (David) on Wednesday nights. She doesn't really know how to take care of a baby, and Kerri needs to be able to sleep...she would stay up with Srey Na and David. So, I said that I could help out every Wednesday night for a while.

Today was the first time I went out to The Rice Field Church (Sothea's church). I think it's funny how I've gone out to Takeo every Monday and spent the night for about 8 weeks, and never went to his church. *chuckle* Bora wanted to go see his family (he lives close there) so he took me out there this morning. I got up at 5am so that I could get some coffee and get some alone time with my Jesus before I got started, then we left for Takeo at 6:30am and got out there about 8am. We had some breakfast at a little restaurant...and low and behold it was rice...shocker I know. ;) Lol It was good though, it had meat and cucumbers, and I had another coffee. Sothea and Nget come back to PP on Saturdays to go to their church here (Sothea grew up in PP) and then goes back on Monday. So, because Bora was so tired he rode on the back with Nget and I rode with Sothea.
When we got back, we went and bought a couple of watermelons from the market (for 6,000 Riel = $1.50), they are not the big one like in America. But they are good! :d

Thank you all who pray for me!!! I need it! (As we all do. ;)
May the Lord bless you and may you embraced His peace that passes ALL UNDERSTANDING! =) Philippians 4:4-9 (read it;)

Lana Salisbury

Hey everyone,
I apologize for the lack of communication this last week or so.
Surprise, surprise, I am back in Takeo! :) When I got here, after lunch, Sothea let me drive his motor, which was a blast! I have never driven one before...it's his new one too!! =p Lol And I went and bought a mosquito net for when I come out here.

Last week I was privileged to share the crucifixion story with the class. I felt honored to be able to share about how my Jesus died specifically for each one of them too....
Tonight I will write out John 3:16-17 so the class can write it down, and I brought out "The Passion of the Christ" in Khmer, so that the class can see it. We will probably only end up watching about 30min of it due to the lack of time that we have. But, I pray that it will make a big impact on them! Please pray for that as well.
Update on Katlyn: she has moved out of the girl's house, and back to the boy's Water of Life to take care of a 7 month old little baby boy. His name is Samuel Peter. His mom abandoned him with a family in the province of Takeo who was feeding him rice water (the water left over from the rice) because they were so poor. They wanted to keep him, and turned down other orphanages wanting him to be in a good home. So, Katlyn went out with Katherine (she has HOPE orphanage) to get him last Monday, and decided to keep him! He is the most adorable baby! He has curly hair and big eyes! ;D The first few days, he went through major separation anxiety, but then a few days later he was smiling at Katlyn, and is now very quite attached to her. He is so precious!
Last night at 11pm, Long, Chou, Sreymom, Sreynight, Penny, and I went and picked up Millie from England who will be living with us for about 4 months. She will be my bunk-mate! It'll be fun to have someone else here! Thank God for bringing people to help in His work!

There are so many bugs right now...I couldn't even finish my nap. Lol It's about to rain, so they are more thick than usual.

Again, please pray that the crucifixion story will sink into these student's hearts!!!

May you embrace God's love for you!

Lana Salisbury

Hello all,

The newest exciting thing that has happened is that we took a team from the World Race out to the Rock Quarry yesterday (where they crush rocks into gravel for $10 per truck load which takes about a month). It took about 2 hours by tuk tuk to get there...11 Americans and 3 Khmers. On our way there those who were sitting on the right side of the tuk tuk had to sit on our laps on the left side so that the tuk tuk wouldn't tip over...yeahhhh...about that. LOL ;D
Instead of helping wash dishes in the pond like last time, Katlyn and I sat down and made gravel for approx 30-45min while the kids learned Christian songs with hand motions and then everyone eat the meal the Sreyown made for them. Katlyn had started before me so she had more blisters.

That's what these people do all day...make gravel by hand.

Tomorrow is Easter Sunday so today Sreyown and I went to Lucky's (grocery store) so that I could come back to the boy's Water of Life and make a pound cake for everyone tomorrow after church. We are going to do an easter egg hunt and maybe do some games like bobbing for apples! Easter is not a big holiday here for the Khmer church, so we want to make it a big celebration!! :D

They do a Bible reading plan for everyone at the house here and today we all started going through 1 Corinthians. Very good...I suggest that you read it. ;)

Thank you all again and again for your prayer support!

Lana Salisbury

The Beach & Takeo Again....

Hello all,

Right now I am sitting in Sothea's English class while Katlyn teaches Luke 18:35-43 and Hebrews 11:1. The whole class wrote down that whole passage...including the Buddhist monk...! He likes to distract the student next to him though.... Please pray that distraction in his own heart will be quieted and here what the God Who created him is trying to reach into his soul and say.

This last week has been very quiet because it was the Khmer New Year. A lot of people go to their homeland...so even Phnom Penh (the city of 1,000,000) is quiet.
This was the first time that Randy decided to take the whole Water of Life family (about 50 people) to the beach for 3 days. We rented a bus and stayed in a hotel there close to the water. The water is like bath water! It's incredible!! I was able to go for a couple of runs, they were the first ones after I sprained my foot about 4 weeks ago. I was enjoying the fact of how I can go for a run on the beach in the Great North West of America and the same God that made that ocean, made the one in Cambodia...I realize more of how small this world really is...and how BIG my God REALLY IS! =)

Thank you again for all of your prayers.

P.S. I was just able to pass out the gospel bracelets to all the students...including the monk! Praise Jesus!

May God bless you all with His grace and peace!

Lana Salisbury

Takeo

Hello all,

Things have been interesting and exciting the since Friday morning.

Every week Katlyn goes out to Takeo where Seokea pastors, which is a village/town (the town has

10,000 people) and she teaches the Seokea's English class because that is the only way for

them to hear the Gospel. The students pay for English, so Seokea can't teach Bible, but if

Katlyn teaches she can do it using the Bible. A few weeks ago God gave her the boldness to

share the Gospel with them (with a monk in the class to boot!;) and they recieve Jesus as the

Saviour!

Just a couple of hours before class began Katlyn asked if I wanted to teach, so we brain-stormed

together and I remembed the teaching the Jason (my pastor) gave a few weeks ago on Psalm 103 and

verse 8 came to mind..."The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in

mercy." I talked about the some of the big words meant and shared more about how good Jesus is.

Seokea was telling me how that the people think Christians don't do good things because we

teach about salvation through grace by faith and not works...unlike Buddah where you have to do

good things. Seokea wants them to know that it's because of Christ in us that we do good things.

I shared at both of his classes (5:30 & 6:30), and the first class (which is younger) had a lot

of questions concerning Adam and Eve that I told them. It was really awesome to teach people

that have clean slate...no pre-conceived ideas about who Jesus is.

After both classes, Seothea, Net, Katlyn, and I walked down the dark road to a small cute

resturaunt where we eat soup. It was very good!...until 2:30am. ;) I threw up all night long

lastnight. And to make it more uncomfortable, Katlyn and I were sharing a one-man masquito net

with no pellow (so I ended up about 2am folding my jeans up to make a pellow). Lol

I was going to go to church at the rice field church this morning (they teach on Saturdays

and I think Sundays too), but decieded just to go home with Katlyn. I was trusting God the whole

ride home on the bus. For some reason the bumpiness of the ride felt good...kinda weird I know.

I slept a long time and now am feeling a lot better.

It was such a great trip out there to Takeo that even though I got sick I wouldn't change it!!

It was really humbling and exciting to be a part of God's work there, and I plan on going back

with Katlyn. :D

Yesterday while Katlyn and I were brain-storming, Holly called her to tell her that Sreynight

was at that moment signing the papers for her 4 month old son Boaz to be given to Water of Life

for the next 6 months so that she can go live with her Mom (her Mom says she can not come home

with the baby). Sreynight was willing to keep baby Boaz until she went home for just a little

bit where they convinced her to leave her baby boy. So, now Reachel (missionary from England) is

taking care of him, and Sreynight is gone. :( We are still praying for her! Our GOD is a BIG

God, and it is very peaceful to know that He's got plans for Boaz and his mom. :)

God bless you all with His grace and peace!

Lana Salisbury

Hello all!

So, the other day a bunch of us went out to a very poor village and that is right next to a rock quarry, where they make gravel for $10 per WEEK! We took the ingredients for mushroom soup out there and made it for them. Some of the boys made little shelters for them so that they don't have to pound the rock in the sun, and one of the boys gave the Gospel to the kids and they all accepted JESUS as their Saviour! We will continue to go out there to help them and encourage them! Around the village there are SO MANY temples!! I could probably count about 7 or so! One reason they don't want to listen to the Gospel is because they don't want to stop working. So, if us who don't speak good/any Khmer will see about pounding rocks for them while the boys share the Gospel and the Word with them! I am very excited about this outreach!! We will try to go every Friday.

I started Khmer lessons a couple of days ago, which I'm pretty excited about! It's an easy language. So, instead of saying, "I'm going to go to the market" you say, "I go market". :) I love it! Lol

Katlyn (who here for a few months who we went on the same trip last time from Bible College) and I have been helping Polly out with his English student the past couple of days and giving them their final exams to see if they can pass into Rith's English class. It's been fun.

May our Lord Jesus Christ bless you all RICHLY in His grace and peace!

Lana Salisbury

Hello family!

Yesterday, Holly, Steven, Lucky, and I took Steven's little car and went out to Prey Veng (the village the started a church a little over a year ago). Lucky taught the kids and Ti taught the adults. It was fun because Lucky asked if the kids remembered me and they did, and I told them that I missed them so much and I told all of my friends at home about them all the time! Holly made them rice pudding with protein powder, which was good because one of the kids told Steven that he was hungry and he had only had some rice that morning.

This morning I did my laundry by hand on the roof (it's so cool! lol, but I'm sure I won't like doing it later so much, lol ;).

Today I found out that Jason (from the US) is a Calvary pastor at the boy's Water of Life home. So, we went to church there where it's taught in English and translated into Khmer. (He taught on David and Goliath, and how it is good to remember that God ALWAYS destroys the Goliaths in our lives, so that when the next one appears we need to remember God's faithfulness! :)

One thing that I am in CONSTANT remember of, is how big, tall, and white I am! LOL I know that it might seem like a small thing, but it is a battle in the mind for me. I have to take thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ and know that it doesn't matter what I look like. Whenever I walk down the street (even the 2 blocks to the boy's Water of Life) I got lots of stares! :p Ha, I'd rather that wasn't the case.

Today, after our girl's Bible study here at the girl's Water of Life, Sreynigh(sp?) gave her heart to Jesus!!! :D She is the one that lives here with the baby and wanted/wants to run and leave her baby here. She didn't want to become a Christian before, but after reading the Bible and hearing the Bible studies and stuff, she has opened her heart to GOD! :D A few days ago Holly got her a Bible and wrote in it for her.

Thank you so much for all of your prayers! (The other day Rin (staff) was praying for everyone who prays and supports Water of Life, that God would just bless you all!! :)

I am enjoying myself so much here! God is so good!!!!

God bless,

Lana

The First Few Days In Cambodia

Hello everyone!

I have safely arrived in Cambodia! Things are going great! Lol I don't really know where to start though. :)

I figured that my travel time was around 24 hours. I felt like I hit a wall about 2 hours from Cambodia. I was doing quite a bit of praying at that point. I was so happy to finally land and see a few of the people here that came and picked me up at the airport about 11:30pm my time! I can honestly say, I forgot how big and white I feel in this country. ;) LOL I love them all so much!!

I'm still getting settled into the girl's Water of Life house. It is 4 stories high with a nice roof! I am rooming with Katlyn (from the Bible college who is living here for a few months), Sreyown (staff) and her sister Bee (who goes to school here in Phnom Penh). There is one woman that lives there who has a 4 month old baby (Boaz) who is sickly and she wants to bolt and leave the baby there to go take care of her sick mother. It is very dishonoring for the daughter to NOT take care of their parents when they are sick. We are praying for her salvation! That will change her whole outlook, because Christ will change her heart.

We have Bible study everyday at 10:30am. We read through one chapter (ex. today was Luke 2) and then Holly or one of us gives a little commentary on it.

Every night at 7:30 we go to the boy's Water of Life and have worship and Bible study! It's one of my favorite times! (Kinda like Thursday night Bible study! ;)

I will try to regularly update my blog, but for now, I don't have a good flow of internet service.

Thank you ALL for all of your prayers!! They are much appreciated! :)

May you embrace our Lord Jesus' peace.

Lana Salisbury