Kratie is a relatively remote province located five hours from the capital city, Phnom Penh, in the country's northeast. The province is well-known for its attractive riverside scenery; its green villages and paddies and, most of all, the endangered Irrawaddy dolphins which shelter along the Mekong River, which are the province’s main tourist attraction.
This was our second visit to Kratie following an initial visit four years ago. Our local church partner helped us to coordinate our trip, which involved holding a pastors’ seminar for 37 pastors.
The Lord Himself Builds the Team
Unfortunately, our team members, pastors Vicheat and Joshua, were unable to join us on this trip due to their family members suddenly becoming unwell and needing to go to hospital. But praise the Lord for building the remainder of us as a team who are strong enough to deliver the teaching for this seminar.
A Special Day for This Seminar
The backgrounds of the pastors are diverse; including Baptists, Anglicans, Methodists and some are from other denominations, but wecame together as one to worship the Lord with songs and prayer.
Everyone enjoyed the group discussion and it took a long time to share. One group raised challenging questions, but the pastors in the group answered them well. It was amazing that there was no rain that day, as the local pastor told us there had been heavy rain every day and the tin roof made a lot of noise which would affect the seminar. By the grace of the Lord, He set apart that day for this seminar.
Following the seminar, we distributed five of Derek’s books, namely Applying the Blood, By Grace Alone, The Grace of Yielding, Final Judgement, and Immersion in the Spirit, along with some proclamation cards, and these were very gratefully received.
Testimony from Pastor Da Moeun
I am a young pastor, 29 years old, living in Ang Krosang village. I want to share an amazing testimony of what God has done in my life. I came down with a serious case of Dengue Fever, with a very high fever for three days and three nights, and I was sent to a hospital ICU for treatment. Many people may see a pastor as always strong with a lot of faith, but sometimes I am also very weak and need people to care and pray for me. Praise the Lord; he sent pastor David to the hospital and prayed for me. After reading Derek’s book, Applying the Blood, we proclaimed that by the blood of Jesus Christ I am healed. During that time, I sensed strongly that healing was taking place in my body, and I started crying like a child. I was healed - not because of the medication - but because the Lord loves me and wants me to be healthy. Yes, our Heavenly Father loves me, and I keep telling people of His amazing love.
Testimony from Pastor Khou Ta
My small group discussed Derek Prince’s book By Grace Alone, and I want to share my testimony. I am the oldest pastor in Kratie province, and am 82 years old this year. Besides this, I am a bit deaf, but I am still very strong and healthy, and I keep serving the Lord. Many people ask me the secret of how I keep so healthy. My answer is, by the grace of Jesus alone. I don’t do many things by my own effort, as this only brings me stress, worry, and sleeplessness. Our own effort is pride, and it is a sin. I am a righteous man because of the grace of Jesus. I am healthy by the grace of Jesus. I can serve the Lord in my old age by the grace of Jesus. So, let’s trust and put our faith in Jesus, then we will experience His amazing grace in our lives.
