New news from Lindsey!

Posted by Tom Welch on June 4, 2010 under News | Be the First to Comment

Hello to all,

Hope you all are doing well!

This week I was able to travel with Wendy up north to a city called Battambang.  Here, we were able to meet and encourage some friends with CAMA.  They are working with Moringa leaves and have a great ministry there with Camai people.  Hopefully, soon, they will be able to open a shop where they sell Moringa oil, powder, and capsules.  If you do not know about Moringa, you should look it up because it is quite amazing.  From simple ailments like sores to artiritis and even the AIDS virus, Moringa can be quite useful and beneficial to those who take it.

We were able to go out on Thursday with the volunteers who work with AIDS patients.  This was a really hard day, as you can imagine.  The first home we visited, the child with AIDS was at school, but there was another little boy who was very malnurished.  His mother was an alcoholic and had not been taking very good care of him.  The little boy was three years old but could not walk, could not sit up, and could not walk.  He weighed 5kilos, which is about 11 pounds. The volunteers spent a long time talking with the mother and the family trying to convince them that the baby needed to go to the French Orphanage.  The family was willing to let him go, but the mother would not allow him to leave because she can use him to get money so she can buy more alcohol.  She did consent to let him go to the doctor, but we have not heard if he made it to the orphanage yet or not. I will keep you posted as we hear news of him.  Please keep him in your prayers.  We went to two other homes where the mother had AIDS and both women got it from their deceased husbands.  This was very sad, because now some of the children are infected with the disease.  Amazingly enough, these two women are taking Moringa and are looking very healthy! The first two homes were very poor, the second home was built on the side of a wall to a military base, had a very thin wall on the otherside and a tied on roof (which had blown off the week before in a storm) and was only one room. Please keep these families in your prayers.

On a lighter note, I am going to be able to meet up with a special woman named Leakhena tomorrow.  I met Leakhena when I was in Cambodia four years ago and we have kept in contact with each other since then.  She has told me that she’s prayed all the time that I would come back to Cambodia.  Now I am back! And I am so excited to see her again! Please pray that I would be able to encourage Leakhena and that God would bless our meeting tomorrow :)

The people here are much different than in the states, as you can imagine.  The first question they ask after they meet you is “how old are you?”  They usually think I am about 16-18 area and cannot believe that I am 22! Then they want to know if I wear colored contacts because of my blue eyes and then they cannot imagine that I can see both far and near without wearing contacts or glasses.

Wendy and I got back to RDI (outside Phnom Penh) tonight after riding all day in a taxi from Battambang.  Not too sure what next week holds, I may get the chance to go out into some villages and tag a long with the team that teaches in the schools or I may be painting silver on the water filtration pots.  Flexibility is key here :)

It has been great hearing from some of you! Thanks for your e-mails. I really appreciate them.  I know it has only been a little over a week since I left, but it feels like much longer than that because of how different everything is here.

Love you all and praying for you,

the traveler,

Lindsey

Deal or No Deal?

Posted by Tom Welch on June 3, 2010 under News | Be the First to Comment

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Thursday, June 3, 2010

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::truth::

 

Deal or No Deal?  Okay, a name for a TV show (anybody remember Howie Mandel with big hair?), but also a way of describing ways we try to reconcile with God.

 

Deal: I bring a bargaining chip to offer God in return for his acceptance of me: a life devoid of “big sins” (bank robbing, murder, etc…), regular religious practices, being a “nice person”, promising to try harder, playing the sympathy card with my abusive past, tearful repentance, etc…

 

The younger brother in Luke 15 tried to bring his father a “deal”; “Treat me as one of your hired servants”, he said. Even after Plan A had failed (“party boy”), and Plan B had failed (“Swineherd”), he still wanted to bring something in his hand to offer his father. He was trying to make a deal.

 

Yes, he was truly repentant. But be careful here. Some view repentance as a meritorious act that unlocks God’s favor, something we bring to offer God.

 

But the father will have none of this.

 

No Deal: Before the son has a chance to say anything the father runs to him, embraces him, and covers him with kisses. And before the son has a chance to bring his “chip” to the table, the father says; “Bring the best robe, the ring, and sandals too!”  Why?

 

Because the Father will allow nothing but His free grace at the table. Our reconciliation with God must cost us nothing, but must cost Him everything. At the cross all our “chips” fall to the ground in light of our overwhelming sin and His overwhelming grace. The Father will not “deal”! He will only freely love.

 

So, what are you trying to bring to the table? What deals are you making with God?*

 

Take the words of the hymn writer to heart”

“Nothing in my hands I bring

Only to the cross I cling”

 

The Father’s “No Deal” is better than any “Deal” you can imagine!

 

The well wisher of your soul’s happiness,

Pastor Tom

 

*you can find out by what you get mad about when the deal doesn’t go your way!

 

::prayer::

 

Christine D.:  My Dad has been diagnosed with Diabetes Type 2.  Pray he will eat correctly to control it.  Also my Grandma broke her wrist last night and is having surgery sometime this week.  My Aunt’s mother-in-law is also having surgery to remove ear cancer on June 7th.

 

Anon.:  Please open doors for my brother.  My father had skin cancer removed so pray they got it all.

 

John D.:  Pray for those in Louisiana losing their livelihood due to the oil spill.  Pray that the terrible oil spill will not drastically alter the Gulf of Mexico. 

 

Carolyn:  Pray for these people in Cape Town:  Phillip- Angolan refugee in the streets and victim of land mines.  Ask for God’s provision, protection and salvation.  Derek – homeless- pray for salvation and hope.  Mpho – to know Jesus.

 

Jim P.:  Please remember Lindsey, Wendy and Milt.  Praise God for answers to prayer in Lindsey’s situation.

 

Julie V.:  Please pray for Tatiana – she is having frequent headaches.  Nothing to do with her eyes.

 

Nancy:  Please continue to pray for strength, protection, empowerment and wisdom for our family’s needs.  Janna – employment in her field.  James- takes the SAT Saturday morning.  Garage sale – to raise enough money to send Stephen to camp.

 

::community::

 

Garage Sale for Summer Camp: Clean house and donated your sellable items to our Lake Swan Camp youth fund raiser (okay – so only one youth could go this year: mine! Still, it’s a church ministry offered to all!). Bring your items to the Welch’s before the garage sale on Saturday, June 5th.

 

Matthew’s Hope Homeless Dinner: On Tuesday, June 22, we will be having dinner with the homeless at Matthew’s Hope. We need “worker-bees”, meal planners, chefs, and relationship builders. Please plan to participate and thanks for your response!

 

Family Fun Night at the YMCA: This summer we will be hosting a series of family fun night activities for the community at the Roper YMCA Family Center. We kick it off on Saturday, June 12 at 5:30 PM with a family movie night complete with hotdogs and popcorn!  Fun ‘n Games night will be Saturday, July 10th and a poolside “Dive-in Movie” will be August 21st.  If you can help plan or be a “worker-bee” please let us know!

 

Sunday, May 30th         

·      Set–up: Jim Phillips

·      Nursery: Julie Violini

·      Snacks: John Dishinger

·      Prayer: Milt Monell

 

::mission::

 

Be Spiritual:  As you talk to people and get to know them, offer to pray for them. Prayer is a non-threatening way to begin spiritual ministry with someone. And prayer is a great way to show that you really care. Most of the time we operate by “out of sight – out of mind”. But prayer shows we are thinking of people. Even when they are not around! Care!

 

Tim & Penny Iverson (Taiwan) – Pray for the contacts and ministry opportunities that the Iverson’s have had.  Pray for their safety in travels, as they will be departing in a few weeks for home assignment.

 

Wendy Andrew & Lindsey Phillips (Cambodia) – Pray for Wendy’s and Lindsey’s health and safety.  Pray that when they show the love of God to all they meet that they will recognize something different in them and want it for themselves.

 

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Deal or No Deal

Posted by Tom Welch on under News | Be the First to Comment

::truth::

Deal or No Deal? Okay, a name for a TV show (anybody remember Howie Mandel with big hair?), but also a way of describing ways we try to reconcile with God.

Read more of this article »

News from Cambodia

Posted by Tom Welch on May 29, 2010 under News | Be the First to Comment

Sok Sabaay!

(That means hello!)

Hope this e-mail finds you all well.  The morning after I arrived (Thursday) I traveled out, along with Wendy, to another village.  We got on a ferry to cross the river and then had to drive through the rice pattys and very, very bumpy roads to get to this little village, which in English, is called, the Bamboo Creek.  At this village, we met another team from TN which has been here working on a water tank for the last week. It was great to meet some more people and see the work they had been doing.

This village was very remote.  The RDI team and the team from TN had been going to schools and to other villages close by, doing arsenic testing, and teaching about hygene and clean water.  They passed out lice soap and other things like that.  On Friday, I got to go to two different villages and help with the presentations.  At villages, the RDI team shows short videos, which are kind of like music videos and some karaoke,  which teach about clean water, hygene, etc… After the videos, people ask questions and then we got to play games with the kids and tell them a story.  At the first village, we told them the stories of David and Goliath and Jonah and the big fish.

I had the amazing opportunity to tell the story of Jonah and the big fish at both villages, through an interpreter.  We had two of the boys from the team act it out, and the kids loved that! We were able to tell them about God and that He wants us to obey Him.  I had so many questions in my mind during this time about the people, their beliefs, and how to best love them.  It was awesome that we could both tell them about God and then also provide for some of their physical needs, by making them aware of the water they were drinking and how that could change and by passing out lice soap.

I will spare you some of the details about where we were staying, eating, and bathing, but let me asure you, that it was a little rustic.  And I loved it! :)   The villages consist of a wat (a Buddhist temple) and then a main dirt road, where all the houses are, and as far as I can tell there is farming land surrounding it.  A river ran near the place where we were, which is where the people, cows, and everything bathe and get their drinking water (and sometimes use the restroom!- an interesting story goes along with that!). The houses are on tall stilks, some of which are concrete, because during the rainy season it floods a lot.  Rice is the main meal here, most of the time accompanied with some sort of meat.  In the village, they eat raw clams…which smell :( and they snack on sugar cane.

I am back at RDI for the next two nights and then it is off on an adventure with Wendy to Battambang on Monday morning, where we will spend the next five days.

Again, thank you for your prayers! If you have any questions, please e-mail me back and I will try to answer or give more specifics about what all is going on here.

Love you all!

Lindsey

the good stuff…

Posted by Tom Welch on May 26, 2010 under News | Be the First to Comment

::truth::

The Father’s Heart

As we have been looking at the parable of the prodigal sons in Luke 15, one thing we must notice is the father’s heart for his lost boys.  One is lost in his rebellion; one is lost in his religion. One is lost in his immorality; the other is lost in his morality. But neither is entering the father’s joy.

I can see these brothers pointing fingers at each other. I can hear the younger saying, “You religious hypocrite with your self-righteous judgementalism, you are far worse than I am. At least I am authentic and true to myself”.

The elder brother would respond, “You selfish little (fill in the blank), you waltz out of here shirking your responsibilities, blowing all your opportunities, and now you come slinking back, the lizard you are, hoping Dad will bail you out. Get a job and a life!”

Read more of this article »

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