Greetings from rainy Cambodia! Thank you for your prayers and financial support. After God, you are, to a large degree, responsible for the existence of Straight Road Baptist Church of Phnom Penh.
This past April, I was able to visit India, specifically the area where my wife is from. I was there for about 10 days and was able to preach 7 times in a variety of settings. I also had the privilege of baptizing 7 people, 3 of whom were my wife’s nephews. In addition, I was able to visit the pastors we support there in the state of Andhra Pradesh and to meet personally some of their newer converts. It is always good to see visible fruit in the churches that we support. In fact, you have a part in this as well, because some of the finances you send to us are used for India! Please pray for:
• Pastor Elijah – He is in need of a compound wall due to snakes coming from the surrounding fields.
• Pastor Samuel – His two college-aged sons have ongoing health problems.
• Brother Grace John – Recently, a wonderful ministry called Teaching All Nations has expressed a desire to partner with him.
• Pastor Vijay – He is constructing a church building, as well as constructing lives for Christ.
In Cambodia, we are trying to capture the hearts of the youth in our church. Recently, we decided to start a gathering of teens for one hour on Sunday after the morning service. We teach out of the Bible about issues they are facing and will face as they grow in Christ and toward adulthood. I do not have much experience with this kind of ministry; but, thankfully, our partners, Joey and Renn Bustamante, have been encouraging us to go forward.
Please pray for the following:
• Dodo was thrilled to know his name is in the Bible. He is a hearty singer and good at Bible memorization.
• Timothy, who has taught himself to play the piano, is the fruit of Brother Joey.
• Tola has a deep and clear voice, making him my first choice for public Bible reading in church.
• Moni comes to church even when none of his friends come. He was recently stabbed by a gang of boys.
• Marco, not yet a teen, speaks English quite well and has clear basic biblical knowledge. I see him as a future translator.
• Sing, Meng Li, and Dain are still young boys, but they are entering the decision years. Our time with them is critical.
• Bot has many ideas in his mind but has not yet decided for Christ.
• Sakana is the newest of our group. He always comes excited and ready to play.
• Joseph and Jerusha, our own children, are the last to be mentioned, but not the least. They are our helpers in the church.
• Ricky is not a youth, but he works with us and has a real burden for the above-mentioned boys. He also needs a steady job.
By God’s grace, we are planning to be in the United States from mid-July to mid-October. Our last family furlough was in 2014. Our main concerns are as follows:
• Men to preach in our absence
• Renters for the house we are currently living in
• Overall wisdom in using time wisely while on furlough
Sincerely
Walter Poole and Family
-
- Pastor Vijay and the construction of his new church building
-
- Tola, one of our promising teens
-
- Reenacting Jacob’s dream–with a rock for a pillow
-
- Our children, Joshua and Jerusha
-
- The life of one of my wife’s Sunday school students