In Poipet

I have yet to read Rocio and Jonathan's blog entries, so I hope y'all have good discernment in picking out the truths and lies. :-)
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Sok Sabay!

We thank God for who He is and find comfort in knowing that He is always in control no matter what happens. Two of us have taken a new turn now that we're entering our third week in Cambodia. Rocio severely sprained her ankle as she joyfully took her last step down the stairs at the hotel we're staying in this morning. (Those are some huge steps, might I add.) She was in a lot of pain and turned pale and felt like throwing up after the fall. Fortunately, Dr. Kent Copeland, our host missionary in Poipet, came to pick us up about 7 minutes later and got her to the clinic to get some x-rays done. The x-rays didn't show any broken bones, praise God. He gave her a few shots to help the pain, and she is now using an air cast and crutches. (Rocio's wondering if anyone has a pair of crutches for her when she gets back to LAX, because she doesn't want to take the only pair of crutches from the Poipet clinic.) Though it was a rough morning, we are grateful that He allowed this to happen in Poipet where we have Dr. Kent who was such a comfort to Rocio while she was in pain. Matae, who works at the clinic, took excellent x-rays, and people at the hotel offered help. Rocio stuck through the pain like a trooper.

Please also remember Alain in your prayers. At about 2 P.M., he had a headache and felt feverish. He didn't have much of an appetite at dinner after a nap, and his stomach was feeling a bit queasy. The two of them are getting some rest at the hotel while Jonathan and I are sending out email updates right now.

All is in God's hands, and we continue to press on knowing that He hasn't forsaken us. The Vasquez's and Gyger's- don't worry, we will take care of each other.

Praises:- Jonathan's bruise is getting better. Kent had a look at it once we got to Poipet, and he said it's nothing major.
- My (Em) moto burn is healing beautifully. No signs of infection, it's just going to be a glorious Cambodia battle wound. :-)

The guys have been building a sorting cabinet for the clinic, and they're doing a great job. Alain has been fixing some computers, and Jonathan gave CJ, one of the Copeland kids, some guitar lessons. Rocio and I (Em) have been working at the CTC and clinic sorting through all kinds of medical equipments that were dontated by different churches/organizations/individuals. They're scheduled for a few surgeries next week, so this is the best time to get all their supplies organized. It feels just like last year sorting and organizing the storage room and clearing out the boxes of equipments. :-)

We also visited a woman in a village who has cancer on her face. She is dying, but her faith in God remains strong. She has three children and a husband, and is the one who started the Christian community in her village.

Jonathan and I visited a woman out in another village today who got bitten by a snake on her hand. The wound looked OK though. She is a strong lady taking care of six children while her husband is in jail for murder. (Refer back to the Copeland email updates for her husband's story.)

Today marks the beginning of our third week in Cambodia. We've been getting a lot more mosquito bites than last year, even with DEET. We will leave for Phnom Penh on Monday morning. If I remember correctly, it'll be a six hour taxi drive. Our highlight of the stay there will be visiting an orphanage that Sokphal works at, along with visiting the genocide musuem and debriefing with Dave Manfred, C&MA Cambodia Field Director. We are looking foward in further understanding the work at the orphanage so we can join them in prayers!

Prayer requests for God's work in Cambodia:- Baby Lisa with Dengue Fever and the family
- The lady with cancer and her family
- The lady with the snake bite and her family
- The youths that we interacted with from English Camp and Youth Conference, that they will stay faithful to our amazing King
- The Strongs, their ministry, and the churches in Battambang
- The Copelands, CTC team, & Kandi Lay (church planter)
- For our Cambodian brothers and sisters to walk by faith through persecutions and trials

Prayer requests for the team:- Rocio's stomach still feels weird at times
- Rocio and Alain's recovery
- Health and protection
- Teachable hearts to persevere and have joy through good and bad times
- Less mosquito bites

Thank you for your prayers and encouragement. We are not alone in Cambodia, we are one team. :-) Cambodia is for Christ!

Pressing on in Christ,
Rocio, Alain, Jonathan, & Em