Our 1st 8 days in Cambodia

Hello from Cambodia. I hope this e-mail finds you all doing well. We are doing great here! God has been so good to us already, and we have a lot to praise Him for – safe travels, health, protected luggage, blessed reunions with family and friends, opportunities for ministry, etc. I even want to acknowledge that every time I have desperately needed a toilet, God has provided! Titus had an angry stomach for two days, but we have both been well! Titus and I have committed today to prepare for the retreat this weekend and I want to take a little time to update you on our trip and share with you what has happened already.

On our 1st and 2nd full days in Cambodia, we visited Titus’ immediate family. During my last trip in 2010, I met his mom and two brothers. Last Wednesday, I met the remaining three brothers, two nephews, and sister-in-law. Everyone was very shy, but still very friendly. We brought remote-controlled cars for the nephews and that provided much entertainment, as well as simply “catching up” on life and all that has happened in the last year of our life theirs. Before lunch, I went to the market with Ma and Chamnang. With no system of refrigeration, it is a daily chore to go to the market for the day’s groceries. Although my Khmer is still limited, I was able to point to some foods and say, “We eat a lot of this in America” as well as a few other phrases. I could tell this really made them happy. Back at the house, I watched the nephews play and listened to Titus interact with his brothers, trying to memorize their faces, voices, and smiles. It really was a great time. Praise the Lord, Titus’ family accepted the invitation to attend the retreat the beach. Though there will not be a message of salvation preached (the purpose of the retreat is spiritual renewal for the pastors and their wives,) we pray that their hearts will still be touched by the messages and fellowship, and that they will acknowledge the truth and recognize a need for God in their lives. Thank you for joining us in prayer!

On our first Sunday in Cambodia, we traveled two hours to Takao province to join our dear friend Pastor Poleak and his family and their church. On Saturday, we enjoyed fellowship under shade trees in his background – chickens and dogs zig-zagging between our feet and underneath our backs in the hammocks.  On Sunday we had two services and visited church members in the afternoon, praying over them and evangelizing their families. I shared the story of Joseph with the children in Sunday School, emphasizing that God has good plans for their lives; during the evening service, Titus preached and I shared a testimony of God’s goodness and faithfulness.

On Tuesday, we shared our testimonies at New Generation Church, a house church in Phnom Penh.  In this house, ~20 girls (university and early adults) live, paying the Church only $5-10/month for rent. Half were Christians before moving into the house; all are now Christians. We hope to return to NGC for Bible studies 2 more times before our trip is over.

In two days, I read “First They Killed My Father,” a memoir written by a Cambodian woman who survived the Khmer Rouge when she was 5-years-old.  If you do not know what the Khmer Rouge is, please research it.  It was a powerful, gripping, and tragic story. I now look at the Cambodian people – especially the young and the old – with new eyes.

“From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” Luke 12:48

• Please continue to pray for our health and safety, especially as we travel.
• Please pray for safety for the pastors as they travel to Phnom Penh, where they will ride together to the retreat 3.5 hours away.
• Please pray that the pastors and their wives will be both uplifted and renewed during the retreat January 12-14.
• Pray that God will speak through Titus and I and that He will bless the messages He has led us to prepare.
• Pray that the heart’s of Titus’ family will be touched in a powerful and undeniably-God way.
• Pray that Titus and I will have strength everyday, so as to take advantage of every moment with every person during our remaining days here.

With a passion to see God glorified in Cambodia,

Titus & Jewel Romdenh

An Abandoned Blog, but Not an Abandoned Mission

Friends, Family, and Supporters,

     Much has happened since that last time I officially wrote to you all. Some of you have been a part of our life’s most recent happenings, others of you may be wondering where in the world we are and what we are doing. We have decided to pursue American citizenship. This will allow Titus to freely leave and enter the United States without hassle; it removes the threat of being denied a visa to enter the United States; it waves all further increasing visa/paperwork fees; etc. Obtaining citizenship is a long (~3-5 years!) and expensive process, and the decision has been very difficult to make; however, God has been speaking to our hearts, reminding us (I especially need this reminder!) that "…my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Yes, there are still days when I yearn for 'peace which passeth all understanding (Philippians 4:7,) but I rest in Him and listen to my husband’s confident/encouraging word. I do not know what the next 3-5 years will look like. I just know that right now we are waiting, preparing, training, and seeking.

     Through prayer and fundraising efforts, we continue to be distant partners in the ministry in Cambodia that Titus started before he came to America in October. We wish that we could do more; we wish that we could be there now. Romans 10:14 says, "How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?" We are happy to announce that the University Students Fellowship has received funding to rent a house and open a girls’ dorm. More than four students have gotten saved and are being discipled, and the leaders are currently preparing for a Valentine’s outreach this Sunday, at which they will talk about God’s love. Our prayer is that God will continue to bless the ministry that our friends are carrying on in Cambodia, and that He will continue to teach and strengthen us to do His work, wherever we are.
     February is ‘Missions Month’ at our church and we have already enjoyed hearing two powerful missionary testimonies. In a January preview to Missions Month, Pastor Bob preached a sermon entitled ‘Missional Living’ - a lifestyle of adopting the posture, thinking, behaviors, and practices of a missionary in order to engage others with the Gospel message. I had been thinking about this very idea for weeks prior to Pastor Bob’s sermon, and I have felt much conviction. I have a heart for the world – for international missions – but I am embarrassed to admit that I’m a little uncomfortable trying to find my place being a missionary at home. I ask you to join us in prayer that God will direct us, opening our eyes to opportunities to share His love and to evangelize, and especially strengthening us to be obedient. We are grateful for His conviction… and His patience. :)
“No one can say: ‘Since I’m not called to be a missionary, I do not have to evangelize my friends and neighbors.’ There is no difference, in spiritual terms, between a missionary witnessing in his home town and a missionary witnessing in Katmandu, Nepal. We are all called to go—even if it is only to the next room, or the next block.”
(On Being a Missionary by Thomas Hale     Other highlights from life together in America thus far:

On October 29th, Titus and I stood in front of God and almost 300 witnesses to commit our lives to each other and our marriage to Him. We were blessed to have a wonderful wedding party of family and friends who traveled from New York, Maryland, Kentucky, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Texas to support us. To those of you who were able to come, thank you again so much for celebrating with us. It was a beautiful day – one that I have recollected many, many times – that was enhanced by the presence of friends and family who love us and have invested in our lives. Although no members from Titus’ family were able to attend, we were blessed by the presence of Cambodian friends, ministry partners, former and present missionaries to Cambodia, and others who represent a love for/knowledge of Cambodia.
     Since Titus arrived in America four months ago, he has grown to love my family and my family has grown to love him. It is a blessing to me that – although the adjustment to food, weather, church, language, streets, customs, etc. have been very, very challenging and uncomfortable – He has genuinely found himself “at home” with my family. Many and sincere THANKS are due to our family and friends who have reached out to him and tried to welcome him to America and into their lives. Thank you also to those who have given furniture, kitchenware, and other household items to help make our little block apartment our home.
     After five months of working 50+ hours/week at three jobs (Cracker Barrel, Lakeview Christian Pre-School, and “janitoring” at Brookhaven,) the Lord has blessed me with a full-time position in the School of Business and Leadership at Indiana Wesleyan University – a job with health insurance, a more-than-sufficient salary, paid vacation days, free tuition, and more. Titus and I both plan on taking advantage of the blessing of FREE TUITION, and while Titus is still praying about which direction to take, I am already looking forward to starting Biblical Literature classes this summer.


     In conclusion, I want to ask for your prayers for two requests that have been on my heart. First: Last week, our friend Soklai– a faithful member of one of the Wesleyan churches in Cambodia’s capital city – died suddenly and unexpectedly. When he died, Soklai was sitting in a chair, playing with his young daughter. Second: My sister and her Filipino fiancé have begun the process of applying for a fiancé visa to America. Titus and I saw God move big mountains during our application period, and I pray that Jessie and Aldean’s testimony will be the same: that their faith will increase.
     As always, thank you. Thank you for reading, for supporting, for praying, for loving, and for giving. We pray that this message finds you happy, healthy, and strong in the Lord.

Serving Him,
Titus & Jewel

Two More Reasons WHY

Contemplating and meditating on these two verses today:

"If you want to think one year ahead, plant rice.

If you want to think 10 years ahead, plant trees. 

But if you want to think 100 years ahead, give education to people."

[Ancient Chinese Proverb]

"How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in?

And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?

And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?"

[Romans 10:14 NIV]

Love love love,
Jewel

Cambodian Pastors

I am reposting this note to request prayer for the Cambodian pastors.  The Church is strong, and where the Church is strong, Satan fights. Please keep the Cambodian pastors in your prayers. There are presently 35 pastors -- both male and female -- in the Wesleyan Church of Cambodia.  In the last few weeks, much has happened in the Church, and the pastors need much prayer and encouragement.

Pastors cannot win the battle alone; they need committed intercessors to lift them up in fervent, specific prayer. I believe that the power of God will be released when we begin to faithfully pray for our pastors. Pastors are human—they face the same challenges that their people do, with some additional ones! They grow tired in ministry, are tempted to sin, and may find it difficult to balance their many roles and responsibilities.

Here are just a few ways to pray for the pastors in Cambodia:

• An intimate knowledge of God
• Faithfulness to spend time reading God's Word daily, and for insight into Scripture and an understanding of how it applies to Cambodians today
• That he would preach with clarity, power and boldness, and that his preaching would be anointed and empowered by the Holy Spirit
• Protection from the work of Satan and victory over temptation
• To keep a soft heart in the face of abrasive and abusive people; Buddhist families often deny relatives (even children and siblings) when they become Christians, especially pastors.
• A successful ministry - however God defines it in his life - and that people would be won to the Lord through his life, ministry, and preaching
• Boldness to speak the truth, and grace to speak it will humility
• That he would persevere through whatever trial he is facing
• That his children will grow up with a positive impression of church ministry
• That he would remain pure and that his love for his wife would increase daily
• Physical and mental strength, and opportunities to relax
• To live according to God's direction and worthy of his calling as a shepherd of God's people

Pastor Titus and Pastor Greg


Pastor Paroath and Pastor Poleak


Pastor Sopheak and Pastor Sithat


Pastor Kieth, and Pastora Socheata and Pastor Rotha


Pastor Sothkan and Rev. Kimsan, and Pastor Banyen

and many others.

Anticipated Future Ministry [pt. 1] - Re-posted

I am re-posting this entry from October because it is worth re-visiting, even for me.

Do you know that feeling you get when you're waiting in line for your favorite roller coaster? It's nervous excitement. The wait feels like an eternity and I'm so anxious to take the plunge, but the closer I get, the more nervous I become. However, only an act of God will get me out of line.

God has given me a great passion and many big dreams for reaching and for sharing His love with the people of Cambodia. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed when I have such big visions, because I do not always feel strong, but I am drawing my strength from God and from others there. Anyways, I cannot fully explain how excited I am for this ministry... but please stick with me as I try to organize my thoughts and feelings into words.

Dream #1) -- Cambodian Youth for Christ

I have a passion to reach young people, through working with the local Wesleyan churches to raise up lifelong followers of Jesus who exemplify godliness in their lifestyles, devotion to the Word of God and prayer, passion for sharing the love of Christ, and commitment to social involvement. I want to create a safe place where youth and students can come after school, spend their freetime, and be introduced to Christ. I feel my heart drawn towards the youth who are shackled by the chains of Buddhism. I want to open the Bible with them, to sing praises with them, and to learn and grow with them. I want to speak truth into their lives, to show them God's love, and to introduce a new way of living, a way from very differnt from their families and their traditional culture. Youth are at an age where they can be so easily influence, and also rather strong influencers. Ideally, the center will offer English classes, and eventually computer access and music lessons.

Here are pictures from a recent university students fellowship at the home of missionaries Greg and Resie Fernandez:

Love love love, Jewel

Friends, Family, and Everyone,

While some of the reasons drawing me back to Cambodia are personal, I am going with a new sense of urgency that “The night is nearly over; the day is almost here” (Romans 13:12a). Christ is coming back and only 1.3% of Cambodia’s population (15,050,000) knows Christ as Lord and Savior. I feel blessed to have the exciting opportunity to visit Cambodia during the Christmas holiday and to visit a number of churches for their Christmas services. There are approximately thirty Wesleyan churches in Cambodia, averaging twenty members each. Some congregations gather under stilted homes or in small shacks with wicker floors, other congregations are blessed with sanctuaries – with or without windows, with or without chairs, without or without anything more than their voices to make music. Whatever the circumstance, many of the churches will see an attendance multiplied three or four or ten times for the Christmas service. In the province of Kratie, regular attendance includes twenty to twenty-five youth and two to three older women. For Christmas, the youth will bring their parents and their siblings; the women will bring their husbands and children, and even invite their neighbors – some have never before heard of Message of Christ and His birth. So you can see that this is a critical time for reaching Cambodia with the Good News of Christ.

Please pray that in these services there will be a powerful testimony of God’s love and the joy of salvation. Please pray that the Gospel message will be presented in a way that captures unbelieving hearts. Please pray that the focus will not be on parties, gifts, or even gathering together, but on the humble birth of Christ and the significance of that. Also, please pray for safe flights, easy transitions through various airports, protection of my luggage, and safety on the road between the provinces. Finally, please pray that I will have wisdom, discernment, and guidance as I seek God’s will, discuss options, and begin preparations for moving to Cambodia long-term.

For those who like to pray while things are happening, I am leaving Indianapolis at 1:30 Tuesday afternoon (December 21st.) I have a short layover in Cleveland before a five-hour flight to Los Angeles, where I have a short layover before my 15 ½-hour flight to Guangzhou, China. I am in China almost six hours before my last 2 ½-hour flight to China. After thirty-six hours of travel, I should arrive in Phnom Penh, Cambodia around 1:50pm on Thursday (1:50am on Thursday in Indiana.) I leave Cambodia on January 12th and will arrive in Indianapolis on January 13th.

Any blog comments, emails, or facebook messages of prayer and encouragement will be cherished. For those of you who responded to my “SOS” for prayer while I was in Mozambique this summer, thank you again. You will never know the impact that those messages had, especially during a week that was incredibly difficult. Again, thank you in advance for your prayers!

Love love love, Jewel

Prayer for Pastors

Please keep the Cambodian pastors in your prayers. There are presently 35 pastors -- both male and female -- in the Wesleyan Church of Cambodia.

Pastors cannot win the battle alone; they need committed intercessors to lift them up in fervent, specific prayer. I believe that the power of God will be released when we begin to faithfully pray for our pastors. Pastors are human—they face the same challenges that their people do, with some additional ones! They grow tired in ministry, are tempted to sin, and may find it difficult to balance their many roles and responsibilities.

Here are just a few ways to pray for the pastors in Cambodia:

• An intimate knowledge of God
• Faithfulness to spend time reading God's Word daily, and for insight into Scripture and an understanding of how it applies to Cambodians today
• That he would preach with clarity, power and boldness, and that his preaching would be anointed and empowered by the Holy Spirit
• Protection from the work of Satan and victory over temptation
• To keep a soft heart in the face of abrasive and abusive people; Buddhist families often deny relatives (even children and siblings) when they become Christians, especially pastors.
• A successful ministry - however God defines it in his life - and that people would be won to the Lord through his life, ministry, and preaching
• Boldness to speak the truth, and grace to speak it will humility
• That he would persevere through whatever trial he is facing
• That his children will grow up with a positive impression of church ministry
• That he would remain pure and that his love for his wife would increase daily
• Physical and mental strength, and opportunities to relax
• To live according to God's direction and worthy of his calling as a shepherd of God's people

Pastor Titus and Pastor Greg


Pastor Paroath and Pastor Poleak


Pastor Sopheak and Pastor Sithat


Pastor Kieth, and Pastora Socheata and Pastor Rotha


Pastor Sothkan and Rev. Kimsan, and Pastor Banyen

Teaching English

If I spent my entire life teaching English, I would be happy. I enjoy it so much. My students across Cambodia and in Mozambique have always been so eager to learn.

I am by no means well-trained in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages,) but I am well-experienced and I have found a variety of techniques that are very fun and effective! Last summer I collected a large variety of small toys that I used to teach colors, animals, foods, etc. My bff Loren made awesome alphabet cards and my students really enjoyed moving around to arrange themselves in order, and especially enjoyed the foam alphabet puzzles that I found at the Dollar Store.






I equally enjoy especially enjoy teaching the more advanced students. I have taught a variety of grammar concepts, and vocabulary. I have even used children's stories and other stories to practice comprehension. Stories are also a good way to introduce Scripture and Biblical teaching. When I read stories with my students at the World Hope school in Kratie last summer, one student always asked: "What does this teach us about how to behave?" and that would lead into Biblical teaching.

Anything that you would learn in Spanish or French or German class, we employ in TESOL. When I have available free time, I Google ideas, techniques, and resources. I enjoy teaching English very much, and it really is an effective ministry opportunity because relationships can be built easily in the classroom, especially when students are so eager to learn. In fact, many churches and ministry centers are planted in Cambodia (and in other countries) through establishing English classes, which is why the WBI and Bible College of Xai Xai require students to study English.

Love love love, Jewel

Anticipated Future Ministry [pt. 2]

Pastor Poleak, his wife, and twin boys: Peter & Paul

In addition to youth ministry [read HERE,] I want to work alongside the pastors and their families to establish some sustainable income generation projects. The Wesleyan Church in America recently withdrew all their financial support of the Wesleyan Church in Cambodia, leaving most of the pastors without an income. I do not know the reasoning for the Church to withdraw support, except an assumption that the Church in Cambodia is ready to stand on its own without outside support. Despite the very difficult situation of having no income, the 35 pastors are still very faithful to God and are encouraged nonetheless.

Pastor Arun and Pastora Chariya, with sons Ruben and Rodan

Even without their great responsibilities of time and energy to the church, economic opportunities are limited, especially in the country-side provinces. I want to use my training and education in International and Community Development to assist the pastors and their families in creating sustainable projects to generate an income to support their families without withdrawing from their support of the church. In the lush, country-side provinces, I hope to train the pastors to garden; fruits and vegetables can either be sold to purchase other necessities, or consumed by the family. Chickens can also be raised for their meat, and their eggs sold for profit. Other options are training the women to sew, or opening small stores for odds and ends.

Rev. Kung Kimsan and family

Many years from now, I would like to see a cafe established and operated by the pastors' wives and/or daughters. The cafe could target Westerners and offer cheesecake, blueberry muffins, chicken salad sandwiches, grilled cheese and etc. A corner of the cafe could highlight handmade goods - i.e. jewelry, journals, greeting cards, etc. - crafted by the pastors, their families, or church members. I know that is a big dream, but we'll see what God does!

Pastor Kimsua and family

Love love love, Jewel

Anticipated Future Ministry [pt. 1]

Do you know that feeling you get when you're waiting in line for your favorite roller coaster? It's nervous excitement. The wait feels like an eternity and I'm so anxious to take the plunge, but the closer I get, the more nervous I become. However, only an act of God will get me out of line.

God has given me a great passion and many big dreams for reaching and for sharing His love with the people of Cambodia. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed when I have such big visions, because I do not always feel strong, but I am drawing my strength from God and from others there. Anyways, I cannot fully explain how excited I am for this ministry... but please stick with me as I try to organize my thoughts and feelings into words.

Dream #1) -- Cambodian Youth for Christ

I have a passion to reach young people, through working with the local Wesleyan churches to raise up lifelong followers of Jesus who exemplify godliness in their lifestyles, devotion to the Word of God and prayer, passion for sharing the love of Christ, and commitment to social involvement. I want to create a safe place where youth and students can come after school, spend their freetime, and be introduced to Christ. I feel my heart drawn towards the youth who are shackled by the chains of Buddhism. I want to open the Bible with them, to sing praises with them, and to learn and grow with them. I want to speak truth into their lives, to show them God's love, and to introduce a new way of living, a way from very differnt from their families and their traditional culture. Youth are at an age where they can be so easily influence, and also rather strong influencers. Ideally, the center will offer English classes, and eventually computer access and music lessons.

Here are pictures from a recent university students fellowship at the home of missionaries Greg and Resie Fernandez:

Love love love, Jewel