Romdenh House Jewelry

If interested in purchasing anything below, please e-mail jewelincambodia (at) yahoo.com or leave a comment in the comments section below. Thanks!

The funds raised from the sale of these Cambodian souvenirs will help us continue to support 1 of our pastors in Cambodia with a monthly income, as well Titus' family and other special ministry projects in Cambodia, such as:
♥$30 will buy approximately a month's supply of rice for a small family
♥Quarterly training seminars for the pastors (averaging $500 to cover the entire event, including transportation and food)
♥A bicycle for Titus' brother so he doesn't need to pay for a ride to/from work
♥Tuition and uniforms for our nephews, Chamroat (age 7) and Reaksmey (age 5), to start school for the first time



55lbs bags of rice purchased for 6 families during our January 2013 trip
There will be a couple of opportunities within the next few weeks-months to get more items from Cambodia, so if you are interested in something that has already been sold and you are willing to wait [until perhaps April,] let me know and I'll get one for you. ♥

Thank you for your support! Your dollars go a long way in Cambodia! ♥


Chunky stone bracelets $9/each ~ Still available in Yellow, White, Red, and Lime Green


Long chain of wooden beads $8/each ~ Available in pink, purple, blue, multi-colored, orange, and green


Unique dangle earrings $7/each
Bottom left pair sold; all other pairs still available


Stone elephant necklaces $6/each ~ Available in turquoise, yellow, and purple
The length of the necklace is adjustable.


Elegant stone bracelets $6(thin) and $7(thick)/each


Colorful anklets $3/each

If interested in purchasing anything below, please e-mail jewelincambodia (at) yahoo.com or leave a comment in the comments section below. Thanks!

With a passion to see
Christ glorified in Cambodia,
Jewel

White Robes and Heavenly Culture

February is Missions Month at Brookhaven. As long as I can remember, February has always been Missions Month! I love it! During high school especially, February was a very formative month in affirming my call to missions, and in expanding my heart for all nations and cultures. This year, our theme verse has been Revelation 7:9
“After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language [my favorite part!,] standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.”
Yesterday morning, as our congregation was reading the verse collectively and aloud, a beautiful illustration developed in my mind. It was a picture of a small gathering – friends from Mexico, Ecuador, Cambodia, Mozambique, Uganda, etc. – dressed colorfully in their appropriate cultural attire, worship Him. It was a beautiful depiction of not only God’s creativity, but of how God is Savior and Father of all mankind!


Then, as our reading continued, we reached this:
“They were wearing white robes…”and I paused. White robes? We’ll ALL be in WHITE ROBES?? And I realized… it won’t be about who we are and where we’ve come from, but about HIM! Our culture will be Heavenly when we are united in His return! I can’t even imagine what a day of rejoicing it will be!

With a passion to see
Christ glorified in Cambodia,
Jewel

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

Romdenhs in America: December Update and Specific Prayer Requests for Upcoming Trip

Help me choose our new prayer card(s)!

Please help me choose our new prayer card (or cards, if I decide that I can't choose just 1). I do have my 1 or 2 favorites, but I'd like some opinions!

#1:

#2:

#3

#4

Pregnant!!

Pregnant!!!! No.. not us. :) Our best friends in Cambodia are pregnant!!!  Tess is due June 13, 2013.  So excited for them!!!!!  Wishing we could be there in June... glad we can go in January!

Romdenhs' November Update

Friends, Family, and Faithful Supporters,

We have great news! Aldean got his visa!!!! Titus and I are praising the Lord for His gift of grace to Jessie & Aldean and we trust that He will be glorified in their testimonies! I remember very well the day that I received news from Titus that he passed the interview; and a week later, when the visa was stamped into his passport. Titus and I are especially happy for Jessie & Aldean because we know personally how relieving and overwhelming and GREAT that piece of news is! Aldean is scheduled to arrive in Indiana from the Philippines on November 17 and the wedding is two weeks later on December 1. We’re excited to meet the guy we’ve heard so much about, and anxious to see how a third culture blends into our family!

In other news, two days ago, Titus and I purchased round-trip tickets to Cambodia. We’ll be leaving a few days after Christmas and staying for three weeks. Our primary ministry will be an encouragement to the pastors and the churches, which have experienced some hard transitions and challenges since Titus’ departure in October 2011. Our plans include coordinating a pastors and wives’ retreat - a time to get away, to get together, and to rejuvenate their bodies while rekindling their passions [at the beach!] We are almost half-way to our goal of raising $1,600, which will allow 30 pastor’s families to attend at no cost to them.

On October 29th, we celebrated our one-year-anniversary. On the 26th, Titus and I flew to Baltimore, Maryland to spend 5 days with friends. As you know, Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast on October 29th. Although our friends’ home retained power and had no significant damage, the whole experience will be a long-lasting first anniversary memory! The wind was unlike anything that I have ever heard or felt before and we are very grateful for the protection over our friends’ home!! We had lots of fun before the storm hit! On Friday, we enjoyed exploring Baltimore City and visiting the National Aquarium. On Saturday, we explored Washington D.C. I really enjoyed getting to know the Long family and it was so good for Titus to be able to spend time with a friend from Cambodia! How we value and cherish our relationships with friends who understand cross-cultural marriage!

 As always, thank you. Thank you for reading, for supporting, for praying, for loving, and for giving. The knowledge that you are simply behind us gives us confidence to pursue God’s will and the visions that He has given us.

Serving Him,

Jewel & Titus

The TOEFL

Please pray for Titus as he is preparing to take the TOEFL test tomorrow. The TOEFL test is a requirement for him, as a speaker of English as a second language, to begin taking classes at Indiana Wesleyan University. It will evaluate his listening, reading, speaking and writing skills in English. The test will begin at 9:00am and the estimated length is 4 long hours. We’re really coveting your prayers for the test – as this is very important for Titus and he is pretty nervous. Please pray for: clarity, confidence, and concentration. We will receive his results two weeks after the test.  The waiting game never ends!

Serving Him,

Jewel & Titus

She's making me homesick...

My new friend Megan (more on her SOON!) just returned from her first trip to Cambodia and looking at her 294 pictures on Facebook made me so homesick for Cambodia!  Here are a few that made me the most homesick:




A beautiful Bible school


The view of from from inside a tuk tuk; and a tuk tuk


Just sitting outside, waiting for another customer


Roasted pig, anyone??


So many memories made just like this one!


Warm and happy people


The simple life!


Roll out the mats, and it's a bed; roll up the mats, and it's a sitting-area AND a table!


Did I ever think this would be my life??


The country-side


Feasting


Cows living under a stilt home

We cannot cannot CANNOT wait to visit in January!!

Serving Him,
Titus & Jewel

The Romdenhs in America: May 2012

Friends, Family, and Supporters,

Titus received his Green Card! (And yes, it is green!) We are praising the Lord!! He is now a permanent resident (at least until his status expires in 2 years!) The process/journey of applying for a fiancé visa, [Titus] transitioning to the USA, applying for a Green Card, interviews, appointments, documentation, etc. has been a CHALLENGING experience. It has, at times, tested our faith, and brought us to our knees in exhaustion; but through it all, we have seen the Lord MOVE MOUNTAINS and we can stand today and testify to His FAITHFULNESS and His GOODNESS! When Titus was still in Cambodia, every time (3 or 4 times) that we needed to exchange paperwork, there was someone (short-term teams or missionaries) going to and/or from Cambodia/USA at just the right time. This saved us 100’s of dollars, and much time and frustration. The same week that we submitted his Green Card application, I started a full-time, well-paying, job with benefits! The Lord is in the details, and we are so immensely THANKFUL for that! His blessings are new every morning. Praise Him!!

With his Green Card, Titus will be allowed to re-enter the United States. That means… we’re planning a trip to Cambodia! Titus and I have already been talking about how we would LOVE to see his family accept Christ while we are there!! Please, please, please join us in praying for the salvation of his parents, brothers, cousins, and every member of his family! While our time in Cambodia will be short and busy, we plan to commit much of our time and energy sharing God’s Love and Good News with the Hem and Romdenh families.

We do not have dates yet, but I am already raising funds for our next trip. Right now, I have lots of unique and beautiful Cambodian souvenirs (jewelry, wallets, hair accessories, & scarves) for sale, as well as some things that I have hand-made (journals, flower magnets, headbands.) If you are interested in purchasing any of these, browse my previous posts or look on my Facebook (facebook.com/jewelromdenh). Thanks to those who have already supported us in this way!

The Lord has been opening doors [and surprising us!] with opportunities to share our story with 3 other Cambodian-American couples who are also pursuing visas of some kind. One of the couples – Amy and Thanak – found my blog while searching the embassy and visa requirements on the internet. If that alone isn’t surprising – Amy lives less than 40 miles from us! The Lord works in mysterious ways. I never thought that the Lord would be using us in this way (other than helping Jessie & Aldean!) and never did I think that my blog would be so far-reaching! Titus and I were HUGELY blessed by having another couple help us through the visa-application process (Thank you Novs!) and it has truly been a blessing to be used in this way! Pray that God will continue to use us to be a blessing and encouragement for these three couples [and potentially others] and that the Lord will continue to guide them. [Megan and Tee pictured above.]

Additional prayer requests include: Please pray for wisdom and discernment as Titus and I continue to pursue his education at Indiana Wesleyan University. The process has been more complicated than what we anticipated, requiring receiving his transcripts directly from Cambodia, not accepting any of his credits from the WBI, and requiring an expensive English proficiency test.

Thank you so much for all your prayers and the support that you have provided for us as a couple in the last year. We have truly been blessed by having so many wonderful friends and family members! To those who we do not hear from regularly: please, let us know how you are doing!

Serving Him,
Titus & Jewel