As we mentioned in our previous updates, Grandma Sonboun and her daughter-in-law Navy trusted Christ about two months ago. Sonboun has been faithfully attending church services since being saved. Vannak, Sue, and I are visiting them on a weekly basis and teaching Sonboun the Bible. Last week as we arrived, we heard preaching coming from the MP3 player that we had given her. Very exciting to see her desire to grow in Christ. Lord willing she will be baptized this Sunday!

PLEASE PRAY FOR SONBOUN’S AND NAVY’S SPIRITUAL GROWTH!

We are thankful that we have had the opportunity to share the Gospel with many of Sonboun’s family members and friends while visiting with her. Two week’s ago, Vannak and I had the opportunity to share the Gospel with her daughter Dtai. She was very open and extremely receptive. She hasn’t trusted Christ yet, but we surely anticipate her trusting Christ sometime in the near future. Definitely covet your prayers concerning Dtai’s salvation!

PLEASE PRAY FOR DTAI’S SALVATION!

As always it is a tremendous blessing for me to go to our Psa Thrict church once a month. We normally leave between 6:30-7:00 AM and return about 8:00 PM. It’s always a long and tiring day, but a it’s also a fruitful and fulfilling day. The folks in Psa Thrict, many of them former Muslims, are faithful. They love soul-winning, singing, and scriptural preaching. After sharing a short devotion with them about 12 of us went out to bring the Gospel to 3 or 4 different villages. Also, Kam, Tom, and Phalley conducted a children’s ministry.  Later that afternoon I had the opportunity to preach for them for their mid-week service. Great response to the preaching as always!

PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR PASTOR SAN AND HIS CHURCH MEMBERS IN PSA THRICT TO CONTINUE REACHING OUT TO THE MANY VILLAGES THAT SURROUND PSA THRICT!

While soul-winning in one of the villages Vannak and I had the privilege to share the Gospel with Chuen and his wife Vuen. We have shared the Gospel with them previously, as have a few others from the Psa Thrict church. What a joy it was to see them both trust Christ. The first words out of Vuen’s mouth after trusting Christ were, “We have a 16-year old daughter who hasn’t trusted Christ yet.”

PLEASE PRAY FOR CHUEN AND VUEN’S SPIRITUAL GROWTH AND THAT THEIR TWO DAUGHTERS WILL GET SAVED!

You’ll remember that about two months ago, Vannak and I had the opportunity to share the Gospel with, and see Sok, his wife, and daughter Chon Ly trust Christ. Sok and his wife have been very faithful to church, and for this we praise the Lord. Lord willing, they will be baptized this coming Sunday. This past Thursday, while in Psa Thrict and the surrounding villages, we had the opportunity to meet with them, teach them some scripture, as well as share the Gospel with their son-n-law Dara. While he did not get saved on Thursday with us, he did attend church on Sunday and trusted Christ the following week when Vannak and another one of our men named Ra visited him. Praise the Lord!

PLEASE PRAY FOR SOK, HIS WIFE, DARA, AND CHON LY’S SPIRITUAL GROWTH!

Last week was an unbelievable day in Steung Meanchey. On Sunday afternoon alone, Vannak and I had the opportunity to share the Gospel with eight adults (including the grandfather pictured below) and three teenagers, with a boatload of children listening in. Last Sunday afternoon, our new Children’s Ministry (in spite of serious rain, flooding just an hour earlier, and lot’s of mud) had somewhere between 80-90 children and teens. Of course, this is not counting those who listened in from a distance and there were quite a few of those also. Thank you for your prayers for this ministry, they are making a huge difference!

PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR THE CHILDREN’S AND TEEN MINISTRY IN STEUNG MEANCHEY, AS WELL AS THE DOZENS OF ADULTS WHO HAVE TRUSTED CHRIST!

I love working with our nationals, especially our young men. They have such a zeal for Christ and the cause of Christ in the world, but especially in this country. Recently, I had the privilege to be in a meeting with Man, Vannak, and Kosal. These are three Cham brothers who are literally on “fire for God.” I could take much time to share how much of an encouragement they are to me. The meeting was about the future of the ministry in Steung Meanchey. Adrian Torres was also a part of the meeting. It was a very exciting meeting. God is going to do something special with these young men. Actually, he already is! And He is going to do something special in Steung Meanchey!

PLEASE PRAY FOR MAN AS HE LEADS THIS MINISTRY AND VANNAK, KOSAL AND ADRIAN AS THEY LABOUR ALONGSIDE OF HIM!

While making some visits in Steung Meanchey last week there were two things that took place, almost one right after the other, that were a vivid reminder why missionaries leave their families, friends, future ambitions, financial security, and all that is familiar to them to “GO” to far off distant lands. First, as we see regularly, a handful of Monks chanting and a young man bowing before them, and secondly, as we visited Grandma Rouen (my first time visiting her), we walked in on her as she was reading her Bible. Her’s is a bittersweet story. She’s saved and baptized. She loves Jesus. She even reads her Bible. But during the Pol Pot regime four of her children (between the ages of 10-12) and her husband were murdered. So glad someone was willing to come to this needy land and bring the Gospel to dear ones like Rouen who were not only lost spiritually, but also in despair physically and emotionally.

PLEASE PRAY THAT GOD WILL CONTINUE TO BRING MEN AND WOMEN TO THIS PART OF THE WORLD TO BRING THE GLORIOUS LIGHT OF THE GOSPEL!  

There are four additional things that we ask that you to pray for: 

• First of all, please pray for our upcoming trip to China to preach for a Leadership Conference in the middle of July.
• Secondly, please pray for our trip to Laos the first week of September to preach and teach for our team in the capital city, as well as for two other churches.
• Thirdly, our trip to the States in mid-September to preach for our Missions’ Conference, teach a Missions’ Intensive, and report to some of our churches.
• Fourthly, please pray as I attempt to finish the book called, Keep the Dream Alive: The Story of One Man’s Dream and a Plea to Keep it Alive. Lord willing, it will be available when I make my trip to the States. This book will deal some with my brother’s life and ministry and his dream to reach China with the Gospel!

Denise, Sue, Michelle, and I, along with all of us in Phnom Penh, want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your prayers and financial support. We couldn’t be here and we sure couldn’t accomplish what God is allowing us to accomplish for the cause of Christ in this part of the world without you!

Johnny and Denise Esposito