MINISTRY TRIP TO LAOS

The picture above is from my recent trip to Laos. The picture above is from the Youth Conference. God blessed in a mighty way. We had more than 230 in attendance, 13 trusted Christ, and more than fifty surrendered to serve God with their lives. I will give you a high five if you can find me in the picture above.

In addition to preaching five times for the Youth Conference, I also had the opportunity to preach once for another Bible Conference and preach twice for Pastor Kong (one of our graduates, like a son-n-the faith to me) and his church family.

Our graduates are absolutely getting it done. All glory to God! One of the great blessings of being with our folks at Youth Conference in April was to see how God is doing such a great work in the country of Laos, especially among the young people and our graduates are allowing God to use them to reach and teach so many. THANK YOU FOR PRAYING FOR THIS TRIP!

PLEASE PRAY THAT GOD WOULD SEAL ALL OF THE DECISIONS THAT WERE MADE ON OUR RECENT TRIP TO LAOS!

SOCCER LEAGUE AND SUMMER CAMP

Speaking of young people, those of you that are familiar with our home and sending church (Cambodian Baptist Church/Pacific Baptist Church) know that during the first ten years of our ministry, most of our congregation was young people. I would say 80-85 percent our church family were under twenty-five years old at the time. I vividly remember someone calling our church “The teeny bopper church.” It’s amazing what God has done with that “teeny bopper church” over the past more than three decades.  As a result of the dream that God laid upon the heart of my brother, Pastor Joe, a lot of hard work by many of God’s people, and God’s Hand over the years has been awesome to watch what has come from those early days. Oh, by the way, those young people are faithful staff members, deacons, church members, and yes, missionaries today. 

In Cambodia and Laos, we are committed to reaching, teaching, and keeping young people for the glory of God!

Pastor Kong and his ministry have done a tremendous job in a difficult place. Please pray for their Soccer Ministry and their upcoming Summer Camp. Years ago, Kong asked me how he could reach more boys and men. I told him about the early days at the old Cambodian Baptist, now Pacific Baptist, and how we used sports. I then challenged him to do the same by starting a soccer league. With a little help from Operation Samaritan’s Compassion, they started the league with fifty boys (45 of them were unbelievers). Eventually, twenty of them trusted Christ, fourteen were baptized, and 13 of the 20 are still faithfully serving the Lord two years later. 

Summer Camp is over the top. More than 70 young people will come and stay with Kong, Lily, and our Bible college students for two months. They will learn to read the Hmong language, they will learn to read, study, and memorize the Bible, they will learn to play musical instruments (piano and guitar), they will learn basic computer skills, the girls will learn to cook, and all of them will be discipled by our Bible college students. Last year ten young people trusted Christ and six of them were baptized. In the words of Pastor Kong, “Summer Youth Camp is fruitful. It helps the young people to get more involved at their home churches after they return home.”

If you would like to help financially with either of these please let me know. THANK YOU FOR PRAYING AND GIVING!

PLEASE PRAY FOR BOTH OF THESE MINISTRIES!

FAMILY CAMP IN CAMBODIA

While I was in Laos, fulfilling a commitment that I made almost a year ago, our church family here held their annual Family Camp. God blessed in so many amazing ways. There were more than 250 who attended Family Camp, and many decisions were made. I have heard nothing but good reports from our folks about the Family Camp.

PLEASE PRAY THAT GOD WOULD SEAL ALL OF THE DECISIONS THAT WERE MADE AT FAMILY CAMP AND THAT OUR FAMILIES WILL BE STRONGER THAN EVER BEFORE!

BASKETBALL CAMP AWARDS CEREMONY

As I mentioned in a previous Prayer Update, I held a Basketball Camp for our Christian School here. It took six weeks (we did it during their one hour of P.E. on Tuesdays) and then we held a two week Double-elimination Tournament. The children and the staff had a blast. It brought back a lot of memories for me. For those of you who don’t know, I coached our high school basketball team for eighteen years back in the day. This past week, we held an award ceremony during their chapel service and treated the winning team to a pizza and fries’ meal. The kiddos had a great day. THANK YOU FOR PRAYING AND GIVING!

MEN’S DORM PROJECT

As I mentioned in our last Prayer Update, our Bible college here in Cambodia is doing very well. We have over thirty students that love the Lord, who have a desire to grow in their faith, and have made a commitment to reach their people with the gospel. We presently have a dorm for our ladies, and we thank God for it. We do not have one for the men, and up to now, it hasn’t been a real issue. In the upcoming Fall term, which begins in September, that will most likely change. Lord willing, we will have a handful of young men that will need a place to stay if they are going to attend. We have received some financial help already, but we are praying for an additional $3,000 to be able to rent and furnish a house that could house up to eight men for a year. 

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN GIVING TOWARDS THIS PROJECT, PLEASE GET BACK WITH ME. PLEASE PRAY WITH US ABOUT THE MEN’S DORM PROJECT!
 
PROJECT 1040

As I have mentioned a few times previously, Denise and I will be traveling to the States for the summer months. During this time, along with reporting to our supporting churches, I will be presenting our newest ministry endeavor, “PROJECT 1040.” As we mentioned in previous updates, this is a ministry, which encourages those of you that have been partnering with us for years, to partner with men and women that have graduated from our two Bible colleges.

In the past twelve months, by the grace of God, we have had sixteen men and women graduate. These are young men and women that love the Lord, have a passion to reach their people with the gospel, know the language, and the culture. OUR HOPE AND PRAYER IS THAN MANY OF YOU WOULD PRAYERFULLY CONSIDER SUPPORTING OUR GRADUATES.

PLEASE PRAY FOR PROJECT 1040 AND THE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN THAT WILL BE GREATLY HELPED BY THIS MINISTRY!

SEYHA AND MICHELLE MEACH

On occasion, I receive texts and/or emails asking if I know a missionary or a missionary couple that is seeking support that I would recommend. Seyha and Michelle Meach will be arriving in the States in just a few days. They will be raising support for their ministry here in Cambodia. Michelle was one of my students at Pacific Baptist School and Pacific Baptist Bible College. About ten years ago, by faith, Michelle left the States for Cambodia as a single young lady. A few years ago, she married one of our fine young men and they have been faithfully serving Christ together since then. If you would like to have them present their work for you and your church family, please feel free to contact me or them. Scan their QR Code for their Information.

PLEASE PRAY FOR SEYHA, MICHELLE, AND RYAN AS THEY EMBARK ON THIS NEW JOURNEY! 

As always, my wife and I would like to thank you for praying for and giving for my wife and me and for the various ministries that we are presently committed to serve. We could not be here, nor stay here but by the grace of our God, and the generosity of his people.

Thank you,
Johnny and Denise Esposito

ADDITIONAL PRAYER REQUESTS:    
*Bible Conference in Cambodia [May 14-15]
*Children’s and Teen Summer Camp in Laos [June and July]
*Summer Term for Bible College in Laos [June to August]
*Short Furlough [June to August]