It is unbelievable how much is going on here in Phnom Penh. The ministry here is busy about the Father’s business that’s for sure. Whether it’s the three church services in Phnom Penh every week, the various village ministries, the children’s ministries, the Monday evening Bible Institute, the various soul-winning times, the many different personal discipleship times, and the list could go on, this is a place that is hopping. My wife and I are thankful to be a part of a ministry that keeps expanding for the cause of Christ and yet, at the same time, understands the need to continue to build a more sure foundation.

Please pray that God will continue to use Pacific Baptist Church of Phnom Penh, her many outreach ministries, and the various village ministries to bring the love, life and light of our Lord Jesus Christ to a dark and dreary land!

One of the primary purposes for my being here is to assist in the mentoring of the future leaders here in Cambodia. I am presently meeting weekly with one of the missionaries, just a time of discipleship and mentoring, as we search the scriptures. I am also meeting with three of the national men, who are serving in various capacities of leadership here, and these are also times of discipleship. It is also a joy to rotate going out soul winning with these three nationals. In fact, this past Saturday, Vannak and I had the opportunity to lead a 14-year old to Christ. Meanghuan had been attending the Sunday afternoon Children’s Ministry services for the past five months. I had the opportunity to share the Gospel with her, Vannak interpreted for me, and she turned to and trusted Christ and Christ alone for her salvation. Then she showed up for the Sunday morning service the next day (first time ever)!

Please pray that God will use these various discipleship times with Touch, Vannak, Man, and Kasol to train up some men who will be greatly used to reach their people!

Over the past three weeks it has been heart breaking to see the extreme poverty in this city. Nowhere is this truer than when we make visits at “the sewer.” It is nearly impossible to describe the dire situation that these people live in. As you walk along the pathway along the sewer (the stench is terrible), talk to the people outside, and enter the homes (if that’s what you could call them), your heart is crushed. I can remember about four years ago, when I first visited Cambodia, and had the chance to see the plight of these people, it was one of the many things God used to get me to leave the comforts of America to come to this part of the world. In spite of their dire situation, in spite of their lost condition, the people are friendly and the children are so much fun to be with (especially if you have candy, which I always do). One thing I learned four years ago, and it still stands true today, love is a universal language. Whether or not you speak their language, it doesn’t take them long to see that you love and care for them. Whether it’s leading Meanghuan to Christ, encouraging and praying with an ill grandmother named Da, or encouraging a young lady named Srey Jae, who has been out of church for awhile, or just love on a bunch of poor children, it is an honor and a privilege to minister for Christ in “the sewers.”

Please pray for Meanghuan to grow in her newfound faith, and that God will use our team here, and the nationals who have been reached in recent years, to share His love to these dear impoverished people, especially the children!

As I have mentioned in previous updates, the ministry here in Phnom Penh reminds me so much of the early days of Cambodian Baptist Church in Long Beach. Cambodian Baptist Church is now known as Pacific Baptist Church, which of course, is our sending church, and the church I served as an assistant pastor for 18 years. Along with the evangelistic zeal, and the willingness to be as creative as possible to reach people for Christ, the great emphasis on the youth is, for me, the most striking characteristic of the ministry here that reminds me of the old CBC. Our ministry here has learned much from my brother’s philosophy to reach and train up the next generation for Christ and the cause of Christ. Whether it is utilizing the young people in areas of ministry such as the Children’s Ministry, soul winning and tract distribution, or in the music program (my wife and I even sang a special with some of the teen girls), the young people here are very involved in ministry and for that we thank God.

Please pray that we will have the wisdom, the power, and the love to properly train up this next generation for Christ and the cause of Christ!

Thank you for your prayers and support.

Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ! My wife and I would like to wish you a Happy New Year and we sincerely hope you had a wonderful Christmas, remembering that Jesus is the Reason for the Season. While there are some who may celebrate Christmas here in this part of the world, the vast majority do not know the Christ of Christmas, and a great many have never even heard His name. Thank you for prayerfully supporting us so we could do a small part in changing that sad fact. After returning back to Phnom Penh, Cambodia it was nice to be able to unpack the suitcases, and start, once again, to get to know the folks we will be laboring with in the coming months.  Looking forward to being a part of the work here in Phnom Penh and watching God move, while learning from some folks God is using to reach this needy nation for Christ.

Please pray that God will use my wife and me here in Cambodia to strengthen believers and to reach the lost for Christ!

It has been a blessing to start building relationships with some of the believers here in Phnom Penh, as well as with some lost folks, who, in due time, may get saved and become a part of the army of laborers for the harvest here in Southeast Asia. Christmas day was just one of many examples that can be given. On Christmas morning, a few of us went to visit Mora, one of the new believers here at her place of employment per her request. She wasn’t there (common problem here in this part of the world), but we were able to talk to another young lady Naren, who I mentioned in a previous update, and meet the owners of the coffee shop, who just so happen to be Christians from Korea who are praying for their employees to be saved. On Christmas afternoon, my wife and I had Sina over our place for lunch. Sina is a young lady who knows the Lord and is faithfully serving the Lord. On Christmas evening, we took a group of teens from the church to the Mall and my wife and I brought some candy canes to the employees of Coffee Bean.

Please pray for Naren and her co-workers to get saved!

On December 26 (our 33^rd anniversary), my wife and I brought a booklet by to a young man named, Mengtheara. We met this young man about a week ago. He’s a waiter at one of the local restaurants. After eating, we had given him a tip and a Gospel tract. He looked shocked when I gave him the tract and tip. It seemed a bit strange, but I thought nothing of it. A few minutes later, he flagged us down and asked if we were Christians, we replied, “Yes, we are.” I then asked him if he was, he said, “Yes,” and with tears in his eyes, he told us he had been out of church for quite some time now (because of work), and as soon as he read some of the words from the tract he began to cry.

Please pray for Mengtheara to get back in church!

Just today, while out soul winning, I was again heartbroken as I went from place to place and witnessed the poverty, both physical poverty and spiritual poverty. I had the opportunity to share the Gospel with a woman named Soka. She was very attentive, and while she did not get saved, we did have the opportunity to pray with her and give her some literature. We will continue to pray for her and visit her in coming days. I also had the privilege to share the love of Christ and the importance of being in church with a 17-year old young lady, who is saved, and at one time was faithful to the Lord. After a few years of faithful church attendance her parents forced her to get a job that took her out of church, and in due time, her parents apparently forced her to marry an unsaved man and she has been out of church since.

Please pray for Soka to be saved and for Srey Jae to return back to her first love and church!!

 

 

On a more personal note, while we were in the “restricted” nation one of our granddaughters, Hannah Aquino, was rushed to the hospital. Hannah is our four-year old autistic princess. We are glad to know that she is now all right, and we want to thank many of you for your prayers. Also, some have asked how her little brother Sammy is doing, and, thank you for asking. Sammy is our three-year old grandson, who has two cysts on his brain. As of right now, Sammy is doing fairly well. They continue to test him, occasionally changing his meds, and monitoring his progress regularly. While he is surely not out of the dark, he does seem to be improving.

Please continue to pray for Sammy, Hannah, and their parents!

Our last two days in the “restricted” nation were blessed beyond measure. On Saturday morning I went out to “the farm” where one of the national pastors that we are working with, and have been since our days leading the team here, has been in the process of building a church/college/dorms for the past couple of years. They have run out of money, so the building has stopped for now. If you are interested in helping them please do let me know. Below you will see pictures of the small hut where the college students spend 16 hours per week learning the Bible, a picture of the college “dorm” room, and a picture of the building itself.

Please pray for the necessary funds to come in for these men to complete the project and that God will continue to use them as they train men for the work of the ministry!

On Saturday morning, we had a great time of fellowship with Koumaly and Darath Thongdy. Now that we are out of the country they are heading up our team sent out of Pacific Baptist Church. They are doing a good job, and we thank God for their faithfulness to our Lord. On Saturday evening we had a wonderful time with two missionary couples and two national pastors.

Please pray that God will use these pastors, missionaries, and their wives to make a spiritual dent in this country!

On Sunday morning, I had the opportunity to once again preach for Pastor Aaron and the Filipino congregation, and this time it was for their 12^th anniversary. Praise God for faithful servants of God. I preached from Philippians chapter one a message, “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.”  We had people from nine different nations [Laos, Cambodia, Australia, New Zealand, China, Romania, Switzerland, South Africa, and the United States] in this service.

On Sunday evening, we went out of the city limits and I had the privilege to preach for three different and distinct churches, including our team, in one location. Over forty people showed up. I preached a message on “Hindrances to Following Christ.” It was great! We had a wonderful time of fellowship before and after the service, and a great meal afterwards.  My wife and I love these folks dearly and are going to miss them much. We are hoping to get back to the country in a few months.

Please pray for all of the men and women in this “restricted” nation who are faithfully serving Christ and others, in spite of the many restrictions and difficulties!

On a more personal note, while we were in the “restricted” nation one of our granddaughters, Hannah Aquino, was rushed to the hospital. Hannah is our four-year old autistic princess. We are glad to know that she is now all right, and we want to thank many of you for your prayers. Also, some have asked how her little brother Sammy is doing and, thank you for asking. Sammy is our three-year old grandson who has two cysts on his brain. As of right now, Sammy is doing fairly well. They continue to test him, occasionally changing his meds, and monitoring his progress regularly. While he is surely not out of the dark, he does seem to be improving.

Please continue to pray for Sammy, Hannah, and their parents!

My wife and I want to wish all of our family, friends and faithful supporters and prayer warriors a very Merry Christmas!!!

After returning from a busy few days in Thailand, things really started moving for us in the “restricted” nation. I had, or will have, the opportunity to preach and/or teach 23 different times in four different churches, a small Bible college, as well as teach for another seven young men (not the college students). At least five of these men are preparing for the ministry, future pastors every one of them.

On Sunday morning, December 7, it was a privilege to preach for a Filipino congregation that I had the opportunity to preach for every Sunday morning when I was here in the country for 15 months. I opened a four-day meeting preaching from 2 Corinthians 11:1-3 and Philippians 3:7-14 on “A Simple Devotion to Christ.” On Monday and Tuesday PM I preached parts two and three.

Please pray for Pastor Aaron and the Filipino congregation that God will continue to use them to lovingly serve alongside the nationals in this country!

Also, on Sunday morning I had the wonderful privilege to preach for another church of nationals. This is a church that we worked very closely with while we were in the country before. I preached from Philippians 3:10 on the topic of  “Having a Passion for Jesus and Jesus Alone.” Monday-Wednesday morning from 8:30 – 12:00 I taught three national pastors and 4 future pastors in a small Bible college run by the same church.

Please pray for this pastor, his church, the college, and the unlimited potential of these men in reaching their people!

On Sunday evening, I attended the service (for security purposes we chose not to have me preach) of one of the young men we worked with prior to leaving the country. His church is about 30-40 minutes outside of the city and is doing very well. We are grateful for the support he is receiving from barnabas1040.com, a new ministry of Liberty Baptist Church (Pastor Dwight Tomlinson).

Please pray for this pastor, the church, and for their future outreach, not only in their village, but also to the surrounding villages!

One Wednesday evening we had a “packed house” (literally). I believe there were missionaries, pastors, and members representing seven or eight churches in attendance. I think there were at least seven different people groups in attendance. My wife and I were the only non-Asians there. I taught from many different passages in a message called, “As the Father hath sent me, so send I you” (JN 20:21; MATT 4:18-22; 28:18-20; 2 TIM 2:2). In a nutshell, the message was primarily an encouragement to follow in our Lord’s (and Paul’s) footsteps and to disciple others.

Please pray that God will inspire many who sat in this service to give their lives to Christ, the cause of Christ, and discipling others! 

On Thursday and Friday morning I spent three hours each day teaching 7 young men; one is 35 years old, but that’s young to me. Five of these young men are preparing for the ministry. These five young men were reached by the “apostle Paul” in this country, who God has used to reach many people for Christ and plant 27 churches in his province. He was the first believer among his people group in his province. He was saved 14 years ago, and today there are somewhere between 1,000 to 2,000 believers and 27 churches. Not bad for 14 years of journeying with Jesus!

Please pray that God will use these five men greatly to reach the Khmu people in this country and throughout Southeast Asia!

One of the most difficult aspects of being in this part of the world, especially this time of the year, is that we sure do miss our grandchildren. We miss them so very much. We are grateful to God for the many “adopted” grandchildren we have in this country. Here’s a few of them. Every time these girls see us coming they start jumping up and down. They know grandpa and grandma will have some snacks for them. Isn’t that what grandparents are for? 🙂

On Tuesday evening, December 2, my wife and I arrived in the “restricted” nation in which we served for 15 months. What a joy and blessing it was to be back in the country we love dearly and to be around folks that our hearts had been bonded to during that 15 months. On Wednesday evening, Denise and I sat in on a few of the English classes. For those of you who may have forgot, or did not know, the purpose for our starting the school was two-fold: (1) to give us a legitimate reason for being in a country where no missionaries are allowed, (2) to build relationships with folks enabling us to eventually lead them to Christ.

Please pray for our team’s attempt to get the school registered and future opportunities for the school to grow!

Immediately after sitting in the classes, I had the wonderful privilege to teach the mid-week Bible study. Oh, what a joy it was to hear them sing unto the Lord in their language and to witness two different specials prior to my teaching. I taught a lesson “Following the Call of Jesus, Part One” from Matthew 4:18-22 & 9:9-10. The primary emphasis was simply that Jesus is still looking for some men and women who are willing to leave their father, their family, their friends, their future ambitions, their financial security, and all that is familiar to them to follow Jesus wherever he leads. It was a special joy to see a young man named Jui, who was saved about two weeks before we left the country, not only in the service, interpreting for me, and closing in prayer, but growing in his faith.

Please pray for Jui, Lune and Lillee to continue to grow in their faith!

On Thursday, our team, and my wife and I crossed the border into Thailand. On Thursday and Friday I had the privilege to preach twice for a Men’s Meeting. There were six different churches from two different countries in attendance. I had the opportunity to preach two messages from JN 14:11-18 (theme verse of the Men’s Meeting was JN 14:12). My messages were, “Doing the Works of Jesus” and “Greater Works than these Shall You Do.” Seems to have been a good response for both messages!

Please pray for the seeds that were planted, during this meeting, and that God will use all of us to do “Greater Works” for His glory!

This past week was a busy one. On Wednesday I had the privilege to preach in chapel for the missionary children and teens. Missionaries (Steven Benefield, Kounnaro Keo, and Rodney Ruppell) from three different churches in Phnom Penh, and the surrounding area, in addition to the missionaries from our team, have their young people in the chapel service every Wednesday. Some of the church members of Pacific Baptist Phnom Penh, who speak English, also attend the chapel service. We also had a great service Wednesday evening. The place was packed and it was good to see our newfound friend Mora, who works at Coffee Bean, show up for the service.

Please Pray for Mora’s spiritual growth and for the salvation of her co-workers, including Naren.

On Thanksgiving Day, Denise and I had the opportunity to have a nice meal with Brother Dave Board and his family. Mrs. Board made a wonderful meal and we had a great time of fellowship. My wife and I have so much to be thankful for, so very much. While, for the most part, they don’t really celebrate Thanksgiving here in Cambodia, there are those who have been influenced by the missionaries, and do so. Below you will see a picture of two of the good young men of Pacific Baptist Church here in Phnom Penh getting their turkey ready.  Being a city boy from the USA, I had no idea turkey’s had feathers! 🙂

On Saturday, my wife and I had a chance to go out soul winning with the church family. It is always such an eye-opener for those of us from America to walk the streets of Phnom Penh and to enter the “homes” of the folks who call this home. They are dear people. They are hospitable people. They are fun people. Yet, they are a people who live in dire poverty-both physical and spiritual. I had the opportunity to go out with Man (pronounced Mon) and Veasna, while my wife had the chance to go out with Samantha. Of course, not knowing the language, I was the silent partner. We met a young lady (20 years old) named Lote. She was very interested in knowing more about Jesus and the Bible. Man’s wife later went by and spent about two hours with her. From what I hear, she had lots of questions. Saturday afternoon also included a men’s and teen boy’s prayer meeting, just like back home. Good crowd of men and teens there to share blessings and pray for God’s intervention in their lives, the lives of others, and for the ministry. Below are a few pictures I took while visiting.

Please pray for Lote’s salvation!

Sunday was a very busy and blessed day. The day started with the morning service (8:00 – 10:00 AM), then the Children’s Ministry (10:45- 12:00 PM). It was good to see Mora, from Coffee Bean, show up for the service again on Sunday. A short break and then out to another village for a time of canvassing and soul winning (1:00 – 2:30 PM). I even had the opportunity to share the Gospel with an adult man named Sok-Lee. Oh, yes, someone interpreted for me.  While Sok-Lee did not get saved, he listened very attentively and also took two different Gospel tracts from us. There was a great crowd and a great spirit in the evening service (5:30 – 7:30 PM). As I have mentioned previously, the ministry here so much reminds me of our old days in Long Beach when Pacific Baptist Church was known as Cambodian Baptist Church. We have so many young people here who have a love for the Lord, for His Word, and for His work. It appears that many of them are adopting us at their grandparents. I guess that’s what happens when you are our age. This is the next generation!

Please pray for these young people to continue to grow in their faith and their commitment to Christ!

Thank you for your prayers.

Our first weekend here was such a blessing; being able to, once again, be a part of the services here in Phnom Penh was exhilarating. What a joy to see so many, especially young people, coming with a hunger for the Lord and His Word. The ministry here reminds me so much of the early days at Pacific Baptist Church when she was known as Cambodian Baptist Church. Thankful for the great work that was started in Long Beach over 26 years ago by my brother that has extended into three different countries in Southeast Asia with plans to one day go to China.

Please pray for God to use us in Cambodia, even as we are adjusting and adapting to a new country and culture!

One ministry that we are seriously pondering and praying about is reaching the young college age students here in Phnom Penh. There’s a boatload of them. There are two things that many of these young people have in common. They want a better life than their parents had and they want to learn English. May God use us to bring them the love of Jesus, salvation, and, a better life than they might have had outside of Christ. Please pray with us to have the wisdom and creativity to reach these dear young people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His love. Dave and Debbie Board and my wife and I spent a couple hours at a coffee shop with Mora, who recently trusted Christ, and a few of the other employees. We had a great time and see so much potential!

Being “back in the saddle again,” here in Southeast Asia and the 1040 Window, I am once again reminded of the great need for more laborers who are willing to leave the comforts and conveniences of America to bring the life, the love, and the light of Jesus Christ to such a dark part of the world. You can’t walk down the streets or drive down the roads without having your heart touched by the great need. Seeing both the physical and spiritual poverty that is just a way of life here is gut wrenching. For those of you who have not had the opportunity to see the various brief videos on our site I encourage you to do so.

 https://carrithelight.wordpress.com/media/

 Please pray for more laborers for Cambodia and the other 68 countries in the 1040 Window!

 As we mentioned in our previous update, the next five weeks will be very busy, with my wife and I travelling much. After taking these first few days trying to get somewhat settled down in Cambodia, we are flying into the “restricted” nation in which we served. Along with getting together with the team we led for 15 months, we will be preaching for three different congregations and teaching some. We will also be going into Thailand and be preaching twice for a two day meeting with four or five different churches from two countries. From there we will fly into Bangkok and our three teams, sent out of Pacific, will be getting together for a few days of teaching and training. We sincerely covet your prayers!

Please pray for God to use these different opportunities to exalt Christ and edify His church in these countries!

Well, after spending a few months here in the states reporting what God has done, as well as the next step in our journey with Jesus, we are back in Southeast Asia. We arrived yesterday and are gearing up for the next step. Exciting!

Please pray for God to use us in Cambodia, even as we are adjusting and adapting to a new country and culture!

Our time in the states was a blessing. We had the chance to spend time with the family, including our fourteen grandchildren. Saying goodbye, as always, especially with family, was difficult, but it is good to be “back in the saddle again” and on the field. While in the states we had the opportunity to be in so many churches. I think, as of my last count, over 40 different churches. I had the opportunity to preach and teach every week somewhere in America. The journey continues and we are excited!

Please pray that the many folks who we were able to preach or teach for, as well as the many who we sat down with and counseled will seek the Person of Christ and the purpose of Christ, especially in regards to worldwide missions!

The day before leaving the country, as I did on a regular basis while in the area, I visited with my brother (Pastor Joe Esposito). It was a great visit, he was very responsive. Thank you for praying for him, his wife, and the kids. You can check Mary’s update concerning that visit by clicking on the link to your right “Pray for Pastor.”

Please continue to pray for my brother, his family and Pacific Baptist Church!

The next few weeks will be very busy, with much traveling. My wife and I will take a few days to try to get somewhat settled down in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and then we will fly into the “restricted” nation in which we served. Along with getting together with the team we led for 15 months, we will be preaching for four different congregations and teaching some. We will also be going to Thailand and be preaching twice for a two day Men’s Meeting with four or five different churches from two countries. From there, we will fly into Bangkok, and our three teams sent out of Pacific will be getting together for a few days of teaching and training.

Please pray for God to use these different opportunities to exalt Christ and edify His church in these countries!

I just wanted to take a moment here to thank all of our family and friends for your faithful prayers and financial support. My wife and I are debtors, not only to the Lord Jesus Christ but to you. Thank you for being concerned with us for a lost and dying world and, above all, for loving the Lord Jesus enough to be a part of His worldwide cause, especially in the 1040 Window!

Dear Praying Friends

In one week my wife and I will be heading back to Southeast Asia! While our first tour was spent in a needy and “restricted” nation, our next phase in our journey with Jesus in the 1040 Window will be assisting our team in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. We are extremely excited about the opportunity and the privilege to do so. We are looking forward to being in the midst of what God has, is, and will be doing in the country of Cambodia. God has done some very special things in Phnom Penh over the past few years, and for this we are grateful.

Please pray that my wife and I get adjusted quickly to the country and the culture, as well as the work in Phnom Penh!

While here in the states, it was our privilege to be in over 40 churches–most of these were supporting churches–a few missions’ conferences, and we had the opportunity, not only to report what God is doing in and through our lives, but what He is doing, and what He desires to do in Southeast Asia, and possibly China in the near or distant future through the various teams sent out of Pacific Baptist Church. It has been a joy to talk to so many folks whom God has been stirring their hearts about the 1040 Window in general and Southeast Asia and China more specifically. I just received this email the other day. What a joy to hear things such as this:

Mr. and Mrs. Esposito,

I cannot say thank you enough for the impact you have had on my life. I am a student at West Coast and have spoken with you while you were here both times. Yesterday, I committed to teaching overseas in the 10/40 Window and wanted to let you know. There will be one more laborer over there soon. China or bust!

Kimberly

Please pray for Kim and the countless others whom God has stirred about worldwide missions and the 1040 Window!

While in the states one of the blessings (bittersweet) was the opportunity to be able to visit frequently with my brother (Pastor Joe Esposito), who has now been hospitalized for over 13 months. I visited with him just about every day, but Sundays when in Southern California. Below you will see a picture of my younger brother Jimmy, my brother Pastor Joe, and me together recently.

Please continue to pray for Pastor Joe Esposito, his wife Mary, his children and grandchildren, as well as the Pacific Baptist Church family!

This past Sunday was a great day. I had the opportunity to teach in my nephew’s adult Sunday school class. My lesson was on suffering. There are many in his class, including him and his mother, who have suffered much in recent days. Afterwards, I had the chance to preach in our Khmer ministry’s service. This is always a treat, they are fantastic people. On Sunday evening I preached a message, “Why China?” It was the last time I will preach at Pacific Baptist and try to encourage and challenge the church family to “Keep the Dream Alive.”  I think I can honestly say that hundreds responded to the invitation with 20 or more saying they were willing to “GO” if God would allow them.

Please pray that Pacific Baptist Church will continue to be a sending agency for Southeast Asia and, Lord willing, in the future for China and other countries in the 1040 Window!