Progress in Cambodia and Indonesia
Village Elders visit the construction site in Indonesia.
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:11
Cambodia and Indonesia
Our Executive Director Jake recently had the joy of visiting our partners in Cambodia and Indonesia! Here are some highlights and photos of his trip.
Cambodia
Christians remain a small but growing portion of the population of Cambodia, making up 2.5% of the 16.7 million people. Most towns and villages in Cambodia lack a Christian presence because new church plants are more common in cities. This is why the little congregation in the remote Pursat region is so important to the community. With around 60 members (many of them children), they are a faithful witness to those around them as they faithfully preach the Gospel, model Anglican practices of worship, witness, and fellowship, and reach out to their neighbors.
Before: The old church became unstable due to termites.
Over 20 years ago, the congregation came together and built a small church, raising the funds to do so themselves. However, termites in Cambodia are rampant. During the rainy season, water flows into the holes which termites create, causing the foundations of structures to crumble and collapse. The wooden pillars of the church became so infested with termites that the building began to lean to one side.
In 2022, ARDF approved a grant of $37,200 to support the rebuilding of the little church. Using materials such as steel instead of wood, the structure will last much longer against the termites and the rainy season. The members of the Pursat church are thrilled and never dreamed they would have such a beautiful and permanent structure. They are excited to use the space for a variety of ministries, reaching out to their local community with the love of Christ. Because of their long presence in the community, they are well respected, and we are excited to see how the Lord works in the Pursat region through this wonderful congregation!
After: The congregation is thrilled to have a new church building!
The sanctuary space inside.
Indonesia
After visiting Cambodia, Jake went to see our partners in Indonesia and toured the construction site of a new school, church, and health clinic.
West Timor is one of the poorest of the 6,000 inhabited islands in Indonesia, with little access to education or healthcare. As a result, Timorese children have to travel to receive education, and are often at high risk for human trafficking. The Anglican Church of Indonesia is currently constructing a school to serve preschool through high school, meaning that Timorese children will no longer need to travel to other regions to finish their education or be at risk of dropping out of school. A new church and a health clinic are also being built, along with dorms to provide safe lodging for students.
In 2021, ARDF approved a grant of $172,500 to go toward this ambitious project. Here are some photos of the construction site, where you can see the foundations and preliminary construction of the kindergarten that ARDF is helping to fund. They are also making wonderful progress on the grade school. The community is so excited that they have begun to build houses around the construction site!
We are excited at the progress they are making, but we still need to finish raising funds for this project. If you are interested in supporting the school, you can donate here.
The site of the future kindergarten.
Watch this 20 second clip of what's taking place in Indonesia!
Village Elders visit the construction site.
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