Fruins in Cambodia

Dear Friends in Christ,

"Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday" (Psalm 37:3-6).

A Mighty God As we see the Lord work in many aspects of the ministry here, we never cease to be amazed at His perfect timing or at His awesome power. What a mighty God we serve! We praise Him for His loving patience toward us, and we also thank you for your faithfulness in praying for us. Everything that is done here for the Lord depends upon the faithful prayers of the saints.

A Ministry in Music What a great privilege it is to have one of our children ministering with us again. While Leah is on summer break from college, she has come to help out in the Bible institute and in the church. Even though it has been two years since some of her former students have taken piano lessons from her, Leah has been encouraged to know that a few faithful ones now play during the services at three different churches. Not only is Leah helping to refine these students' talents, but she also has many new students to teach. She has begun teaching an advanced group at the institute, along with two beginner's classes, which have six students in each. She also has several private lessons throughout the week as well. Aside from that, Leah has been helping out at the church and at home with many other projects. Recently, she had the opportunity to visit with her orthodontist, as he surgically removed four of her wisdom teeth. We praise the Lord that the procedure went well and that Leah is healing quickly.

A Special Milestone The Bible institute has reached a milestone, and on July 13, the first set of certificates will be awarded to five students who have faithfully completed the Theology courses. This certificate is one of four that each student can earn, along with a diploma, after they have received all four certificates. Besides Theology, the other certificate categories are in New Testament, Old Testament, and Bible Survey. This is a great step for each one, as they have worked very hard over the past four years to accomplish this goal, especially considering that some have never even completed their normal schooling. We praise the Lord for the opportunity to train and prepare these servants for the ministries that they are presently involved in, as well as for future ministry.

A Quest for Signatures As you may remember, over a year ago, we began the process of trying to obtain a church permit for the Takhmau church. This is required by law and can be a lengthy and costly procedure of requesting signatures from each level of the government. Just as Tera was ready to get one of the last signatures, a freeze was put on all church permits, indefinitely. We have been fervently praying that God will open the door once again. Recently, the Prime Minister of Cambodia appointed a new Minister of Religion and one of his first acts of office was to open up the process of obtaining church permits again. Tera has begun working with one of Dr. Johnson's men (Vibol) in order to get all of the necessary paperwork and signatures. So far, they have received three of the six required signatures. Although the total cost is not certain, we have heard that in the past it has cost up to $500 for the final signature. We covet your prayers as Tera continues this process.

A Challenging Situation Please continue to pray for the church itself. Cambodia has experienced an unusually wet "dry season," and as the rainy season begins, the mosquito population is already on the rise. There has been a lot of illness in the church and several folks have contracted Dengue Fever, as well as Typhoid. As we seek to minister to the physical needs, as well as the spiritual needs, the Lord has given several opportunities in recent days. Through this, Tera and Mi have been able to witness to some relatives, who have commented on the godly testimony and change they have seen in Tera and Mi's life over the past four years. As the Lord continues to work in amazing ways, we are also aware that Satan is trying everything he can to hinder that work. A year ago, when we were forced to find a new location for the church, we tried to find an area that didn't have any churches. Shortly after moving, the Mormons and the Jehovah Witnesses started canvassing that area, and more recently, a few other churches have moved in, one being only four blocks away. Not only are they moving into the area, but it seems they are also copying some of the things that we are doing, which has greatly discouraged Tera. We pick up many people with a "tuk-tuk," a small open carriage pulled by a small motorcycle. Our tuk-tuk is unique from others, but Tera has noticed that these other churches have begun picking up people in tuk-tuks which appear very similar. We are not sure if it is a deliberate attempt to deceive the people, but we do know that it is a great growing time for us and especially for Tera as he faces these different challenges.

A Summer of Camp As kids in America are enjoying their summer vacation, both Rebekah and Jonathon are very busy with the summer camp season at Camp Joy. It can be an exciting ministry, but it is also exhausting; so please pray for the Lord to give them renewed health and strength for each responsibility. We also ask that you pray for their future plans, as Jonathon desires to begin college soon and Rebekah is unsure which direction the Lord would have her pursue.

A Month of Transition The month of July will be a busy month of transition for all of our coworkers, as the Johnsons return from furlough and as the Snyders travel to America to begin furlough. Also during that time, we are looking forward to having Dr. Dennis Walton come to Cambodia for several months, as he ministers in the English services, during the Snyders' absence. Please pray for each of these as they travel and adjust.

A Slap of Love As we have done in the past, we would like to share some cultural differences that we find amusing here in Cambodia. Normally in America, when we think something is cute and lovable, we hug and cuddle it; but not here. Instead, when someone sees a cute baby or a cute puppy, they slap it. This startled us at first, and we even asked about it. They simply tell us that they can't help themselves, "it is so cute, I have to hit it." It is hard to tell what a baby thinks about it, but little puppies run for their lives when they see a Cambodian coming toward them. Of course, that may partly be because Cambodians also eat dogs.

A Special Thanks In closing, we want to thank you for the notes and cards of encouragement that were sent over the past months. Thank you for remembering our special days. We are also grateful for your faithful prayers and praise the Lord for all that you do to support the ministry here. May God bless you.

Serving the Saviour,

Ron and Tina Fruin

Prayer Requests:
Church permit
Transition of coworkers
Sicknesses among the members
Rebekah, Leah, and Jonathon

Praises:
Leah coming to Cambodia
Answered prayers concerning opened opportunities
Progress in the Bible institute
God's provision in spite of economic situation