Back in the USA

Well, we arrived in Texas this past week. Wow! Sure is nice to be back and see the family again! My mom has all of her sons here and it's a house full! Leah and Kayla are having a blast spending time with their cousins!

We will be in the U.S. until the month of June. We have some open dates to visit your church and tell about God's ministry in Cambodia. If you would like to add the Haas Family to your church schedule, please drop me an email at haas4cambodia@yahoo.com.

Leah's Visit to Local English School

Leah was asked to be a "guest teacher" at the local English school near our house last week. It was a great opportunity for her to use her abilities and also be a witness and testimony for the Lord. She is pictured here with some of the students in the class, including two Buddhist monks. When asked by the monks, "What is the most important thing in your life?," Leah answered, "My God." And the monks asked, "What is your God's name?" "His name is Jesus Christ," she replied. "Very good," the monks smiled and said. The door is open for future witness to these monks. In fact, a large Buddhist monk college is being built near us.

Daily Power Blackouts

"I don't see anything!" you say? You are correct! Actually this is a picture of our Cambodian leader Pilot and some of the orphans. We are experiencing daily blackouts lasting from an hour to eight to ten hours. This means we cannot pump water from our well to our buildings for bathing, washing, flushing toilets, or any other purpose. Further, it is hard on our electrical appliances for the power to be going off so frequently. We are praying that God will touch someone's heart to provide funds for a generator. Please, please pray about this!

Oh, wait, we have light! Oh, sorry, it's just a lightning bug! It's what some call a firefly!. It was the first one I've ever seen in Cambodia!

This photo was taken just down the road from our house. Isn't this a great picture? I was driving with Leah and Kayla, returning home from the store, and the sun was going down behind the pagoda. We are having really nice weather. This morning's low was 62 degrees and today's high will be only 82! Nice!

Furlough Coming Up

Hey everyone, just wanted to let you know that we'll be coming home for a six month furlough in the USA from December 18 to June 12. Would like to see as many of you as possible while we're stateside. Please pray for us to have a good flight back, a time of rest, and be able to raise needed support for the ministry here. Please email us at haas4cambodia@yahoo.com if you would like to schedule us to visit your church.

Pictured here are some of our Bible students packed like sardines into a very worn out old van. You will notice that the door fell off. Yep, it fell off. We got it repaired and now it is back in service. Our vehicles are getting pretty old and worn out. I got the 4x4 stuck in a ditch today, but thanks to some of the villagers, I was only sidelined for about 15 minutes. We need to get a couple of vans and trade in this old Mitsubishi Montero for a different model.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Just a short note from our family to say "Happy Thanksgiving" to all our friends and family! Just remember why this is an important day. Once upon a time, despite what the revisionist historians say, this was a Christian nation, and the day was set aside to be a day of thanksgiving to God. By "God," they meant the God of the Bible, not "Allah" and not "Buddha."

This is "Bo." He's one of the over 30 Bible students that are living in our dorms. We are trying to raise funds to help feed, house, and educate young people like Bo. Please pray for these students as they come from the rural provinces. Many come looking for work, but many of them find the Lord Jesus Christ.



This is Kimsan. He is also one of the students needing your prayers and help. His whole family came to know Christ as Saviour. His wife, his children, his brothers and sisters, all are believers now. They destroyed their idols and other things associated with the former religion. They have taken a stand for Jesus Christ! In this picture, he's pumping water so that the students will have water to take a shower.

Thank you for your prayers and support! Some folks have decided to support some of the students, but the need is still great. Please help us to buy the food and other things these kids need while they study the Word of God.

November 8, 2007

Well, I had no title for this post, but decided to go with today's date. I'll be 48 in less than a week. Seems like only yesterday, I was 18! My, how time flies!

We have over 30 Bible students that we are housing and feeding. These are poor students from the rural provinces who come to the capitol to study the Scriptures. Please assist us in prayer and support for these students. We have rented two houses: one for the male students and one for the female students. In addition, it costs about $300 a week in groceries to feed all these students. It would help us greatly if some churches would help sponsor some Bible students. We are giving them a place to stay, food to eat, and helping with things they need like pens, pencils, books, and personal toiletry items. This is a BIG need and we need your help!

We will coming back to the USA for a 6 month furlough beginning the week before Christmas and going through the first half of June. We would love to come by and update your church on the ongoing ministry here in Cambodia!

Please remember us, our churches, orphans, and student/disciples in your prayers and financial support! God bless you all!

More on the Bible Students

Bro. Seyhar and family are dealing with the floodwaters in Nirot commune. Please pray for them and for the water to go down more. It is a big problem out there, causing attendance to go way down. Pray that God may strengthen their hearts and determination to carve out a work for the Lord there.

The Bible students are in Phnom Penh Thmey now, near the orphanage. We have rented a room in a nearby house for our girls' dormitory. We are still looking for a house for the male students. Pray for our ministry to the students as we try to help them prepare for ministry. If you would like to help sponsor a Bible student, I know that student would be so grateful for your help!

Pray for our Christian leaders: Seyhar, James, Pilot, Sophal, Bunna, and several others. Pray for the wives and children of Seyhar, James, and Pilot.

Continue praying for our orphans, students, and all the churches in Phnom Penh, Prey Veng, Kandal, and Takeo. We truly appreciate your prayers and support!

Bible School Students

Our Bible students, five of them pictured here, have so many needs! We have about 30 students studying the Bible full-time. They need help in purchasing shoes, school uniforms, and for school fees. With the average income in Cambodia at around $1 U.S. per day, you can see how difficult it can be for the average person here. For a one time gift of $40 per student, we can cover their school clothing and fees. Please help these kids go to Bible School. Could you help a student? God bless you for your love and compassion for souls in Cambodia!

More on the Flooding

The flood waters at Capitol City Baptist Church are over 1 meter high. This is creating many problems for our church and Manna feeding center. Please pray for the waters to recede and for God to bring an early end to our monsoon season. This flooding never occurred like this before. It is due to two things: one, excessive rain and two, a wealthy landowner, in a move to discourage people into quickly selling their land to him, built a dam, filled part of a lake, and re-directed the water into the village where our church is located. The authorities seem to be listening to the villagers and are taking measures to stop this intentional act. Please pray. See the video below.

We Are Moved In!

There's still a "skeleton" crew of construction workers here finishing up some little odds and ends in the new building. The construction money has ALL come in and we can make our final construction payment! Praise God! We were hit yesterday with a surprise invoice of $3,500 for the occupancy permit! When we pay, we get it! That's Cambodia. So, again, we pray for God's supply. We have already moved in, but need to pay the government $3,500 for the legality of it all! Please pray and please help us if you can. Our orphans and my family are so unbelievably excited about the fact that it is finished and we are moved in! Now we set ourselves to the task of getting funds for furnishing and equipping the property as well as landscaping the property. Please, pray with us and help us if you can. We cannot do this without your prayers and financial help!

Floods at our Capitol City Baptist Church

Well, a combination of two factors has created quite a mess at our church in Nirot. Capitol City Baptist Church has water on three of the four sides of the building. In a few days, it may be an "island." We should change the name to "Island of Hope Baptist Church" or something like that!



The church has some repairs that need to be done, once the water subsides! If you can, please help this poor church with an offering for the building! Email me if you would like more info about the specifics of the need. God bless you all!

Getting Close to Moving In!!!

As you can see, the buildings are near completion. We need your help to furnish and equip this new orphanage. Our most immediate need is a diesel generator. We are having daily power outages, lasting for hours. Praise the Lord! Our financial need for the well and pump was met!

In the second photo, Rheum is the man in the middle working on the well pump. He was a Buddhist monk who has heard the gospel and received Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. In the third photo, Pilot is up on the ladder working on the electricity. He was a government soldier several years back, waging a war against the Khmer Rouge.

This is a sample of the hard work that is going into making "Haley's Home" a reality! Please partner with us in bringing the gospel of Christ to the orphans of Cambodia!

Battling On

It seems that Satan throws everything he can at us to stop the forward march of the truth of the Gospel. By the grace of God, we try to remain clothed with the armor of a soldier of Christ and fight the good fight of faith. When I feel like the enemy is all around me, the only thing you can do is drop to your knees and call for air support! In other words, you pray!

Please pray for the construction funds to come in so that we can make our final payment this month. Also, we need setup funds to take care of:

1. Digging a well
2. Water purification system
3. Diesel generator
4. Furniture (Beds, dressers for everyone)
5. Cafeteria tables for the dining hall
6. Appliances for the orphanage kitchen
7. Various other miscellaneous items

I have an itemized list of needs and would be glad to email you one on request. Just email me at haas4cambodia@yahoo.com and I will zip one off to you.

Pray for us!

Billy

Evangelistic Youth Camp Update

As promised, here's a picture from evangelistic camp. Youth are pictured at the altar after responding to the gospel. 745 were saved from among the 2,010 youth who attended. 198 have been baptized already! 105 have committee themselves to go to Bible College. Last year we had 831 in camp and 329 saved, so you can see how the camp ministry is growing! To God be the glory!

Evangelistic Camp

Hi everyone,
We just finished up an outstanding week at evangelistic camp! Using a program of back to back three day camps, we had 2,010 youth attend during the week. The emphasis is on evangelism and our aim is to bring in at least 70% unsaved kids. During that time, over 700 young souls received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior! We are rejoicing and follow-up has already begun. 108 of those have now been baptized already. We are now working with the missionaries and pastors to begin discipleship work with these new believers. Thank you for praying for the work of God in Cambodia! I tried to post photos this time, but something wasn't working right. Will try again in a few days.

Orphanage Dedication

We aren't completely finished with the construction, but went ahead with the dedication for the new Haley's Home orphanage. Pastor Steve Baskin, his daughter Karri-Marie, and Dr. and Mrs. Jack Baskin were in attendance to dedicate the new orphan center. It was a wonderful ceremony with good singing from Karri and the orphans. Gen. Heng Vuthy and Mr. Kien Khea both gave testimonies regarding the work of helping orphans in Cambodia. Pastor Steve and his daughter Karri talked about Haley and how her dream was to minister to orphans in Cambodia. Then Dr. Baskin preached a short message. We had about 80 people attend the ceremony on a beautiful, sunny day in Phnom Penh.

Our deadline for construction funds is about 30 days away. Please pray that the remaining $26,788 will come in so that we can make our final payment on time. Also, pray for funds to furnish and equip the new orphanage. We depend on God to touch your hearts to take care of orphan boys and girls in Cambodia! God bless you!

Getting Close to Our Deadline

Hi everybody, please don't stop praying for our efforts to raise $26,788 towards having all we need to make our last construction payment on the new orphanage. This payment will be due in about six weeks. I cannot stress how important this is. Please don't forget to pray and if you can, please help us build this orphanage. Thanks and God bless!

James Moved Out of the Hospital

James' family has moved him out to the village. Seems that the family thought that they could take care of him better there, than these people are doing in the thing they call a hospital here. They're probably right. Please pray for him as he recuperates from his injuries. I will update you when I know more.

Pisey Released From Hospital

Pisey Nhap was released from the hospital on Saturday night. Doctors said that his white blood count was normalizing and that he was out of danger. He had contracted dengue fever, but thanks to God hearing your prayers, Pisey is now home and doing better! Thank you and God bless you all!

Orphanage Needs

I haven't said much about the orphanage lately, due to medical things going on with Cindy, and now James and Pisey. The Christian foundation helping us has all but $26,788 that we need to pay the final payment on the construction. Folks, I cannot stress enough how important it is that we make this payment on time when the work is done. Additionally, we are going to have to furnish the new orphanage with furniture and equipment sufficient so that we can open. We have to install water tanks, water purifiers, and we have to pay the electric company to hook up electricity. Electricity isn't dependable, so we are going to need generators for backup. A complete list of needs is available upon request. Email me at haas4cambodia@yahoo.com. Please help us!

James and Pisey Update

Just returned from two hospitals. You can't imagine what is wrapped up in that when those two hospitals are in Cambodia. James smiled a little and whispered "thank you" when we prayed for him. Pastor Pilot's little boy, Pisey, has been diagnosed with dengue fever. He had been given medication not long before we arrived, so he was alert and playful. That'll change when the medicine wears off and then his fever will shoot back up. Please pray for them.

Motorcycle Accident/Sick Child

Motorcycle Accident/Sick Children

Pictured above is James (Vanna) Suong and his wife Srey Ny. The day that we left for Malaysia, Srey Ny went into labor and delivered a baby girl. Mom and baby are doing fine. However, we returned to Cambodia to discover that her husband James was in a motorcycle accident. He has been hurt really bad: broken right collarbone, lacerations, and worst of all, head injury. Please pray for James. Health care is a fiasco in Cambodia and corruption is rampant, even in the medical field. When he was brought into the hospital, the director began screaming at them and said, “Why did you bring him here? What are we, your servants?” This is one of the best hospitals in Phnom Penh!

Also, the youngest son of Pastor Nhap Pilot and his wife Seila is sick and hospitalized here in Phnom Penh. We are not sure what is wrong with the boy, but neither do the doctors. Dengue fever is now reaching epidemic proportions with nearly a hundred deaths, mostly children. If you think medical care is a problem in the U.S.A. you should have went on hospital visits with my family yesterday. It is one of the saddest spectacles you will ever see. My daughter Leah was so upset that she ran out weeping.

Our people need your prayers. Please go to the Heavenly Father in their behalf! Thank you and God bless you!

A Delay Made in Heaven

Well, folks, as I mentioned, the CT scan machine went down in the last 24-36 hours and a part had to be ordered. What this did was enable the doctor to have more time to consult with his colleagues in Malaysia, Singapore, Sydney, and as far away as London. After further consultations and after the results of the CT scan, the doctor has come to the conclusion that the "tumor is not aggressive enough" to warrant immediate removal. He brought in opinions from other specialists and they've all concluded that the surgery should not be performed. The advice now is to continue to monitor or as they call it, "continue surveillance."

To put it mildly, Cindy was relieved. We all were! But we definitely believe that God had something to do with that CT scan machine going down. It bought some time and the doctors were able to take more time to evaluate Cindy's situation. The elevation or "rising" of the tumor was attributed to the fact that Cindy had a contact lens on her eye when the doctor took the digital photos of her eye. They took more pictures today. Thank you, Lord!

Now, for the best part of all, the CT scan came back completely negative! No cancer from head to toe! Praise the Lord and to Him be the glory!

We want to thank all of you for your earnest prayers to the throne of God!

CT Scan Postponed

Hi everyone,
The CT machine needs a part and it'll be repaired by day's end. Cindy's test has been rescheduled for Thursday 10am, Kuala Lumpur time. Thanks for prayers and we'll update asap.

CT Scan Tomorrow

Hi everyone, Cindy's CT scan will be tomorrow. That'll be Tuesday, 10:30 pm Central Daylight time "back in the world." Will update you after we get the word from the oncologist.

Cindy's Cancer Checkup in Malaysia

Well, friends, we are here in Malaysia. Cindy has been in doctor appointments most of the day. It looks like we will be here longer than we thought. The melanoma skin cancer in her left eye is raising. The doctor said that it's urgent to remove it. Furthermore, she'll be getting a full body CT scan to search for more cancer throughout the body. We know that God is in control, but we do covet your prayers at this time. We were planning to return to Phnom Penh on Saturday, but she will having surgery to remove the melanoma from her eye sometime between Friday and Tuesday of next week. Thank you for your love and prayers!

Like the "Wild, Wild West"

Seems lately that we've seen the crime escalating around our house and neighborhood. Last Tuesday, a young Christian girl, early 20s was robbed of her motorbike and shot two streets over from us. What a shame! She was a really smart girl and translated for a lady from England who's teaching a girls Bible study.

Then last night, about 1 am, we were awakened by a gunshot just outside our house, then in succession, five more shots. It was right directly in front of our house. I jumped up and ran to our balcony that overlooks the street. People were milling about, but I couldn't tell what was happening. Then today I asked one of the neighbors, "Dtae mien ewey ca'ut la'ung yoop maing?" or "What was going on last night?" Found out that it was a shootout between police and some bad guys. That's all I know. Don't stop praying for your missionaries here in Cambodia.

Haley's Home for Orphans

Several years ago, a young lady named Haley Pharr became burdened for the children of Cambodia. She dedicated her life to come to Cambodia to help orphans. Her life was ended in a tragic car accident. In her memory, her family set up the Haley Pharr Foundation. The foundation has given money for land and construction. However, we still lack $26,788 towards our final payment to the builder. This property will serve many purposes. First, it will provide a loving, Christian home for orphans in Cambodia. We will move our orphans into this new home and begin taking in more children as God gives us the support to do so. Then, it will serve as a lighthouse in the Phnom Penh Thmey area as we plant a church here. It will be a hub of discipleship, training the youth of Cambodia to take the gospel to their own people.
That's a lot of money to come up with in less than three months! But,it is God's work and it is God's money! We are trusting that God will touch the hearts of His people to help us take care of orphans in Cambodia! Brethren, there are so many needs in order to make this home for orphans ready to move in! We need to buy a diesel generator, hot water heaters, beds, closets, lockers, tables, chairs, cafeteria furniture, a refrigerator, fans, mattresses, and the list goes on. This would be a great project for your church, youth group, Sunday school class, or Vacation Bible School missions offering.

Please help us to help orphan boys and girls in Cambodia! Together, we can reach them for Jesus Christ! Continue to pray for us as we represent our Saviour Jesus Christ and as we represent you here in Cambodia!

Visitors From The Missions Office

We were blessed by having our Missions Director, Bro. Jon Konnerup and Associate Director Bro. Dennis Jennings with us for a few days. They arrived in Cambodia on Saturday the 31st and left on Wednesday, April 4th. It was nice to have them both in our services on Sunday. This past Sunday was commune council elections across Cambodia, so in accordance with Cambodian law, we started our service as soon as the polls closed. Bro. Konnerup, Bro. Jennings, and myself went out to see the killing fields on Tuesday. I've been many times, but each time it is such a heartbreaking thing. Millions went out into eternity without God in the four years of the brutal Khmer Rouge regime. Pray for Cambodia!

Orphanage Update

We want to take this opportunity to update you on the progress of the Haley Pharr Home for Orphans. The construction is progressing right along. The builders are trying to get things wrapped up before the strong rains begin this summer. We are expecting that the construction will be finished in early to mid-August. Please pray that this will be accomplished. Our lease on our current house is up at the end of this month. Pray that we won't have to extend the contract very long.

We have seen another $5,000 come in towards the orphanage from some brothers and sisters in Christ in California. Praise the Lord for this loving gift from the saints of God! We now need only $26,788 in order to pay the builder. This money is due in the next four months, so please prayerfully consider what God would have you do to help us provide a home for 100 Cambodian orphans.



This home will, as I said, will provide a safe and loving home for up to 100 children. We are giving God's love and gospel to these children because of people like you who help support this ministry. Through your gifts we are able to provide a home, food, education, and all the needs of a child. God has given us a warm and loving relationship with these needy children. These children, before we take them in, are in very risky situations. As the support for the orphanage increases, we can take in more children. But right now, we need your help to finish this building. We have about four months to raise $26,788. Please pray with us about this. If you would like to give, please contact us at haas4cambodia@yahoo.com. Thank you and God bless you!

Sportsfest 2007

Our youth recently returned from the Rawlings Campground in the mountains between here and the coast. They had a great time of fun and fellowship with other youth. The occasion was the annual sports competition between churches. Churches are encouraged to bring unbelieving young people to this event so that they can hear the preaching of the gospel. We sent 58 youth to the event and six out of our group trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour. Praise the Lord!

Some of our youth are pictured here after their return, showing off their trophies I might add! Our church won the big trophy for "Overall Champion" for the event. They were a very excited bunch of kids!

In the past week we had six saved in the Sportsfest and four saved in the rural mission last Sunday evening. Pray for these ten new believers! Thank you and God bless you!

Village Missions Update

Seyhar and I just returned from a little "circuit-riding" to the northeastern regions of Prey Veng province. Our travels took us north from Phnom Penh and through Kampong Cham. Heading east from Kampong Cham town, we found a guesthouse in Suong. About 30-40 minutes south of Suong, we have mission works. Our young men, Bro.David and Bro.Matthew, have started village missions there. It was a blessing to meet the people and visit with them. I was able to preach the story of Adam and Eve and the fall of man. Four young men(pictured at left) made professions of faith in Christ. These young men were in their 20s. The village missions are one of my favorite parts of being a missionary in Cambodia. The people in the villages are so different from city people. It's hard to explain, but it is a blessing to work amongst them! One mission is in Kannchriech District and the other is an hour away in Kamchay Mear District. Please don't misunderstand. I enjoy working amongst both city and village people, but I am just saying they're different. The kids and teenagers in Kamchay Mear rode along with me in the Montero on Sunday afternoon. They wanted to go and teach songs to the people in Kannchriech. They have a lot of zeal for the Lord!

We are prayerfully considering a new mission on the outskirts of this rubber plantation. It's in Kampong Cham province and about an hour north of Matthew's mission in Kannchriech district, Prey Veng.
We've conducted a survey of the area and there appears to be no church or gospel witness there of any kind. Pray for us, that God would give us wisdom on this matter. There are over 2,000 people working at the plantation, not to mention of the thousands of others in the area.

Missing Girl Emerges From Cambodian Jungle After Twenty Years

In a story almost similar to Kipling's "Jungle Book," a woman missing for almost twenty years emerged from the jungles of Cambodia this past week. She is being called "half animal/half human" because of the way she moves and speaks. She moves like a monkey, hunched over and using her hands as "front legs." She only grunts and has forgotten any language she previously knew. She prefers to be naked and has several times tried to remove the clothing given to her. When she does not sit silently, she screams and cries. About eighteen or nineteen years ago, she was eight years old. She and her six year old cousin were tending water buffalo at the edge of the jungle. Her cousin was never seen again. She emerged from the jungle to steal food from some loggers last week and was caught. As you can see from the photo above, they have cut her hair (which was down to her legs) and she is beginning to walk upright already.

Of course, this event is all wrapped up in the spirit world. She is a tribal woman. The religion of animism (spirit worship) is the predominant belief system of these lost souls. They live in fear of the spirits and are continually "appeasing" the spirits. The devil is in the business of damning souls. Villagers are saying the jungle spirits used her and now they are done with her and have released her to go home.

Please pray for the people of Cambodia and especially for the tribal people. Pray for this girl. Her name is P'ngieng (sort of sounds like "ping-ing"). And pray for your missionaries here as we work to bring the light of the glorious gospel into spiritually darkened hearts! Acts 26:18, "To open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins..."

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=178568
http://www.thestar.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=3636020

Orphanage News

Praise God for a generous and loving donor who has given $15,000 towards our ongoing need for construction funds! The balance needed to finish all construction is now $31,788. It's exciting to see what the Lord is doing to help finish this labour of love! If you scroll down a few posts back, you will see the itemized list of things we are trying to pay for! The amount we needed was $46,788, but with this gift, it's now $31,788!

You can see in the photos that the structure is going up nicely. Our family is excited as we watch the place change day by day, week by week. It will be worth it all when the new place is filled with needy orphans. God has called us to reach their hearts with the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

God willing, we will be in our new orphanage by April or May. Please pray for this work, and especially for the rest of the funds to come in.