Haas Family Ministry Blog

Long Absence

2010-05-01T08:11:00.000-07:00

We've been away from the blog for awhile...lots of reasons, but we won't take the time for that today. Folks, I cannot emphasize enough how important it is that we spend more time in prayer. We missionaries need your prayers and the missionaries need to pray for the churches. Our churches are suffering financially across this country as folks lose their jobs in this economy. As a result, missionary support is down, way down. We've lost about half of our monthly missionary support in the past 12 months. Some of this is due to the fact that, because of Cindy's health, we've had to change fields. God knew all about this and it was in His plan. However, some didn't want to support a missionary to Native American Indians. It's a bit frustrating. It wasn't really our choice to leave Cambodia, but it was what the Lord showed us was the right thing to do. So, we lost some support due to leaving Cambodia and some we lost due to the economy. We need your support. If you would like to help us reach Native American Indians for Christ, we'd be grateful.

Katadyn Hiking Water Filter Giveaway

2010-02-23T10:10:00.000-08:00

I have used these water filters while hiking in the Rockies. It's a great product. Why don't you sign up and try to win a free one?

http://selfrelianceadventures.blogspot.com/2010/02/katadyn-hiker-water-filter-giveaway.html

Western Hemisphere's Worst Natural Disaster in 200 Years

2010-01-14T09:11:00.000-08:00

These photos are courtesy of Twitpic and Convoy of Hope. They're down there already, helping the victims of the earthquake. Don't know how many have died, but it's probably in 10's of thousands. There are a lot of missing people.

Leah's Trip

2009-12-25T11:18:00.000-08:00

We have great news!!!! Leah's trip is paid in full!!! The Lord has provided all needed funds for the upcoming trip. Thanks to everyone who gave and who prayed! Please...continue to pray for the group that is going and for hearts to be prepared.

New and Helpful Information Regarding Leah's Mission Trip

2009-11-30T18:23:00.000-08:00

About $500 has come in towards Leah's mission trip thus far. We have some new and helpful information for those who would like to give and receive a tax-deductible receipt. Make checks payable to Prestonwood Christian Academy. Send your donation to:

Prestonwood Christian Academy
6801 West Park Blvd.
Plano, TX 75093
Attn: Development Dept.
Leah Haas

Please email us to let us know that you donated through the school's Development Dept. You can email us at potawatomipreacher@gmail.com.

Thanks and God bless you all!

Leah's Youth Mission Trip

2009-10-29T12:19:00.000-07:00

Many of you have helped towards Leah's mission trips in the past. We wanted to mention it in case you'd like to help again. She's been to Romania and to another country which shall not be named. In "the unnamed country" she personally led 13 souls to the Lord Jesus Christ during an 8 day trip. Cindy and I are thrilled about her love for the Lord and for mission work. If you would like to help Leah, she needs about $2,000 to make the trip. She has to make monthly payments in October, November, December and January. The trip will be in March. Please email me at potawatomipreacher@gmail.com and we can tell you how you can contribute to sending Leah to another "country which may be named later." We'll hear more about it heaven one day! Her fire and passion for missions is a blessing to us. Thanks and God bless!

Report From The Rez

2009-10-15T12:10:00.001-07:00

I am presently helping a struggling church on the Chippewa reservation up in Northern Wisconsin. These folks are a sweet bunch of Native American saints. My prayer is that I'll be able to do a small part to encourage them to keep on keeping on for the Lord Jesus Christ. Here are some photos of the people and the surrounding area.

Seated next to a real prayer "warrior" for the Lord Jesus Christ!

Buddy and Ed, good and faithful men in the church

Beautiful Wisconsin lake

Great fall colors

Thieves Steal Ministry Motorcycles!

2009-10-15T11:50:00.000-07:00

Brother Pilot emailed me yesterday and informed me that thieves entered the orphanage property and stole both motorcycles used by the orphanage and by the young men who are planting churches in the rural villages. This is a devastating thing to our Cambodian brethren who are preaching the gospel and starting churches. Two motorcycles over there will cost about $1,500 each to replace. If you or your church can help, that would be a tremendous help to these brothers in Christ! Here are some pictures of the Tro Kiet First Bible Baptist Church and some recent improvements made to the building. By God's grace and the help of my dear friend from Colorado, they were able to put in a cement slab and build some benches for the church. Praise the Lord!

There is a really great children's ministry going out there in Tro Kiet, as well as about 25 adults worshipping the Lord and learning the Bible!

Here you can see the cement slab and the new benches.

A view of the new cement slab and new benches for the Tro Kiet First Bible Baptist Church

Every year we try to give out some school supplies to the Cambodian children in many villages of rural Cambodia

Update On Cindy's Health

2009-10-15T11:37:00.000-07:00

CIndy had two doctor appointments today. The first one was at the dermatologist which handles her melanoma issues. She wants Cindy to have this test done, but trouble is, the place where it's done won't take insurance (which is weird). You just have to pay out of pocket and I think Cindy said they want $300 to do the test. Then Cindy went to the other doctor who deals with the lung and heart problems. He said that her lungs look good and that he doesn't need to see her anymore. So, that's good. So, the synopsis is that we need to focus on the melanoma skin cancer issue now. That doctor said that Cindy needs this medical creme to apply to her face or she's going to eventually have some rather unsightly holes on her face.

Well, we'd appreciate your prayers about all of this. I've got a couple of weeks left before I return home. I'm on the Chippewa reservation doing some pulpit supply for a really needy and struggling church.

New Orphan Photos

2009-10-09T11:09:00.000-07:00

I thought many of you might like to see the most recent photos of some of the orphans in Cambodia. Even though we are now primarily ministering to Native Americans/First Nations indigenous people, we are still doing all we can to help out the orphan ministry we established in Cambodia. There are always more needs than we can possibly meet. If you'd like to help, just drop me an email at potawatomipreacher@gmail.com.

Field Change

2009-09-29T10:18:00.001-07:00

I just returned from Canton, Ohio, where I attended the National BBFI Fellowship meeting. We met with the Missions Committee and changed our field from Cambodia to Potawatomi Indians. We truly appreciate all your kind words, encouragement, and prayers. It has been a difficult time with Cindy's illnesses.

It was good to be able to have some fellowship with pastors and missionaries in Canton. Other missionaries tell of the same struggles that we've been experiencing. Some missionaries have resigned and become pastors here in the U.S. Others have had to stay off the field longer in order to raise more support.

I'm going to begin taking meetings to raise more support. Please email me at max4missions@gmail.com in order to arrange a date for us to visit your church. God bless you all!

News From Cambodia

2009-09-12T10:13:00.000-07:00

Sophal, one of our orphans, and holds the distinction of being our first boy, led 30 people to Christ in the month of August! To God be the glory! We're so happy for his growth in the Lord and His concern for souls.

According to information received from a missionary colleague in Cambodia, the annual evangelistic camp was a great spiritual victory! From August 2nd to September 5th, there were five weeks of evangelistic camps. During that time, 13,077 people attended the camp. 2,667 precious souls responded to the plain and straight gospel message by trusting Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. To God be the glory! Praise the Lord for the local churches who worked so hard to get these souls to the camp. Now pray as the churches conduct follow-up and discipleship ministry among these new believers. Thanks must go out to the Rawlings Foundation for sponsorships and for the use of their facilities to conduct the camp. Many of the men we've trained were the preachers for this 2009 Evangelistic Youth Camp. Pray for these young men as they boldly proclaim the gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ across Cambodia!
Cambodia Baptist Bible College graduated 3 young ladies and 6 young men this year! The three young ladies were from our church and three of the six young men were also from our church. We are thankful to the Lord for their diligence and faithfulness to "stick it out" and finish Bible school. Now they need your prayers as they take the gospel into Cambodia and beyond.

Ministry Among Oklahoma Indians

2009-08-08T20:39:00.000-07:00

God has opened a door of ministry for us among the Choctaw Indians of Southeast Oklahoma. We'll be working with and assisting Bob and Cala Williams in the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. There is so much that needs to be done! In just a month, we have seen the tragic result of drunkenness and abuse in the lives of many young people in this region.

This open door came at the right time for the Williams family and for us. Cindy still has some ongoing medical issues that are continuing to be treated at Dallas area doctors and hospitals. We are close enough to be able to travel freely to the Choctaw Nation while still living in the Dallas metro area.

Specifically, we will be working with Bro. Williams and his associate missionary, Bro. Sonny Dense. Bro. Sonny has been having some diabetes-related health issues. He needed some help and the Lord brought us all together. We've been asked to come in and assist the Choctaw Baptist mission work in Swink, Oklahoma. It's a blessing to be able to help these brothers as we plant and establish churches together. We have committed to helping these brother missionaries for a length of one year and during this time, we will seek the Lord's direction for future Native American ministry.

It's a blessing to talk with many pastors and receive assurances of continuing prayer and financial support. God bless you all!

I do have some prayer requests:
1. Car trouble: We have a suspension problem with our car and need funds to repair it. It will cost about $500.
2. We need to raise additional support. Could your church help us with additional support to conduct this mission work among the Native American Indians of North America?
3. I won't give the names, but there are some youth in our Choctaw churches and missions that need prayer. Their lives are marked tragically by abuse. Only the Lord God can heal these hurts. Please pray for the youth of Choctaw Baptist.

Ministry Transition

2009-08-08T13:10:00.000-07:00

Cindy and I, along with Leah and Kayla, would like to thank you for your faithful prayers during what has been a very trying time. Cindy’s health battle has been really tough. First, she contracted TB. She’s been treated and is now cured. However, she is now being treated for degenerative disk disease, bulging disks, and fibromyalgia. And then there’s the ongoing problem of melanoma. Cindy is going to continue to need medical care here in the U.S. Through all of this, God has shown us that we should make the U.S. our base of ministry operations. God has confirmed this in our hearts in so many ways, it is amazing! God's power and presence through all of this has been so clearly evident.

The orphanage has been transferred to the direction of fellow missionaries, Drs. Leo and Mary Tago. The children are in excellent care. If you are supporting orphans, we are still forwarding your help on to Cambodia for their care. The same goes for supporting church planters in Cambodia.

On the U.S. spiritual battlefront, we will now be working with indigenous Native American Indians . We trust that you will continue to support us as we continue to serve our Lord in this needy ministry.

Sometimes we wonder why things happen the way they do, but it’s during those times we truly learn what Romans 8:28 means! We put a lot of hard work into Cambodia, seeing over 2,000 souls saved in our ministries, not to mention the over 10,000 we’ve witnessed come to Christ through the cooperative efforts of our missionaries in youth camps, conferences, and sports outreach programs! We miss Cambodia. Please continue to pray for us and continue to support us as we take the gospel to a neglected people group right here in our own backyard: The tribes of Native North American Indians.

In Christ,
The Haas Family
Billy, Cindy, Leah, and Kayla

Cambodia Baptist Bible College Graduation 2009

2009-07-16T20:57:00.000-07:00

Some of our young men and young women successfully completed their studies at the Cambodia Baptist Bible College this year.
Here are some pictures of those who came from our mission churches. Six of the nine graduates were from mission works started and developed by myself, Bro. Seyhar, and Bro. Pilot. We thank the Lord for their faithfulness.

Bro. Din Sothean bows in respect as he graduates. Bro. Sothean is starting a church in Tro Kiet. He's doing a good job for the Lord.

Pictured to the left are two of the three girls who faithfully completed the requirements and graduated. Pray that these single girls will have grace to bear up to the pressures of unsaved family. They'll be pressured to enter into "arranged" marriages to unsaved men. Please pray for them!

Bro. Vannak took awhile longer than most, but like the tortoise in the famous fable, he did just fine!

Cambodia Baptist Bible College Class of 2009

CBBC Student Body: July 2009

Melanoma and Trip to Cambodia

2009-05-18T19:15:00.001-07:00

Cindy had a malignant melanoma removed from her back on Friday. She is recovering and doing well. Continue to pray for her health. She is also suffering from lupus and two bulging disks. I just returned from Cambodia the day before Cindy's surgery. I'm still wiped out from the trip and the jet lag. Even as I type this, I am nodding off to sleep.

Here are some photos from the trip to Cambodia.

The children of the Tro Kiet mission

Ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new property and building at Tro Kiet Mission

Some of the adults at Tro Kiet enjoy a snack after the service.

Update On Cindy's Health

2009-04-15T23:05:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,
It's been a long time since we've posted on here and I'm sorry for that. Cindy went to the dermatologist today to be checked again for melanoma. They found a "mole" on her back that concerned the doctor so she removed it and sent it out for a biopsy. Also, Cindy has some "pre-cancerous" lesions on her upper cheek just under her left eye. They are going to watch that one closely. The dermatologist prescribed Carac for topical treatment.

Cindy also went to see the rheumatologist and they did a whole lot of blood work. They will have the results in about two weeks. They are checking for everything including cancer. Depending on the results, they may have Cindy do another MRI, but this time focusing on her lower spine.

Please continue to pray! Thanks and God bless!

Broken Bodies, Broken Car

2009-03-01T21:49:00.001-08:00

Well, I was out of town the other day. While I was gone, Cindy fell and hurt her wrist. Then, on top of that,
the car wouldn't start or go into gear. She had to call a tow truck. So, the car is in the shop. Will find out
what is wrong with it tomorrow. In the meantime, I'm borrowing a vehicle for a few days. Pray that we can
get our car fixed for a reasonable price. Also, we need another vehicle as well. Cindy can't travel due to her
doctor appointments and ongoing treatments. When I need to go preach or be in a mission conference, I have
no vehicle to get there. We are looking to the Lord to lead us to the right vehicle. Please pray with us about this.

Cindy's Medical Situation

2009-02-16T10:48:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd give you an update on how Cindy is doing. She is still undergoing treatment for the lung problem. That treatment will continue on into spring. The biggest thing she's facing now is a neuro-muscular disorder that is causing her tremendous daily pain. She was in so much pain yesterday that she was unable to attend church. She has an appointment to see a rheumatologist in March. Please continue to pray for her. Her latest blood tests indicated that the cause of her pain could be a disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, or fibromyalgia. I'll update you here on the blog as we get more information. God bless you all and thank you for your prayers!

Tro Kiet Church Construction

2009-01-22T21:17:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,
The church construction is now underway in Tro Kiet. Now that the rainy, monsoon season has passed, it's time to be underway. I'm attaching photos of the project thus far. The land was very low-lying and susceptible to flooding. We've had soil brought in to raise the level of the land. Next step is to put up a fence around the property. We hope that you enjoy the photos below.

The soil has been brought in by the dumptruck load and ground level has been raised to guard against flooding.

Pictured here are some of the church folks. The lady in the middle with the blue hat is the church member who donated the land to the church. She has a burden for her people and her home village. It was a tremendous sacrifice to give the land.

Church planters Ly Kimlong and Din Sothean

Din Sothean and Nhap Pilot

Dump truck begins to bring in soil to fill the land.

The Latest On Cindy's Health

2009-01-13T22:16:00.000-08:00

Cindy's meds have been reduced from nine pills daily to six pills daily. They will be doing a CT scan in the next few weeks to see what's going on inside her lungs. Also, Cindy's been having some chest pains again, so the doctor ordered a stress test. She'll be doing that in the next few days. I know, "when it rains, it pours," but as some of you know, she has two bulging discs in her lower spine. In addition, she has some muscle tissue pain in her lower back area. We do appreciate all your prayers. Please pray for the Lord's healing touch on Cindy.

Christmas in Cambodia 2008

2009-01-08T12:29:00.001-08:00

This little guy was able to enjoy a nice Christmas thanks to your help! I know that times are financially hard, but we do appreciate your help to make Christmas special
for these Cambodian boys and girls!

A good crowd of folks were in attendance for the Christmas program. Several were saved at the close of the service. A girl that Leah had witnessed to awhile back is now coming to church and was able to attend the Christmas program. Her parents are Buddhist, as are most people in Cambodia.

God bless you all! Please continue to pray for Cindy's health as we continue this "extended" furlough.

End of Year Update

2008-12-28T06:49:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! Yep, we're still in Dallas. Cindy had another x-ray last week. The spots in her lung aren't getting smaller, but they aren't getting larger either. Cindy's doctor says it'll be mid to late spring before her treatment is done, so we continue to visit churches and raise prayer and financial support for missions in Cambodia. Our biggest concerns are church planters in Cambodia, Bible College, and our orphans. Those three areas of ministry need financial help. In our various missions across Cambodia, we had a combined number of 520 souls saved during the past year. So, in spite of all Satan has thrown at us in 2008, God is stronger and He won a great victory! We are truly grateful for your prayers and financial support. God bless you and Happy New Year to all!

December 9th, 2008

2008-12-09T07:24:00.000-08:00

One of our faithful Bible students

Hi everyone,
I've talked to our people in Cambodia and it was wonderful to hear their voices. It was such a blessing to speak with the orphans one by one and also talk to Brother Pilot and his wife. I wanted to encourage them in these times of difficulty. I told them to look to the Lord. They trusted Him for salvation, now trust Him to provide their daily needs. We've had to cut our budget back and expect to have to do it again, just like everyone has to do. But our orphans and Bible students need help. I take them before the throne of grace and intercede for them. Paul said in Philippians, when talking about taking up a missionary offering, "Not that I desire a gift, but I desire fruit that may abound to your account." We don't ask for your help because we desire a gift, but we want fruit to abound to your account. It's a spiritual investment. It is laying up treasures where moth and rust don't corrupt. In light of the problems and corruption we've seen in Congress and Wall Street, I must remind you that there is a sure investment in the Bank of Heaven.

The ministry needs are great! We took in orphans by faith, trusting that God's people would provide the means to care for them. We took in Bible College students by faith, trusting that God's people will spiritually invest. Everything we do is not for our glory or for yours, it is for the glory and honor of the King of Kings.

Email me at haas4cambodia@yahoo.com if you would like to do something to help. The list of needs is LONG! There are regular ongoing monthly needs and there are special
one-time project needs. Both kinds of needs are vital! God bless you!

This little Cambodian boy is getting a little needed sleep! But may we not sleep on duty for Christ! Let's be alert and be good soldiers of Jesus Christ!

Orphan Christmas

2008-11-18T07:14:00.000-08:00

Orphan Tut Chan enjoys Christmas

Hi everyone! In the past, our orphans had the tremendous blessing of receiving an annual Christmas offering from Manna Worldwide. Manna Worldwide is a great ministry, based out of Fort Worth, Texas. Due to some personnel issues in Cambodia, we had to end our relationship with our former Cambodian associate who had partnered with us in a feeding center. Since we aren't with Manna anymore, our orphans no longer receive Christmas gifts from the annual offering. Times have been tough for a lot of people, we know. Tough for you and tough for us. We're not sure what we'll be able to do for the orphans' Christmas this year. If you would like to help provide Christmas gifts for the orphans this year, please send your offerings to us before December 15th at:

Billy and Cindy Haas
BBFI Missions
P.O. Box 191
Springfield, MO 65801

Make checks payable to: BBFI Missions.
Mention that the gift is for: "Haas/Orphans/Christmas"

Thank you and God bless you! The Lord will not forget your labor of love! Hebrews 6:10

Tornado

2008-11-01T05:50:00.000-07:00

Thanks to a friend, we can show you this picture of a tornado seen near Phnom Penh in the last day or two. Awesome, huh? Thanks, Isaac, for letting us use the photo for the blog.

How's Cindy doing?

2008-10-24T12:14:00.000-07:00

The doctors are still unsure about the exact nature of Cindy's problem. She had another CT scan yesterday and goes for an MRI today. Cindy has been having some terrible problems with her lower back and spine, near her tailbone. She has so much inflammation that they couldn't see the x-ray well, so they're doing the MRI today. We have learned that tuberculosis, histoplasmosis, and another disease called cestodic tuberculosis can spread and cause the kind of pain that she's having in her lower spinal region. She was hurting so badly yesterday that she was unable to get up out of a chair without considerable effort. We appreciate your prayers for Cindy and will keep you informed as we learn more.

Furlough Extended

2008-10-08T10:27:00.001-07:00

I am, as the old song said, "Learning to Lean on Jesus." We've been frustrated at times. I have to just level with you, folks, it is frustrating at times. No one on earth, outside of Jesus Christ our Lord, was perfect. I feel sometimes like Simon Peter, who, when faced with a frustration, said, "Not so, Lord." Have you ever felt like that? But when faced with these matters, we must look to the Lord because he does everything right and good. He knows that we are simply dust. But who are we to question why things happen?

As you know, Cindy is being treated for a "TB-like" bacteria in her lungs. This treatment lasts a minimum of six months. So, we extended our furlough. Now, on top of all that, we've lost $500 a month support towards the orphanage support. Add to that, an incredible increase in our Social Security withholding and an increase in our mandatory health insurance premium. Then the icing on the cake is the news that the inflation rate in Cambodia is 24%. Between the loss in support for the orphanage, the increase in taxes and health insurance, and the increasing cost of living in Cambodia, it is a support value loss of minimum $1,100 per month!

We are in dire economic times, not only in America, but around the world. Financial support is becoming more difficult to raise. Funds for special projects and needs is becoming harder to obtain.

Our prayer is that God's people will be like the churches of Macedonia in 2 Corinthians 8. Please take the time to read the first several verses of the chapter. Even in times of trial and difficulty, may the Lord's people give sacricially from deep poverty but with abundant joy.

Family Things

2008-09-17T12:11:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,
Here's an update on how things are going around here. Cindy's still undergoing treatment for what seems to be a "tb-like bacteria" She is having some pains in her chest and will be going to the doctor to follow up on that.

Well, the girls are still trying to do whatever they can to raise some funds for their trips: Leah has an upcoming mission trip to a "Creative Access Nation" and Kayla to our nation's capitol. Pray for my girls as they see the Lord work in their lives. If you can help them, please let us know at our email address: haas4cambodia@yahoo.com

I just got back from Louisville, Kentucky. The mission conference was cancelled due to damages inflicted by Tropical Depression Ike. It was great to hear Bro. Trivette preach in person. I've listened to many of his messages on tape throughout the years.

Cindy met Fox News anchorwoman E.D. Hill recently and that was cool. She had her photo taken with her also.

Leah and Kayla

2008-09-09T06:42:00.001-07:00

Our daughters Leah and Kayla are enrolled in a local Christian school here. Because of Cindy's health and ongoing treatment, we are staying in the US longer. As a result, we've enrolled them in school here. God really blessed in all this in that He provided a scholarship for our girls that drastically reduced their tuition at the school.

Part of the curriculum involves our girls making trips to different places. Kayla's class will be going to Washington, D.C. and seeing the museums and different monuments. Leah will be going on a mission trip. Because of the delicate nature of the trip, we won't be disclosing the location until after she is back and the trip is over. She is going to be doing different and creative ways of raising funds for the trip. Some of this is school-sponsored fundraising and then she'll be trying to raise some on her own. We appreciate all who helped her last time and prayed for her last trip back in 2008. She'll make this next trip in 2009. Please pray for both Leah and Kayla as they work hard to prepare for these school trips. Pray that the Lord will open doors for them to get the sponsors they need. God bless you all!

Report From Cambodia Trip

2008-09-09T06:17:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful trip to Cambodia, having just returned this past Saturday. There were a few problems that needed to be handled, but overall, the trip was really wonderful! We've made some changes and adjustments in ministries there, and are confident in the Lord that this will be a positive step.

It was good to see Brother Pilot and his family again also. Brother Pilot is a tremendous help to me in the Lord's work. He is faithful and dedicated to the Lord. He is helping me take care of our orphans. In addition, he is taking care of our Bible students and guiding them as they study the Bible in Phnom Penh. He also helps me with our mission churches throughout Cambodia.

We cooperated with other independent Baptist missionaries in the annual evangelistic camp. Over 8,000 youth attended camp over a three week period and about 2,200 young souls made professions of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ! To God be the glory! The picture at the beginning of this post shows the kids in their afternoon activities learning to work together as they work themselves across the water on ropes.

It was also such a thrill to be reunited again with our orphans. It has been several months since we left for furlough and so seeing them again was GREAT! They are growing up and changing so much it seems! I was able to help them be able to go on a trip to an island off the coast of Cambodia to do some swimming and fishing.

I want to thank the Stephens family for their kind hospitality, allowing me to stay with them during my trip. It was a great time of fellowship and I miss it already!

These are some of our youth in one of the village missions we've started.

From Cambodia

2008-08-26T03:23:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,
Well, here I am, "live" from Phnom Penh, Cambodia. I am here for a short trip to check on the mission works and the orphans. Things are going well here, praise the Lord! I am encouraged by the strength of spirit in our Cambodian brethren and how they've grown spiritually. They are winning souls and burdened for evangelism. We're in the midst of our evangelistic youth camp right now. We've been able, by your prayers, financial support, and God's grace to send 1,250 youth to this camp. The preaching by Brothers Valdez and Tabanao has been Spirit-filled and the Lord is moving in hearts. The total attendance at the camp to date has been over 4,000 with over 2,000 youth professing faith by receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior. Praise the Lord!

Please continue to pray for my wife, Cindy. She had another CT scan last Thursday and will meet with her lung specialist on Wednesday. She is in a lot of pain and she says it is getting worse. I am waiting to hear from her regarding the doctor's intentions on what to do next. We do thank you for your prayers and ask that you please continue to bring her before God's Throne of Grace!

Big Evangelistic Camp Coming Up

2008-08-08T07:17:00.000-07:00

We're expecting thousands of youth for our upcoming evangelistic camp this month. I'll be leaving for Cambodia in about a week in order to be there with our group. We're taking 600 youth from our churches to be a part of our evangelistic camp. Please pray for this camp and join with us in spiritual battle as we war against the devil. Satan always tries to stop our camps because Cambodia is territory that he has claimed for centuries, even millenia. Souls of young men and women are all over this battlefield and Satan is fighting to keep their hearts and minds blinded to the liberating gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanks to Missionary Paul Tabanao for these photos of last month's camp.

Reporting In

2008-08-01T11:59:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, nothing much new to report on Cindy's health situation. She had an outpatient surgery yesterday and they did another biopsy. We're waiting for results.

In the meantime, I will be making a trip to Cambodia around the middle of this month and into the first week of September. Please pray for God's supply for this trip. I have the return portion of my ticket to go there, but need to raise about $1600-2000 for another ticket. We'd appreciate any help with the airline ticket! There are some ministry things that need attention and it is a "must" trip.

One thing coming up is evangelistic camp. We're expecting 5000 to 6000 kids in August to attend a camp with an evangelistic focus. Please pray that thousands of Cambodian youth will be saved during camp in August.

Some of our young men graduated from Bible school last month. They are pictured here.

Sous Sophal

Below: From Left to Right: Nhap Pilot, graduated from Cambodia Baptist Bible College several years ago, and a good second man to me; Suong Vanna (James), 2008 graduate of CBBC, and a church planter starting a church an hour south of Phnom Penh; and Sous Sophal, 2008 graduate of CBBC, and is a tutor/teacher in our orphanage.

Budapest and the Danube River

2008-07-14T22:30:00.000-07:00

The team was able to spend a day in beautiful Budapest. One of the highlights was a stroll along the Danube River.

The Danube at sunset

Leah at night on the Danube River, Budapest, Hungary

Even More Photos From Leah's Trip

2008-07-14T22:14:00.001-07:00

Beautiful Gypsy Children

The emptiness of sin is portrayed in this drama. The inability of drugs and drug abuse to satisfy the soul's deep need is portrayed here.

The T.I.M.E. team sits on a hill overlooking a valley inhabited by Gypsy souls in need of Jesus Christ. Pray for the lost souls of Romania!

More Photos From Leah's Romania Trip

2008-07-14T22:04:00.001-07:00

What a blessing! About 80 souls received Christ as a result of the T.I.M.E. ministry's evangelistic dramas! These "wordless" dramas are great for the mission field because no one has to learn a foreign language to present the gospel!

Gypsy villagers begin to gather around as the open air evangelistic drama is about to begin

Leah is pictured with the Gypsy women of this village

Leah said that the Romanian countryside was truly a beautiful place! It was a beautiful place of mountains, rolling hills, and farmland.

Leah Is Back From Romania

2008-07-14T21:49:00.000-07:00

This is Leah with a group of Gypsy children in a village in Romania.

It sure is great to have Leah back, but honestly, I think she'd get right back on the next plane to Romania! She had a wonderful and blessed trip! About 80 people trusted Christ as a result of the "wordless" gospel dramas that they did! Praise the Lord! The T.I.M.E. teams out of IBB Miami have a great ministry for evangelizing lost people around the world. We've hosted a team in Cambodia and hope to have another team back again someday. Thanks to everyone who prayed and helped to send support for Leah to be on this mission trip. Lord willing, she'll be going to South America next summer.

A Gypsy family in Romania

Leah performs in an evangelistic drama

Cindy's Bronchoscopy Tomorrow

2008-07-09T09:33:00.000-07:00

Well, here's the new info. The PET scan works like this: you take in this glucose solution which is designed to act as "food" for cancer cells and any other "active" hungry cells. Basically, active cells are either cancerous or infectious. Two places in her lungs "lit up" as active. They are located in the left lung near the windpipe. So as of right now, they know that she either has cancer there or she has a very serious infection. The blood work has ruled out infection. Cindy was treated with strong antibiotics last month and so she doesn't think it's an infection. I hope she's wrong, but we'll see. Tomorrow at 1 PM she will have outpatient surgery. They are going to do a bronchoscopy. They will insert a tube through her nose and it will have a camera as well as the ability to take tissue samples for a biopsy. We will meet with the doctor again on Tuesday morning to discuss the results of the biopsy. That's where we stand as of now. We'll update you when we know more. Pray for us as the portion we pay is mounting. Insurance pays for 80% but these tests are $2,000 to $3,000 each. We've had three this month, plus the surgery is coming up tomorrow. I have no idea what that's going to cost.

Thank you for every prayer sent to the throne of grace. God bless ya'll!

More on Cindy's Health

2008-07-08T17:40:00.000-07:00

Cindy went for a PET scan and an MRI yesterday. She was supposed to see her doctor next week for a follow-up to discuss the test results and discuss treatment. Cindy changed that appointment to Thursday. But this morning the doctor called and told Cindy that he'd prefer not to wait until Thursday, but wants her to come in tomorrow (Wednesday) at 8:30 CDT. So, we'll know some more tomorrow and will update the blog then. Thanks for all your prayers!

Cambodia Hit Hard By Rice Cost

2008-06-30T22:51:00.000-07:00

Please take the time to look at this article and pray for our people in Cambodia

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08183/893795-51.stm

Cindy Went To the Pulmonary Specialist Today

2008-06-30T16:04:00.001-07:00

Cindy got in to see the pulmonary specialist today, a few days earlier than scheduled, due to the office getting a cancellation. We really like the pulmonary doctor. He looked at her CT scan and he thinks that the bigger area is probably scarring in the lung which resulted from an earlier infection. Or, he said it's possibly due to a fungus that she picked up in Cambodia. The third possibility, according to the doctor, is possible cancer. He says it is possible, but not likely. The "shadows" on the CT don't look like cancer to him. But he says that he still needs to "rule out" cancer in her lung.

He then talked with us about options. The first option is a needle biopsy. He doesn't like this option because the spot in her lung is too small. He said trying to insert the needle to extract tissue on a small area would be "hit or miss." In addition, he said there's a risk of puncturing her lung. He suggested two things: blood tests to look for signs of a fungus in her lung; and then, a PET scan. Cindy did the blood work today. So, that's done. The PET scan is next Monday morning, July 7th at 9am CDT. The PET scan is different than a CT scan. Cindy will drink some sort of glucose solution and if the places in her lung are cancerous tissue (and in her brain also), then it will show up on the PET scan. The cancer, if that's what it is, will "go to work" on the glucose and show up as such on the test. Then, Cindy will have another follow-up appointment with the pulmonary specialist on the 15th. Please pray that all goes well. We are looking forward to getting back to Cambodia, God willing.

Thanks for all your prayers!

Pulmonary Specialist Appointment

2008-06-24T09:58:00.000-07:00

Cindy has an appointment next week with a pulmonary specialist. That's all we know for now. Will let you know more toward the end of next week about what the doctor said. In the meantime, we wait.

As they say on TV, "In other news..." our Cambodian youth camp will be in August. Our cost is about $10 per kid. We need people to sponsor kids for camp. $100 will send ten Cambodian kids to camp. It's an evangelistic camp and a great way for you to see souls saved as a result of your investment. Email me at haas4cambodia@yahoo.com and I can tell you where to send funds. Thanks and God bless!

Cindy's CT Scan Report

2008-06-20T14:47:00.000-07:00

Here's an update on Cindy for the missions office.

We got the results back from the CT scan this afternoon. We fully trust the Lord and all is in His hands. The news was not encouraging. The lesion in her lung that showed up is 19 mm long. He said that lesion is deep. There are also other nodules he mentioned and the largest one is 12 mm. She is being scheduled for a biopsy as soon as possible. We'll update you when we know more. We truly appreciate all your concern and prayers. God bless!

Update on Cindy's Health

2008-06-18T10:05:00.000-07:00

Cindy will have a CT scan tomorrow morning at 8:30. Her doctor
did an x-ray because of some persistent coughing she was having.
When looking at the x-ray, he found a spot on her left lung.
He ordered a CT scan and she'll be having that done tomorrow.
We will keep ya'll updated when we know more.

Spot On Cindy's Lung

2008-06-16T22:06:00.000-07:00

Cindy’s Health

Hey everyone,
Thanks for your prayers for Cindy. She's been having some coughing lately, wouldn't stop, and also some problems in her esophagus, sorta like a reflux problem. She was treated for the cough, doctor gave her antibiotics. Didn't clear up. She went back today. She had an xray done and the doctor noticed a spot on her left lung. So, they ordered a CT scan and it could happen this week. So, please pray.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, is our 25th anniversary.

Important Ministry Needs

2008-06-10T12:07:00.000-07:00

Folks, here are some things that we need to be met as soon as possible. We are asking the Lord to speak to His people about these:

1. Please keep us in prayer as we try to develop a plan for one of our orphans. He's 16, but only in grade 3. He'll not be finishing high school. Our plan is to get him into a job training program. Cost for the training: $600. This is an investment in this orphan's future.

2. Our orphanage needs 2 permits that cost $600 each. One permit is with the Ministry of Interior. The other is with Ministry of Social Affairs. Total need is $1,200.

3. Young preacher and evangelist Chok Kimsan was just admitted to Calmette Hospital for a bleeding ulcer. He's back out at our place now and recovering. He's had some medical expenses, and so far, we've been able to cover those. However, he travels by bicycle back and forth to two or three villages. We really need to help him by getting him a motorcycle. The cost for a used motorcycle for him is $800.

4. Building funds for village churches:

a. Prey Ankunh, $1,500
b. Tro Kiet, $3,000 to build the wall around, bring in fill dirt, and level the ground; $3,500 to put up the building. Total need is $8,000.

5. One of our young preachers, Nhap Pilot, has saved $200 for a laptop computer. He needs $250 more. It takes forever for them to save that kind of money. He is a faithful young man. I couldn't think of another person who is more deserving of help from God's people.

Please make these needs a matter of prayer. As God supplies, we will let you know. Thanks and God bless!

3rd of June

2008-06-03T11:51:00.000-07:00

We'll be returning to Cambodia in about eight weeks. We miss our people in Cambodia so much, especially the orphans and Bible students.

Cindy's health is about the same. She'll be going back for another MRI on July 7th. Also, she'll be admitted into St. John's for a sleep apnea test. They think she has some sort of sleeping disorder.

There's a lot we need to do for the orphanage property soon. Primarily, we need to:

1. Purchase a diesel generator,
2. Landscape the property.

There's a lot of money needed for those two projects.

In addition, we are still trying to raise some funds to finish two building projects for village churches.

If you have questions or would like to help, please email me at haas4cambodia@yahoo.com.

The Man God Used To Lead Me To Christ

2008-05-18T22:54:00.001-07:00

It was a blessing to see Dan Thompson, a close friend of our family, and the man who led both me and my dad to the Lord Jesus Christ. His mom also led my mom to the Lord. He and my dad were best friends in high school and our families were best friends for life! Friends are truly a gift from God.

Cindy's Health

2008-05-08T16:43:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, some of you might know already and some might not. Cindy's been having some strange numbness/tingling on the right side of her face from time to time. We took her to a doctor and they did an MRI. Then, she went to see a neurologist. Here's what we know: she has an 11 mm cyst on the left side of her brain. As most of you already know, she also has a cyst in her left eye. The cyst on her brain seems to be the cause of the numbness on the right side of her face. She will have another MRI on July 9th. Our insurance has been really good and we've met our deductible. The co-pays are now kicking in and so far, up to today, we have a bill to pay of about $800. I'm sure this will go up soon, as we'll doing another MRI. Can you help us with this medical bill? We sure would appreciate anything you can do.

Cindy will also be going into St. John's Sleep Treatment Center. The neurologist believes that she may have sleep apnea and there's a possible link to her other health problems. Please pray for Cindy.

Reporting From Texas

2008-05-08T11:36:00.000-07:00

We are, as most of you know, on furlough in the USA now. But the work and ministry continues in Cambodia as normal. In fact, the work is growing. We have five new believers in Ksach Kandal. We, along with the local pastor there, Bunna, are thrilled at this good news. Pray for them as they grow and become disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Youth camp is coming up in a few months. It costs $10 per youth for us to get them from their villages, register them for camp, and bring them back to their village. Please consider sponsoring a Cambodian youth to go to camp. Last year we had over 2,000 in our evangelistic camp, and hundreds became believers in our Lord as a result of the camp ministry. This is a great spiritual investment! Please help!

Below are a few photos from camp last year.

Updates on Leah's Romania Trip

2008-04-21T19:05:00.000-07:00

Praise the Lord! Leah is only a few hundred dollars short of having what she needs for her mission trip to Romania! Thanks to all who've given to help her make the trip! God bless you!

"Poutine" On The Furlough Trail

2008-04-21T18:50:00.000-07:00

We've been up in New York, Vermont, and Quebec for the past few weeks. It's been a great time! We've reunited with brothers and sisters in Christ and many dear friends. It's been a great time of fellowship!The food pictured above is called in French, "poutine." This dish includes french fries, fresh cheese curds, and brown gravy. The hot gravy partially melts the cheese. It's really good!

Mission Conference

2008-04-13T06:28:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,
Here's a report from the furlough road! We are in our home church in Hilton, New York. We've been in a great missions conference here! There are 27 families sent out from our church to mission fields around the world! There aren't many churches in the U.S. that have that many families sent out of their church. We are blessed! Every missionary in the conference was a missionary from our church! It was a great time of good preaching, challenge, and fellowship!

We'll be in NY state and Vermont, and then off to Virginia soon. God bless each of you and thanks for your prayers!

Oh, one more thing, Leah has raised about $1,200 for her Romania missions trip. The balance that she needs to raise is $1,800. Can you please help? Thanks and God bless!

Leah's Romania Missions Trip

2008-03-26T17:21:00.000-07:00

About $1,000 has come in towards Leah's mission trip to Romania. Praise the Lord! Please continue to pray for God to supply her need! If you can help her, please do! She still lacks $2,000. God bless all of you!

God Supplies The Need To Fix Orphanage Plumbing

2008-03-24T06:09:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to announce to everyone that God has supplied the $4,500 to fix the plumbing problems at the Haley's Home orphanage. Praise the Lord!

Cindy's Health

2008-03-22T18:13:00.000-07:00

My wife Cindy recently began experiencing episodes of numbness and tingling in her lips, tongue, and sometimes her cheek. She gets nauseous along with these other symptoms. We took her to the doctor in Springfield. She had an MRI done and the doctor has referred her to a neurologist. There are no available appointments to see the neurologist until about a month from now. The MRI revealed that it's possible that she had a "mini-stroke" but they aren't sure. Please pray for her. We will have our 25th wedding anniversary on June 17. I love her and covet your prayers for her health. God bless you!

Please don't forget about doing what you can to help towards Leah's Romania mission trip in June. She needs to raise $3,000 and has $250 as of today. $2,750 to go! She'll be doing evangelistic ministry among the gypsies of Romania.

Also, we still lack about 1/2 of the $4500 we need to fix a serious plumbing problem in the orphanage. They cannot flush a single toilet on the property and have to shower with the water hose outside. Pray that we can get the funds to get this fixed.

Thank you for your love, prayers, and gifts!

Updates on Leah's Romania Trip and Orphanage Damage

2008-03-20T21:32:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,
Here's a quick update on the progress of funds for Leah's Romania mission trip expenses. So far about $250 has come in, so she is still lacking $2750. Please help her meet her goal so that she'll be able to get her money in on time. She appreciates everything you can do to help!

Funds are coming in for the orphanage plumbing repairs. We don't have all of the funds needed yet and I don't have the exact amount that's come in in front of me, but we have about half of the $4500 we need to fix the plumbing.

Please help towards these two needs! Thanks and God bless each one of you!

Big Immediate Need

2008-03-15T06:43:00.000-07:00

Folks, there is an immediate and huge financial need for the orphanage building. I just received the estimate for repairing the plumbing and other things damaged due to leaking pipes. The cost will be $4,500. That amount factors in constantly rising construction materials cost in Cambodia. Can your please help us with this? It is a crisis. I hate to use that word because it is so misused and overused. However, they cannot flush the toilets or take showers until this is done. We need your help immediately. Water is leaking everywhere, even under the building and if it isn't fixed, then it'll affect the foundation. This is urgent. Please send your donation as soon as possible to:

Billy and Cindy Haas
BBFI Missions Office
P.O. Box 191
Springfield, MO 65801

Make checks out to BBFI Missions. Then, include a note stating that the gift is for Haas/orphanage repair. Mail to the above address. Your gift is tax-deductible. BBFI is a 501(c)3 organization so your gift is tax-deductible. Please help the orphanage! Thank you and God bless you!

Help Leah Go To Romania

2008-03-01T09:18:00.001-08:00

This summer, our daughter Leah, age 16, will be going on a mission trip to the Eastern European country of Romania. She'll be going with a team of youth from International Bible Baptist in Miami, Florida. The ministry is called T.I.M.E. We hosted a T.I.M.E. team in Cambodia last year and it was great. Leah has been asked to go and she is thrilled! She'll be working with the Collico's, missionaries to the Gypsies for the past 13 years. Among the things she'll be doing is helping to present the Gospel through Christian evangelistic skits and dramas. They'll minister to Gypsy children, teens and adults in Gypsy churches as well as at Camp Joy.

Leah needs to raise $3000 for this trip. Please help her get the money required to go on this mission. You can send funds to us through the missions office.

Instructions:

1. Make check payable to BBFI Missions.
2. Include a note or write on the memo field of the check that it's for "Haas/Leah/Romania"
3. Send to BBFI Mission Office, P.O. Box 191, Springfield, MO 65801.

This is a great opportunity to be a big blessing to an MK (missionary kid)! God bless you!

Miami Power Outage

2008-02-26T20:05:00.001-08:00

Well, we show up in Miami and the power goes out from Key West up to Daytona Beach. Sounds like Cambodia to me! Power is back on and all is well. Seems like a switch failed somewhere and then the power began going down like dominoes.

Update From The Hospital

2008-02-20T08:14:00.001-08:00

Cindy's mom is still in the hospital. She'll be here for awhile. Cindy talked with her mom's doctor this morning and got a better idea of what he's thinking. She'll need someone to look after her and take care of her from now on. She'll probably be able to go home eventually, but cannot live alone. Please pray for Cindy and her brothers and sisters as they will be discussing all of this in the next few days.

Old Laptop Laid To Rest

2008-02-17T19:44:00.001-08:00

Well, here's a quick update on the laptop computer. The computer tech called me to ask me to come by and "claim the body." So, we're going to have to get a new one. It's been ordered and is on it's way to us. We're in Florida now and so we are having it shipped to where we are. Gotta get my data off the old hard drive.

Making A Mess A Bigger Mess

2008-02-08T22:27:00.001-08:00

Well, I really went and did it today. The CD/DVD drive in my laptop "died" about three months ago, and I just now was able to purchase the part to fix it. I was told it was easy and that I could "do it myself." Well, it wasn't easy and I can't do it myself. Now I have the laptop all torn apart and can't get the new drive in it. It's in pieces and tomorrow morning, I've got to find a place that can put it all back together again and install that new drive that I've already bought. Tomorrow is Saturday and we have to leave in the afternoon to go to a church for Sunday. I need my presentation for Sunday and it's on the laptop which is in pieces. This might be a good time to buy another laptop. Pray for me because it's been a really frustrating day. God has a lesson for me in all this. I just don't know what it is yet. I know one thing. I am not a computer tech. No way, Jose.

Present Ministry Needs

2008-01-29T09:34:00.000-08:00

At left: Seng Bunna and the Ksach Kandal First Bible Baptist Mission

Every now and then, it is needful for me to inform you about the ministry needs we have. There are needs in Cambodia and needs here as we begin our furlough. We have some equipment needs as we begin to travel from church to church telling about the ministry in Cambodia.

In Cambodia, there are some pressing needs. Let me enumerate them:
1. We have a dire situation right now with plumbing. Pipes have broken both in the ceilings and under the ground floor which is going to require tearing up the ceilings and the floor tiles to get to them. This is an extreme emergency because water is going everywhere. But we need $650 to repair this mess and we don't have it. Please help us with this.

2. One of our churches has been given a parcel of land. A donation from Texas of $1,000 was given to build a simple church building. But we are going to have to bring in truckloads of fill dirt to raise and then level the land. If this isn't done, then the church will flood every year. Pre-construction costs like this will run about another $1,000.

3. Our ministry needs a couple of motorcycles for some young church planters who must travel from Phnom Penh to rural villages preaching the gospel. Each motorcycle costs about $650.

4. The mission in Ksach Kandal is under the leadership of Bro. Seng Bunna. Bunna is one of our young men, who heard the gospel and came to us at the end of a service, wanting to be saved. He graduated from Cambodia Baptist Bible College. Now he's got about 100 people meeting each Sunday in Ksach Kandal. He is in need of chairs for his church. Each chair costs about $5.

Each one of these needs is immediate. In other words, the water is leaking and causing mildew to the building in Phnom Penh right now. The church in Tro Kiet wants to put their building up now, before the rainy season begins in June. But they need to get this land filled and leveled soon. They need motorcycles now so that they can stop using motorcycle taxis or borrowing someone else's. And finally, those people in Ksach Kandal need a chair to sit on. Please help these folks! God bless you!

On the Furlough Trail

2008-01-16T08:11:00.000-08:00

Furlough "ought" to be a time mostly of rest, but it isn't. It is, for us, a time to raise more support and also, to raise project funds. We are trying to raise funds to do some needed building repairs, build some village churches, buy two motorscooters for Cambodian preachers, and pay license fees for our orphanage. These are immediate needs. We currently need about $3,000 to meet all these needs. There are many other needs that we hope to raise funds for over the next five months. Please, if you can, help in some way to meet these needs. God bless you! Thank you!

Back in the USA

2007-12-26T20:30:00.000-08:00

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

2007-12-16T17:59:00.000-08:00

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

2007-12-10T21:03:00.000-08:00

"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!

2007-11-29T18:20:00.000-08:00

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

2007-11-26T23:03:00.000-08:00

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!

2007-11-21T17:55:00.000-08:00

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."

2007-11-13T19:53:00.000-08:00

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

2007-11-07T22:02:00.000-08:00

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

2007-10-24T19:04:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-16T20:46:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-08T20:32:00.000-07:00

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!

2007-09-27T19:10:00.000-07:00

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

2007-09-19T03:13:00.001-07:00

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!!!

2007-09-14T05:32:00.000-07:00

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

2007-09-04T19:16:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-26T07:06:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-21T01:53:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-13T03:10:00.000-07:00

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

2007-07-17T02:46:00.000-07:00

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

2007-06-29T20:10:00.000-07:00

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

2007-06-24T21:07:00.000-07:00

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

2007-06-22T03:30:00.000-07:00

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

2007-06-22T03:26:00.000-07:00

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

2007-06-20T21:30:00.000-07:00

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

2007-06-14T02:04:00.000-07:00

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

2007-06-12T21:42:00.001-07:00

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

2007-06-12T00:28:00.000-07:00

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

2007-06-10T22:56:00.000-07:00

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"

2007-05-20T01:57:00.001-07:00

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

2007-05-03T05:28:00.000-07:00

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

2007-04-07T08:43:00.000-07:00

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

2007-03-19T03:05:00.000-07:00

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

2007-02-25T08:38:00.000-08:00

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

2007-02-20T08:31:00.000-08:00

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.