Old Laptop Laid To Rest

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

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

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

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

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!