Dear Ones,
As this year comes to a close, may we all be ever mindful of His great love for us. Looking back, we reflect on His faithfulness in assisting us with every idea that He placed into our hearts. Additionally, we can see some of the pieces of the puzzle being put into the right places.
For instance, last January we were unsure of how many students would enroll in our Year One Bible school program. Praise the Lord for bringing the right students to us. Six students have recently completed their first year. Two of them are continuing to the Year Two program.
Furthermore, out of seventeen students from January 2021, eight of them have recently completed their three-year program. Of these eight students, four of them are deacons and elders in our assembly. It is a blessing that they all understand the Word rightly divided (2 Timothy 2:15).
Another missing piece of the puzzle was our new teen class. The burden of today’s youth weighs heavily on us. Too many of them are not prepared for the spiritual attacks when they leave their homes for college. We were unsure if they would be willing to come to church an hour early for this class. So, we stepped out in faith. We began teaching on topics such as anger, depression, anxiety, and peer pressure. The class took off, and it progressed into covering current events from a biblical perspective. The Lord provided us with knowledgeable instructors to teach on immigration, euthanasia, abortion, pornography, self-image, and so forth. Now, our youth understand that the Bible truly has answers for all of our problems.
Since children are a primary focus in our church, we also have two children’s church classes. Kids range in age from 5-12. It has been incredible to see the Lord provide teachers right when we need them. Members of the Body of Christ willingly serve Him for His glory.
As you can see, it is vital to reflect on God’s goodness. He has enabled our church to remain steady despite many setbacks. In fact, we just celebrated its seventh year, praise God. We certainly see how important it is to be faithful to Him. He truly provides what we need when we need it!
Another missing piece of our puzzle was how to be used by God during our Christmas break. Since we have a few weeks off from school, the three of us and another church family traveled to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Our goal was to provide homiletics and biblical counseling training to the two TCM churches there. The Lord provided more than we imagined! Our daughter was asked to share her testimony and she did an excellent job! Also, the family who traveled with us are the same students in our Year Two program. They shared their testimonies, too. Their stories had a profound impact on us all.
It was a real treat to work alongside our brothers/sisters serving in Phnom Penh (see pics). Their desire to serve the Lord wholeheartedly is very uplifting. They use every opportunity possible to bring the Good News to others. It was a blessing and an encouragement to show our support to them. I urge you to prayerfully consider how you can support Team Cambodia as well as all of our TCM teams.
As we close this newsletter, allow us to thank you once again for all the prayers and support during 2023. We realize that it’s the Lord who brings you alongside us for His glory. Let’s remember to thank Him for all things. Our challenges make God’s victories! May He be glorified in all that we do for Him.
In His service,
Pat and Michelle
TCM Southeast Asia
