‘This training has become a part of my life’
Each month, the Langham Preaching team publishes the “Preaching Postcard”, which includes an interview of someone involved in Langham’s ministry. The interview below appeared in the September 2018 Postcard; and introduces Vachna from Cambodia, one of the leaders in the Preaching movement in that country.
How did Jesus find you?
I came to Jesus when I was in high school. I came to church to learn how to play the guitar and to join the football team. I never thought of being a Christian, but just wanted to have fun with music and sport. Not much later, I heard the gospel shared in the youth fellowship on the topic of the lady giving her offering at the temple. It was a big surprise to me, when Jesus said that she had offered the biggest amount of all. I thought that the more I gave, the more I gained. A year later, I was converted, becoming a Sunday school teacher and then was baptised the same year.
What does serving Jesus look like for you this week?
I received a call to be a pastor and so I went to a Bible school after my university. Nowadays, our family serve the Lord in a church back in my hometown. Serving the Lord, ministering the Word each week, has become my journey with the Lord. My wife is responsible for our pre-school and alongside my church work, sometimes I help with a Bible school in the city. We are happily serving the Lord as a family, with both joy and suffering, but we know that the Lord is always with us.
What do you enjoy about working with Langham Preaching?
Thanks to God, in 2006, I was able to join the Langham Preaching training in Thailand. I learned the simplest way to preach, yet also apply, the Word of God. I have one preaching club where we can share and learn to improve our skills in preaching the Word. Every time we meet it is a moment of joy, as we share, we learn, we grow, and we pray together. Thanks be to God for the Langham Preaching movement in Cambodia. This training has become a part of my life.
Share a resource that has helped you in your preaching (other than Langham!)
Aside from Langham resources, I have used a translated Khmer Bible commentary to gather some information on background and context. Sometimes I use a commentary series, such as the one from the Asian Theological Association (ATA).
An update from Anwar…
Anwar, Tsigereda and their daughter Yidu flew back to Ethiopia on New Year’s Eve. We have recently heard from Anwar. He writes:
Thank God, we are settling well and connecting with friends, families and churches. We had an exciting time of Ethiopian Christmas [7 January] and celebrated the holiday being surrounded by lots of friends and families. We found a suitable apartment accommodation and moved into it Saturday (26th January). We also found a school for Yidu, and she will start class next week. But she sometimes feels sad because of missing her friends. I have started conversation with ETC leadership about my future role in the institution… I was warmly welcomed by ETC faculty and staff and easily engaged in the life of ETC community. I will begin teaching [28 January]. In this academic semester, I will teach three courses in addition to leadership roles in the college. Tsige is also engaging in with one of the local churches near to our house and trying to begin conversation with the church’s leadership the ways she may begin ministry within that church.
Join us in prayer
UPCOMING LANGHAM PREACHING EVENTS
Where countries are considered sensitive re: security, the region is mentioned rather than the country.
- 10–16 February: Spain
- 17–23 February: Cuba, Sierra Leone, Romania, Spain (2)
- 24 Feb–2 March: Liberia (2 + Preachers club visits), Ukraine
- 3–9 March: DR Congo, Myanmar, Hungary, Spain (3)
- 10–16 March: Liberia, Guyana, Colombia, Spain
Thank you for your prayers!
SCHOLARS
- Keep praying for Anwar Berhe and his family as they settle into life and ministry in Ethiopia.
- Pray for Egyptian Scholar George Bishai as he continues to study at Moore College, Sydney; he is under pressure to complete some of his writing to be reviewed before he and the family return to Egypt in April (he will complete his PhD there).
- Pray for Fanos Tsegaye (Ethiopian) as she studies in Scotland.
LITERATURE
- Pray for those who have attended Preaching workshops recently: that they will get involved in Preaching clubs and put into practice what they have learnt. Pray especially for the work as it has just begun in the Philippines.
- In February, the first Langham Preaching seminars will take place in Guatemala. Pray for the participants who attend and for the national committee who are looking to develop and establish this work.
Langham Australia CEO Gillean Smiley writes…
“I have both the Africa and the South Asia Bible Commentaries open in front of me as I do my quiet time each day”, a friend of Langham told me recently. “The insights and different perspectives are amazing, and I learn so much!”. One of our goals in Langham is to see the world wide Church grow to greater depth and maturity, through sound, Biblical teaching, and we in Australia have so much to learn! In a rare case of lack of access, our friend lamented that he could not yet read the Bible with the help of a Slavic Commentary or an Arab perspective, as these commentaries are not yet translated into English! What a privilege to live in a time when we can learn from the wisdom and insight of our Majority World brothers and sisters, who have lived with suffering and pressure that we in the West can only imagine. Now we wait with bated breath for “what’s next?” – and soon it will be the Latin American Bible Commentary, written by Latin Americans for Latin Americans. Praise God for the depth of Scholarship and provision of publishing and printing services that has allowed Commentaries from so many cultures and regions to bless not only their own people – but also us!
Thank you for your prayers and support.