Home Thoughts From Abroad

There are a number of NGOs (non-governmental organizations) working in Cambodia and most of them use a secular approach to development. CHE does not. CHE stands for Community Health Evangelism, and uses a strategy that according to its website, seeks to “integrate evangelism and discipleship with disease prevention and community-based development.” In other words CHE recognizes that while people may come to its clinics and health professionals for medical reasons, there are underlying causes of poverty, hunger and spiritual need that are at the root of their problems. CHE seeks to meet that deeper need.

CHE began in Africa about thirty years ago. Since then its unique training and outreach strategies have spread to 79 countries, including Cambodia. Their mission is not just to deal with the immediate need of treating sickness and preventing disease, but “to bring about a transformation of the human heart, to change behaviour so that the justice, compassion and righteousness of Christ is reflected in the life of the communities that they serve.”

Part of what Pam is seeking to do with Trans World Radio is get the materials that CHE provides  in the Khmer language and and integrate some of that health information into broadcasts to the remote parts of the country where both health facilities and evangelism are rare. This week she will be meeting with an number of key individuals who share this interest.  Pam is in a unique position to do this. She is a health care professional with extensive experience in programmed health care; she has a broad mandate from Trans World Radio, and she has taken the CHE training and has developed a number of contacts with that organization.

Once again I ask for your prayers as Pam seeks to get this program launched in Cambodia. It is not an easy country to get around in, and government restrictions on the use of cell phones (non-Cambodians are not permitted to buy Cambodian phones, or even SIMs) make internal contacts difficult. It is also not entirely safe, and she is there alone. I know that my thoughts and prayers go with my dear Pam this week, and I ask for yours as well. You can read more about the CHE network at https://www.cheintl.org/

It is a privilege to be in Asia working for Christ. He is not my employer, but I consider everything I do in the light of what He would have me do. So when HR gives me grief, or I have a boatload of marking to do, I think about His larger purpose, and am satisfied.

His larger purpose for now includes the two of us being in Malaysia, which in many ways is a hub for South-East Asia, the home of Pam’s present ministry. Yesterday she left for Cambodia where she will be for the entire week. Today she is manning a clinic located in Phnom Penh’s garbage dump. Then she will conduct a survey of the women’s health needs on this site over the next couple of days. For the rest of the week she has a series of meeting with some key individuals to work out a coordinated effort to reach these and similar women through health care evangelism.

Pam works selflessly on these and similar ministry assignments and she is ideally trained and qualified for this role, not just educationally, but personally, with a manner that is offensive to no one and an encouragement to many. It is my responsibility and privilege to support her while she undertakes this important ministry for the Lord. I would ask that you uphold her in prayer, for it is her desire to be a blessing.