“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothing?" Matthew 6:25 Thanks for praying for us during the past month. We went through a three-week lockdown for COVID. Now, the restrictions have been eased to a level that we don’t feel stressed by them. During the, lockdown it was difficult to get accurate information about the various strict restrictions. This was the most stressful part of the experience. God carried us through that time of great uncertainty. Please continue to pray for others who are still under very strict lockdowns. By God’s grace the COVID situation has stabilized and improved somewhat in Cambodia. Still there are others around us who are struggling in various ways. ...

“ We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;” 2 Corinthians 4:8 This is the same verse that I posted last month when we were merely perplexed but now, we really are hard-pressed by police barricades on all sides of our neighborhood. After a year of being blessed in Cambodia with low numbers of COVID cases, the COVID numbers continue to rise and it has not been contained yet. So, the capital city of Phnom Penh is now in lockdown. We are not allowed to leave our neighborhood and only two of us are allowed to leave our apartment three times a week for groceries and supplies. There are steep fines, prison terms, and deportations with no re-entry being handed out to people who violate various orders. So, we need to be really wise and careful in our daily lives. ...

" We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;" 2 Corinthians 4:8 Years ago, when I first started driving a car in Cambodian traffic jams I used to think about being “hard-pressed on ever side.” : ) Now that COVID (105 new cases yesterday) is spreading in Cambodia there are few traffic jams. Now, the “pressing” feels more like three people trying to do work, ministry, and online school in an apartment with few outings. By God’s grace, we were able to move into a two bedroom apartment, last month, before this latest COVID outbreak hit. ...

“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” Galatians 6:9 We just found out that there has been another outbreak of COVID and so Benjamin’s school will be online at least for the next two weeks. We don’t know whether churches will be online or not yet. Everything was open for a month after an outbreak the end of November. This outbreak in Cambodia combined with the COVID situation in the USA and Japan make traveling this summer to either country seem very unlikely. ...

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” Hebrews 10:23 We thank God for His faithfulness in 2020 and look forward to what He has planned for 2021. There are many unanswered questions like, “Will we be able to visit the USA, Japan, or neither this summer?” Right now, the doors don’t seem to be open for us to visit other countries but who knows what a few months will bring. ...

“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” Galatians 6:9 Darryl’s Apologetics/Evangelistic video ministry has just produced its first video in the Chinese (Mandarin) language! Darryl and Pastor Samuel have been talking about this for years now but due to COVID, we both finally have time in our schedules to work together to make this happen. Pastor Samuel translated and recorded the soundtrack of the video “DNA: God’s Living Software” in Chinese and then we used that to make the video using video from the English version of the video. This video is now available in Cambodian, English, Japanese, Spanish and Chinese. It is available for viewing and free download at www.internationalfishers.com/chinese. ...

The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes. (Proverbs 21:1 NKJV) As I write this post, it is the day before the U.S. election. Growing up, I was interested in U.S. politics while my peers were interested in sports. I even earned a degree in political science before God called me to be a missionary and Christian apologist in Cambodia. Each election year, I thank God that I do not have to campaign for any human candidate, but that I have the privilege to use my skills to share the good news of Jesus Christ. Even though I still have strong preferences for which candidates win various elections, the above verse has helped me to keep my sense of balance and peace by remembering that regardless of who wins the election, God is still in complete control. ...

“But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.” Psalm 5:11 Since our last update, God has opened the doors for schools and churches to reopen. The government still has placed strict requirements on both but with a total cases around 274 and no community transmission of COVID 19, we are hopeful that those restrictions will be gradually eased. The restrictions for entry into Cambodia remain very strict so for now we cannot leave the country because it might be too difficult to re-enter. ...

The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe. Proverbs 18:10 Despite the uncertainties of the world around us, God has blessed us with peace and protection during this season. COVID-19 remains under control in Cambodia and we thank God for this. As a result, Benjamin’s school will be able to reopen for in person classes with mask and social distancing requirements the end of August. God has carried us through around five months of schooling and work at home in an apartment that seems to shrink as our 11 year-old grows. Travel restrictions remain pretty strict so any travel outside of Cambodia before the middle of 2021 would be extremely difficult if not impossible. Churches remain limited to 10 people so we continue helping with the online services at the international church. ...

Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the Lord our God. Psalm 20:7 With a pandemic, economic turmoil, and social turmoil in many places around the world it is easy to become overwhelmed and frightened when our “horses” and “chariots”, whatever they may be, fail. But, these times constantly remind us that God is real and He is greater than whatever we fear. We thank God that He has been taking care of us and meeting our daily needs during this precarious time. ...