Sophie in Cambodia

 

Newsletter July 2025

Our Faithful God, Who Hears Our Prayers

I hear you have been having a bit of a heatwave back in the UK over the last few weeks.  Here in Cambodia, we are in the middle of the rainy season. It is still hot and humid and at times there seems to be less rain than previous years but when it does rain here it is heavy and the streets often flood. Many of the roads have poor drainage systems and this causes a few problems.  In the last month I have also visited the moto repair shop 3 times!! Often when the streets become flooded, the big potholes in the roads get covered which means you can end up driving into the holes because you can’t see as clearly as before.  So my poor moto has been through the wars. Please pray for mine and our team’s protection during this season.  Pray for our safety as we travel to church and into the village areas where more stable roads are not always accessible.

Sarun and I have been really busy sorting documents for our marriage paperwork.  Thankfully, we are progressing well with the process. It continues to be a challenge for us both, and we have really had to increase our trust in God through it all.  We had one recent experience in a meeting about our marriage that was very difficult. During the meeting, we were faced with a significant challenge, so we went outside the building and prayed together for a while. When we went back inside, the obstacle was gone, and we were granted what we needed. It was a wonderful reminder for us of the power of prayer. Praise God!

We have also been busy doing a marriage preparation course with 2 very special people who have been such a blessing to both of our lives over the last year. We are enjoying the topics and conversations, and we are thankful for the expertise of our friends who are leading us in this course, as they have much experience working alongside people in cross-cultural relationships.

Sarun continues to show how faithful he is and how much he loves and trusts in God. I also have seen just how much he loves and cares for me in the challenges we have faced in the last few months. We are excited as our wedding day gets even closer and continue to appreciate your prayers for us at this exciting time. 

Our church in Phnom Penh has seen new people coming along in the last few weeks, which has been really encouraging. Some of these people are from the villages we have been reaching out to. The most special thing was that 3 students from the after-school programme came to church 2 weeks in a row.  This is the ultimate heart and vision for this ministry, that it would connect the students to a group of believers and that they would learn about their true purpose in life as they hear about their Lord and Saviour.  There has also been a lady who has come for the last few weeks and she just recently brought her husband with her to church. She is listening intently to the sermons and is happy to join in with praise and worship at the church. She first heard of Jesus because of the team going into the village, and they shared the gospel with her. Please remember to pray for her and her family as they open their hearts to hear and know more of God.

I continue to teach English in Be Free to the girls. Just recently, they told me that they love studying because we play games together, and it helps them forget their worries and stresses whilst they are learning with me. I also continue to lead bible studies and pray regularly with our Be Free staff.  I find that it is a blessing for both them and me. What is lovely is that I get to spend more time with the Be Free girls at the weekend because they also attend our church in Phnom Penh. Some of them are becoming more engaged with serving in the church and growing in their relationship with God.  It is a joy to witness this growth in their lives. 

Over the last few weeks, I have had to make more trips to different provinces.  Thankfully, one of those places was Sarun’s home village. We had to travel there to get documents from the local government, so it meant we had a few precious days with his family there. When we were last here, my parents also joined us, and we had time to pray with some of the neighbours and with Sarun’s mum, who was experiencing some pain.  This time, Sarun’s Mum said to me that she noticed the difference after she was prayed for, and she woke up the following day with less pain than before. One of our friends from the community also told us that God has answered many of her personal prayers since we last saw her. We are so encouraged to hear how God is faithfully working and answering prayer requests, and also how He is growing faith and trust in Him in people’s lives around Cambodia. 

As I travel around Cambodia, I am always struck by the beauty and diversity of the country. Life outside of the city is refreshing, and right now, because it is the rainy season, the farms and fields are so green. I also love when I get to meet new friends and other believers. People are open to hearing the good news here. They just need people to bring it to them.

“But how can people call on him for help if they’ve not yet believed? And how can they believe in one they’ve not yet heard of? And how can they hear the message of life if there is no one there to proclaim it? “And how can the message be proclaimed if messengers have yet to be sent? That’s why the Scriptures say: How welcome is the arrival of those proclaiming the joyful news of peace and of good things to come!”

Romans 10:14-15 TPT

Prayer Points

• Please pray for the people I have mentioned at our Phnom Penh church. Pray they will grow deep in a relationship with God and begin to share this good news with their families and friends. 
• Please continue to pray for my English students from the community around our church. They are working hard and revising for their final exams for their last year of school. They have shared that they feel stressed and they are looking forward to their future and the next step in their journey. 
• Please remember to pray for Cambodia. Many people still need to hear the good news of the gospel. Remember those who are beginning their journey of faith, that they would have other believers to encourage them and walk alongside them. 

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