Greetings once again from Pursat, Cambodia! On January 6, Titus’ passport arrived at the U.S. Embassy in Singapore and we left for Cambodia on January 11. We are very happy to be home after a month in Singapore (more for Heidi and Isaac). When we arrived back in Pursat, there was a huge mess in front of our house (see picture) since they are making preparations to pave our road!!! We are settling in and getting used to four children in the house now. Many of our neighbors as well as the Khmer believers have come over to see Titus. We would like to ask your prayer for two things—one immediate and one long-term: Lord bless and thanks for Holding the Ropes! Until the net is full, Chris
Here are some family photo highlights from the second half of 2009. Hope you enjoy!
Merry Christmas from Singapore! As many have already heard, our 4th child—Titus Fraser Seawright was born on December 16 (for details of his birth see our blog). Titus (previously called “Baby T”) came a little earlier than we expected—only four days after the girls and I arrived from Cambodia! We are very thankful for his early arrival since we were hoping that he would be born before Christmas Day. Thanks to all who prayed for Heidi and Titus during this time. Both of them are doing very well. We plan to go to the American Embassy this week to start the process of getting Titus’ Consular Report of Birth Abroad and his passport—usually this take about two weeks to process. We hope to return to Cambodia soon after we receive his passport. Until then, we will enjoy the opportunity to celebrate the Christmas season here (Cambodia does not officially celebrate Christmas though many of the churches have special programs during this time). We also plan to visit some of the conservative, fundamental churches here in Singapore. In this prayer update, I also want to mention that the Lord blessed our evangelistic thrust into Banteay Daiy in early December. Thanks to all who prayed for this. We passed out almost 400 “Honoring Parents” tracts and had many good conversations. One of the unexpected blessings was that we were able to walk house-to-house through a Cham Muslim village, which led to some open opposition but also to some of our best conversations. The Cham are an ethnic minority group that makes up about 3% of the population (for those interested in the Cham, see the following: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cham_people). Please remember this outreach in prayer as we hope to continue this every month throughout the dry season. May the Lord give each of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Until the net is full, Chris
Dear Family and Friends, Happy Thanksgiving and an early Merry Christmas! I am writing this letter in Pursat while Heidi and Isaac are in Singapore waiting for the arrival of Baby T. I am learning the ropes of being a mother as I watch our two daughters: Rachel (6 yrs) and Susanna (2 yrs). It has been a good, enlightening experience so far! The girls and I plan to fly to Singapore at Heidi’s 38th week–around Dec 12. Over the last couple of months I have greatly enjoyed reading a book that has been on my list to read for some time: Not by Chance by Layton Talbert. Just recently I came across this statement in the book where he quotes D. Edmond Hiebert: Aggressive EvangelismEvangelism is the natural result of the Holy Spirit indwelling the believer (Acts 1:8). 2009 has been a year where the Lord has given me much time to spend in evangelistic work—mostly sowing seed but also watering it in some cases. Though the harvest has been small, we thank the Lord for those who have come to Christ and the many who have heard the Gospel. The kid’s club in Anlong Vul has been a huge blessing. We have been averaging about 13-15 kids each week and many of the kids seem eager to sing and memorize God’s Word. It is the first time most of these kids have ever heard about the Creator God and the one and only, all-powerful Savior from sin. The three ladies coming down from the church in Preiy Nyee are running the kid’s club almost completely. It is nice to sit back and see them minister to their own people. Two of these ladies were worshipping the false idols of Buddhism and materialism just six-months ago! Continue in your prayers for this outreach. We believe God is leading our team and ministry to have a special evangelistic thrust for two days before I leave for Singapore. On December 4-5, the believers of ICC, Forrest, our friend Michael Carlyle (who is currently in Phnom Penh in language study), and I will be passing out a new tract in an unevangelized area between Preiy Nyee and Anlong Vul, called Bonteay Daiy. It is the area near where our helper, Ong, lives. The tract is the first question in our future Q/A booklet that we plan to produce as the Lord leads. The tract answers a very pressing question in the mind of many Cambodians: Must believers in Jesus Christ obey and respect their parents? Please intercede for this aggressive evangelistic outreach in early December. Believing IntercessionEvangelism without believing intercession is powerless. God has tied these things together in His sovereign purposes. If our intercessory prayer is without faith, then it is pointless as well. Over the past couple of months, I have been teaching the believers in Anlong Vul (5 ladies right now) about the foundational aspects of the local church based on the early church example in Acts 2:42. Just recently we covered the fourth activity (or 4th pillar as we call it) of the local church: corporate prayer. Paul encouraged the churches of his time to pray for at least three groups of people: The Holy Lives of His SaintsThis part of the quote is very convicting. What we are in private must match what we are in public. The way we are in our house with our family must match what we are when in a teaching role with church people. God can still use His Word regardless, but it will be in spite of ourselves. Please do not cease to pray for us to live a life that is separate from sin and from the evil world system that opposes God. Pray that we will remain pure—single-minded towards God’s purposes–and not get distracted by trivial pursuits. May the Lord bless and help each of you in your own evangelistic endeavors, in your intercessory prayers, and in your desire for a holy life. Until the net is full, Chris for the Seawright family
Dear Family and Friends, As we enter the month of November, I wanted to share a few prayer needs within our team and with the Cambodian believers: 1. Physical NeedsThe last couple of weeks have been challenging physically for both Cambodians and Americans. Almost every single family in the Inheritance in Christ Church has significant physical issues that are dominating their lives. Please pray especially for Phuek and Prum’s baby, Seuw-ee, who has been sick for nearly her entire five months of life with a number of illnesses including Dengue Fever. Their unsaved neighbors are persecuting them saying that their daughter’s health problems stem from not properly appeasing the local spirits. 2. Spiritual Needs As with any ministry, there are always spiritual needs. Some of our biggest spiritual struggles in the church body here have to do with the plethora of believing wives with unsaved husbands. This is a common problem worldwide for sure. In this small assembly, there are at least four ladies with unrepentant husbands. Once again, I bring them before you to intercede for them: 3. Teaching NeedsPraise the Lord for an open door to teach God’s Word again in Bakan district (about 40 minutes from Pursat town). I have begun teaching two men on Tuesday mornings. Please pray for Khaun and Mau to grow in their knowledge of the Gospel and the basic truths of the Bible. 4. Traveling NeedsIn less than three weeks, Heidi and Isaac will be traveling to Singapore early (due to airline regulations) for the birth of Baby T. Rachel, Susanna, and I plan to remain in Pursat for at least three more weeks before we head to Singapore in early December. Please pray for Heidi and Isaac as they travel to Singapore on November 19 and for continued good health for Heidi and the baby. Thanks for “holding the ropes!” Until the net is full, Chris |
