God gave me an opportunity to share the gospel with phan bun two days ago. i haven't seen him in a while and i may not be able to see him again before i leave. we talked about buddhism and christianity, and in the course of the conversation, i was able to share with him. it was a bit difficult to communicate it in a way that he could understand, but i think in the end, he understood the bulk of what i was saying. he's been a monk for the past 8 years, so i'm sure his ties to buddhism are strong. yet, in cambodia, many men become monks not necessarily only because of strong religious feelings, but also because of economic reasons. monks are given a place to live in the complex of their pagoda, and food is provided for them by members of that pagoda. (i've seen monks walk door-to-door to speak to people in the community and collect food from them.) phan bun comes from a family of ten siblings, and he admitted that it was easier on his family that he became a monk. at any rate, please pray for him – that seeds were planted through our conversation, and that God would make his heart fertile ground.

i have about two weeks left to be in cambodia…time has flown by so quickly!! i've been thinking a lot about this trip and its significance for me and for the people that i've met here…a lot of questions and challenges…i'll definitely be ready to share more when i get back, but for now, please pray that these last two weeks would be productive…for wisdom and sensitivity to fulfill God's purpose in my relationships with chantha and her family, phan bun, and julia.