Empowering Emerging Leaders in Cambodia and S/SE Asia
Gil & Joyce Suh |
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| Home Service or Re-connect, etc. but not Sabbatical“So what are you doing in US? How long are you here for?” Many ask this question during these last few months. I (Gil) find it hard to give a short answer. “Home service for a year,” I say and take time to explain what that means. Joyce and I do many things during this year-long Home Assignment (now called “Re-connect”). It’s our first time doing it this long in our 17 years total of overseas mission (11 in Cambodia and 6 in Nigeria). We feel overwhelmed and almost busier here than in Cambodia. I devote a big portion my time to Calvin Theological Seminary as Missionary Scholar-in-Residence https://www.calvinseminary.edu/profile/gil-suh; I co-teach a mission class and participate in various seminary activities. I’m thankful for CTS community to welcome me and provide many opportunities to learn, serve and advocate for missions.
Also, I visit and speak at  churches and meet with many people related to missions. It’s always encouraging to see local churches and believers committed to the mission partnership. Although churches in N. America are facing many challenges, I am confident that the Lord is working in and through these churches for His mission everywhere. Many are discerning how to engage well in mission in the rapidly changing environment of the 21st century. Some of these churches and mission-minded believers are in need of guidance and asking for help. For example, Joyce has spent the last weekend in Iowa with a local church group who has been deeply engaged with national ministry partners in Laos for more than 10 years. Joyce was asked to help this group to discern the next steps. I have also been asked by a Korean church in California for a similar process.
 As Joyce continues serving SSE Asia as Regional Leader, I also maintain my work for Cambodia from distance. I keep in touch with a number of Cambodian leaders that I’ve been mentoring. Technology enables us to meet virtually. Networking remains important and a key strategy. Recently, we helped our partner organizations like “Multiplication Network Ministries” and “Network 20” to be connected to Cambodian national partners. They will work to strengthen Cambodian church for mission.
Pray for our family as David, Isaac and Mary continue to wrestle transitioning into N. American life and find God’s calling in their lives, and as Joyce and I would seek to guide them even while finding a healthy life rhythm for ourselves. |
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Back to Alma Mater where we graduated in 1999 when David was born
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The Joy and Job of DiscernmentIn October, I (Joyce) traveled to Myanmar to introduce TLT training and a new trainer to a new ministry partner in Myanmar. After meeting with existing partners in Yangon, the trainer, Joey Palma and I traveled to Kalay. We entered an area of Myanmar where Christianity has a relatively long history. But because of travel restrictions, it has been isolated until recently. They were hoping for some new input to meet new challenges that they are facing as a denomination.
It was a joy to meet faithful pastors who have been serving among their people group. As the first module of TLT was offered, they testified that it was the first time they had received that kind of interactive learning. To me, it seemed to fit an existing culture of listening to each other and talking things through.
As Regional Leader, I have numerous opportunities and calls for Resonate to partner and bring resources like TLT to many places and peoples. It is an exercise in discernment—is God calling us to this place at this time? Are the resources we can help bring or bridge suitable for the place the leaders and church is at? With this group I also had to think about the downside of others coming in. How can the precious gift of these people of God be preserved and enhanced without being unduly influenced?
Please keep me in prayer as I sift and strategize so that the gift of Resonate can be stewarded well. |
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Experiencing Christ in Contemplation and CommunityI (Joyce) was able to travel to Cambodia in conjunction with my trip to Myanmar and be there to host Joel and Patty Hogan for the last of the 5 retreats for the Cambodian Spiritual Direction cohort.
One of the final exercises was to draft a “Rhythm and Rule of Life,” and like all of the pieces which were experiential, not just learning about, but doing, I met God. I felt him confirming that he would be continuing a refining and shaping work as I did mundane tasks that I normally think of as things that fit around my real work—cleaning the house, cooking, walking the dog, raking leaves….. He is calling me into a discipline of simplicity and the ordinary (in spite of my adventuresome and exotic travels and quests).
We don’t always get to see  where the things we do in ministry impact people. But I felt that I did this time. The participants were visibly more joyful and free after having lived the contemplative life in community over the last 9 months. There was an energy and almost excitement of what God had been doing in their lives and what he was now leading them into. Our cohort had a number of leaders of Christian organizations and there is a sense among them that he would be leading them to bring this to their circles of influence in their organization and among the Cambodians with whom they work.
It was a profound blessing to spend quality time with Joel and Patty—people in whom the love of Christ so fully rests. I can’t fully capture how much fun we had around the cohort itself as we shared travel, meals, Cambodia experiences with them. It was a treasure for me. Doing mission gets me into the possibility of this kind of shared experience. How thankful I am for them and being able to be with them and receive the blessings of God through the table they set for us |
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The Cambodian Cohort of Contemplative Companions 2019
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Praise and Prayer items- Praise for the subletting of our house in Phnom Penh. It worked out perfectly that two female missionary teachers moved into our house and would stay until the end of May 2020.
- Praise for the opportunity for Gil to teach classes and be involved with various activities at Calvin seminary community where he serves as missionary scholar-in-residence for a year.
- Praise for the completion of year-long cohort of “Contemplative Companions” led by Joel & Patti Hogan who were able to make 5 trips to Cambodia this year in spite of some health challenges. Pray for Joel as he’s undergoing spinal surgery this week.
- Praise for the completion of second phase of “Deep Leadership”, a joint leadership training program. Resonate Cambodia collaborated with 3 other organizations. Pray for the next phase in 2020.
- Mary adjusts well so far to the senior year at Grand Rapids Christian Highschool. Pray for her plan for next year after she would graduate in May.
- Pray for Resonate Global Mission as we go through a major assessment process after two years as a combined organization. Joyce is helping the group discernment for Mission Innovation Team which leads the assessment process.
- Pray for political situation in Cambodia as tensions remains high with the prospect return of the opposition party leader.
- Pray for the partnership between Mission Kampuchea 2021 and Multiplication Network Ministries to be fruitful in more and stronger churches and right local staff to be recruited.
- Pray for our Resonate colleagues, Justin VanZee and Navy and Ly Chhay as they faithfully serve the work in Cambodia. Justin is involved in discipling young Cambodians and holding the fort in our absence. Navy and Ly keep busy with TLT, Love Phnom Penh Festival, other ministry activities and enjoying time with grand children whenever they could.
- Pray for planning a vision trip to Cambodia in May-June 2020. We had wonderful group this year and are looking forward to hosting another one next year. If you are interested to know more about it, send me an email (gsuh@crcna.org).
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| Year-End Giving Opportunity
Please consider giving to meet our budget goal for the remainder of this year ($25,000). Even while we are in the States side, our ministry expense as well as living expense need to be raised. Always thankful for your faithful support. For online giving, click HERE For mailing, please use this form.
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