The earthquake in Nepal has been devastating for the country. It is hard to imagine we were just there last month. Here are some pictures that were posted by a missionary friend of mine in Nepal. This is what is left of villages that we walked through during our visit. Life can change quickly. We are reaching out to our contacts in Nepal and working to develop a plan to assist the recovery work there.
40 years ago today, Pol Pot lead the Khmer Rouge regime of the Communist Party of Kampuchea through Cambodia, ultimately killing 25% of the population. It was one of the largest genocides of modern times. Anyone with an education was tortured and killed because they posed a threat to him. Here is an article about the anniversary and some history.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/16/asia/cambodia-khmer-rouge-anniversary/
Cambodia is still working to recover from the Khmer Rouge. MANNA is working to help them. Last month I stood where they stood. I took the cover photo above at Tuol Sleng, a former high school that Pol Pot turned into an interrogation and execution center. I saw the horror of the past, and the beauty of the future. Today we have a feeding center at a former dump site in Phnom Penh. God does redeem, I’ve seen it with my own eyes. Come with us to Cambodia sometime and see it with your own eyes.
What does 32,000 airline miles, 25 flights through 16 airports in 6 countries get you, other than a severe case of jet lag? Something amazing and beautiful because of 1 God! People have been asking to see more about our trip. It would be impossible to share everything that the Lord did, and is continuing to do. But, I wanted to share a video I put together to highlight where we went and the lives that were touched. Thank you for your prayers and support.
Just got back from getting my blood work done. It’s that time again. The irony has not been lost on me that I am having my blood drawn on Good Friday. It took only 5 vials this time for me. Jesus gave it all. I’m thankful He did. Happy Easter everyone.
It’s amazing the difference a few days can make. On Monday I was in Burma where it was 99 degrees and sunny. Today I’m in Boston. With Kim and it is 32 and snowing. I am thankful I was able to make it home safely and hug my kids, even if it was only for a day. Kim and I are now in Boston to give an update on our nutrition center in Mongolia with a church that supports it. A lot can happen in a week for sure.
Got to see several places in Bangkok today that I have never seen. It amazes me how Bangkok is a city of extremes. Extreme poverty and extreme wealth. Extremes in religion and in many other areas. These photos were all taken in relative close proximity to each other, yet are worlds apart.
God gave us favor! When we checked in they said Cory and I had to come back to Thailand tomorrow, which was our originally scheduled flight. That would mean only 1 day in Nepal. But a manager stepped in and was able to get us tickets back on Thursday! So we get an extra day in Nepal, which was really needed. I text Kim when we got the bad news and told her to pray. After I got the good news I gave her an update and she said she and the girls got together and Kayli and Reaghan started praying for us. Cory said Donna and his kids did the same. Very cool to see God use the prayers of our families half way around the world.
We had an amazing trip to Cambodia, the people are so wonderful. It was humbling to visit the genocide museum to see what Pol Pot did to the people here. It was a blessing to see several of our MANNA kids now in nursing school. It was an honor to be a part of all of the great things going on here in Cambodia and to meet many new friends. We visited our nutrition centers in Phnom Penh and Kampong Thom Village. We also got to spend the evening at our orphanage in Kampong Thom as they put on a special program for us.
God’s timing is so perfect. Our flight out of Dimapur was delayed by 2 hours, which allowed us to go to church with the children from our Girls Home. It was a huge blessing. They asked Cory to preach the morning message. To see how Komuni is training up these children is a tremendous testimony. Below is a video of the church singing How Great Thou Art in Nagamese. The church has members from 12 different tribes from NE India. It is pretty awesome seeing the diversity.
Pray for us as we head off to Cambodia today.
We had an awesome time at our girls home in Dimapur. It is located in the far Northeast part of India. There are 12 girls there right now, and they are flourishing. We had so much fun with them, and they had a blast with us. They put on a singing concert for us. Here is a picture of them singing. The lady that runs the home is doing a fantastic job with the girls. They love the Lord and are being taught well. They are learning English and math, and doing well at it.
It is a great story of how God redeems things. I can’t wait to see how the Lord is going to use these girls. Most of them are from the Mao tribe.
Jones Family - MANNA Missionaries 