Ayra Whalley
with PIONEERS
Country Info
Cambodia is a southeast Asian country of about 14 million people, where fewer than 1% follow the One True God. It is known as a Buddhist country that is heavily influenced by animistic beliefs. The people live in fear of spirits and live to try to appease them. Corruption, poverty, illiteracy, prostitution, and preventable illnesses are common here.They are a friendly, hospitable, hardy and fun people, but most of them feel there is little hope for their future and they just live to make it through the day.
Background
I gave my llife to Jesus at a young age.Through wonderful Sunday School teachers I learned about the Great Commission and heard about lost people in the "uttermost parts of the earth" who needed to hear the Good News. At age nine I felt that God wanted me to be a missionary and that never changed. My family was supportive and encouraged me to live for Him. After college, where I received my degree in linguistics, God revealed to me that I was more focused on missions than on Him and I had to re-focus. God called me to Himself, not missions. My passion is Him not missions. And because of my passion for Him I have a passion for the glory of His name - missions.
In 1999 I began volunteering on a church planting team targeting Southeast Asians in San Diego. Later that year I joined that team full-time and began raising support. I was blessed with five wonderful years there. I had wanted to go overseas sooner, but God kept saying "stay". I didn't realize that He was not only going to bless me greatly and use me there, but prepare me for living overseas, too. I was able to be part of a church plant and spend almost every day with Asians (mostly Cambodians). I learned to eat the food, understand their culture and world-view and learn the language, too. I was able to audit courses at Bethel Seminary West during those years. It was perfect preparation for me because, in 2004, I joined PIONEERS and went to Cambodia.
Ministry Description
We seek to glorify God by initiating an indigenous church planting movement in CHH and surrounding districts in cooperation with the church in Cambodia.
As the church of Cambodia has a good foundation in Phnom Penh, the capital city, our team has targeted a north-eastern province called Kratie. We live in CHH, a small town in Kratie province. It is a central area, ‘hub’, for many outlying villages as we have a market, a high school and a small hospital.
Through living in the community, building relationships, meeting needs (physically and medically) we have been able to begin many studies in homes to teach about the Creator God. Wherever we see spiritual interest, we begin Bible studies and as people start believing, they start meeting together to worship (church).
It wasn’t until about a year ago that we began seeing people believe and start to follow the Lord. It is exciting as four small house churches in three different villages are now meeting together to worship. The true believers are few, but He that is in them is great. We look forward to seeing what He does.
This year my main focus will be two-fold. One, I will focus on training/mobilizing believers to do the work of the church (evangelize, teach, serve, etc.). Two, I will focus on reaching out to youth and bringing them and their families into the church. I will also continue to teach some of the outreach Bible studies.
I’ve taken in four poor students from a distant village to live with me while they go to the high school here in CHH. Investing in these students, and a Christian Khmer girl also living with me, is another part of my ministry here.
Serving With
PIONEERS
10123 William Carey Dr.
Orlando, FL. 32832
http://www.pioneers.org
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