Postcard from Cambodia

Kanishka and I went to College with Dave and Leonie Painter. They have been serving with CMS for a number of years in Cambodia. They serve in Phnom Penh Bible School training pastors. Here is an update from them:


Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ

Friday morning the other week (11th April) a huge plume of smoke could be seen from most parts of the city. The source was a fire sweeping through one of the poor sectors of this sweltering city, destroying 600 wooden houses, which would have been home for about 5000 people. Now all that remains is a blackened field of concrete stumps. One former house (not yet fully paid off) belonged to the family of a member of Faculty at the School. They quickly borrowed sufficient money from family and friends to pay back the bank, and retrieve the land title from the vault, before somebody else made the bank a better offer.

This fire increased the burden of suffering many of the poor in this city are currently experiencing, along with the doubling of the price of food this year. Until recently when the government stopped it, neighbouring countries were buying up Cambodia’s harvest to meet their own shortfalls. We remain grateful for the prayer and financial support we receive through CMS (from you), as we are in many ways protected from these disturbances, so that we can focus upon the work God has given us here.

Phnom Penh Bible School
One series of classes at PPBS is now complete (Romans to 2nd year), and another commenced (2 Corinthians to 2nd and 3rd years). This is a large class of over forty students, so they are providing a serious challenge for teaching, preparation and marking – which must be finished before we go on away on a family holiday at the end of the semester.

This was the fourth time I have taught Romans, so am trying to avoid the rut of just teaching the same material each year. So I read a new commentary, revise the class notes, and seek to make best use of any new vocabulary or cultural insights learnt in the last year. Hopefully this adds clarity and depth to the lessons, though my mispronunciations still serve to provide occasional comic relief to a class that is becoming less forgiving as language skills slowly improve. The Khmer language (like NT Greek) is rich in imagery, having borrowed many words from Thailand, Vietnam, France, English, Pali and Hindi. The choice of words has important ramifications for the understanding of theology. To further complicate, the two main Bible translations in use have chosen words that reflect the translators’ diverse theological beliefs – this is especially noticeable with regard to the words chosen to express “justification” (infused vs. imputed). The class were greatly interested to see how Paul used language from the market place, the Temple, and the law courts to describe God’s plan of salvation. The students were appreciative of having Khmer notes, and a deepening of their own understanding of the Gospel, and their own language and culture. However, like most students, they remain apprehensive regarding assessment – many other local institutions solve this problem by passing all the students, or including some other “important” criteria, such as developing and maintaining a good relationship with the teacher.

This coming academic year there is a new curriculum. This will mean many changes to syllabus’s, subjects, and a change in emphasis for the School. We teachers are waiting to find out what the new syllabus will have in store for each of us, and especially as to how busy we shall be preparing new subjects, or modifying old ones to fit in with this new curriculum.

This week please pray for:

• Those people in Phnom Penh who lost their homes in the fire
• For the students of the Romans class. May their understanding of the Gospel bear fruit in the challenges God will give to them.
• For my fellow teachers, one who had a bad bicycle accident (broken collar bone and wrist), and another has been diagnosed with tuberculosis.
• For faithful and diligent preparation of lessons.
• For the Phnom Penh Anglican church (Diocese of Singapore), that is currently deciding upon a new minister.

Dave and Leoni


GP