Country Info
Cambodia is a Southeast Asian country of about 14 million people, where less 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
Ayra gave her life to Jesus at a young age and through wonderful Sunday School teachers learned about the Great Commission and heard about lost people in the “uttermost parts of the earth” who needed to hear the Good News. Fast forward to 2004 and Ayra had majored in linguistics, joined PIONEERS and went to Cambodia where she spent the first year in language and cultural learning then moved to the province. There were no believers and they had to start from scratch, praying, building relationships, living in the community and praying for God to show them who He was preparing. Ayra spent most of her time with people and following up with those who showed spiritual interest. With time some outreach Bible studies started and she taught often. As some became believers the team started house churches and started training them and taking them out to other unreached villages. Ayra was in Chhlong for 3 years- the team was in Chhlong a total of 10 years.
During Ayra’s time in Chhlong, she met Soknal (“Nal”). Nal had helped in outreaches to rural villages in Cambodia during his late high-school years. He received a degree in Mathematics in University and volunteered with a church planting team to reach a new village outside of the city for part of that time. He also took Bible courses with two different Bible schools when he could. He was part of the church-plant in Chhlong, and went on many outreaches with our team.
In 2010 Nal and Ayra got engaged. After her home assignment, Ayra moved to Chhlong for 4 months to help the CP work there again before getting married in July 2011. In 2011 and 2012 Nal and Ayra lived in Phnom Penh as Nal continued his studies and they continued helping the Chhlong CP team (mostly with input and translation- and one monthly visit to Chhlong). Their team finished work in Chhlong in 2012 as there were a handful of house churches leading themselves.
Nal and Ayra have one daughter, Kolianne, born May 4, 2013 and are expecting another little girl in April 2015. Kolianne is enjoying life, her little friends in Chambok and speaking two languages.
Ministry Description/Update
The biggest cultural challenges for Ayra (with Cambodian culture) are a lack of privacy, the communal living where individual property is not very individual, the patron/client mentality and the expectations that come with it, the prevalence of rice Christianity, the lack of deep/ heart-level relationships in the culture and the extreme poverty all around when they have ‘enough’ or more than enough.
Nal and Ayra have a cross-cultural marriage and Nal works on a western team and visits the US. Consequently, the biggest and most challenging cultural adjustment for Nal (with US/western culture) is the extremeness of western individuality, excessive planning/needing to do special/extra things that aren’t necessary and using lots of money/time to do it, the lack of understanding of westerners towards shame/honor cultures and how they deal with it and the western leadership style.
In 2013 the Nhoemvan family moved to Chambok, another rural area. They have a 2 year commitment to teach English and to spread the gospel there, preparing the way for the Khmer church to come in after. They are focused on praying, developing relationships, teaching some English or tutoring other subjects and starting outreach Bible studies with any who show interest. They will be in Chambok until April, when they leave to have their baby in Thailand and then back to the US for a one year home assignment (God willing) from June 2015- June 2016.