Dear CCAMS Partners and Friends,

We praise God for how He has faithfully answered our prayers throughout the past year, as well as through these past 20 years ever since the birth of CCAM. Now, at the beginning of a new year, the Lord continues to bless our labors with both tangible and spiritual fruit. However, we are still experiencing an uncomfortable lack of financial resources for general operating expenses. We are very grateful for the large one-time donations from some of you that padded our shortfall during the past few months. But the funds for January have again taken a nosedive.

Since the beginning of this crisis, in addition to special gifts, we have received one new monthly pledge and one new quarterly pledge, plus some increases in the donations of a few faithful partners. We thank God, and you, for all of these! However, we still need additional monthly or quarterly pledges to solve this financial problem over the long term.

Therefore, we ask you to join us to pray expectantly according to God’s promise in Philippians 4:19 (paraphrased): “And our God shall supply all our needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus!” Following are three areas needing more finances:

1. Increase in regular monthly or quarterly financial support;
2. Special financial donations to cover project expenses (production of children’s picture books, music CDs, and performance videos);
3. Funds to build our own CCAM Center in Kompong Chhnang province (2-hours’ drive from Phnom Penh – there we would enjoy adequate space and fresh air, would pay no rent, could grow our own food, could dig our own well, and could also produce our own solar electricity!). Click here for more information.

Praise God! Donations have recently been given to purchase a computer for one of our new interns (Sokrin), and to pay for flu shots for all students and staff at CCAMS!

We are also very excited to announce that Reaksmey is pregnant! This new life from God is expected to arrive sometime in August. Although all newborn babies are miracles of God’s creation, nevertheless, this pregnancy (as was Isaac’s) is especially miraculous, since both times we prayed for many years before Reaksmey conceived. Please praise God with us, and also pray for good health and safe delivery for mother and baby.

Another praise report is that Noren has experienced successful cataract surgery on both eyes and is now enjoying clearer vision. Although some other minor physical challenges remain from her previous illnesses, nevertheless she is coping well and moving on to participate in many facets of the CCAM ministry.

Two former CCAMS students, Lina Pao and Reaksmey Ros, just got married this month! It is encouraging that they are both working for a Christian organization and often visit us, sometimes bringing financial donations for CCAMS.

Lina is the author and illustrator of the children’s book Miknia’s Doll that was published in the Khmer language by Fount of Wisdom in 2007. Our 5-year contract with Fount of Wisdom has expired, and at this time they do not want to sign a new contract for this book. Therefore, the copyright has returned to Lina, and she has passed it on to CCAMS.

Our intern Kelsey Wilson, who was trained by Fount of Wisdom to prepare book manuscripts for publication on the computer, has worked many hours reformatting the book to support a bi-lingual text. As a result, CCAMS is pleased to announce that the Khmer-English edition of Miknia’s Doll is complete and ready for publication! We are currently printing a few copies in-house to share with others, but please pray for special donations to mass produce it for a wider distribution. Pray also that we will be able to put copies of this book in the Room-to-Read libraries across Cambodia.

In January, the CCAMS Team performed at World Relief, and we also completed the filming of a promotional video about CCAMS by Kasey Chapman and Andrew Barker, both students from Oklahoma Baptist University in the U.S.

In April, we plan to film videos of CCAMS performances. Hope TV, a Khmer station in the U.S., is interested in airing these performances. Also, we want to produce videos to be distributed. Pray for God’s will to be done.

Also, beginning in April, we plan to focus on producing music CDs of original Christian songs by CCAMS students and staff. A mission volunteer, Jessica Cook, is considering coming to help with the songwriting part of this project and a former CCAMS student, Chan Borey Pich, has volunteered to be the project manager for the recording and production phase. Again, please pray for God’s enabling.

Alongside all of these pursuits, the children’s book project continues. There are eight more books already written, just waiting for illustrations to be completed and printing costs to be covered. Some new songs and dances have recently been commissioned by pastors of churches that partner with CCAMS. Because of those commissions, combined with other inspirations given by God directly to Sophun, Gioia, and others at CCAMS, we will be wonderfully occupied this year, creating and performing new works of art to worship our God, encourage the local church, and proclaim the Good News to the lost!

Partners Together with God and with You,
Gioia and Noren and the CCAMS Family