Bethezer Project Diary

Dorm Manager Report from Early March

2008-04-22T14:38:00.000-07:00

Bethezer Boy’s Dormitory

Excerpts from the Manager’s Report: Early March 2008

Now the Bethezer Boy’s Dormitory is running step by step and this progress encourage me to have a hope that we will have a full nature Dorm soon. For my own view, I think that I will try with all of my best to create the activities and invite the Students to join in order to make Dorm improved.

For the Dorm Bible study, we have started from 27-2-08 to present and for the morning pray, we will start on 10 March. On the 10^th Steve and Don will come to join with us in order to help me to lead the morning prayer.

Thank God because of God we can do all things without fear. More over, through the God’s words always strengthens me to live with joy. Before doing anything connected to Dorm I always ask Don to give me some advices to make that work good. Nowadays I am very happy to stay and work at Dorm with students and I think that I have to try to encourage them to produce the spirit fruits as much as possible.

These fruits including:

· They are happy to study bible every night, so they will learn much about the God wills.

· I will try to encourage them to invite their friend s at least a person a month to join studying the bible. I think we will have many students soon that they will believe in Our God.

Activity Report

“Now our students start cleaning Dorm after a meeting that we discussed about the dividing the places for theirs own to take responsibility to clean and another hand they all have prepared their own time to study at dorm as well. Especially on Sunday 4:30 pm they all always go to study with Don. This shows that our Dorm is improving continuously

A bout the time that we normally start studying bible is from 9:00 pm to 10:00 pm. We have started from Matthew because most of them they know a little a bout Jesus Christ. During studying bible, Students make me surprise by their learning and sharing what God teach them. “

Student Management

“They feel very happy to stay. Most of our students they cook their food in Dorm and they love each other so much. For staying here they always keep our Dorm quiet not affect to the neighbors. Every day I always encourage them to study bible at BEC according to their own free time and I also encourage them to invite their friends to join study as well. On Feb 29, 2008, we had a joint dinner at Dorm joining by all students, Don, Una, Loy. They said that the dinner like this was very good that can make them know and love each other more.”

Student Welfare

“They are the good students; they have never broken the Dorm’s law, and another hand I always observe their own actions to know who have the bad behavior so I will tell them how to change to live with the right action.

Most of them they come from the remote areas through out the province. Their family doesn’t have much money to support their study at university during they come to study in Phnom Penh, sometimes they complain in front of me about their livelihood both in the province and in Phnom Penh.

For the students who have a few clothes to wear, I always give them clothes for using in their own daily action. If we say about them, they are so strong because they play sport nearly every evening. I love them. They have good health.”

A Few of our students

Name: Hem Vanny

Age: 23

Province: Bantey Minchay

Studying: English Literature

“I have been believe Jesus 2 year and a half. Before I study at Grade 12 in my province, I don’t know about Jesus. I come to Phnom Penh and go to stay with my friend at dormitory and they teach me in the Bible, but I don’t want to believe. I just stay and study. I stay 10 month, my life begin to change and I believe in God”

“I don’t have enough money for rent a house. I study with missionary and I know about Jesus is the ‘Son of God’”

Future plans: To be a missionary and start an organisation.

Name: Kosal

Age: 19

Province: Kampot

Studying: Year 9

Future plans: To be an Architect

“I came from Kampot 1.5 years ago and lived in a dormitory”

Kosal studied with James and Joni in the Bible Education Centre and wants to join us in the Boy’s dormitory.

Name: Thet Thyroeurth

Age: 19

Province: Bantey Minchay

Studying: Architecture

“I go to study in University. I have no monies. My Brother before live in dorm. I don’t find house. Is by this here, I can know about Bible very…. I cannot speak this one”

Future Plans: “I want to draw and go everywhere as an architect”

Incorporation

2008-03-08T05:14:00.000-08:00

Well, here it finally is. After a series of small modifications to the constitution, the Office of Fair Trading have declared us a bona fide incorporated non-profit association.

This means that we actually exist in a non-profit capacity. Sure, it doesn't give us tax deductability rights, but it's a step in the right direction.

So please join us in celebration for this crucial step to getting the Christadelphian Bethezer Fund off the ground.

The Dorm is open -

2008-02-15T08:35:00.001-08:00

It's been a slow couple of weeke, but my stay in Cambodia is nearly at an end. More than one unforseen delay tried my limited patience, but in Cambodia, these things are 'par for the course'.

Our Dormitory lease is signed. The Dormitory, in Toul Kork, is a comfortable place for the students to stay. Up to 20 students will progressively be interviewed and accepted into life at the "Bethezer Boy's Dormitory". With 4-6 to a room, things will be hardly be private, but we aim to support the students in many different ways during their stay.

Our Manager, Nirann, already has ideas for promoting a sense of kinship amongst the students and assisting them to be productive in their chosen study. Most of all, however is the opportunity they will have to continue their scripture studies in an environment focussed on good learning opportunities and consideration for their emotional, spiritual and physical welfare.

The dormitory was active today with much of the day spent cleaning. Jamie, Goy, Vanny and Veasna put their hands to the grindwheel, removing the dust and debris of the former tennants. Don arrived later in the day and got stuck in with his usual effort and things are definately a lot less dusty and muddy. The bathrooms have had a good going over and some of the boys have begun moving their stuff into the house.

Soon we'll start posting photos and details of our current students and asking you to consider sponsoring their stay in the dormitory. But for now, it's back to the stone tommorow. I'll be trying to secure some furniture and then back to the dormitory for cleaning duty.

With thanks to our loving Father in Heaven

House Hunting for the dorm

2008-02-05T02:26:00.000-08:00

I have secured the bold services of Vanny and Veasna and occaisonally Tinny to locate a suitable premises for the Dorm. Vanny and Veasna have been out for two mornings now scouring the city and have located one potentially suitable house.

Jamie, myself and the boys went out to check out the house today - "House 1"

The House is in Toul Kok and situated next to an existing dormitory. It has 4 floors + a covered roof - could make a reasonably nice lounge up there. The rest of the house is pretty hot and has no fans.

Here's the front

The bottom floor is nice, with a decent bookcase. The main area leads out past a bathroom (with a bath!!!!), past the stairs to a huge kitchen (it would have made a great place for us) which has a sink.. then further out the back door to another kitchen with another sink.

Up the stairs is 2 rooms like our house, but 'Loy's room' is a decent size and has an air conditioner and window and James' room is smaller and looks over the bottom floor. It has a bathroom.

Up the stairs again and there are two more rooms (maybe 10 people between them) with bathrooms and an open area at the front.

Up the stairs once more and we have to small rooms (maybe 8 people) and a couple of bathrooms. One more flight of steps leads up to the roof.

On the whole it seems suitable, but a little small for 30. It's a little far away, but the best we have so far.

Please pray further for our search!

Bethezer Inaugural Meeting

2008-01-28T16:52:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Christadelphian Bethezer Fund Project Diary.

Well, it's official. We've had our inaugural meeting and ratified a constitution!

The Bethezer fund exists, is preparing to register with the relevant authorities and our first project will be underway shortly.

Here you can see a copy of our agenda. Things might not have gone entirely to plan, time wise, but it was very productive and inspiring to be involved in such a great cause.

The meeting itself was convened in this living room on the 26th of January 2008. We had Thai for dinner. Yum!

This excerpt from the Constitution gives some idea as to what we're about

1 Mission Statement

1.1 To provide welfare, relief and developmental aid programs to the poor and needy of Southeast Asia and Oceania expressed by the values and ideals of the Christadelphian community.

2 Aims and Objectives

2.1 Aims
2.1.1 To give the members of the Christadelphian community an opportunity to contribute, and participate in a humanitarian aid organisation which matches their values and ideals
2.1.2 To complement the activities of the worldwide Christadelphian brotherhood
2.1.3 To provide welfare, relief and developmental assistance to the poor and needy of Southeast Asia and Oceania

2.2 Objectives

2.2.1 To provide ‘best service’ for donors wishing to contribute either financially, in time or application to help the needy through a humanitarian aid organisation which matches their values and ideals
2.2.2 To sponsor and initiate projects which have a positive affect on the preaching work done by the Christadelphian Bible missions where viable
2.2.3 To initiate welfare, relief and development aid programs in developing countries, and to fund and/or sponsor existing projects run by other existing NGOs which are consistent with the ideals of the organisation

Our management team consists of

Brother and Sister Terry and Karen Nutter (Bro Terry is President)
Brother and Sister James and Miranda Rasmussen (Bro James is Treasurer)
Brother and Sister Michael and Miriam Hewitt (Bro Michael is Secretary)

Brother and Sister Raju and Ruth Devis

Brother and Sister Steve and Lyn Armes

with Bro and Sis Joni and Melinda Saxon acting as expert advisors :)

watch out for further posts regarding our first two projects and our publicity campaign!!!