www.heartlandinternational.org.au

2009-03-29T21:54:00.000-07:00

2009-03-01T15:00:00.000-08:00

2009-01-25T19:28:00.000-08:00

Ps Eliah and Jit are settling into Thailand. They have now rented their home but need your support for furniture and transport.

2009-01-14T22:05:00.000-08:00

An incredible new letter I got from Cambodia.

Happy New Year! We hope you had a fun night celebrating the end of '08 and welcoming in '09. We sure did! A couple of hundred people turned up and we danced the night away around a campfire on the Heartland Farm. As midnight drew near, we began to pray and thank God for the incredible things He's done throughout the year and dedicated '09 to Him. We started the countdown, 10, 9, 8… At midnight us Aussies shouted HAPPY NEW YEAR!! and the Khmer all looked surprised! Then they explained that the words 'New Year' in the Khmer language mean 'Long Wrinkle', so they were wondering why we were all yelling, "HAPPY LONG WRINKLE!!!". So funny! I think it might catch on and at future New Year's Eve parties we'll be yelling "Happy Long Wrinkle!!

Well, like everyone else, we've had a hectic few weeks (sorry that you haven't heard from me much in the last month or so!) and as you'll see in the following testimonies, God's been busy too! We've got heaps of incredible testimonies to share, so I'll keep each one brief:

• To celebrate Christmas, Heartland threw a party on Sunday the 21st. A huge crowd turned up (mostly kids) and the Gospel message was shared. Five adults (new comers) gave their hearts to the Lord and get this…. 217 children gave their hearts to the Lord!!!!
• Pastor Andrew was here in Cambodia at the time, and God gave him a word of knowledge for a young woman who had pain in her upper back. I knew who it was instantly. A young woman we help (and whose baby is sponsored with formula) had blood in her lungs and was suffering a lot of pain in her upper back. How cool is it that God had chosen her out of a crowd to heal her. She came forward for prayer and was instantly healed. All pain gone and it hasn't returned!
• The next day at the Freedom Village, Pastor Andrew had two women with poor eyesight ask for prayer. He showed them a shop sign about 50m away and asked if they could read it. Neither could. He prayed for them to receive healing, and afterwards they got all excited and said they could see clearly! He asked them to read the same sign and now they both could. One could even read the small print which most of us ‘youngies’ would have had trouble reading!
• Then, in my English class on Christmas Eve, I shared the story of Jesus and around 20 students gave their hearts to the Lord!
• On Christmas Day, Pastor Channa went to Stung Trong (a small town two hours north or here where Cain, one of our young bible college graduates has planted a church. It's only a few months old, and before Christmas he already had 40 members). Pastor Channa shared the gospel and over 50 people gave their hearts to the Lord!
• The day of New Year's Eve, Ben was teaching our discipleship class at the Freedom Village (the Slum has a new name as a result of the Freedom they've found in Jesus!). He was teaching on Baptism and ten people hadn't yet been baptized and wanted to be. So right there in the Mekong River, Ben and Channa baptized them!
• On New Year's Eve, as you know we had a great party, and the gospel was shared again and five young people (new comers) gave their hearts to the Lord!
• Steph (one of our visiting Aussies) and some of the Heartland team prayed for three guys at the trauma ward (a new area we’ve just started outreaching into). One guy had just lost three fingers and was in incredible pain. They prayed and the pain just left. He was so surprised he was just looking at his hand and wriggling the remaining finger and thumb. “Ot Chu” He said in a surprised voice, which means “No Pain”. Steph’s now believing the finger’s will grow back and we’ll let you know when that happens. The next guy they prayed for had only just then broken his leg (the femur) and was in agony. Again, as soon as they prayed the pain left and now they’re waiting for x-rays to see if it’s completely healed. The third guy had received atrocious burns to most of his body in a house fire, and his face was particularly bad. They prayed for his face, and went back a week later and his face is completely healed and whole. Not a single scar or mark – you would never know he had ever been burned! He then told them that they had to pray for the rest of his body!!
• Jit and I went into the AIDS ward just a couple of days ago, gave out food and visited with the patients. There was one new family there - five family members visiting their Dad who was sick. We shared the gospel with them and had the privilege of leading all six to the Lord. I since went back and gave them all bibles to begin their discipleship journey, and as long as they are there we’ll continue to disciple them.
• Lastly, during worship at church, Pastor Elliah shared that he had injured his leg and at first he didn’t think he’d be able to make it through worship (as he was leading up the front). But then he had decided to believe for complete healing by the time worship ended, and by the time it ended he was completely healed. At the same time I was having stabbing stomach pains and feeling sick, and thinking “oh great! – I’ve eaten something bad and now I’ll probably be sick for a day or so. I really don’t have time for this!”. When I heard Pastor Elliah’s testimony I thought, “No Way! I’m not having this! I’ll have healing instead.” And do you know what? I was healed instantly. Praise God! Isn’t it crazy how we know God can do the big stuff, but when it comes to a little tummy bug we just accept it?! So I’ve learnt a new Khmer phrase, “Kamien Plough Dey!” which means “No Way!”.

So, how incredible are those testimonies?! GOD ROCKS!! Thank you so much for all the prayers and seeds sown. Your seed is reaping a great harvest!!

Well, It’s getting late and I’ve got to get back before dark, so I’d better go. Huge blessings, big hugs. From Benny, Cherie and Kai

2008-12-23T02:03:00.000-08:00

Heartland expands in Asia

21/12/08 Ps Eliah and Jit officially handed over
Heartland Community Church to Ps Channa and Simmy.

Eliah and Jit praying for Simmy.

The Church thanks Eliah and Jit with a gift.

Eliah and Jit : National Chairman of Heartland Thailand.

2008-12-23T01:30:00.000-08:00

Christmas in Cambodia

Staff Christmas Party

For what we are about to receive .....

People queue to get into the Christmas Service

Almost 300 disadvantaged children receive gifts

The New Start Kids spend 4 days holidaying in Phnom Penh

2008-12-23T00:48:00.000-08:00

3.5 kg Rapha arrived on Saturday the 13th of December.
Mother and baby are doing well after the half hour labour.

2008-12-04T13:39:00.000-08:00

Baby due by Christmas

Please be praying for Simmy over the next
couple of weeks for a perfect baby and a perfect birth.

A baby by Christmas and then to become the Senior Pastors
of Heartland Community Church in January. Please keep
Ps Chenna and Simmy in your prayers in the coming weeks.

2008-12-01T00:18:00.000-08:00

I'm excited to go and share Jesus with the villagers.

Here are some of the photos we've got from the

Stong Trong District at Kheng village.

This is the house that Kheng rented for $230 per year.

From Pastor Channa.

2008-12-01T00:02:00.000-08:00

The farm is really starting to take shape and
helping us to reach our goal to being self sufficient .

2008-11-20T13:45:00.000-08:00

WANTED : WANTED : WANTED

100 New Testaments in the hands of New Believers.
Our new Christians / Discipleship classes are full and
there are many new believers that do not have a Bible.

You can put a New Testament in their hands for $4.25

Please phone 0422 175 873 if you can help.

2008-11-16T21:18:00.000-08:00

The New Start kids are enjoying their new classroom
on the big airy veranda at our new base.

We have just up dated our sponsors list and found that we
have 9 children available for $30 per month sponsorship.

We also have a cook who is available for sponsorship too at $100 per month.

Please visit www.newstartschoolchildren.blogspot.com
to see the children's profiles.

2008-11-06T21:23:00.000-08:00

This is one of many baptisms that have taken place
in Kampong Cham in the last couple of months.

2008-10-30T01:50:00.000-07:00

It has always been our goal to see the work National run

and financed from inside Asia by the year 2020.

With the fall in the Australian dollar our budget has been

cut by 30%. The short fall to our feeding project will be

taken up by food we are producing on our own farm.

Although the financial crisis has made things tighter it

has forced us to face the question ....... How can the work

be financed from inside Asia in the shortest possibe time.

2008-10-03T02:29:00.000-07:00

Click on this article to enlarge.

2008-08-17T16:53:00.000-07:00

Chanda, Steph Wheeler and Narin

Steph will be returning to Cambodia in December but is
helping organise the Christmas in Cambodia Project
while she is here in Australia.

Visit http://lovetheoneincambodia.blogspot.com

For more info on the Christmas in Cambodia Project

2008-08-12T22:09:00.000-07:00

News from the Mission field.

Dear friends

The following e-mail is long but well worth the read. It comes from Cherie McGonagle one of our volunteer staff in Cambodia.

As you know, we go into the HIV ward twice a week. We take food and drink, sometimes blankets or gifts, and we share the gospel, lay hands on the sick and pray for them. This place is not for visitors with a weak stomache. The people here are VERY sick, skinny, riddled with diseases. But God loves them SO much, and if Jesus were still walking on the earth - that is exactly where He would be.

One man in the HIV ward was in such a bad way, the doctors were expecting him to die any moment. He was unconscious. Absolute skin and bone and covered in sores. His wife and two children were very lovingly by his side all day. When we visited, the wife grabbed me and insisted I pray! She told me she is a believer too and we need to pray that God would heal her husband. Narren (one of the staff here) and I prayed that God would heal him. Thoughts buffeted my mind, saying he's going to die, just pray for the wife to be comforted, but I felt faith rising up in me, 'No! He will walk out of here healed!'. I asked his wife if he is a believer also, she said, 'no'. I asked if I could share the Gospel message with him. She told me he couldn't hear - he was unconscious, but to go ahead. I said, 'I believe he can hear me'. With Narren translating, i shared the gospel message, from creation to salvation. I explained that right now, in his heart, he can receive God's gift of salvation. Anyway, when we left that day, i just knew inside that he had received Jesus into his heart.

The next time we went back to visit, the wife told me, 'he is getting stronger. Pray again!'. We prayed again for a complete healing. A miracle that astounds the doctors.

In the mean time I began to disciple the wife. Teaching her different things from the Word of God, believing that the Husband could also hear.

The next time we went back, the man's eyes were open! he was no longer unconscious!! Although he still looked to be in a very bad way. We prayed again (as well as continuing to pray back at home).

The next time we went back, I began to teach the wife about the power of speaking out God's Word. I explained that when God created the world, He spoke it into existence. And when we speak God's Word over our situation, there is power! I gave her a sheet of scriptures (in khmer)on healing and encouraged her to speak these out loud when praying for her husband. She was eager to do this, but told me she can't read. We looked around for someone that could read them for her. The only one available was her little daughter, but she was too young to read such complicated text. We stopped to think of a solution to this problem, when suddenly the husband spoke (the first time I'd heard him!) and said, 'I Will Read the Scripture'. Wow! Praise God! He is getting Better! and now He has the Power of God's Word to help!

The next time we went back, we prayed again and checked that they were speaking out the Word of God. They were and we could see he was getting stronger. I gave the wife and daughter each a necklace with a beautiful cross on it. I explained that there is no power it this, but it is simply a reminder that Jesus loves them so much, that He thinks of them all the time, that He knows how hard this is for them but He will get them through it. They were so touched by it... and that is when they shared that they too (and the son) also had HIV. She didn't know the husband had it when they got married, and the children were born with it. They had only just found this out, and were struggling to cope. We prayed for God's healing power to come upon the whole family, and commanded their bodies to line up with the Word of God which says 'by His stripes we were healed'! Past tense. It was done at the cross, the same as salvation. It's a free gift.

The next time we went back, the man was sitting up in bed!!! We was so alive and full of health!! We raced up to him and he excitedly told us, 'JESUS HAS HEALED ME!!!' ' I RECEIVED JESUS WHEN YOU SHARED THE GOSPEL AND HE HAS HEALED ME!! THANK YOU JESUS! THANK YOU JESUS!' He was so excited he was kinda doing a dance in his bed! We got so excited we started jumping and dancing too! PRAISE GOD!!! He looked so strong and radiant. It was amazing. He told us that the doctors were amazed! They said, we expected you to die and now you are strong and sitting up in bed... what's happening?! He said, 'now I need to be able to walk so I can go home and raise my children and take care of my beautiful family.' We prayed again, of course fully believing that he would regain all his strength and walk out of there! We went home rejoicing and praying that in three days, when we next visit, he will be up and walking.

We excitedly went back to visit again and but couldn't find him or his family anywhere! They told us he was so completely healthy the doctors had sent him home with his family yesterday.

Like I said earlier, we ask for one thing and He gives us way over and above what we've asked!

Wow! How awesome is that?! I was so blown away. I got to have front row seats and watch God do a mighty miracle. He took a man who was in the very last stages of HIV, who the doctors expected to die at any moment, saved him, forgave him, and healed him and sent him home rejoicing with his beautiful family all in a matter of 3 weeks!!!! way cool!

Please continue to pray for that family, God has huge plans for them. I know that it is Cambodians that will lead Cambodia to Christ. These guys have an incredible testimony now, and i believe they will bring many to Christ.

2008-08-07T17:06:00.000-07:00

2008-08-04T21:22:00.000-07:00

Cambodian Impact Team : July 2008.

The students from this years School of the Spirit.

Narin : on the left is now co-ordinator of Heartland Care.

Sponsors wanted for our Pastors in training.
Vutha Deborah and daughter Hannah.

Please pray for 16 year old Sreyleap as her
family are trying to force her into marriage.

2008-07-09T02:30:00.000-07:00

Chenna and Simmy arrive in Australia

To see more on Channa and Simmy's trip to Australia visit http://channatouchabroadtrips.blogspot.com/

2008-03-27T20:39:00.000-07:00

The Contract has been signed.

Andrew and the Builder

On the afternoon of the 27/03/08, I got the SMS from Cambodia I had been waiting for. It read :

The contract is signed now. The builder will start bring tools and dig well tomorrow. We have all the plan now in our hands. Channa

The contract reads in part ....

The Builder will implement the construction and finish it in within 200 days after the agreement signed date between both parties.

The total amount of the payment of the construction that Party A (Heartland) agreed with Party B (The Builder) is $139,108.78. (U.S. dollars)

The electrical facilities are not included in here but it’s about US$ 2,000 on top.
Party A agrees to do the percentage payment of the total amount in 6 stages as follow to Party B:

Stage 1: US$ 13,000.00 will be paid when the builder’s materials and Tools are firstly started on the construction land. Paid in full

Stage 2: US$ 39,000.00 will be paid when the construction finished in 30% (that will be the completely finish of the foundation stage: foundation posts, ground floor beams and cementing the ground floor). Paid in full

Stage 3: US$ 39,000.00 will be paid when work finish in 60% (That will be the finishing of: the room walls, the whole building wall, mezzanine floor, upper beams, upper deck floor). Paid in full

Stage 4: US$ 26,000.00 will be paid when the building finish in 95% (That will be the finishing of: tiling the floor, roof, ceiling, painting, doors, windows, electricity lines inside the building, plumbing).

Stage 5: US$ 6,500.00 will be paid when the building is completely finished and hand it over to the Party A.

Stage 6: the last US$ 15,608.78 will be paid when the 6 month period of the perfect quality guarantee is expired.

This is the biggest faith venture I have ever been involved with. Our goal is to build debt free and move into the building by the end of October. To date we have raised the finances to meet the payments due at the end of Stage 1 and 2 and are now focused on Stage 3. I know this sounds like a huge task but it is not so big when you break it into bite size pieces. It is only ... 100 x $1,000 or 200 x $500 or 1000 x $100 and they can be tax deductable donations.

Will you prayerfully consider supporting the Heartland International Building program?

Please make Cheques payable to Heartland International P.O. Box 629 Rochedale South 4123

Direct Deposit into Heartland’s Westpac Account

BSB 034076 Acc 263099 for general receipt
BSB 034076 Acc 263072 for tax deductible receipt

Please remember to e-mail your name, address and amount deposited to office@heartlandinternational.org.au so we can issue your receipt.

Credit Card donation can be made by contacting Andrew at the Heartland office on 0422 175 873

It is the contributions, prayer and good will of people like you who provide us with the inspiration, resources and energy to continue our work.

Yours truly,

Andrew S. Cook
Heartland Chairman

2008-02-05T02:39:00.000-08:00

2007-12-23T17:29:00.000-08:00

2008 promises to be a great year. Gail and I are beginning it with 4 weeks holidays but will then be get straight back into raising support for our poor brothers in Cambodia and East Timor. In the first few months of 2008 we plan to start construction on our Church / Community Centre in Kampong Cham, lead Heartland's first team to East Timor, hand over the running of the Cambodian Impact Teams to Ben and Cherie McGonagle and have Ps Chenna and Simmy Touch visit Australia. More information on each of these projects will be available in February.

Happy New Year ............ Andrew and Gail Cook.

2007-12-23T17:27:00.000-08:00

December Cambodian Impact Team.

2007-12-23T17:19:00.000-08:00

We recently took 6 kids from the New Start Program to

the beach for their first ever holiday. They were

accompanied by the Heartland Cambodian staff who

had as much fun as the kids.