Stitches

Daniel with Dr. Prasong

After many weeks, finally we are back online. These photos are from last month’s surgery. Although, initial opinion’s indicated the likelihood of a lymphatic tuberculosis, doctor’s have been unable to provide conclusive supporting evidence. Daniel’s primary physician suspects the possibility of Hodgkin’s Disease. We await second opinions. GOD, Himself, has ministered to Daniel. We appreciate all prayers, letters of encouragement and financial gifts that have helped us meet all expenses. BLESSINGS TO Y’ALL!

At 3:00am in the Bangkok Airport a Taxi Driver looking for Tin Hath finds us waiting!

After 24 hours by air and 14 hours by taxi, we arrived in Phnom Penh to find things much as they were a year ago, only worse. Our previously furnished house was missing many items; even the bike that had endured four collisions had been traded for a different one, now unavailable for use. Grace and Tim are in classes now, the children as well. We’ll do our best to resume our daily blogging. Please pray for our students — one of Tim’s being a grandaughter of the mayor of Phnom Penh.

Crossing the border into Cambodia (below), we encountered some strange creatures on our trip through the countryside.

01 AUG 2009 at the Thailand-Cambodia border.

Roger and Ming (front center) with Tim, Mary, Rick, Linda, Peter, Patricia and Grandchildren

For all of you who might have wondered what the extended Hatch family looks like, here we are in dad’s backyard in Conyers, GA. Peter (kneeling left) and Patricia (fourth from left, back row) are twins. Petes’s a developer and builder. Pat serves in the military. Linda (back row third from left) lives in Conyers. Mary (center just behind Dad in red) lives in Strasburg, PA. Rick & Lisa (far right back row) are from Marietta, GA. Rick works in Atlanta as an architect and Lisa is an interior designer. Several spouses and one grandchild were unavailable for the photo.

Now your gifts can be deposited dollar for dollar into our personal account. Just click on the “donate” button and follow directions. When done correctly, your transaction will receive immediate verification. Grace and the children join me in expressing our thanks!

HOPE International School, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. That’s where we’re headed. Today it’s raining. We’ve boxed and stored everything that’s not suitcased for Cambodia. Flight leaves Thursday at 1:00pm. We’re carrying 650 lbs…. mostly books. It may be several days before we can write again. Please pray for a boost in our mission account. If you’d like to send school supplies or other items, please post them to HOPE International School, P.O. Box 2521, Phnom Penh 3, Cambodia to the attention of teachers Tim & Grace Hatch.

Website link: http://www.hopeschool-cambodia.org/

Personal e-mail: tghatch@gmail.com

Thanks!

Woody Um and Daniel Hampton at Emory Hospital

Woody Um’s trip to Emory Hospital to visit his friend Daniel Hampton, a 27-year old who’s battling leukemia, brought unexpected encouragement and a quick reassessment of life’s priorities. “God will never put more into my life than what I can handle through Christ” Daniel assured Woody. Although the challenges Daniel faces are immense, Jesus Himself has promised, “I will never leave you, nor forsake you. So we may boldly say, The LORD is my helper and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.” Hebrews 13:5-6.

Please join us in praying for Daniel and his wife Crystal during this difficult time in their lives. “May the LORD bless you and keep you; may His face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you; May He lift up His countenance upon you (Daniel & Crystal), and give you His peace.”

Daniel at rest during treatment for leukemia

Grace walks with Torah on her birthday

Tonight it was Grace’s birthday honor to walk with the Torah (above) and to read God’s Holy Word from a 75-year old Holocaust survivor written in Hebrew on lamb skin and impaled on wood.

Hebrew reading of Bamidbar (Numbers) 33:50-53, 55-56

In her presentation, Grace challenged all to follow after Adonai (God) with our whole heart and not simply to go through the motions while living any way we like. We are to walk in trusting faithfulness to God, according to His precepts out of love and gratitude to Him, and not to be conformed to the evil world system.

The Torah displayed by Rabbai Gav'riel and Micha'el at Congregation Beth Ha'Mashiach (House of Messiah)

"This is the Word which by the Gospel is Preached to You." 1 Peter 1:25b

These hands and Bible belong to a 25-year high school Language Arts teacher who is preparing for a summer mission trip to West Virginia where she and the group pictured below plan to teach boys and girls how they can have a relationship with the living God.

REAL LIFE Missions Training led by Doug Estes equips teams for teaching children's Bible clubs -- this team from Meadow Baptist Church is going to West Virginia.

A major thrust of the training is learning how to present the Gospel message clearly showing children the way to their savior Yeshua/Jesus. Bibles are prepared with colored tape for ready reference and a counseling tool is used to ask thought-provoking questions to make sure each child understands that he is a sinner and is ready to trust in Jesus alone for salvation, to turn from self and sin, and to walk obediently as children of light (Ephesians 5:8b). Below, students prepare their Bibles for witnessing.

“Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen; that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am He: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no Savior. I have declared, and have saved, and I have showed, when there was no strange god among you; therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God.” Isaiah 43:10-12

Pastor & Mrs. Chan and son Phillip (4) with Tim, Grace & Christi

What an incredible blessing we received tonight, dining with Sytha and Sophie Chan, their children Hannah and Phillip, and Sytha’s mother, Yen Prach. Following dinner, while visiting their home in Jonesboro, GA., we heard a most remarkable testimony, recounted by Sytha’s mother who is the daughter of two of Cambodia’s first Christian converts from Buddhism (1922). Below, Grandmother holds a photograph of two of the first missionaries to Cambodia, the Reverend and Mrs. D.W. Ellison.

Apparently, while the Ellison’s discipled Cambodia’s first countryside pastors in Kampuchea Kraom, Grandmother (then a child) prepared meals and served the Bible School students pictured below.

What a beautiful God-appointed event it was to visit the Chan family during this the week of our departure for Cambodia! Thank you Sophie for securing our plane tickets! Thank you Pastor Chan for the eight DVDs containing 111 hymns from a new edition Khmer language hymnbook! Thank you Grandmother for your remarkable testimony! Thank you LORD for your sustaining grace!

Following corporate prayer, while we were stepping through the front door, Grandmother gently grabbed Grace’s hand and promised, “I’ll pray for you every day you’re in Cambodia.” Imagine that, the daughter of two of the first Cambodian Christian converts, interceding on our behalf, for God’s light to shine so brightly that all of Cambodia might repent and be saved! Will you join us in praying to that end?

The Reverend and Mrs. D.W. Ellison, Christian & Missionary Alliance Missionaries to Cambodia (1922)