December 2025, Syrian Refugees (Sami & Samiya)

Psalm 126:5–6 (ESV)

5  Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!

6  He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.

Dear beloved partners in ministry,

As the cold winter winds blow in this season, I pray that the Lord’s warm peace and comfort will fill your homes and churches. I bless you with a healthy New Year and an even greater abundance of the Lord’s grace.

I am sharing this December prayer letter a bit later than usual. This is because the surgery for the sister we have been praying for together took place on January 2nd, and she was safely discharged yesterday and has begun her journey to recovery. I wanted to share this news with you, so I spent time waiting and praying before finally writing this letter now.

■ News from the Academy in the Refugee Camp

The kindergarten at the camp academy successfully completed the semester and began its winter break following a movie screening at the theater and a Christmas party. Throughout this term, the teachers and children truly spent a "joyful time of learning together." The laughter of children filled the classrooms through activities such as crafts, art, singing and dancing, and physical education using Taekwondo movements. Although these children have grown up amidst war, poverty, and insecurity, during those moments, the academy became a space where they could run, laugh, and express themselves just like children should.

There was a particularly great blessing in the English classes. We connected with the ESL Ministry team from Emmaus University in the United States, which further revitalized our online English lessons. The children are learning words and sentences one by one while interacting with native-speaking teachers through the screen. An even greater grace than learning English is the fact that the children feel in their hearts that "there are people somewhere in the world who remember me." The Taekwondo classes also saw diligent participation throughout the semester, and we ended the year warmly with a belt promotion party and a Christmas celebration.

While praying and reflecting on how to use the Christmas gift funds sent by our supporters, we heard the voices from the field saying, "This year, food is more necessary than any other gift." Therefore, although it wasn't a large amount, we personally visited each child's home to deliver essential food and snacks. Some homes were being visited for the first time, and many families were in very difficult circumstances. Though they were small gifts, they contained the heart of God, saying, "I have not forgotten you; I love you."

■ News about Sister J

Sister J, a mother of ten, had long suffered from dizziness and pain due to compressed nerves and blood vessels, making daily life increasingly difficult. However, as the surgery was not 100% guaranteed and the financial burden was significant, she hesitated for a long time. While praying together, God provided the funds for the surgery and gave her peace of mind, leading her to decide on the operation. Although the hospital repeatedly delayed the date, a sudden opening was scheduled by God's grace, and she successfully completed the surgery on January 2nd.

Upon waking from surgery, Sister J shared a truly remarkable testimony in a quiet but confident voice : "I saw Jesus during the surgery. He was walking right beside me. I felt such immense peace that... I didn't want to wake up. So I felt a little bit of regret when I finally did wake up". In the face of this confession, we could only give thanks to God with tears. Currently, she has been discharged and is recovering at home. Please pray that her recovery will be complete and pain-free so that she may praise the Lord and live a life as a witness for Jesus

■ News about Muna

Muna is currently studying happily at Damascus University with your regular support. Whenever I see her face in the photos she often sends—holding her books with a smile or enjoying time with friends in the lab—I realize once again that "education changes a person's life". However, more important than anything else is the sowing of the Gospel in Muna's heart. Please pray that Syria will open soon so that we may visit and share the Gospel directly.

■ News from the Orphanage

At the orphanage we visit monthly, we held a Christmas party together ahead of Christmas. We shared the joy of Christmas by singing carols with the children and doing Christmas tree decorating crafts. For gifts, we prepared a set of pajamas for each child and spent a time filled with laughter for the first time in a while while eating hamburgers and donuts together. Although they do not have the embrace of parents, we prayed that the memory of "being loved" would remain in the children's hearts for at least that one day.

■ News about the MBBs (Believers from a Muslim Background)

We gathered with the MBBs who have not yet returned to Syria and remain here to celebrate the birth of Baby Jesus with joy. Although many families have now returned to their hometowns and only a small community remained, the gathering was filled with even deeper gratitude and grace. Through the Christmas play prepared with the children, various activities joined with laughter, and the warm food shared with care, we were able to set aside the war, instability, and fear of the future for a moment and rejoice in "Jesus who came among us".

Meanwhile, we often hear testimonies from MBBs who have returned to Syria that they are striving to hold onto their faith despite the difficult environment. Whenever we hear confessions that they start their day holding onto the Word even in situations where there is no electricity or jobs, and where they must be more cautious because of their faith, our hearts ache with a longing to run to them, pray for them, and comfort them. We felt a glimpse of the desperate heart of the Apostle Paul, who poured out his soul day and night for the distant churches.

In the midst of it all, God is still working through people. Your prayers and love, which have joined in that touch, are becoming life, comfort, and the strength to rise again in this land. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Ma'at Salame (Go in peace), Praying that the Lord’s peace will always be with you,

Sami & Samiya in Jordan

[Prayer Requests]

1. For true peace to prevail in Syria and across the Middle East.

2. For Sister J’s complete physical recovery and provision for her family.

3. For the Academy and Kindergarten to remain stable channels for the Gospel.

4. For the Gospel to take root in Muna’s heart and for her to find fellow believers.

5. For the orphans to grow up knowing they are children of a Heavenly Father.

6. For the protection and survival of refugee families during this harsh winter.

7. For our family (Sami, Samiya, Dasol, and Dahae) to remain Spirit-filled and obedient.

December. 2025, Cambodia (Jong-chan Jeong, Sung-sil)

Psalm 117 (ESV)

The Lord’s Faithfulness Endures Forever

117  Praise the Lord, all nations! Extol him, all peoples!

2  For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!

1. Lord, Should I Move My Ministry Site?

I praise what God is doing. The entire process—making us realize, repent, gathering people, and spreading the truth—feels as if I am being carried along passively. It is not I who am doing it; it is God.

Every weekend, I was busy preparing sermons, and on Sundays, my "job" was counting the number of people in attendance. As the numbers dwindled, there were days when only my family and the boarding students (those living and eating in this building) worshipped together. We were fewer than ten. I felt so powerless and pathetic seeing how few people there were, but I realized that was simply my reality and my current ability.

I knelt in prayer every day, but there was no answer. Just as I was thinking about moving my ministry because of the lack of people, I received an invitation to a different site that had many people and needed a missionary. I thought, "Is this how He moves me?" and decided to pray about it.

The very next day, God gave me Zechariah 11:17 as an answer. While looking through various scriptures during sermon prep—even though it wasn't my main text—that verse suddenly caught my eye. It was clear that moving was not God’s will, yet a protest rose in my heart: "But Lord, there are hardly any people here to call 'sheep'."

Around that time, I read a passage by Oswald Chambers that pointed out: "Our job is to call out the names of the saints and lift them up to the Lord. Then the Holy Spirit Himself intercedes for them with groanings that cannot be uttered." It was a familiar verse I had memorized, but when it was pointed out to me, the meaning became crystal clear. The subject of prayer and intercession is not me, but the Holy Spirit; my job was to call the sheep by name and lead them to the Lord one by one.

It was a moment where my sin of merely counting heads instead of calling names was revealed. I felt so sorry before God. (Since these events took place over several months, the exact sequence of my memories might be a bit blurred, but they are all interconnected.)

One day, while evangelizing, an elderly lady said she would believe in Jesus. I asked where she lived and told her I would pick her up before the service the next day. It wasn't as simple as following a pin on a map; I only had verbal directions, and finding the house was not easy. Anyway, when I got there, she came out with her three granddaughters (Kkanika, Tabitha, and Risa).

What’s more, she listened to the sermon so intently. Because some people aren't used to a foreigner's accent, I usually display the full text of the sermon so they can at least read along. I saw her whispering and reading the words to herself. It’s rare for people of her generation to be literate (as they lived through times where survival was more important than education). From the pulpit, you can see everyone's faces. While some were dozing off, seeing her lips move as she read the words made me feel the Lord’s heart saying, "That one person is your sheep."

Since then, I have been practicing calling the names of the sheep and lifting them up to the Lord. Only then—I’m a bit hesitant to put it this way—did He start sending more people. I constantly resolve not to speak empty words or preach mere moralism, but to preach the Truth. The burden and responsibility to live according to the Word myself is a "heavy joy."

"After the Christmas Sunday service on December 21st..."

2. Connection and Joy

It has been one year and four months since we started worshipping with the children in Phum Dontry on August 25, 2024. A couple of months ago, while evangelizing near that village, I accidentally discovered an empty church. From the street, the building didn't look like a church at all. We had been worshipping in the yard of a house in Phum Dontry from the beginning, and this church was about 600 meters away from that original site. I wondered how I had only just discovered it when it was so close.

When I went inside, there were crumpled Bibles covered in thick dust; it was an inactive chapel at a glance (the floor area was about $5m \times 7m$, a single-story room about the size of a large studio). Still, my first thought was that since it was a building with a roof and walls, we would be less disturbed during worship. When I asked the neighbor, they said the owner had put it up for sale for $15,000.

After praying for a while, I wondered if we could at least rent it. As I was about to meet the owner, I remembered a story the sending church had told me about Arlington Nawa Falls Church. I thought to myself that when I met the owner, I should speak boldly: "I see this was originally a place of worship. Let me use it for free. You are likely a Christian yourself, and if worship starts here again, you will be blessed. If not, so be it. This place will just stay in this state, and I will continue worshipping in the yard where I’ve been."

However, when I finally met them, they were truly precious people. They were a local Pastor and his wife (Pastor No) ministering in a country where the Christian population is less than 2%. The Pastor’s wife said her heart always ached because the church in Phum Dontry had been abandoned, and she had been praying about it. Recently, she heard rumors that a "foreigner" (Kourey) was gathering children in that neighborhood to worship and had been hoping to meet me. She was so delighted that I had come to find them on my own.

The conditions Pastor Men Buty gave me were very reasonable: "No heretical teachings," "The chapel must not be used for purposes other than ministry," etc. I readily agreed, and starting from the New Year, the Phum Dontry ministry moved from the yard into the chapel.

I received this gift not "boldly" before man, but "humbly" before the Lord. God makes both the one who needs a place and the one who needs people smile. In Your presence is fullness of joy. Hallelujah.

From the street, the cross wasn't visible, so I had no idea it was a church at all.

As I got closer, I realized—is that a cross on the front?!

Inside the chapel. I think even cleaning this place will be a joy. Haha.

Together with Pastor Men Buty.

3. Setting Off on a Long Journey

Sathra (32), a co-worker who has been serving with me, is beginning her theological studies. We have worked together since July 2019, so it has been over six full years. Many people have come and gone from the dorm, but Sathra has stayed the longest. For this to work, personalities must be compatible; if they aren't, no matter how much you provide, it's hard to endure for long. Regardless, for the ministry, the church, and worship to continue even without a missionary, there must be a local leader living here. I recommended she study, and perhaps due to a thirst within her, she accepted willingly.

We are looking at the long term. The program is four years, and since the school is in Phnom Penh (a 3-hour one-way trip by motorcycle), consistent support for tuition, transportation, meals, and living expenses will be needed to raise her up as a leader. Most students at that school are in similar situations, so classes are held from Monday to Wednesday, and on weekends, students return to their respective ministry sites to serve. Then, by Monday lunchtime, they return to school to start classes again.

The annual tuition is $450 (yes, four hundred and fifty, not four thousand five hundred). I would be grateful if anyone whose heart God touches could support her in prayer or financially. It doesn't have to be one person; even four people providing support for one year each would be wonderful. As for other expenses like housing and food, she has decided to manage those by slightly reducing her current salary as a kindergarten teacher.

Her studies begin on January 5th. From what I have seen, Sathra is truly sincere toward God. She is moved to tears easily, has a passion for learning, and never hesitates to help with cleaning. She loves children and works well with them. She is very diligent and receives a lot of praise. I believe she will study hard as well. Of course, she has her flaws too, but I won't write them here. Haha.

At Euro Park in Phnom Penh (Big Ben, the Eiffel Tower, the Opera House, and even the windmill Don Quixote charged at—they’re all here!). From the left: Haim, Sathra, Sung-sil, and Min-jun.

4. Personal News and Prayer Requests

My wife has been facing many trials lately: her mother’s passing last year, her own diagnosis of breast cancer this year, and just last week, the passing of her father. She is currently staying in Korea to organize his belongings. Believing she needs a season of rest, we have graduated the kindergarten children for this year and will be taking a break for the time being.

I received the news of my father-in-law’s passing while presiding over the service on Christmas Sunday (the 21st). I rushed to Korea to assist with the funeral and have since returned to Cambodia, where I’ve spent several very hectic days. Yesterday, I also wrapped up the guitar classes in Phum Thani, Tboung Khmum.

They were such passionate students that I truly enjoyed teaching them. I hope they continue to practice and hone their skills on their own!

Prayer Requests

1. Worship Ministry: May disciples be raised who worship in Spirit and in Truth and who testify to their faith through their lives.

2. The Gospel and Truth: As we plant the seeds of the Gospel, Truth, and the Kingdom of God, we pray that the Lord will make them grow.

3. For Sathra: As she begins her studies, grant her wisdom and help her not to lose her initial passion. We pray that all her needs will be provided for.

4. For the Missionary Family: May our family be filled with the Holy Spirit. Please comfort my wife and grant her the strength to overcome and be fully restored.

With respect and love, Missionaries Jong-chan Jeong / Sung-sil (Hajun, Minjun, Haim) P.S. Happy New Year!