News and Views
We have our fingers on the pulse of modern missions. Mission work is changing rapidly as the world's cultures and global conditions are changing. Ease of travel and communication impact how the Gospel is spread. But at the heart of missions, there is the work of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, and the obedience of the Church to carry out Jesus' command to go into all the earth.
We want to present challenging biblical truths, insights into today's missions environment, and progress reports on reaching the entire world with the Gospel. Please keep checking our blog regularly for updates, stories and challenging thoughts from Scripture!
COVID-19 has already taught us the importance of “first responders” and frontline workers. This pandemic has also taught us to appreciate the unseen, unidentified essential workers and the willing volunteers who meet critical needs in times of crisis. My first experience with serving as a “first responder” came unexpectedly when I was a teenager.
One of my most vivid teenage memories is riding in a recently purchased fire truck to a fire in our small hometown. Like many rural communities, the fire department in our town is made up entirely of volunteers. My dad, the first mayor of our town...
Reach A Village continues to receive affirmation of our diligence in the area of accountability. Recently, Christianity Today featured our ministry in Thailand as part of a follow-up article about the Thai church growth movement from 2019. Bob Craft, Reach A Village’s Founder and President, and his son, Ellis, International Ministry Director for Southeast Asia, share about the risks of ministry and the increased interest in supporting our ministry leaders there.
“Our hope is that the CT article will bring attention here in the United States and in Thailand to the good practices and the...
How many of us would ever have believed that an unknown virus would change life for everyone on earth? Right now, I am in the midst of a 14-day self-quarantine at home after being in Cambodia for most of March. I got back to the U.S. on one of the last commercial flights recommended by the U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh. Suddenly, COVID-19 is impacting every aspect of our lives. Reach A Village’s local ministry partners around the world are experiencing stresses in their lives, too. Governments are restricting their movements. They have less income. They feel the threat of this virus in...
In light of what is happening around the world, and here in the United States, I want to reassure you that the ministry continues. This is an uncertain season, but we have no doubt that the will of God is for people to hear the Gospel and the message of hope and salvation that is found in Him alone.
Our team here in the United States is currently working remotely, and we are in regular contact with our international ministry partners. Our work is not carried out with large gatherings or mass evangelism. Rather, it is in small group Bible studies, personal evangelism or open-air meetings...
I am sad to report that our dear friend and Cambodia Ministry Director Pastor Uong Vibol died from lung cancer on Feb. 28. Yet, while we mourn this great loss, we know that he is now rejoicing in heaven with his precious Lord, and has no doubt heard Him say, “Well done thou good and faithful servant!”
For over 20 years, Pastor Vibol made it his mission to spread the Gospel to as many of his fellow Cambodians as possible. He knew how the terror, suffering and genocide inflicted by Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge had left a sense of despair among his people. He said, “People are living without...
For over a decade I had heard my father, Robert Craft, talk about the church-planting teams he would visit while in Myanmar. He showed me pictures and videos of them and the villages they were entering for the first time to start Christian churches where there had never been any before.
What remained in my memory were the stories of shocking persecution – in the form of property damage, verbal threats and physical attacks – which was met with equally matched responses of perseverance by these national workers. These champions of the faith seemed superhuman and unreal. I never...
Reach A Village Founder and President Robert Craft recently wrote an article for Christianity Today sharing how God is answering the prayers of Cambodian Christians with a modern-day miracle. While Christians in other countries in the region face government restrictions, this Buddhist nation’s prime minister, Hun Sen, hosted a banquet for 3,000 church leaders and thanked them for their contributions to Cambodian society through education, ethics, social projects and promoting peace and unity.
Hun Sen also pledged continued religious freedom. This paves the way for our ministry partners, the...
How do most of us define the word “darkness”? We often say that darkness is the absence of light. That is true as far as the human eye can discern it. For many years scientists thought that the dark parts of the universe, the “black holes,” were empty spaces devoid of matter, especially matter like stars, which emit light. However, it turns out that “darkness” is actually “dark energy” or “dark matter.”
At Christmas, we celebrate because Jesus came into the world to rescue people from darkness. He knew that “darkness” is a real spiritual force that can be felt. The darkness that people in...
In October, I had the honor of joining our Cambodia Ministry Director, Uong Vibol and members of his team in Phnom Penh for a momentous gathering hosted by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen for 3,000 leaders from Christian groups and denominations across the country. What makes this event even more extraordinary is that Buddhism is the official religion in Cambodia, and around 95 percent of the population claim it as their religion. While he is not a Christian himself, Prime Minister Hun Sen thanked the Christians for their role in strengthening Cambodian society in the areas of...
I love to travel, and I love to read travel magazines. One thing I constantly read about is the importance of finding a local person to show you a new area. Why? Because local people know what is really happening in a community. They can guide a visitor to the best restaurants and events. They can give tips about parking and places to avoid. Locals have deeper insight into life in their area. Recently, I visited our Reach A Village ministry partners in Bulgaria. We traveled outside the capital city with Sergo, a ministry partner who helps to organize, train and mentor local believers to...
