សួស្តីមិត្ត (“Hello!” in Khmer)
Melody Gawliu here! BTW, if you’re on your phone…you can scroll all the way down and find a music player (or on other devices find it on the right side) so that you can click play and listen to music while you read!
On 8/22/2023, I’ll be leaving on a short-term church mission trip where I will be returning to Cambodia and I wanted to invite you to join me on this journey through South East Asia by following my blogs and partnering with me.
Links to my Cambodia Mission Trip will be here below in newest to oldest:
What will Melody Gawliu be doing:
Cambodia has a population of over 16 million people and is one of the poorest and most human trafficked countries in Asia. Trafficking comes in different forms: sex trafficking, work trafficking, and the latest is marriage trafficking. Our mission team will be traveling to Phnom Penh (the capital of Cambodia) where we will serve at the Pleroma School for Girls hosting a summer Bible camp for the primary students and then we will have English class and tutoring for the secondary school, and visit the Pleroma Home for Girls and Pleroma Home for Women. We will work alongside teachers and local workers to teach the students music, art, health, working skills, and most importantly – the Gospel! With only 1.3% of the population being Christian, we hope to also work with the local churches to go on community outreaches such as meeting the neighbors and passing out clothes to the needy and sharing God’s love with them. We will also help with the Pleroma Community Center
Why is Melody Gawliu going to Cambodia?
Our first mission to Cambodia was in 2017….
since then I’ve returned once right before the pandemic in 2019 and have volunteered with the United States home base for the Pleroma Missions. I feel that God has called me to return to Cambodia in order to see how He has continued to work in the lives of the people I met in Cambodia and to see how I can continue to serve from the States and better support the Pleroma Missions. Also, I believe it is a great opportunity for me to be encouraged by seeing how God is at work beyond my scope of the world and seeing how big our God is. I’m really excited to see the Pleroma Secondary School because we’ve done a number of fundraising events to help support the building of this school.
How can I partner with Melody Gawliu on her journey?
I hope you will partner with us by praying for our mission trip. I believe this is the most important way that you can partner with me (and my team!) so I hope you’ll take time to intercede for us. Here are some prayer requests I have in particular:
(1) preparation – preparing the criteria for the camps and workshops but especially mental preparation to go out to such a broken country in dire need of God’s love (especially in the heat!)
(2) good health as it will be difficult to do God’s work if I’m unwell such as sitting on the toilet all day. Also, we know that I am prone to mosquito bites!
(3) overall safety for our team as we enter a place where a lot of violence has taken place and continues to take place
(4) trusting God’s plan and clinging to the Cross because as we know, when God is doing work, Satan is not pleased!
Any other things I can do to support Melody Gawliu on her journey?
Another way to support us is financially. Even as we reach our target fund, the funds will go to support our team or go towards continuing to support the organization we are partnering with in Cambodia. If you would like to support our Cambodia Missions trip financially in whatever amount you choose, please make checks payable to Sunset Church with “Cambodia STM” in the memo section (I can provide envelopes with stamp if requested! Mail to “Attn: Sunset Church Cambodia STM – 3638 Lawton Street, San Francisco, CA 94122”).
We are very grateful for your prayers and financial support. We are confident that God will provide everything we need through friends like you!
How can I find out updates on Melody Gawliu’s journey?
I’m not sure how much access to internet I will have while I’m overseas but I’m hoping to use this webpage to blog about my experiences out in Cambodia and in so doing, you’ll be able to come along and join me on this journey.
Also, if you’re interested you can follow my instagram for pictures from the trip or more specifically you can follow the hashtag #mygcambodia23
How can I help send off Melody Gawliu in person?
Lastly, I wanted to invite you to help send us off. On Sunday 8/20 at church service, Sunset will be praying for our Cambodia Short Term Missions trip and you’re invited to attend service and send us off at our 9:00am or 11:00am services. If you’re free on Tuesday 8/22 at 8pm, you’re invited to come send us off from the SFO airport International Terminal.
Thank you for your support! If you have any questions, let’s chat!
Serving our King for His Glory Alone in Every Way I can,
Melody Gawliu
“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?
Romans 10: 13-14