Ancheta Family Fall Update
2026 is looking to be year full of opportunities to join with others as we share God’s love in Cambodia. From informal interactions with our neighbors to regular ministry at church, we have loved connecting with others. God is good, here is a small sampling of what He has been doing.
Family & Life Update
Roots or Fruits, you can’t have both…
Our family was gifted a number of fruit trees for Christmas, including Mango, Lemon, Lime, Avocado, Guava, and others. Each of these trees began life as a seed: planted, nurtured, and cared for in the only environment they knew, lovely 5 gallon pots/buckets. Some of the trees were already bearing a bit of fruit, so we were very excited at the prospects of enjoying them soon. Holes were dug and the trees were introduced to their new home, rock hard Cambodian clay/dirt. When I inquired on tips to help our new trees thrive, as we are currently in our dry season, this is the warning I was given:
A transplanted tree can either build roots or grow fruit — it cannot do both well.
Silly me, I thought a tree would remain healthy and mature if I just gave it plenty of water. It already went through the maturation process, look at the fruit it was popping out. Little baby mangos and limes just waiting to ripen for our enjoyment.
Wrong. The shock caused by a new environment cannot be ignored.
The root system, which previously developed so well, is now in unfamiliar territory. In order to maintain its health and bring many harvests to come, the tree needs to put all its energy into reestablishing and strengthening its now struggling root system.
If the fruit is allowed to grow, the tree will expend all its resources on this first harvest. Unfortunately, it is likely to be the final harvest.
I was told to cut off the new fruit, remove any flowers, and allow each tree to reestablish itself for the next 6 months or so. Give priority to the unseen work of foundation building. It has been a little over a month after the initial pruning and there are signs of healthy progress. New leaves are budding, existing leaves are a deeper green, the trunks are solid.
Sermon illustration in 3…2…1…
PRUNING.
“Every branch in me that does not produce fruit He removes, and He prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit.” (John 15:2, CSB)
The first half of this verse is easy to accept, cut those useless branches off! But that second half certainly stings. There was no ignoring this realization, and we are not talking about trees anymore. 17 years of familiarity maturing in marriage (our anniversary was 1/11), family, and ministry. Now uprooted by the Master Gardener and transplanted into a new environment. Welcome to Cambodia. I can stick to what has “worked before” and produce a bit of fruit now. Or I can allow Him to show me what is needed to bear lasting fruit.
So I am purposefully slowing myself down. I want lasting fruit with my family, with my wife, and with those God will allow me to serve. I am starting to see healthy progress in these areas as well. The kids inviting me into their little worlds, walking and talking with Katie in the rice fields most mornings, neighbors gifting us with their delicious mangos…
🗣 Learning Khmer
We (Katie and Michael) are now studying Khmer twice a week, for 3 hours per session. Our vocabulary is expanding rapidly, we might pass the kids soon :).
Conversational Khmer is stretching us in good ways. With over 70 spoken sounds (compared to about 44 in English), small pronunciation differences can completely change meaning—making every conversation both a challenge and a joy.
A Potential Home & Property Purchase
In our last letter, we mentioned to possibility to purchase our current leased property. After prayer and research, we presented our offer to the homeowners and are awaiting their response. Please pray with us as we wait on the Lord for His will.
Ministry Updates
Making Jesus Known
As I (Michael) prayed about which Gospel to study after finishing Acts, the Gospel of John stood out immediately. John makes the purpose of his book unmistakably clear when he writes:
“Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:30–31, CSB)
Studying John in preparation for teaching has been deeply refreshing. We are intentionally focusing on how these stories not only strengthen our own faith, but also equip us to clearly and lovingly share Jesus on a regular basis with our neighbors. The photos below are some church gatherings, and some pics of our girls giving a few Christmas gifts to three girls who lost their mother to a motorcycle accident last year.
Let the children come
After nearly 5 months, we thought the excitement of our big white van bouncing up and down our (currently) dusty road would fade. Nope.
The chorus of HELLO, HELLO! pouring out of our neighbors is just as strong as when we first arrived. Accompanying this familiar sound is a sea of smiling faces (some old and some young), along with frantic waiving of hands.
In the next week or so, we will begin meeting on our property and sharing Jesus with our neighbors.
Shiloh (13 as of 12/29) has been working on outreach ideas. She developed a schedule including games, snacks, lessons for nearly 6 months (if done weekly), and her creative way to share the gospel using a Rubik’s cube, similar to the familiar “gospel colors.”
Bring a Team! – CBI Kauai will be serving here for a few weeks.
Michael has updated the website for A Greater Hope NGO, the umbrella ministry for A Heart for Wisdom School, Calvary Chapel Takeo, and CBI Cambodia. The site will continue to be updated as the ministries grow in the Lord’s timing.
The new site also includes all the info necessary for planning Team Visits, feel free to share with others!
So far we have teams coming in February, April-May, June, and November!
Thank You!
We are deeply grateful for your partnership. Your prayers, encouragement, and generosity continue to strengthen and sustain the work God has entrusted to us here in Cambodia.
As we move forward, we would appreciate your prayers for:
- Wisdom and clarity regarding the property opportunity
- Continued growth in language learning and communication
- A fruitful CBI Kauai visit from February 7–23
- Consistency and openness in our regular home outreaches
- Health, protection, and unity for our family
Thank you for walking with us and being part of what God is doing in Cambodia. We are truly grateful for each of you.
Partner With Us
Thank you to everyone who has prayed, encouraged, or supported our family this season. Your partnership allows us to live and serve here in Cambodia.