Filbrun Family Update December 2019

Hello friends and family. This past month was filled with many special memories. We had Kristys parents visiting us all the way from California! We looked forward to this time together for many months. We thank God for providing in every detail while they were here.

We did many fun things together. We had fun showing them Phnom Penh, where we lived when we first moved to Cambodia and Battambang where we live now.

There were plenty of hugs and kisses to go around! Trips to the local store for ice cream with Grandpa was a big highlight. And Grandma made up for lost time by helping with homework and reading books. They showed love in many many areas while they were here.

We had the privilege to show them what we do for Cambodia Impact as well. They were here for three weeks so we got to show them three different churches that we either serve at or enjoy going to. 

Learning to ride the moto can be a little bit intimidating! Especially in Cambodia where the traffic rules don't necessarily apply. We had some brave learners! 

Every single moment was enjoyed. We commented many times that we are 'rich with memories'.

We are so thankful for the sacrifice Kristys parents made to visit us. It does not come without a cost. Airfare is high and extra the expense always adds up. But again we are thankful for Gods provision in every detail. Moments with family can never be replaced and family will always be worth every penny. They filled up our "love buckets" for quite some time.

And here we are saying goodbye again. There is always many tears as we separate. We don't know for sure when we will meet again. We are thankful for the hope we have to meet again in Heaven if not here on this earth.

The children took off school while Grandpa and Grandma were here. Savanna continues to go to school at YWAM, so she still had school in the morning. 

Savanna celebrated here 6th birthday on November 20th. She was so excited to have all her little school friends over for a birthday party. Grandma brought some butterfly themed items from America and Tashayla made a butterfly piñata. 

Savanna had so much fun celebrating her special day.

Her brothers spent many hours building her a doll house. Britton does very well at passing down his skill in carpentry work to his boys. She was very excited to have a place to play with all her new LOL dolls she got for her birthday.

While Kristys parents were here we were able to celebrate Thanksgiving. We are so grateful for the donors who sent money specifically for our Thanksgiving meal. All imported food is quite costly here in Cambodia and especially in Battambang. It was a real treat making all the homemade goodness. We planned this Thanksgiving dinner with three other missionary families here in Battambang. Together we invited our own friends and shared the load of making the food. 

Here we are moments before we were ready to eat. Baking and cooking here in Cambodia is quite the ordeal. We only have convection ovens and small burners. Approximately 50 people joined us for this feast. 

Britton and our new friend Rith who is quickly beginning to feel like family now. 

We were so thankful to have family here to celebrate with us! It really made it feel like a Thanksgiving celebration we are used to. 

Gracie and Tashayla and Tashaylas new friend who just moved to Battambang.

Such a wonderful evening. We were able to invite two of the Pastors and their families that we work with as well as many of our Khmer friends. It was fun giving our Khmer friends a glimpse into our culture. Our evening was filled with food, laughter and singing. We thank God for the past year. He has provided every single step of the way. We trust Him with the year ahead knowing He will be faithful to provide again and again.

Our service for Cambodia Impact slowed down a little bit while our family was here visiting. But we still tried to show up as much as we could. A new baby was born at Tahen, one of the house churches we visit on Fridays. We have been waiting for this little one to make his arrival. So thankful Mom and baby are doing well. Meanwhile another little girl from the same house church was in the hospital for Dengue fever. The Mother explained in Khmer to us that her baby almost died two times. Little lives here are so precious. We thank God for His healing. It is a great way to remind the new believers of Gods faithfulness.

This is one of Kristys dearest friends. She is a fellow Mother and follower of Jesus. Wednesdays are Bible study mornings  at Kakedas house. She is always sharing fresh plates of fresh fruit or sending yummy vegetables home with us from their farm. We just love her and her family so much. 

Here Britton is getting some fresh air and a moment to relax. The beginning of this month Britton went to Sisapon to meet Pastor Bunthon. He rode his moto two hours north west towards Thailand. Here he spent two days with Pastor Bunthon working on plans for a new house for him and his family. Britton spent his time drawing plans and measuring for the new house all while speaking Khmer! He got to join in on some music practice with Pastor Bunthons son as well.
A couple weeks later, Pastor Saran, Britton, Carter and Brysen went back to Sisapon to four different villages to scout out areas for new wells.
Soccer ministry, bible studies, well mapping, measuring at Antioch for upcoming projects, practicing songs in Khmer to sing in Svey Kong and emails seem to keep Brittons days occupied.

Here is a screenshot from our phone. Franklin Graham came to Cambodia for the Love Phnom Penh Festival. As it says above 23,000 joined the two nights he talked. While we did not join, we watched it live online and cried many tears when the Pastor gave the alter call and we watched hundreds come forward. We are so excited and humbled to be in Cambodia during this time of revival. May God continue to use us when and how He chooses. 

This past Sunday our family went to Sisapon to help them celebrate for their Christmas celebration. Nineteen of us including our families and some youth from the Svey Kong church, crammed inside Pastor Sarans truck. Gracie and Tashayla could not join because we didn't have enough room. 

We left for Sisapon after church in Svey Kong. We made it in time to help set up for the party which started at 5 pm.

Our boys have been practicing dancing with the youth from Svey Kong. Here they are in their outfits ready to perform for the evening. It has been so fun to get to know the youth. While the language barrier is still an issue, smiles and laughter seem to cover it for now. We do the best we can and let God do the rest. Learning the language takes several years. 

It has been so cold here in Cambodia. With lows reaching to 64 degrees :) Our bodies have definitely adjusted as we were trying to find anything warm in our closets to wear.



We have many Christmas celebrations to help with and attend this month. We are in the process of moving to our new home a few miles from our current home. We plan to be completely moved in in a couple weeks.

If the Lord allows, Britton plans to return to the States this coming Spring. He will spend a month reuniting with family and friends, working and raising funds for the next two years. While this time apart isn't what we originally planned, the cost of airfare is to high for all of us to come back.

We want to THANK our friends and family for your love and support. All the ways you support our family does not go unnoticed. We want to specifically thank our financial donors at this time. Because of your giving hearts our family can live in Cambodia and share the hope of Jesus with the Khmer people. The cost of living is higher then we originally planned. Even our visiting guests were surprised at how high the cost to live is here in Battambang. We would be so grateful for additional monthly support if God calls you. Thankyou again to everyone who so graciously gives to our family.

Our emails are Brittonfilbrun@yahoo.com and Kristyfilbrun@yahoo.com


"...Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." ~Phillipians 3:13-14

November 2019

Hello from Battambang! We hope this finds all of our friends and family doing well. We have had a busy month, doing all kinds of exciting things! 

Some verses that have meant a lot to us this past month come from Deuteronomy 8 where Moses is reminding the Israelites. He is saying, "Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then He fed you with mana, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God....He gave you mana to eat in the wilderness, to humble you and test you so that in the end it might go well with you. You may say to yourself, "my power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me". But remember the Lord your God...for it is He who gives you the ability..." We love this chapter and liken our time in Cambodia to a wilderness of sorts. It is easy to grumble and complain here. It is easy to forget God or to assume that what we are doing is by our own power. God has things to teach us here in this 'wilderness' that He cannot teach us anywhere else. We need to be aware of Gods continued blessings for our family. So we are choosing to be aware and to remember that God alone is the one who satisfies and sustains our every need. He has been so good to us and our family.

Britton continues to work almost every day in Svey Kong. The past couple months have been the rainy season. Because of that there have been no new wells or bathrooms put in. Days in Svey Kong are spent communicating with Pastor Saran, encouraging our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ at the home churches, and taking care of the church property. Britton has been plotting each well that has been built by Cambodia Impact, and then he plans to have a map printed up of Svey Kong marking each well site. Britton and Pastor Saran started a 'movie night' at the church one time a month. We have popcorn and drinks and we spend a few hours together watching movies together with the villagers. The villagers look forward to joining any program at church.

Last Sunday Britton and our fellow Khmer missionary friend hosted a soccer competition. It went really well and so they plan to do a competition more often. Britton continues to lead a soccer ministry on Saturday mornings and Sunday afternoons.

Britton also competed in a CrossFit competition. Here in Battambang they have a CrossFit at the local YWAM. It has been so fun to work out together and feel healthy and strong. 

A morning in Svey Kong. We are helping prepare the children for a Christmas program in December. These little children are becoming so special to our family. 

Britton does a great job at helping keep the church yard clean. Pastor Saran mentions quite often that if we can keep Gods church house looking nice it will be a good example to the surrounding neighbors. As clean and tidy Americans, we couldn't agree more. 

This beautiful photo is taken at a local Restaurant/Resort. There is so much beauty in Cambodia.

If you know Britton and I well, you know we have a older "son" in the States. Willie is a very special part of our family and it brightens our day when we can FaceTime. We sure miss him and look forward to seeing him again someday if the Lord wills. 

Kristy enjoys spending time with the children. There are a few children who have recently lost a Mother in Svey Kong. She is always willing to give these children some extra love.
Kristy is currently almost finished with a online TEFL Course. This course will give her a certificate to teach English. She plans to start teaching English in Svey Kong soon! 

Kristy was given the opportunity to go to Phnom Penh to a Womens conference. This was a wonderful opportunity paid for by a dear friend. The topic was on Gods hidden blessings in the hard and difficult seasons of life. Almost 30 countries were represented at this conference but English was used in the worship songs. It was the first time worshipping in English in a long time! *she is in the front left*

Kristy also finished a project for Cambodia Impact. Taking pictures of 65 children at Antioch was no small feat! It is very easy to get faces and information mixed up! She was thankful for tutors and translators to get the information properly sent to the States. 

Saturdays in Svey Kong are some of the most special times. We thank you to anyone who has sent crafts for us to use during these times.

Spending sweet fellowship with some very special young men from Phnom Penh. Kristy helped her good friend Carol start a introductory Bible study for these young Christians. It is so inspiring, knowing the testimony these young men have and seeing them hunger for more of Jesus. 

Gracie will be turning 15 in January! Time is sure going fast for this young lady! Gracie continues to do very well in school. She is a great helper around the house as well! She has enjoyed the company of Tashayla and we know it will be a hard goodbye for them both.
Gracie tutors a little girl on Thursday afternoons. She helps her with her reading skills. Gracie also just received a small babysitting job helping a young Mother with two little children. Gracie is at the perfect age to start getting job practice! 

Gracie and Tashayla are in a little Bible study group at YWAM after church on Sundays. We thank God for every little opportunity for growth. Gracie also takes Khmer language lessons every week. One of Gracies good friends who she met just a few months ago has moved back to Canada. They share many happy memories together. Gracie saved up some money and she bought a ukulele. She is enjoying learning to play.

Carter is 12 1/2!! He is also doing very well in School. He is enjoying the CLE program over the Abeka program we did last year. 

Morning date to the coffee shop. It is fun to drink coffee together and work on school work in a different environment. Carter still enjoys playing the drum but his current drum teacher has moved back to Canada. He enjoys reading and going with his Dad on any sort of adventure.

Carter does very well playing with the children. This little boy has spent extra time in our home so he is quite comfortable with Carter. Carter is practicing to be apart of the Christmas program in Svey Kong. The other day he even sang a solo while practicing at the church!!! Carter takes Khmer lessons every week and does an excellent job speaking Khmer.

And our Brysen Graham is 10 1/2. These boys continue to grow! These pictures are a reality of how tall they are getting! 

Brysen also does very well in school. He is taking piano and khmer lessons as well. We are so proud of our children and all their bravery it takes to learn new things. 

Brysen also does very well with the children! He loves little babies and little animals. Brysen has went through 4 pairs of glasses while living in Cambodia :) So that gives you an idea of how active this young man is. He does very well with chores and continues to remain very thoughtful of his family members. 

And the youngest, Savanna, who is turning 6 is just a few days! 

She really loves her little neighbor friend. Playing with her is always an exciting part of her day. Our little neighbor has a Japanese name that we cannot pronounce but she is the cutest little one we ever did see! 

Savanna is doing very well in school as well! Last week they read the story of the Little Red Hen. Her class made bread together and did some art projects surrounding the Hen. Savanna almost always gets a 100% on her spelling test. We practice her homework very hard, every night. She recited some of the Psalms with her classmates before the church at YWAM. We are so thankful for this little school and the opportunity Savanna has to go there. 

Tashayla turned 20 a couple weeks ago. She made her own Oreo brownie cheesecake to celebrate. 

The children enjoyed picking out and giving little gifts to their teacher and friend. Time with Tashayla will be over before we know it. We thank God for all the 'battles and promises'. She has truly been a blessing to our family.

Here is a typical house in Svey Kong. While it may seem poor to the American, this typical Khmer house serves them quite well. 

Our friend Carol gifted Britton and I a trip to Palin as an early Christmas gift. Palin is a two hour Moto drive from our home in Battambang. She kept our children for 3 days. This was a huge blessing to Britton and I. Here we are stopping for some fresh mango and pineapple. It was so yummy and fresh. 

Palin is know for the Blue Mountain. Blue Mountain has beautiful amazing waterfalls. Britton enjoyed swimming and playing in the waterfalls at Blue Mountain.

This time away together was much needed. We were able to spend time together,  time in Gods nature, and talk about plans for our future. We are so grateful to Carol and her gift to us.

Our family had the wonderful opportunity to be invited to our new friend Riths home. He is sitting beside Gracie. God has brought him into our lives and we have enjoyed seeing him come to know Jesus as his personal Savior.




Our family has a few changes ahead.

*We are planning on moving to a new home, Lord willing, this January. We enjoy the home we are in currently but our new home will be in the country verses right in the middle of town. We will be close to our friend Carol which will be helpful in a few ways. She will be around to help us with our children if need be after Tashayla is gone. Also we will help her with her volleyball ministry she is working on starting. Also our house will be much cheaper then the house we rent now as well as being the same size and also brand new! Our children are looking forward to riding bikes and playing basketball in the new and quiet neighborhood. We thank God for providing once again.

*When we left America we had plans to come back to at least visit after two years. We didn't know at that time what our feelings would be about Cambodia. We were unsure about our future and our plans. God seems to reveal His plans little by little, step by step.
As of now we feel we would like to be back in May of 2022. Gracie will be ready for 11th grade at that time and we feel our children need the gifts of graduating in the states, collage if they choose, drivers license and work! There is not too much opportunity here in Battambang for our children.
So because of this our family has decided NOT to come back to the States until we are ready to move home. Although we are somewhat disappointed we feel at this time that this is the right choice for us. We love Cambodia and we are enjoying our work here in this season. God has given us an unexplainable peace and joy while we serve Him here. We feel at this time, the cost to come home is just to high.


*Our family has lost some financial support over the last few months. We would really appreciate financial funds for, continued monthly support, schooling for our children and extra money for hospitality.

www.cten.org/brittonfilbrun/ This is our giving link. We would really appreciate anyone who would like to financially give to our family. We would like to continue to serve Jesus here in Cambodia and that is made possible through financial donors. If you have any questions please email us at Brittonfilbrun@yahoo.com or Kristyfilbrun@yahoo.com . We would love to hear from anyone.

Please keep our family in your prayers as we have been sick in various different ways over the last month. Also we would like to ask for continued  safety as we travel around Battambang.