Ryan Cooper

Updated June 10, 2016

Mr. Kubik and Mrs. Kubik,

Despite Southeast Asia being in the midst of a drought. The well continues to provide water to the village in Cambodia. I just wanted to share this good news with you despite many placing desiring and seeking water. cam1

The well contiunes to provide water to the community. It's supposed to be rainy season now but there isn't much rain. There are concerns about this from Thailand to Cambodia to Vietnam. I find myself in good health. I am quite busy with school but I enjoy my work. I was able to give away 8 French loaves of bread for $1. I was limited by time restraints to give away more. Also, so much need. Thankfully, I was able to do something to help out those in need today. I am thankful for the well and I believe this is the best possible way to help people in Cambodia. A local small business can also be started for the sum of $1000.

I am still learning the local language it's a difficult process but I'm doing my best. I was able to take a brief vacation to Thailand recently. The situation in the countryside is similar to Cambodia but the conditions for most people seem to be better in Thailand. I had to have surgery in Thailand as it was viable and I could afford it. $30 covered the removal of the hardened cyst from the back of my neck, stiches and medicine. I also had to have dental work done there as well. It wasn't expensive.

Kind Regards,
Ryan Cooper

September 2015

I started attending United Church of God. I had looked through some of Herbert Armstrong's writings and was really interested in learning more. I had felt for a long time that Saturday was the Sabbath. I did visit a few different Sabbath churches before I went to United Church of God. I felt really loved there and I wanted to keep coming back. I had a desire to do a work for God and a zeal for him. But I'm glad I got filled with truth before I left America and left for Korea. I was in Korea for almost one year.

Ryan Cooper

Having bible study at my apartment on the Sabbath sharing with the few people who came. In Thailand, I shared my testimony and met with other Sabbath keepers from the Philippines. Then I went home for 6 months and purely on faith, I booked a ticket to Cambodia. Without a promise of a job.

I was able to go to the Feast with my Dad for the first time. He didn't come to any of the services but I was glad he came with me to the Feast of Tabernacles in Branson, Missiouri. He was sick at the time and we had to leave early. I really would have liked to have stayed the whole time. I spent the rest of the Feast at home before returning to work after the Feast was over.

I planned in April of last year to come to Cambodia. I didn't have any promises. I wasn't promised a job like I had been in Thailand and Korea. This was the first time I really stepped out in faith to go to a foreign country. I arrived in November. 10 days into my stay in Cambodia. A thief stole almost everything I owned. They stole my Ipad mini, my Samsung tablet, $355. They stole the rest of my remaining money I had until I got paid. It was a very troubling time. Honestly, I thought about going home. But I had come to Cambodia to help the people of Cambodia. Another someone stole a second hand used phone from me while traveling by motorbike. It's unfortunate these things happened to me. I told a good friend about my situation with the $355 being taken from me. He sent me that amount. I never knew what a great friend I had until I had experienced this adversity. I had prayed about the situation after it happened. I just hoped somehow I could recover the money. The following month, I was able to buy a second hand smart phone for $105. Since I've been here I've been able to buy a second hand laptop for $77 and another second hand laptop for $45. The battery doesn't work in the $45 one but the laptop works quite well. In fact that's how I wrote this message. It costs me something to be here. I'm away from my family and friends and my friends at United Church of God in West Terre Haute. I really enjoy the smiles on the children faces when I teach them in Cambodia though. I like doing a job that I like. I also like they don't ask me to work on Friday evening to Saturday evening too.

I've been in Cambodia for almost a year now and I've been able to share bits and pieces of truth with a local church. They've allowed me to speak freely. I shared with them an important message about the United Kingdom and the USA being tribes of Israel and how God promised all nations would be blessed by ISRAEL. Everything about who I am as an American makes sense in the light of British Israelism along with all the events that have happened throughout history all tie in together.

I graduated from Indiana State University in 2007 with a Political Science major and History minor. Through the lenses of history British Israelism makes sense. I am so glad that the United Church of God teaches this as it gives me hope in my regular everyday life. I believe wholeheartedly that God can and is able to bless me where ever I am because I am a son of Joseph of the tribe of Manasseh. I have taught English in South Korea, Thailand and now I am teaching English in Cambodia. I really enjoy teaching children English.

I've been working with a local church down a country road about 30 mins away from where I live. I live near the Russian market. I'm in a good location and I don't live far from the school. I've been working with " The Way of Life in Christ" organization here in Phnom Penh. They have a community with shacks, they desire to be Christians in their lives it's a very admirable desire to have. They are quite poor but this doesn't hamper their spirits to help others that don't have as much as themselves.

Anyway, they are looking to build a well in a community that doesn't have access to clean water. There are many such communities here in the hills that have no such luxury. I also have a heart and a desire to see this done. However, I can't do it on my own and I'm looking for those who would be willing to help me achieve this goal of building a well so that these people can clean drinking water to drink. I really have a desire to help these people and I have on a minimum scale. I hope together we can do something on such a bigger scale. Abraham built wells then he died. The Philistines filled up his wells. Issac dug again the wells his father dug and called them by the same name. I too am desiring to build a well to help these people in the country side.

I will feel glad when I see this well built.

Ryan Cooper