Staff

Meet the chairman

Heartland International Chairman
Andrew Cook has a wealth of missionary experience, being active in overseas missions since 1982.  India, Fiji, Vanuatu, Thailand and now Cambodia and East Timor all feature on Andrew's missions resume.

Andrew said, "Since launching Heartland International in January o5, I feel very true      to the call of God on my life.  Working cross-denominationally allows me to be more Kingdom minded and we are now experiencing a great time of blessing and harvest."

Go to Andrew's current itinerary here.

Cambodian Staff

Pastors Eliah and Jit

Pastors, Heartland Community Church,
Kampong Cham,Cambodia

Eliah and Jit are the Senior Pastors of the Heartland Community Church in Kampong Cham Cambodia. In Andrew's absence they are responsible for the financial management and day-to-day running of the church and outreach work.

Eliah and Jit are Thai nationals who have lived in Cambodia since June 2004.  They met in 1999 while attending Bible College in Chiang Mai Thailand.  They are an extremely gifted couple who love to encourage others and see them flourish in their calling. 

This is very evident to the Impact team members who visit the Heartland Community Church and often comment on the selfless heart in the Church and the passion the members have for the lost.

http://www.heartlandthailand.blogspot.com/

Pastors Chenna and Simmy Touch

Assistant Pastors, Heartland Community Church, Kampong Cham, Cambodia

Chenna and Simmy were raised in Buddhist homes before they became Christians. As young people they frequently visited the witchdoctor or fortunetellers when they were sick or going through hard times. Their homes included a 'spirit house' to encourage the presence of familiar spirits. Ancestral spirits were also worshipped.

As a child Chenna began going to a church weekly just to receive a five kg bag of rice to feed his family. Later when the rice ran out he continued attending church and started to read the Bible. Finally as a teenager he made a commitment and received Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour.

Chenna grew up spiritually very fast. After being baptized in the Holy Spirit he had a burning desire to worship God, and after teaching himself to play keyboard and guitar, was soon leading worship in his local church.

Having excellent English skills and previous experience as a translator, Chenna came to work in the Heartland Bible College of 2004, interpreting classes for Bible College Deans, Terry and Elizabeth Schroder.

At the end of Bible College, Chenna and Simmy were asked to remain on staff to assist in pastoring the first Heartland church planted in Kampong Cham.

Chenna has a great anointing on his life for worship and teaching of the Word. His wife Simmy is gifted in Children's work and evangelism. Together they are an awesome team.

channatouch.blogspot.com

Evangelist Chun and Nye 

Heartland Community Church, Windy Village, Cambodia

Chun and his wife Nye first came to the attention of Heartland International as students at Bible College 2004. The following year they returned to Bible College again but with four of their six grown children. This family comes from Memot, a small town near the Vietnamese border. As farmers they grew cashews and food crops which they sold in the local market. Together they were all involved in the local church.

In the days of Pol Pot Chun fled his homeland and became a refugee in a camp in Thailand, where he met Nye.  It was here that they first heard the Gospel and became Christians. After the war Chun and Nye chose to return to Memot and raise their family of six.

This couple has a strong faith which has been tested many a time. The hardest came in 2004 when their eldest son tragically drowned in the Mekong River. This same son, John had served as interpreter at the first Heartland Bible College run in Phnom Pehn during 2003.

Chun has a real evangelistic gifting over his life. He and his wife relate well with people and have a lot of God-given wisdom. When Heartland established a Church in Windy Village, 15 minutes drive outside Kampong Cham, Chun and Nye were asked to join the staff as evangelists.

Chun and Nye live simply in a small house with their children.  They have the fire of God burning inside of them to see the people in this Buddhist village come to know Jesus as the Way, the Truth and the Life. Chun is happiest ministering the Word to those who attend the regular meetings held in the village or going house to house sharing his faith and assessing needs to be met by the Community Development Project.

Naren

Naren Im is the daughter of our Evangelists Chun and Nye.  She was one of the students who attended our first Bible College run in 2003.  After graduation Naren joined our staff as a carer at the Destiny Children's Home in Phnom Penh.  She remained in that position until April 2006. 

After a short break in her home town on the Vietnam border she returning to Kampong Cham and soon afterwards joined us on staff at the Heartland Community Church. 

Naren is a great support to the Pastoral staff especially Jit and Simmy.  She teaches english to beginners and helps with Kids Clubs in Windy Village.

In May 2008 Naren began to oversee Heartland Care which encompasses all our benevolent work.

Over Christmas Naren will be holidaying in Australia thanks to the generosity of several friends from the Newcastle region.