An unusual friendship: “Grandma” Shary meets Srey Na

By James Tino

Fourteen-year old Srey Na is the youngest of eight children and the only one still living with her parents in Siem Reap, Cambodia. 

Her parents eek out a meager living, earning anywhere from $10 to $25 per week. During the day, Srey Na weaves baskets which she can sell for $2.50 each. It takes her two days to make one basket. Life is a delicate balance between subsistence and starvation. So when her father became gravely ill, the whole family was understandably concerned.

Srey Na wanted to learn English. For the whole year before her father’s illness, she attended an English class led by 76-year-old GLO missionary Shary Frahm. Shary does not speak much Khmer (the language of Cambodia), but she does weave baskets! Shary said, “We would sit while she made baskets before English class. Our spoken language is limited, but we connected at a heart language.”

Learning of her father’s illness, Shary went to visit the family. She helped obtain medicine for the sick man. She noticed Buddhist spiritism symbols around the house which are supposed to bring peace and wellness to the family. Shary became a regular visitor in the home, sitting with Srey Na’s parents, hugging her mother Hong Hai, and praying for them. Hong Hai wondered why Shary loved them. 

“Srey Na is quiet but mighty in her pursuit to follow Christ. She does not have a Bible, and so, with a few others, she sits and copies the Bible word by word. They sit outside the church under the porch and diligently work.”

Curious about what made Shary so different, Srey Na started attending the Lutheran church in Siem Reap. She would sit near Shary and watch her, often peeking over her shoulder. Gradually, Srey Na’s father’s health stabilized, and gradually Srey Na came to faith in Jesus Christ. 

On February 11 2024, she was received into God’s family through the waters of Baptism. Her consistent attendance and participation in all areas of ministry is a testimony to her faith in Christ. She sings for worship, reads Scripture, and cleans the church and school. Through her quiet witness, her mother Hong Hai also came to faith and was baptized in January 2025. 

Shary says, “Srey Na is quiet but mighty in her pursuit to follow Christ. She does not have a Bible, and so, with a few others, she sits and copies the Bible word by word. They sit outside the church under the porch and diligently work.”

Just the other day, using her basic English, Srey Na sent a message to Shary: “It is good for me and all my friends to have you here. Thank God for bringing you here to meet me. I want you here forever.”

Shary concludes: “We are in an Acts movement here in Cambodia. It is truly unbelievable! Disciples are springing up and carrying the torch (of the Gospel) in their excitement. We do not have enough leaders to mentor these people. Being 76 in this culture gives me an extra measure of respect and credibility that I do not take lightly.“

Thanks to your partnership with Global Lutheran Outreach, non-traditional missionaries like Shary Frahm are making an eternal difference in the lives of people like Srey Na all around the world! 

You can read Shary’s newsletters and learn more about her ministry here.

The role as both a teacher and a spiritual guide

What does the work of a teacher who has studied theology look like? Is it just teaching—or something more?

In their latest newsletter, the Gbeanquois family shares reflections on Christiana’s role as a teacher at an elementary school in Illinois, located in a troubled community.

“As someone who studied theology, Christiana sees herself not just as a teacher but also as a person who should shine the light of Christ in these children and her coworkers,” says Dixon, her husband.

He shares that Christiana is enjoying teaching so far and is excited that the school year is almost over. She can hardly believe she has come this far as a first-time teacher in the U.S. She also notes that teaching in this country “is quite different and more engaging as compared to Nigeria or Tanzania.”

As shared in a previous newsletter, the work has been a big challenge. Around 75% of the parents of her students are involved in drug use or some form of criminal activity.

Despite the difficulties, Christiana deeply appreciates her students. For Easter, for example, she plans to celebrate with her class by giving Easter gifts and preparing some traditional African treats.

And when the school year comes to a close, she’s planning a class party to celebrate her students’ achievements: making it to the top 1,000 in the state of Illinois for elementary schools, and being ranked number one in reading, with all seven students from her class recognized!

She also wants to include the parents in this celebration—to invite them and thank them for entrusting their children to her care.

If you would like to contribute to Christiana Easter and the end-of-year class party, please make a donation here.

Tino family relaunches ministry programs in Guatemala

Missionary Benjamin Tino brings exciting updates from Guatemala in the latest Tino Family newsletter: the return of a youth group in Puerto Barrios and the revival of a church-owned property that’s now home to a Sunday School in a vulnerable neighborhood.

The youth group, which now has 25 members, had been inactive for years. When the opportunity to revive it came up, Ben and his wife Scarlett were quick to step in.

He expresses how they like working with youth, and it seems that the participants like to gather every Friday evening, as well.

The group gathers every Friday evening, and there’s already talk of organizing a special youth outing, funded by bake sales at the local church.

Cleaned up and kicked off!

Meanwhile, in the El Estrecho neighborhood—an area marked by poverty and broken families—Scarlett, along with church member Estela, rolled up their sleeves and gave new life to a long-unused church property.

“They then started up Sunday school classes the first weekend in February, taking turns leading them and showing the kids God’s love,” Ben explains.

This space now serves as a safe and welcoming environment for children who otherwise wouldn’t have access to education or positive community spaces.

If you feel moved by what God is doing through the Tino family, support their work here.