I achieve to be a constant learner. In this attempt, I want to be more effective, efficient, and excellent in my service for our Lord; even with my new crazy deputation life traveling from one place to the next. One week, I can be in Charlotte, North Carolina, and the next week end up in California. Traveling and managing this schedule can be chaotic. To help me to be the most effective Christian, husband, father, preacher, speaker, etc…, I have implemented some tools within my grasp to help me accomplish this effort.

Over the course of my time serving as an Administrative Pastor and also General Manager of a communications ministry, I have been asked, “What tools do you use to help you stay productive?” To answer this question from many friends around the country, I endeavor to help while continuing to improve myself.

Although this is not a comprehensive list, it is most certainly my personal top ten Apps. If you have more, please add to the comments below to help other readers and improve this post.

1. Evernote: This amazing well designed app is used just about everyday of my life. It truly is an App that is considered to be an extension of your brain. It stores all my notes, thoughts, ideas, and sermons in one centralized place. Evernote allows tagging options and folders to better organize and maintain my files. The beautiful thing about Evernote is that it stores all my data on it’s cloud servers allowing me to access all my information via my Iphone, IMac, or IPad. Evernote is available in multiple operating platforms if you use Windows, Android, Blackberry, or even HP OS.
2. Dropbox: Dropbox is a free service that lets you bring all your photos, docs, and videos anywhere. After you install Dropbox on your computer, any file you save to your Dropbox will automatically save to all your computers, your iPhone and iPad and even the Dropbox website! With the Dropbox app, you can take everything that matters to you on the go. Always have your stuff when you need it with @Dropbox. 2GB account is free! http://db.tt/NKoWywb
3. Mint: This is the most used App on my Iphone outside of the default Apps: Mail, Safari, Calendar, Photo, etc… Every morning and every evening, I check my finances utilizing this App. It allows me to maintain my personal bank accounts and credit cards in a very centralized, yet mobile and secure environment. I wrote an article about how I manage my finances here.
4. Kindle: Although I have some books on the Apple iBooks App, I still purchase most of my books on the Amazon store due to more frequent sales and broader availablity. For example, recently, Dr. Paul Chappell through Striving Together Publications offered his mini-book entitled, Leaders Who Make A Difference as a free download. While on the iBooks app, this was not available as a free download.
   
5. OliveTree Bible Reader: BibleReader is an amazing way to read & study the Bible. Write a note, highlight, and bookmark your favorite passages, and then back up or sync them to another device with Olive Tree’s FREE cloud backup service. As I personally read the Bible, I will often take notes and make many highlights. This App allows me the opportunity to sync and backup my files by pushing my information to Evernote. Yet another reason, why I love Evernote.
   
6. YouVersion Bible: Why two different Bible version Apps? Basically, OliveTree’s only limitation is that it does not have the option to have an audio Bible available for listening. Since I travel so much, sometimes, driving down the road or whatever available downtime I may have, I absolutely enjoy having the Bible read to me. With the YouVersion App, this feature is available through it’s partnership with The Fellowship of Performing Arts.
   
7. BizXPenseTrkr: I highly recommend an App such as this to all my ministry friends. Imagine the efficiency in record keeping and managing all those receipts. BizXpenseTracker is a complete expense tracking and reporting application for reporting expenses for either tax reporting, reimbursement purposes or personal budgeting. Its power does not end at the iPhone but extends to the desktop by allowing emailing and exporting of the expense files and accompanying photo receipts directly to the desktop, MobileMe or DropBox.
   
8. Keynote: As a very mobile person, I utilize Keynote to showcase and present my presentations. I have my Singapore Missions Presentations always available to share with a pastor. I teach utilizing Keynote whenever a projector or TV is available and my teaching environment is conducive. In November, Susan and I spoke at a couples’ retreat held in Boise, Idaho. All my teaching notes and audio clips were all stored in Evernote. I took my notes and designed my presentation utilizing my portable projector. This was extremely helpful in a note taking environment.
   
9. DocuSign Ink: Oftentimes, I will need to sign for things. Due to the fact that I don’t travel with a fax machine or easy access to sign for certain documents, I utilize this user friendly App to get this task done. With DocuSign Ink, you can sign and return any document on your iPhone or iPad in seconds! The import and export options are ideal to send the documents to any recipient requiring a signature and not just an approval.
   
10. iThoughtsHD:  I desire to be a visionary. I need a place to store my creative thoughts, dreams, plans, and visions. iThoughts allows me to place my thoughts in a map and portray it as an image. This is a great tool to help visionaries to stay on track to accomplish the great responsibilities at hand.
    

<< To download the .PDF file of this newsletter, please visit our Archived Newsletter Section or click here.

What an incredibly busy quarter we have had. Since our last newsletter, we have traveled over 25,000 miles crisscrossing the United States. We praise the Lord that He has given us a full traveling calendar. Much of our travels for the past few months have been to participate in many missions conferences in America as well as one in Mexico.

The Lord has certainly used His people to answer many prayer requests on our behalf. Our van was paid off when Ambassador Baptist Church in Conway, Arkansas, donated $1,000. Fellowship Baptist Church of Durham, North Carolina, purchased a new luggage set for our family. Laurel Baptist Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, purchased an Ipad for our family. These are just a few of the many blessings this quarter. But unmistakably the best answer to prayer occurred in November with the salvation of my aunt, Sophia Sam. My cousins and I have been praying for her salvation for nearly 20 years. Recently, she was hospitalized due to a stroke and heart attack. She was revived several times. This near-death experience caused her to be extra tender to receive the Gospel. Thankfully, the Lord not only spared her life but saved her soul! Praise the Lord!

During a recent trip to Obregon, Mexico, Chantha met many pastors while visiting the Emmanuel Baptist Church. Pastor Pedro Davila has been pastoring this church for the last eleven years. God is doing an incredible work all throughout Mexico. It was such an blessing to witness a foreign mission church that has a heart for world missions. Emmanuel Baptist Church voted to partner with us in our missions endeavor. While there, Chantha preached five times with seven trusting Christ and one baptism. Glory be the Lord!

Since our last newsletter, we have now reached the 35% mark in our support. We are thankful for the many new ministries that have partnered with our family. We anticipate being at 40% by the end of the year 2011.

We have seen 11 people trust Christ through personal soulwinning since October of this year. Jose Antonio, 20 yr. old university student that got saved. Pictured with his family at their restaurant in Obregon, Mexico.

New Ministry Partners

1. Central Baptist Church, Patterson, Louisiana | Pastor Caleb Silvertooth
2. Morrilton Baptist Temple, Morrilton, Arkansas | Pastor Larry Black
3. Gethsemane Baptist Church, Long Beach, California | Pastor Dave Murphy
4. Wayside Baptist Church, Chesapeake Bay, Virginia | Pastor Paul Mitchell
5. Community Baptist Church, Pensacola, Florida | Pastor Henry Lewis
6. Harvest Baptist Church, Orland, California | Pastor John Stalions
7. Ohana Baptist Church, Honolulu, Hawaii | Pastor Wayne Surface
8. Michael & Rose Ott, Vero Beach, Florida
9. Faith Baptist Church, Kilgore, Texas | Pastor Scott Thomas

<< To download the .PDF file of this newsletter, please visit our Archived Newsletter Section or click here.

Our family has mostly certainly enjoyed an adventurous summer crisscrossing our great United States. As we head into the fall season, we anticipate an even busier schedule as the Lord has allowed us to have a very full traveling calendar. From September through December, we will participate in many missions conferences. We are thrilled and are looking forward to sharing our burden and vision for Singapore and Southeast Asia.

Since our last newsletter, we have now reached the 20% mark in our support.We are thankful for the many new ministries that have partnered with our family.

• Mays Landing Baptist Church – Mays Landing, New Jersey
• Friendship Bible Church – Ewa Beach, HI
• Cornerstone Baptist Church – McAlester, Oklahoma
• First Baptist Church – Hammond, Indiana
• Gospel Light Baptist Church – Rogers, Arkansas

VBS at Freedom Baptist Church - Rural Hall, NC

We were so encouraged this summer as two churches, Liberty Baptist Church, Pastor Jack Cox and Freedom Baptist Church, Pastor Jon White contacted us to inform us that they were taking special offerings during their Vacation Bible School. Freedom Baptist children raised over $3,100 towards the church plant in Singapore. I was so humbled by their faith and giving spirit.

Dr. Don Sisk - President Emeritus of BIMI

We spent a few days in August at BIMI in Chattanooga, Tennessee during the Church Planting School. We are always encouraged by these great missionary servants.

While visiting California earlier this year, Chantha was able to lead his 15 year-old nephew, Justin Man to the Lord. This was a huge answer to prayer as much of the immediate family are still Buddhist. Pray that Justin will attend a Bible-believing church in the area.

The life of faith has been a wonderful life for the Chhim family. We love seeing God answer daily prayers in the most personal ways. For example, since our last prayer letter, we have seen the following answers to prayers:

Video Projector – Donated by Randy Proctor & Gospel Light – Hot Springs, Arkansas
Printing Needs – Donated by Eastside Baptist Church – Nebo, North Carolina
Service to Car – Donated by Ivan Baker & Paul Thompson
Travel Display – Donated by Lawrence Swicegood

I am not often shocked to hear and see how people live above and beyond their means. I learned many years ago, “If your outgo is greater than your income, then your upkeep will be your downfall.“ As a steward of God’s resources and supplies, I believe that as Christians, we ought to know and be the very best at taking caring for God’s finances.

The average person, upon receiving their paycheck will often PAY their bills, not INVEST, and hardly GIVE. This type of spending would be considered the PIG mentality. PIG? What is PIG? The acronym of PIG is P=PAY, I=INVEST, G=GIVE. I believe it to be a much wiser option as Christians to consider changing our order, it should be GIP: G=GIVE, I=INVEST, P=PAY.  “Our culture values the size of the gift, but God values the size of what we keep.” — Ed Owens, Chicago fund manager

1. 10% Tithe (GIVE)
   should always go to God first
2. 20% Savings (INVEST)
   Always pay yourself. Always save!
3. 30% Housing (PAY)
   should be the max number that you allow within your overall income to go towards your mortgage, rent, or lease.
4. 40% Living Expenses (PAY)

You must learn to enjoy what you have. Our culture has created a standard of living for the average American to live above their means. Our children do not need things, they need time–your time! (sorry–different subject and later post)

I highly recommend utilizing some form of budgeting and records management system. For years, I used Microsoft Money and Quicken as my personal software of choice. However, for the past several years, I started utilizing Mint.com as my personal choice for money management. You can visit the company site to obtain a greater wealth of information. The best part, it is FREE! Yep! Thought Christians might like that! Whether you are a web user, IPhone, or Android user, there is an app that will work for you. It has a great user interface and very helpful community of users that provide great insight to this wonderful company. Set your budget. Manage bank accounts. Track spending. All here within mint.com!

Here are a few templates taken from Microsoft.com® that you can utilize to at least get you started.

Numbers Download

Microsoft Excel Download

I would also highly advise that you follow some professionals that provide great insight into money. I prefer Dave Ramsey’s organization. They have courses in your area and many invaluable resources. Also, a practical person that you may be interested in is Clark Howard. Clark has a show on CNN and a radio broadcast. Both are very knowledgeable in their respective fields.