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Dear fellows and supporters,
This is our first newsletter from Cambodia. Our journey began with a flight from London to Hong Kong on March 18th for two main purposes.
Firstly, we visited Kit’s mother, who required full nursing care in a care home, as well as some ill close friends.
Secondly, we supported the Cambodia Cultural Exchange Team, which includes two leaders and a volunteer from the True Hope Organisation (THO), an artist from a supported orphanage, and the principal of a Run Ta Aek Secondary School. Their 9-day trip was successful, with well-attended events such as a sharing event, a fundraising dinner, and Thanksgiving service. The spiritual growth and development programs among the villagers inspired attendees. The five Khmer youths experienced diverse cultures and lifestyles in Hong Kong, and despite being from Asia, they faced some unexpected cultural shocks.
We flew from Hong Kong to Phnom Penh instead of Siem Reap on 12th April for a few reasons.
Firstly, we would like to celebrate the Khmer New Year in the capital. The younger generation incorporates the Thai Water Festival into their New Year celebrations. During the three days of festivities, water fi ghts are common, making it quite challenging to avoid getting splashed. The government also organised various cultural events to celebrate the occasion.
Secondly, it is cheaper to fly from Hong Kong to Phnom Penh and then take a road journey from Phnom Penh to True Hope Centre in Run Ta Aek village, Siem Reap.
Thirdly, we bought some essential equipment and materials for staying in the village, as it is more resourceful in Phnom Penh.
We left Phnom Penh on Saturday, April 18, and travelled to True Hope Centre in Run Ta Aek village. After a 5-hour drive, we arrived at our destination around 3 pm, safe and sound.
Thank you, God, for His protection and for a smooth journey.
We received a warm welcome from everyone at the centre.
Currently, the place is a construction site as they are adding a second level to the existing building. For now, we are staying in a small room that measures less than 2.5 meters by 3 meters, equipped with a single bunk bed. The completion of the second floor is scheduled for mid-May, and we are eagerly anticipating moving into our "new house." The following night, we faced heavy rain. Since the second floor is still under construction and lacks walls, rainwater easily flowed from the upper level to the lower floor, causing partial flooding in the two storage rooms and the office on the lower level.
We had to contact the team manager to report the situation. She arrived with her husband and called a nearby team member for assistance. Together, we worked to move the soaked cardboard boxes and lay out the items to dry. It turned out to be a very busy evening, especially since it was only our second night there. The rain had originally been expected on Friday but was delayed. It truly felt like a matter of divine timing. We couldn't imagine how much damage might have occurred if we hadn't been there; more items surely would have been aff ected. By God’s timing, the team manager had already ordered plastic boxes to replace the cardboard containers in the storage rooms, and the delivery arrived promptly on Monday morning—something that is rare in a rural village, where deliveries are usually delayed several days. This timely arrival helped us keep things dry during the rainy season and prevented further damage. After a dramatic rainy evening, we found ourselves comfortably settled in. The weather here is typically hot, often soaring to 38°C during the day. The evenings bring some relief, cooling down to around 26°C. And interestingly, we haven't even reached the hottest season yet!
During a productive discussion with the team leader, we outlined our exciting programs.
Kit will lead a conversational English class, design arts and crafts workshops, promote essential hygiene practices, help plan the garden for the new campus, and support the growth of two young female staff members.
Sammy will focus on developing Bible study materials and IT classes. Most of our team members are quite young, with many under the age of 30, and they look to us as mentors. They want us to adopt a parental role to guide and inspire them on their journey. This is a humble opportunity for us to make a meaningful impact!
Prayers
1. Kit has a sensitive airway, and with temperatures often soaring to 38 °C, we prefer staying in an air-conditioned room that keeps it around 25 °C. Thankfully, the rapid temperature changes and smoke from villagers burning trash have not impacted her airway this year, unlike last year when she suff ered from a persistent cough. We are truly grateful for God’s protection over her health.
2. Praise God, the second-fl oor extension at True Hope Centre is on track to be completed as scheduled. However, the construction zone is extremely noisy, dusty, and cluttered with debris. We ask for your prayers that all the kids, youth, staff , and builders remain safe while working in these challenging conditions under high temperatures.
3. We are excited to be working closely together as a team, fostering collaboration and harmony. May God guide us in maintaining a strong spirit of unity as we serve. 4. Three youths were baptised during a camping outing. Lord, we ask the Holy Spirit to protect these fruits, guide them to walk in Your path, and deliver them from the hand of the evil one.
4. Let us pray that God prepares us to eff effectively step in and meet the ever-changing needs of the centre with readiness.
5. We ask God to instil in us "parent hearts," enabling us to build meaningful relationships with each member and support their growth in Christ.
6. Our fundraising event in Hong Kong succeeded in covering about 60% of this year’s general expenses, but with the Phase Two development of the campus underway nearby, costs have risen significantly due to the ongoing conflict between the USA and Iran. Pray for God’s provision and that more donors will be motivated to support the mission of True Hope Centre.
7. Upon our arrival, we received a one-month visa. Please pray that our application for a six-month visa extension will be granted successfully so we can continue our work without interruption.
