Training session with the frog.
More training.
The race!
Getting ready to race.
Making the frog.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Frog race
The kids have been working hard learning English. So I decided to let them relax and have fun. Hence, the frog race! They had so much fun making the origami frogs and "training" the frogs to jump far.
Training session with the frog.
More training.
The race!
Getting ready to race.
Making the frog.
Training session with the frog.
More training.
The race!
Getting ready to race.
Making the frog.
They came back!
Note: Post written on 18 June 2010
Remembered I shared about a father who walked 4km to our center with his child
under the post entitled "The reality of life"?
They came back to us yesterday! However, this time the child is really sick. She has fever and her body is swollen. We learned that the father is on his way to Siem Reap with the intention to get a doctor for his child. After praying for the child and got them refreshed we said our goodbyes.
The father indicated that they will come again after they have return from Siem Reap. But this is Cambodia, no one really knows what will happen the next day. So, do keep them in your prayers that God will watch over them and heal the child. The child's name is Sri Nite.
Remembered I shared about a father who walked 4km to our center with his child
under the post entitled "The reality of life"?
They came back to us yesterday! However, this time the child is really sick. She has fever and her body is swollen. We learned that the father is on his way to Siem Reap with the intention to get a doctor for his child. After praying for the child and got them refreshed we said our goodbyes.
The father indicated that they will come again after they have return from Siem Reap. But this is Cambodia, no one really knows what will happen the next day. So, do keep them in your prayers that God will watch over them and heal the child. The child's name is Sri Nite.
Children Centre's dedication ceremony @ Poipet
Note: Post written on 10 June 2010
End May was a busy time traveling up and down between Poipet and Phnom Penh just to get some works done for the Center's dedication. Thank you for praying for us and the event. The dedication ceremony went well. There were more than 2,000 people turned up for the ceremony, and the Deputy Prime Minister, Keo Kim Yan was here to grace the event. Besides him, the Banteay Meanchey Province Governor, Oeung Oen was here too. He is the important person who has been supportive of the work here. Governor Oeung Oen is a good and responsible leader. Do pray for God's continuous favour to be upon him and most of all that one day he will accept Jesus as his personal Lord and Saviour.
The event was covered by the local television stations and news on the event was reported repeatedly for over 2 days. Steve was given the opportunity to speak and he shared his heart about the work here at Poipet. The Deputy PM had also publicly announced his support for the work here by donating 3 million Riel (USD750). You can read a more detail report by Steve Hyde from his blog at http://stevehyde.wordpress.com/
Since the event, many individuals and groups have come to us with the intention to let their kids live at the center. Some of their stories would break your heart if you listen to them. So, do continue to pray for us that God will grant us the wisdom and discernment and that people will not abuse the kindness and compassion extended from the center.
Making sure the place is 101% secure for all the VVIPs and VIPs.
The crowd.
End May was a busy time traveling up and down between Poipet and Phnom Penh just to get some works done for the Center's dedication. Thank you for praying for us and the event. The dedication ceremony went well. There were more than 2,000 people turned up for the ceremony, and the Deputy Prime Minister, Keo Kim Yan was here to grace the event. Besides him, the Banteay Meanchey Province Governor, Oeung Oen was here too. He is the important person who has been supportive of the work here. Governor Oeung Oen is a good and responsible leader. Do pray for God's continuous favour to be upon him and most of all that one day he will accept Jesus as his personal Lord and Saviour.
The event was covered by the local television stations and news on the event was reported repeatedly for over 2 days. Steve was given the opportunity to speak and he shared his heart about the work here at Poipet. The Deputy PM had also publicly announced his support for the work here by donating 3 million Riel (USD750). You can read a more detail report by Steve Hyde from his blog at http://stevehyde.wordpress.com/
Since the event, many individuals and groups have come to us with the intention to let their kids live at the center. Some of their stories would break your heart if you listen to them. So, do continue to pray for us that God will grant us the wisdom and discernment and that people will not abuse the kindness and compassion extended from the center.
Making sure the place is 101% secure for all the VVIPs and VIPs.
The crowd.
The reality of life
Note: Post written on 20 May 2010
Give food to the hungry. Give drinks to the thirsty.
Give shelther to the homeless. Give them the love of Christ,
and Christ gives them eternal life.
Just few days ago, a man turned up at our door step with a baby girl in his arm. Someone told him about us and so he came. He was tired and dehydrated from the burning hot afternoon sun. We learned that he actually walked all the way from Poipet town to our center and that's about 4km away!! The baby was crying, she is sick and hungry, so we took her into the house and cared for her.
They have a very sad story. The father earn a living by doing odd jobs in Thailand and his wife left him recently for another man. He can't hold a job right now because he has to take care of his baby. We offered to care for the baby while he look for a job, but he kindly rejected the offer. He said, "My wife has left me, and I love my daugther, I won't leave her behind." He also told us that someone offered to buy her daugther, but he wouldn't sell her. After rested, he took the child and told us that he is walking back to Thailand.
This is the reality of life in Poipet. Real people with real need. The encounter with them is a reminder that never stop welcoming the hungry, the thirsty, the homeless and the helpless. I pray that he will come to us again whenever he is in town knowing that this place is always open to him and his baby.
Give food to the hungry. Give drinks to the thirsty.
Give shelther to the homeless. Give them the love of Christ,
and Christ gives them eternal life.
Just few days ago, a man turned up at our door step with a baby girl in his arm. Someone told him about us and so he came. He was tired and dehydrated from the burning hot afternoon sun. We learned that he actually walked all the way from Poipet town to our center and that's about 4km away!! The baby was crying, she is sick and hungry, so we took her into the house and cared for her.
They have a very sad story. The father earn a living by doing odd jobs in Thailand and his wife left him recently for another man. He can't hold a job right now because he has to take care of his baby. We offered to care for the baby while he look for a job, but he kindly rejected the offer. He said, "My wife has left me, and I love my daugther, I won't leave her behind." He also told us that someone offered to buy her daugther, but he wouldn't sell her. After rested, he took the child and told us that he is walking back to Thailand.
This is the reality of life in Poipet. Real people with real need. The encounter with them is a reminder that never stop welcoming the hungry, the thirsty, the homeless and the helpless. I pray that he will come to us again whenever he is in town knowing that this place is always open to him and his baby.
Why bother?
Note: Post written on 20 May 2010
Why bother cleaning when you know that the place will get dirty in the next minute? This was the thought I had as I gathered the children for the weekly spring cleaning. Cambodia is very dusty during the dry season. Logic tells me that the effort to clean the place will be wasted. But God showed me interesting insight about keeping the place clean in relation to our spiritual walk and I just want to share it with you.
Let's imagine, what happen if we allow the dust and dirt to accumulate? The house will look terrible after months. What about the people who live in the house? Sickness (ie: asthma, hygiene related sickness etc) will come knocking at our door. The worst is that we may find these sicknesses a threat to our lives.
It is the same with our spiritual life. Many of us desire to live a life pleasing to the Lord. However, there are times we find that it is just so hard and may think that "I will never measure up to the standard of God, so why bother?", and we allow bad habits to take root and when it is full bloom, it became a stronghold that stunted our spiritual being.
God didn't expect us to attempt holy living overnight. What He is interested is the daily yielded-ness to Him. Just like how we would do the daily cleaning to keep the house clean. We will never measure up if we chose to do it our ways. It is only by coming to Him that we are able to walk in victory (even in our time of weakness).
Hebrews 4:15-16 says:
For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weakness, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Getting the children to clean the house is not that they have nothing else better to do, or just for the sake of keeping the house. But rather it is a discipline for them. Discipline doesn't happen overnight. It takes a period of time, repeating a task again and again until it becomes part of us. So it is with our spiritual walk.
If we think that we have failed in overcoming certain temptations or weaknesses, the key is not to feel condemn about it, but it is to come to the throne of grace with repentance. This will be a continuous process, and we will find each day that our lives are being transformed as according to His will.
Let's us be encouraged to live for Him even in times of weakness.
Why bother cleaning when you know that the place will get dirty in the next minute? This was the thought I had as I gathered the children for the weekly spring cleaning. Cambodia is very dusty during the dry season. Logic tells me that the effort to clean the place will be wasted. But God showed me interesting insight about keeping the place clean in relation to our spiritual walk and I just want to share it with you.
Let's imagine, what happen if we allow the dust and dirt to accumulate? The house will look terrible after months. What about the people who live in the house? Sickness (ie: asthma, hygiene related sickness etc) will come knocking at our door. The worst is that we may find these sicknesses a threat to our lives.
It is the same with our spiritual life. Many of us desire to live a life pleasing to the Lord. However, there are times we find that it is just so hard and may think that "I will never measure up to the standard of God, so why bother?", and we allow bad habits to take root and when it is full bloom, it became a stronghold that stunted our spiritual being.
God didn't expect us to attempt holy living overnight. What He is interested is the daily yielded-ness to Him. Just like how we would do the daily cleaning to keep the house clean. We will never measure up if we chose to do it our ways. It is only by coming to Him that we are able to walk in victory (even in our time of weakness).
Hebrews 4:15-16 says:
For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weakness, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Getting the children to clean the house is not that they have nothing else better to do, or just for the sake of keeping the house. But rather it is a discipline for them. Discipline doesn't happen overnight. It takes a period of time, repeating a task again and again until it becomes part of us. So it is with our spiritual walk.
If we think that we have failed in overcoming certain temptations or weaknesses, the key is not to feel condemn about it, but it is to come to the throne of grace with repentance. This will be a continuous process, and we will find each day that our lives are being transformed as according to His will.
Let's us be encouraged to live for Him even in times of weakness.
To Poipet I go!
Note: Post written on 19 April 2010
Then He brought him [Abraham] outside and said, "Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them." And He said to him "So shall your descendant be." And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted him it to him for righteousness.
Genesis 15: 5-6
Before coming back to Cambodia, I've been seeking God for what He wants me to do when I'm back here, and I felt He was saying that I am to prepare myself for the new centre. I thought that was strange. Part of me was excited and part of me was afraid because at that time I've only heard about the place and was clueless of what is really ahead. So I asked, "Are you sure Lord?", and there was only silence.
When we took the right turn into the dirt road that leads to the centre, the first thought that came to mind was that this road is going be a great challenge during rainy season. What if the road gets too muddy? Gets flooded? Besides that, there were also other concerns that came to mind. Those thoughts are overwhelming. But on the other hand, I know that there will be a lot to do for the children. So how should I go about with this?
During one of the days, as I was painting at the boy's dorm God suddenly broke the silence and we had an interesting conversation.
God : What are you doing?
Me : Painting. This is a weird question God.
God : What are u painting?
Me : Err…stars. Many stars with some red dots around.
God : Right, you are painting stars.
Do you remember that I said something about stars in my word?
Me : Yeah, your covenant with Abraham.
*A few minutes of silence*
Me : So? What is it that You are trying to say?
God : These children are the sons of Abraham.
They are the testimony of my promise to my friend, Abraham.
Me : …
I was speechless (for a long time). This makes me realize who am I to place my personal concern above the children. It was a humbling moment. Besides, it also reminded me that coming to Cambodia is not about teaching English, but rather it is to make the children (or whoever) disciples of Jesus Christ. Those "concerns" I have are still there, but what He said meant much more than my "concerns", and so as the Holy Spirit enables me, I say "Yes" to God that I'll stay at Poipet.
Then He brought him [Abraham] outside and said, "Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them." And He said to him "So shall your descendant be." And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted him it to him for righteousness.
Genesis 15: 5-6
Before coming back to Cambodia, I've been seeking God for what He wants me to do when I'm back here, and I felt He was saying that I am to prepare myself for the new centre. I thought that was strange. Part of me was excited and part of me was afraid because at that time I've only heard about the place and was clueless of what is really ahead. So I asked, "Are you sure Lord?", and there was only silence.
When we took the right turn into the dirt road that leads to the centre, the first thought that came to mind was that this road is going be a great challenge during rainy season. What if the road gets too muddy? Gets flooded? Besides that, there were also other concerns that came to mind. Those thoughts are overwhelming. But on the other hand, I know that there will be a lot to do for the children. So how should I go about with this?
During one of the days, as I was painting at the boy's dorm God suddenly broke the silence and we had an interesting conversation.
God : What are you doing?
Me : Painting. This is a weird question God.
God : What are u painting?
Me : Err…stars. Many stars with some red dots around.
God : Right, you are painting stars.
Do you remember that I said something about stars in my word?
Me : Yeah, your covenant with Abraham.
*A few minutes of silence*
Me : So? What is it that You are trying to say?
God : These children are the sons of Abraham.
They are the testimony of my promise to my friend, Abraham.
Me : …
I was speechless (for a long time). This makes me realize who am I to place my personal concern above the children. It was a humbling moment. Besides, it also reminded me that coming to Cambodia is not about teaching English, but rather it is to make the children (or whoever) disciples of Jesus Christ. Those "concerns" I have are still there, but what He said meant much more than my "concerns", and so as the Holy Spirit enables me, I say "Yes" to God that I'll stay at Poipet.
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