#2 - How it all started?

How it all started?

I always think God has a strong sense of humor.  When we were in the USA, we attended a Chinese speaking church and serve in Chinese programs; now that we moved to Hong Kong, God led us to an English speaking church and serve in English groups.  We have been blessed with these two wonderful churches that we called home in Chicago and Hong Kong.   They helped us grow in different way and let us serve in various capacities too.  We still remembered the second time we were in Clearwater Bay International Church, it was their Mission Sunday, where various brothers/sisters share their mission work.  Surprisingly, most of them are not only people who returned from short term mission trip but they are actually full time missionaries.  We soon realized a few full time missionaries from all around the world have found this church as their home in Hong Kong or came to our church as guest speakers.  If we did not meet these missionaries and heard their stories and learn about the needs in the mission fields, we will never never have the thought of going on a long term mission trip nor becoming full time missionaries ourselves.  We cannot thank God enough for their services in Hong Kong, China, and other Asian countries and their encouragement, prayers and advice for us.

We also met Pastor Billy and Jeanne Campbell (see pic top left), who has been missionary in Hong Kong since the 60’s from the UK. In the past decade, they have been actively involved in various projects with a local Cambodia Christian team. In June 2012, we travelled to Phnom Penh, Cambodia to visit their ministries. Let’s tell you more about our trip.

We visited Hope House Center

Hope House Center

Student at Hope House Center

Alley near Hope House Center

As soon as we landed at the airport, we are met by a simple, old world airport at Phnom Penh. Pastor Billy and Jeanne and Mr. Yi, the founder of Hope House, brought us to visit Hope House Center as soon as we arrived. We parked at the main road and walked through alleys with power cable hanging right above our heads and broken doors along our way before we arrive at the well-built two-story house. 

The Center has been serving this community since 1999 and due to the government’s redevelopment plan, the aging center will need to be relocated.

Driving to Hope House Education Center -- 60km SW of Phnom Penh

Drive through dirt road for 2 hours

Greeted by students

The next day, we went to visit another ministry at the rural area. After 2 hours drive on the dirt road passing through many villages and farms, we entered the gate of Hope House Education Center. We were greeted by the 180 students (current enrollment is 250). We got to play with them, observed their classes, hear them sing, see some of their homework and “talk’ to them. You can see how much this school meant to them through their sprinkling eyes and bright smiles.

Classes at Hope House Education Center

On our way back to the city, we were silent as the overall situation of the students and the villages just shocked us.  We have never felt so "helpless" but we know only God can give them hope.  

After we returned to Hong Kong, we helped to develop a promotional video and a presentation of the ministries we visited.  

But the question in our mind is how we can return to our so called "normal" lives and ignore God's children in this poor country?

Students in one of the four classrooms at HHEC

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