The Hourngs in Cambodia!

Phnom Penh City at night (view from the Ferry ride) My missionary calling started some decades back in my country (the Philippines). I would be trekking and ministering around to the tribal community with my mission classmates at (ACM) Asian Center for Missions .  These mission travels have given me much clarity about God's calling for me to become a missionary.  I vividly remembered; my last tribal mission was in Davao - the Matigsalug tribe. It was an extra wonderful experience that even sealed my faith journey. God has impressed me that His name will be exalted among the nations! (and I should look for ways to serve and be a part of it!). We trekked for the whole day to the mountains and streams to reach a local community. It was exhausting but truly worth it trek! I was glad I was able to write this post in 2007 👉  Missions to Matigsalug Tribe .  Months after that tribal trip, I began my mission journey here in Cambodia. As a single missionary, I joyfully took t...

A Young Couple's Journey Vandy and I got married more than a decade now. As a pastor's wife married to a Khmer pastor in Cambodia, I've had the privilege of witnessing firsthand the incredible work God has done in our lives. Looking back to our early days as a young couple, I'm filled with gratitude for the lessons we've learned and the blessings we've received.  One verse that has been a constant source of inspiration and guidance for our family is Matthew 6:33. This verse has been a cornerstone of our faith and has shaped our approach to life and ministry. In fact, it even became a banner of this blog! My husband and I were just starting out in our new ministry in the city. We were young, full of passion, and eager to make a difference in the world. However, we were also facing many challenges. We were living on a modest income, our living conditions were simple, and we often felt overwhelmed by the responsibilities of ministry. After our mission work in Krati...

Whenever I Miss Home, I Cook Tinola In 2007, I met my Khmer husband in the mission field (Kratie, Cambodia). As you all know I came from the Philippines 😁😍😅 whenever I miss home, I would cook Tinola chicken soup! Cambodia is a country with its own rich culture and traditions. I love that some dishes and ingredients are familiar to me and often brings me back to the warmth of my home in the Philippines. Now that I am a wife, I have embraced this new land (the kingdom of wonders as they say) with my Khmer husband and son as we build our lives and our faith in this country. Yet, whenever I feel the longing for the Philippines, for the familiar embrace of my homeland, I turn to the comforting ritual of cooking "tinola" (hearty chicken soup!). I praise God for this season of discovering skills. I am still learning how to cook, it is Vandy who has better cooking skills at home. In fact, my husband could actually whip a few filipino dishes better than me now. His pork sinigang an...

It's been more than a decade since we have started serving the body of Christ here in Phnom Penh. God has been gracious in directing us to minister to His people.  It's all by His amazing grace that we could do it. He is our greatest Rock and Provider. Off to church! We need to always leave earlier, since we drive at least 40 minutes away to PPC (we are living in the outskirt of Phnom Penh - closer to the airport) As a pastor's wife serving alongside my Khmer husband, I've come to understand the profound joy and fulfillment that comes from serving others without expecting anything in return. This selfless giving is not only a beautiful act of kindness but also a form of worship to God. Along the way, God has impressed to me some bible verses to reflect and pray upon. It has assured us many times, because we also need encouragement (we also feel tired, weariness and even being burned out sometimes). Personally, sometimes I would ask myself is it really worth to serve? ou...

 As a mother, especially one married to a pastor, I’ve learned that my most powerful tool is prayer. My husband and I have been blessed with a beautiful son who has autism. He is a unique and wonderful gift from God, but like many parents who walk this journey, we face challenges that often feel overwhelming. I want to share our story and offer some hope and encouragement, particularly for those of you who are raising a child with special needs. When our son was first diagnosed with autism, my heart was heavy. I worried about his future—his schooling, his ability to make friends, his understanding of the world around him, and most importantly, his relationship with God. It’s easy to feel alone when you’re facing such challenges, but I quickly realized that I’m never truly alone. The Lord is always with us, and He listens to our prayers. Every morning before our son goes to school, I pray for him. I pray for his teachers, that they will have patience and understanding. I pray for hi...

We are serving a local church here in the city called PPC (Phnom Penh Church).  My husband and I shared the passion to help out the body of Christ in any way we can. It's always been our desire to be part of a community where we could be of service for others. When I was called for missions a decade back, I knew in my heart that I would need to be surrounded with people that have that same passion and values in living our faith.    God has placed a burden in our hearts to be of His service in our local church, discipling our youth (mostly from our dormitories: university students), young couples/families and young professionals. My heart is full whenever I worship God with the body of Christ. Corporately, we share our concerns, pray with our burdens, sharpen each other, and encouraging each other to persevere in life. By God's grace, my husband and I realized that we are also growing together with them. In this new season of our lives, we embrace this is God's direction f...

It's my birthday 😅😂💖😍  I praise God for another year.   Yep! my husband and I birthdays are just days apart. As I shared from my last blog, we don't normally prepare for parties at home. But what a sweet surprise when I came home from work. My sister in-law made our dinner extra special with her homemade Khmer desserts!  my sweet sister in-law made these yummy Khmer desserts (Custard Whole Pumpkin & Sweet Potato bisquits)  our son David also sharing our homemade Pumpkin juice with a thumb's up birthday approved sign! Birthday Reflection Every day is always a gift of life. It's all about God's grace that we get to breathe and celebrate His goodness in our lives. I love how He would speak to me through the scriptures. And today, He let me claim 2 Timothy 4:7. Isn't that great?  As I reflect at 2 Timothy 4:7, 'I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.' Imagine these words as a warm embrace, a gentle reminder that...

  My Pday's Birthday! The word "P'day" is actually referred to as husband in Khmer language. Today is actually Vandy's birthday. In Khmer culture, if you were born in the 70's your birthday is most likely NOT the real one. Like in the case of my husband, apparently, according to my mother-in-law, she needed to register his birthday few years later and they just chose his birthday based on Chinese signs and seasons combined. She needed to do this to protect Vandy from being recruited to be a young soldier for war (threat for another Khmer rouge). My husband is the only boy among the 4 siblings (+three sisters) and he is the only one who would carry the name of Kongkong's (grandpa) family line.  We don't normally throw any party or big celebration on birthdays at home - the reason being is we always celebrate our birthdays every single day for Jesus! It's all by God's grace that we are alive and well. Vandy's faith conversion (testimony) is r...

Today is David's first day of school! Incredibly excited, our son organized everything that he needed a few nights ago. He is definitely a planner. The moment his uniforms, socks, undies were dried from the laundry, he has already lined them up on his closet from Monday to Friday set. He said he wants to get ready ahead, so he won't be late for school. Oh boy, my boy!  I wish to keep this baby boy forever, but I know he needs to grow, fly and soar high!  It's going to be a more adventure academic year for all of us I just know 😍😅💪🙏  This morning while commuting to work, I read Matthew 19:26 and says,  “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Today’s verse is sometimes being taken out of context. It’s like everyone would want to claim it but with a misleading intention.  I personally believed this prayer is a surrender prayer to God - accepting whether the outcome would be not as we ought to think to be but God’s.  God works w...

As a mom, 1 Corinthians 9:24 encourages me to approach this role with dedication, perseverance, and focus on the ultimate goal. Mothers can train diligently to achieve desired outcomes, like raising children in virtue, love, and faith, or creating a nurturing home environment, finding motivation to navigate the challenges and joys of parenting with purpose and determination. God bless! The entry that I wrote on my journal the other day 👉 Running with Endurance  was still somewhat connected to this verse though it’s merely aligned in running the race with endurance, I believe today’s verse pointing it to the Prize! An endurance race ultimately means a very deep commitment to faith in Christ, endurance, and letting God's strength carry one through the hard times that might be waiting up ahead.