The Hourngs in Cambodia!

Weekends have become our sweet little experiments in the kitchen. Next to tending my plants, baking is one of those hobbies that brings me joy. The smell of warm dough, the sticky chocolate melting in our fingers, and the happy anticipation while waiting for the oven to ding, it's an experience I share with my 12-year-old son, David. Homemade Bagels! You see, David recently became a small business owner in our little Cambodian community or "Borey" as we call it. He’s been baking and selling chocolate crinkles and brownies to our neighbors. I couldn’t be prouder. What began as weekend fun turned into bonding moments, life lessons, and faith-filled reflections over flour-covered counters. Read a previous blog on David's Jumbo Chocolate Crinkles We’ve tried red velvet, chocolate chip cookies, crazy cakes, and even homemade bagels, cinnamon rolls, and the classic Filipino pandesal. The kitchen gets messy, the oven gets warm, and our hearts get full. But even in the joy of...

  I have this disciple who has quietly and unexpectedly become one of the people God uses to keep me grounded. She and I rarely meet face to face. She works in the outskirts of Phnom Penh, which is technically already a province. The busyness of her schedule and the distance make it hard to sit down for coffee and talk. But every morning, as I ride my tuktuk on my way to teach at the university, I find myself sharing a devotional message to her on Telegram. It’s not a big production, just a simple sharing of what God showed me that morning during my quiet time. A verse that spoke to me, a prayer I whispered in the stillness, a thought that reminded me of His faithfulness. A Morning Routine That Keeps Me Grounded I’m deeply blessed by her life. Even though she’s still young in the faith, she’s hungry and eager to know Jesus more. She’s passionate, open, and intentional. And without her knowing it, she’s become my accountability partner. She keeps me mindful that what God impresses ...

The month of July has been both eventful and challenging for our family, our ministry, and Cambodia as a whole. Yet through it all, we stand in awe of God’s unwavering presence.  He never fails to fight for us, and never once has He left our side. Responding with Faith and Compassion Have you ever felt caught in the middle of conflict? These past weeks, tensions along the Cambodia–Thailand border escalated into something that felt almost unreal. Though we live far from the direct danger in Phnom Penh, the fear, confusion, and heartbreak were impossible to ignore. Stories of families being displaced and soldiers being deployed spread rapidly. The atmosphere was heavy. You could see it on people’s faces: uncertainty, worry, and a deep concern for what lay ahead. Main Prayer Focus for the Week@PPC But in the middle of this national anxiety, something beautiful began to rise: compassion. Khmers rallied to support one another. Food, supplies, and encouragement were shared. Volunteers mo...

It’s been a beautiful and humbling season in our home lately. If you’re a parent, you know how long school breaks can feel especially when you’re trying to keep a young, energetic child busy and engaged. Our son David has been on a long break from school, over two months, and it hasn’t been easy to keep him fruitfully occupied. Yet, as I sit down to reflect, I’m amazed at how God answered our quiet prayers, even in little ways we never expected. Mark 11:24 has been on my heart as I write this: "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."   This verse has taken on such a tender meaning for me, especially in this parenting season. We didn’t pray for anything extravagant. We just asked the Lord to guide us as we tried to guide David. To help us teach him not just to be “busy,” but to be fruitful. Not just to work, but to work with gratitude and faith. And the Lord truly answered. The Long Break and the Longing ...

As I write this, the news of the ongoing tensions between Cambodia and Thailand has been flooding both social media and mainstream platforms. Families from different countries have been messaging us, asking about our current situation in Phnom Penh. Friends from the Philippines and relatives abroad are genuinely concerned. We’re thankful for their love and care. So let me begin by saying: Praise God! we are doing well. Life in the capital continues as usual, and so far, Phnom Penh remains calm and safe. But I won’t pretend everything is okay everywhere. What is happening along the Cambodian-Thai border is real, and it is heartbreaking. The southern provinces are deeply affected. Borders and trades have been closed for more than a month now, and people who have built their entire lives in that area are being displaced. Some friends had to shut down their businesses temporarily because their supplies raw materials, ingredients, basic products come from Thailand. The impact is widespread....

Kratie Young Men 2008 (Tela Mart) Limeng on yellow shirt the smallest guy while Limeng the smartest seated on the right side  Fifteen years ago, Vandy and I left behind our individual comfort and convenience of life to live and serve in Kratie (mission field) , a quiet province in Cambodia nestled by the Mekong River. It was a big leap of faith one we took with hearts full of dreams, faith in God’s calling, and not much else. We met and worked together in the mission field.  Initially, Vandy was sent to Kratie to plant a church. He soon rented a stilt house near the town and set up a humble English and computer center. As the only English teacher in that village, people respected him, and God opened that door for the gospel. The center grew and so as the church. He needed reinforcement to delegate the English school, so he could focus on shepherding the local church. Young people from the nearby villages also came and enrolled in the center. They came not just to learn skills...

Purify my Heart (Worship leading last Sunday at Enjoy Church) How’s your week? We’ve just come through an eventful one, full of ministry, full of joy, full of moments that once again reminded me why we are here in Cambodia. Our weekends are always packed with service, and yet I cannot help but be thankful. Because at the heart of it, this is what we are called to do to serve the body of Christ, to help strengthen the church in its mission to proclaim the gospel. Over the past month, God opened a new door for us: helping a pastor friend by leading English worship at least once a month. The service is at 3 p.m., so after our morning Khmer service at Phnom Penh Church (PPC), we go home for a quick lunch, then head over to volunteer at  Enjoy Church for their English worship service. And let me tell you what a privilege it has been. Standing Again Before the Lord Last Sunday, I had the opportunity to lead worship at Enjoy Church. By God’s grace, it was the first time I had stood up to...