The Hourngs in Cambodia!

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...

There are days when James 1:19 feels like it was written just for me. Honestly.  😔😅 “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.” James 1:19–20 Sometimes I find myself reading this verse and then sighing with a little bit of embarrassment because, if I’m being real, I still struggle with this more often than I’d like to admit. I want to be someone who listens more, speaks less, and doesn’t let anger take control of my heart or my words. I want to represent Jesus well not just in church or ministry but also at home, in the university where I teach, in our neighborhood, in the market, and even in those little day-to-day encounters that no one else may notice. I don’t want to come across as someone who’s just “religious” who talks about God but reacts to people harshly or impatiently. Instead, I want my actions, especially my respo...

I have been a Communication lecturer for more than a decade now. Honestly, this was never in my plans. I had never pictured myself standing in front of a classroom, teaching young adults about public speaking, writing, and how to express themselves clearly. But here I am, and it’s only by God’s grace that I have not only coped but found joy in this unexpected journey. When I first took this path, I didn’t feel qualified. I was hesitant. I doubted myself. But deep inside, I knew God had placed me here for a reason. Over the years, He has shown me again and again that He equips those He calls. My husband has always reminded me: “You are placed here not just to teach Communication. You are here for your students, for your colleagues, for those who need light and guidance. This is your mission field.” That encouragement has shaped how I see my everyday work. Teaching in a university here in Cambodia, in an environment where open expressions of faith are not always welcomed, is challenging...

Life in Cambodia has taught me many things. The quiet mornings with motorbikes humming in the distance, the sound of a street vendor calling out her goods, the calm before a tropical rainstorm, and the silent conversations between me and the Lord doing my morning walks or riding home on a tuk-tuk after a long day. In all of these ordinary moments, I’m learning that the gentleness God calls us to is not found in grand words or big acts. It is found in the stillness of our heart, in the posture of our soul when no one is watching. When I first read Matthew 5:5, I did not fully understand it. The world teaches us to be strong, to defend ourselves, to prove our worth. But Jesus says, "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth." I used to think meekness was weakness. I thought it was about being silent, timid, or scared. But I now see that meekness is strength under God’s control. It is humility, gentleness, and quiet confidence that trusts in God more than in self. G...