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 ...

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 ...

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...

👉 Get your FREE  Passion Week Devotional   Passion Week is the most important time of the year for us as Christians—a time to remember Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and celebrate His resurrection. It’s the heart of our faith! While in the Philippines (and many Christian nations), that week is a big holiday filled with prayer and reflection, here in Cambodia—a Buddhist country—it’s just an ordinary week. But as a local church, we intentionally set aside this time to focus on Jesus. Even though life goes on as usual (work, school, Khmer New Year travels), we can still make this week special by slowing down, opening our hearts to God, and remembering what Jesus did for us. This year, Passion Week falls during  Khmer New Year (April 13-20) —a time when most Cambodians travel to visit family. Our family will also be in  Kampong Cham , Vandy’s hometown. But even in the middle of celebrations, we want to keep our hearts fixed on Jesus. For me, Passion Week has always been ...

👉 Get your  FREE Devotional ( 7-day prayer journal for the Passion week ) As the new week unfolds, our family eagerly anticipates two significant celebrations: Khmer New Year and the Passion Week . It’s a rare moment when these two events align, and this year, we are especially mindful of how we can embrace both. As followers of Christ, we hold the death and resurrection of Jesus at the center of our faith. Yet, as a family living in Cambodia, we also seek to honor and connect with our loved ones who celebrate Khmer New Year, a time deeply embedded in their cultural and religious traditions. This year, as we travel to my husband's hometown in Kampong Cham province, our hearts are drawn to Colossians 3:12: “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” These words serve as a guiding light for us, especially as we step into an environment where Buddhist traditions run deep. How do we celebr...

Faith and Autism This verse encapsulates the journey of trusting God beyond what is visible, predictable, or easily understood. As a pastor’s wife and a mother to our 11-year-old son David, who is on the autism spectrum, this scripture has been a guiding light through countless uncertainties and challenges. Today, I want to share three reflections on this verse, drawing from our experiences in ministry, motherhood, and mission work in Cambodia. Reflection 1: Faith Anchors Us in the Uncertainty of Parenting Raising David has been an extraordinary journey of faith. His autism diagnosis came with a whirlwind of emotions: fear, doubt, and a deep desire to understand his unique needs. I vividly remember the day we finally visited the developmental pediatrician in the Philippines. The diagnosis clarified many of David’s struggles, but it also marked the beginning of a path we could not fully foresee. Back in Cambodia, finding reliable specialists for therapy was nearly impossible. For a time...