The Hourngs in Cambodia!

This Christmas season, our hearts have been drawn again to the familiar yet powerful words from Luke 2:8 to 10 . When the shepherds were watching their flocks at night, the angel of the Lord appeared to them, and they were afraid. But the angel said, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” These words feel especially meaningful this season. In a world filled with uncertainty, tension, and unanswered questions, God’s first message was comfort. Do not be afraid. Jesus has come. And because He has come, we have joy, peace, love, and hope that cannot be taken away. Jesus is the reason for this season. He is not only part of our celebration, He is the source of our joy. Our peace. Our love. Our hope.  Displaced Communities in Cambodia Here in Cambodia, December has been both meaningful and heavy. While we celebrated Christmas worship and rejoiced in what God is doing among our students, we are also aware of the ongoing border tensions betw...

Cambodia is entering that short season my students lovingly call winter. After weeks of rain and flooding, the air feels lighter and the wind is cooler. My students come to class wearing sweaters and jackets, even when the temperature still feels warm to me, a Filipina used to storms and typhoons back home. But here, the breeze is enough to make everyone smile and say that winter has arrived in Phnom Penh.  Just a meme AI photo of winter in Kampot As we close the month of November, I want to share a simple reflection from our family and ministry here at PPC church and the dormitory, and some highlights from what God has been doing in our lives. This month has been full. It has been tiring at moments, but also overflowing with reasons to give thanks. And as the Christmas season draws near, my heart feels drawn again to quiet praise and simple prayers. God has been close to us. God has kept us. God has been faithful. So I hope these stories bless you. I hope the Scriptures today remi...

It has been more than 15 years since our family first answered God’s call to serve in Phnom Penh.  Looking back, it’s amazing how time has passed and how much the Lord has done in and through this ministry. When we first came and moved to the city to serve in a Bible School , we had nothing but faith in our hearts and a deep desire to serve the Lord among the Khmer people. Eventually God lead us here, we didn’t know exactly what the journey would look like, but we trusted that God would lead the way. Read Previous Posts:  Bible School 👈 Our first mission field in Kratie, Cambodia 👈 Trusting God's Quiet Provision 👈👈 Today, as I write this from our home in Phnom Penh, I can’t help but thank God for His goodness. Every year has been a story of His grace, and every challenge has become an opportunity to see His faithfulness unfold. Our family has been serving faithfully with Phnom Penh Church (PPC) for over a decade now. Our calling is simple yet deeply meaningful to disci...

We are grateful to end the month of October with prayerful hearts. It has been a beautiful sight to see our family, our dorm students, and our Khmer church community united in prayer. Throughout the month, we have intentionally set aside time to praise God for His faithfulness and to lay before Him the burdens we cannot carry alone.  There are things in life that we simply cannot control. We try our best, but we soon realize that we are limited. Our energy, time, and resources can only go so far. And yet, in those very moments, we experience how faithful our God is. He fills the gaps we cannot fill. He restores what we lose. He provides when we lack. As our pastor shared in last Sunday’s sermon, sometimes we must learn to encourage ourselves in the Lord, especially when no one else can. Ministry can be tiring. There are days when we feel exhausted in the vineyard when the results are not what we expected, or the funds are not enough to sustain both ministry and family needs. But in...

We praise God for the blessing of holidays spent with family, for opportunities to reconnect with loved ones, and for the chance to witness again how His grace is working in our lives. This past month has been full of moments that reminded me of God’s goodness not only in celebrations but also in challenges that stretched our faith and deepened our trust in Him. We had the joy of spending time with Vandy’s side of the family during the Pchum Benh holidays. For those of you who might not be familiar, this is a deeply important holiday in Cambodia, filled with traditions and gatherings. For us as believers, it also becomes an opportunity to live out and share our faith in quiet but intentional ways, showing God’s love through our presence and our prayers. At the same time, September has been a month of reflection in our family and ministry. There were lessons in disappointment, reminders of God’s provision, deep reflections on eternity, and moments where Christ’s firm foundation carried...

We are back from the long Pchum Benh break in Kampong Cham, and my heart is still full from the time we spent with family and friends. It was a meaningful trip on so many levels. We had a wonderful time with Vandy’s side of the family, and despite the heavy rains that poured throughout the week, nothing could stop us from celebrating the holidays the Khmer way. The table was always full. Plates of steaming Khmer food were passed around. Freshly harvested fruits made their way from farm to plate in a matter of hours. And of course, there were the traditional rice cakes my in-laws prepared "ansoum and numkom" which they always make ahead of Pchum Benh. These cakes are not only for the family to enjoy but also to be brought to the pagoda by Kong kong as offerings for ancestors, to be blessed by monks. If you’ve read my previous reflections  👈 you know that Pchum Benh is one of Cambodia’s most sacred festivals, rooted in Buddhist tradition. While as Christians we do not practic...

This month of August, our hearts are full of gratitude as we look back on God’s goodness in our family and ministry. It has been a month of celebrating life , walking through new seasons as parents, and pressing forward in the mission field here in Phnom Penh. Each story and reflection reminds us of God’s faithfulness and of our need to continually depend on Him in prayer. 🎂 Celebrating Life & Birthdays We began the month by celebrating birthdays in our family, including a simple but meaningful day for Papa Rolly . Birthdays for us are more than cake and gatherings they are reminders that every added year is a gift from the Lord. In our post “Our Simple Birthdays” and “Happy Birthday Papa Rolly!” , we reflected on how we want each year of life to be lived intentionally: to give more, serve more, and accomplish God’s purposes for His glory. Our prayer is to finish strong , knowing that each added day is a chance to shine for Christ.  Khmer Chess Match (Pich and David) 🍞 Fa...