The Hourngs in Cambodia!

Bless the Lord, O My Soul: Trusting God for Healing in the Midst of Asthma Attacks For the past few days, our family has been going through another challenging episode of dealing with our son David’s asthma attacks. When night falls, we brace ourselves for what’s to come—coughing fits, difficulty in breathing, and the struggle of watching him in discomfort. As much as we have been through this before, each episode still feels just as heartbreaking. A Battle with the Air We Breathe Recently, Phnom Penh made headlines for being one of the most polluted cities in the world. According to Camboja News , our city ranked second in global pollution levels. While the government has played down the health hazards, the reality is undeniable for families like ours who have children with respiratory conditions. The poor air quality has triggered another cycle of nebulizing sessions and restless nights for our son. It’s a painful sight—seeing him struggle to catch his breath, feeling his little body...

David's Swimming goggles - which he will NOT be using for a while 😔😢  I admire how gentle my husband handled the situation on David’s school this week.  We have been praying to talk to the Head of the school about David’s asthma condition.  His difficulty in breathing has been prevalent whenever he joins swimming classes.  These past few weeks, we would send him excuse letters to show to the teacher, so he won’t participate swimming anymore but for some reasons, one of his swimming teachers would show not so good remarks (harsh wordings actually) about David and our son would be upset 😢 and be scared of him.  It is becoming a mental and emotional burden for David.  This time the concern is not about asthma anymore but on David’s well-being at school. The school knows he has mild autism. Our dear son does take things literally and he is definitely sensitive about the swimming situation. Every Wednesday he would mention about it over dinner - how he gets s...

There is something sacred about gathering as a family for dinner. It is more than just sharing a meal—it is a time of connection, growth, and gratitude. Psalm 128 beautifully describes the blessings of a family that walks in the ways of the Lord, and I cannot help but reflect on how our simple dinner table in Cambodia has been a witness to God’s faithfulness in our lives. Our dining table was a special gift from dear friends, Bernie and Nan, during our time at the Bible school (2011). Lovingly handcrafted, it has since become the heart of our home. Over the years, it has borne witness to meaningful conversations, Bible studies, discipleship moments, DIY crafts, kneading bread and cookies, times of prayer and counseling, discipline, nebulizing during David’s asthma attacks, marriage discussions, family meetings, and big decisions. It is here that we have laughed, cried, prayed, and grown together as a family. 1. The Value of Gathering at the Table In Cambodia, mealtimes are traditionall...

Nebulizing sessions 😌😞💪😢🙏 I actually just prayed a surrender prayer today 🙏  You see as a mom, I have got so many things running into my head that they become worries.  The moment I hopped in my Tuktuk (mode of transportation here in Cambodia) to go work,  I started feeling at ease, because this is my time with the Lord unhurriedly.  The 45 minutes commute to the university has set me to continue my "quiet time" in my prayers, and on listening to the audio Bible.  David's difficulty breathing! Last night, dad and I hardly ever slept. We were monitoring David's breathing. Our son would always have these episodes of difficulty breathing - this time we don't know if the culprit is from the asthma, allergies, or rolled into one. It's good enough he is not feverish! It's pitiful to see him not on his quirky mode - his chest is unusually rising up & down and that sound of wheezing sound is weary some.  All we know is that whenever he engages with to mu...

Hello friends and families 😍😁😉👪 We are introducing ourselves - we are Vandy, Tess & David - serving in Cambodia! We know it's been a while since Tess has blogged (more than ten years ago!).  Life happens and God has been amazingly faithful!  We have waited for God's prompting for us to blog again, and we believe this is His right timing. We would like to honor Him for this wonderful platform to be able to share His goodness and how He is blessing this country of Cambodia (kingdom of wonders as they say). As a family of three, we desire to serve God and be a channel of blessing to His people here in Cambodia.  We hope to be able to influence and be an impact to the body of Christ in this corner of the earth. And we are praying you would also desire to take part in our faith journey by mindfully include us in your prayers and considerably a vessel (partnership with us in sharing the Gospel) in whatever God would lead you for this cause.  Love, Vandy, Tess &...

Whether you’re a homemaker, a working mom, a young woman preparing for marriage, or someone just curious about faith, this is for you. As a pastor’s wife in Cambodia, I’ve walked through seasons of joy and storms alike. I've seen the beauty and the burdens of managing a household.  I've burned bread in the oven while hanging the laundry and rearing a sick child with tears falling quietly because life felt too heavy ( David was 3 years old at that time while dad was away for ministry work in the province) . Maybe you have, too. Through the years, by God's grace, I'm thankful for having a husband who's not only the head of our family in terms of leading our family spiritually but has even become beyond that role. He's always been supportive and present in every situation that I needed him. To be honest, our household might be different from other Khmer households or Asian families as a whole.  But through all of this, one Scripture passage has remained close to my...