The Hourngs in Cambodia!

Young Couples We love praying for our young couples at church.  Aside from ministering to the youth at our dormitories, we have always had that burden to help out young married couples.  We have four young couples at church! Three of them are from our Dorm men. After they graduated from the university, they eventually got married and decided to start a family here in the city. We are happy that they have stayed in the church and continued the fellowship with us. Three young mommies' have temporary went back to the countryside to rear their young babies (with the help of their parents & relatives). We pray that they will continue to seek God's guidance and help as they navigate this new season despite away in the city. We miss them a lot! We used to have a regular discipleship with them (online meet up by and couple fellowships at home). They didn't have any babies then 😅😁😀 they had all the time for meeting us! We totally understand that once babies arrived, a lot of ...

There is something about new life that humbles us. A tiny baby reminds us how small we are and how great God is. No matter how much we plan or prepare, life always reminds us that we are not in control. God is. Moments do not come with loud announcements or long explanations. They simply arrive and settle in our hearts. One of those moments came when I received a message from our dear sister Chhoryi. She sent me a short message, filled with excitement and wonder. She had given birth to a baby girl. A healthy, beautiful baby girl. Her name is Ratha Ling Ei, a name lovingly formed by combining the names of her parents, Ratha and Chhoryi. When I read that message, my heart felt full. I smiled without realizing it. I paused for a moment and whispered a quiet prayer of thanks.  Brother Ratha and pretty wife Chhoryi (young couple @PPC) Ratha and Chhoryi are one of our young couples at church. Ratha was part of the first group of young men who stayed in our dorm ministry. He lived th...

Yesterday was an interesting day for us at church. As many of you know, Cambodia does not traditionally celebrate Valentines Day . It only became common when foreigners came and when the internet became widely used. In our culture here, it was never part of Khmer tradition . It was something influenced by outsiders. I have a previous post about this here 👉 Hearts Day in Cambodia So I was surprised when some of my Khmer colleagues told me that Christians were the ones who brought Valentines to Cambodia. I gently explained that not all foreigners who come to Cambodia are followers of Christ. And the love that Christians speak about is not romantic love centered on couples. The love we preach is the love of Christ for everyone. It is pure. It is sacrificial. It is unconditional. Because of that, our family does not really celebrate Valentines Day. Years ago, Cambodia even discouraged young people from celebrating it because it became associated with immorality. Some young women felt pres...

This verse speaks deeply to me as we reflect on the mission work God has called us to here in Cambodia. It is a gentle but firm reminder that our labor in the Lord—whether seen or unseen, celebrated or ignored—is never wasted. Serving the body of Christ in Phnom Penh Church (PPC), ministering to Khmer youth, university students, young professionals, and young couples, has been a journey of faith, challenges, and immeasurable grace.  Today, I want to share three reflections based on this verse that resonate with our ministry and family life. 1. Standing Firm Amid Challenges When our young family began a house church years ago, we were filled with hope and enthusiasm. God opened doors for us to minister to young people from nearby villages. Most of them came from impoverished backgrounds, wrestling with family struggles and the chains of addiction. We opened our home, gave our time, and shared what resources we had. It was a beautiful season of sowing seeds of God’s love and truth, y...

  Up Close: Who we are? After knowing a little bit of our small family, now I would like to share about God's work through our ministries here in Cambodia. I also would like to sincerely thank you for considerably covering us with your prayers and for always looking after us.  These means a lot. You are a channel of blessing! Background: When Vandy's teaching/leadership transition in the bible school has ended, it was clear to my husband that God is calling us to plant a church again - this time in the city. We just don't know where and when could we start. All we know we should be ready to obey.  As a young couple, we were also anticipating that our own family will grow and that we might have a baby eventually. God has been faithful. We know He is providing us financially through our work. I was offer a fulltime teaching job in a university while Vandy facilitated some translating jobs.  It was also that time KCC - Khmer Community Church/Kampuchea Christian Communit...

It's been more than a decade since we have started serving the body of Christ here in Phnom Penh. God has been gracious in directing us to minister to His people.  It's all by His amazing grace that we could do it. He is our greatest Rock and Provider. Off to church! We need to always leave earlier, since we drive at least 40 minutes away to PPC (we are living in the outskirt of Phnom Penh - closer to the airport) As a pastor's wife serving alongside my Khmer husband, I've come to understand the profound joy and fulfillment that comes from serving others without expecting anything in return. This selfless giving is not only a beautiful act of kindness but also a form of worship to God. Along the way, God has impressed to me some bible verses to reflect and pray upon. It has assured us many times, because we also need encouragement (we also feel tired, weariness and even being burned out sometimes). Personally, sometimes I would ask myself is it really worth to serve? ou...