Go with Us

Reflections by Kee Eng

On 5 September, our morning drive to Peam Village took us 45 mins on a paved road with a short 10-min bumpy ride. We arrived at Peam Village Foundation around 9.30 am to observe the English lessons. We were met by the English School principal, Ms Sreysros, and Ms Sreyka who teaches the Grade 3 students.

The English School presently offers English enrichment lessons for Grade 3 and 4 students (16 students per class for each morning and afternoon session, Monday to Friday).

We went to observe lessons in the English School. The morning session had 12 Grade 3 students in attendance.

While waiting for lunch, our team prepared balloons and distributed them to government primary school children next door after their morning session. What joy to see the kids’ faces light up and their posture of thanksgiving.

After lunch, we observed an English class session with 14 students in attendance.

In both English School’s sessions, we handed each student a toothbrush. Proud moment of the day –  young Timothy,  went on stage to present a lesson on dental brushing with his parents, helping with the props.

I was pleasantly surprised to see some students coming in early on their bicycles to play games and have fun at the compound. The school hall is well equipped for both the teacher and students as a place of learning. I can sense the joy in the kids as they were very eager to learn and participate in classroom activities.

Reflections by Shuting

On 6 September, we visited Thansure School which is currently supported by Christians in Korea. This school currently has more than 200 students from K1 to Grade 8. This large school is managed by a Korean ‘Lady of Faith’, Ms Yoo, who continually prays for better conditions and environment for her students. She shared her prayers to build a cement road and her prayers were finally answered as the government finally did that after 13 years. The students are always thankful for help and support from visitors to the school, and never forget to count their blessings. Each of us was given a nicely wrapped present with handwritten thank-you messages.

Reflections on Food Ministry Home Visits (Chin Mai)

Altogether, we visited 10 families in Peam, Lovea and Skun. These are families in poverty who are regular recipients of the food pack distributions. 

The first home in Peam was particularly memorable because the initially cheery lady burst out in tears when we asked for her prayer requests. She opened up that she suffers under her husband who drinks and physically abuses her. As we visited more homes, it seemed that this was not uncommon. It’s heartbreaking to see these women working hard to make ends meet, care for their children and yet have to live in fear of their husbands. These women were strangers at the beginning, but we got to learn about their lives, and we were glad to be able to pray with and for them in the end. We praise God for giving them courage to be vulnerable and share their troubles with us. May the Lord grant the husbands release from the bondage of alcohol so that they will become caring and responsible men of the house. May He also grant the wives peace and comfort, as well as wisdom and strength in this trial.

The local leaders Om Sipark and Om Puerth knew the families quite well, and were fully involved as we visited each household. May the Lord continue to grant them and all the food distribution volunteers fervour to serve Him.

Reflections on Visit to Peam English School (Gladys)

Gratitude – We have nothing to boast but everything to be grateful for. Working with Sreisros since Dec 2020 to set up the Peam English School, I never felt as touched as when I got to see the physical school and meet the teachers and students in person.

Seeing the students coming to the school hours before their lessons showed me how comfortable and happy they were to hang out in the school compound. This is definitely due to the love and joy the students received from Teacher Sreisros, Teacher Sreika and Teacher Meng.

I was pleasantly surprised by how clean the classroom and kitchen were and how well the children interacted with one another. Sreisros told me this wasn’t the case during the first month when school started in February this year. But having been taught by the teachers to keep the compound clean, take care of the items in the school and speak kind words to others, the children now impressed me with how they behave, and how they relate to the teachers and to each other.

On 10 June, Friday, I was able to teach the special Friday programme on the Fruit of the Holy Spirit, Kindness. It gave me an opportunity to witness the students’ love for their parents during the hands-on activity to write words of kindness to loved ones. It was also delightful to hear them sing along to Christian songs as they designed their cards.

I thank God for His patience and guidance throughout the process of setting up this school, sending the right people to work in the team in Singapore and in Siem Reap. I pray that God will continue to grant His wisdom to the team and send the right people to join the team as the school grows. I pray that the school will be a beacon of light and hope that will draw more children to know Him.

Reflections on Love-A-Village Team (Seow Chin)

It took me some time to get the names right but I will not forget the overwhelming display of servitude of the Cambodian team – especially Sreisros, Srey Ka, Meng and Vichea. The many needs and limited resources did not deter their wholehearted labour of love. I’m amazed by their faith to trust God to provide for their needs and their earnest service without complaint. 

On Thursday and Friday, I observed that the English School team (Sreisros, Srey Ka and Meng) were able to go about their different roles in a certain clockwork – getting tasks done and making time for people, especially the students. Even though it was our first time meeting them, we warmed up to each other quickly and were able to talk and work comfortably with one another. I think this is only possible because there is a common bond among us –  the desire to be used by God to bless the children, women and families of the villages.

On Saturday, we organised a day-long retreat with the local Love-A-Village leaders, volunteers and their families. Laughter resounded through the church building as we played our icebreakers (one which involved drawing each other one facial feature at a time)! There were shouts of joy and encouragement to one another as we tried our hand at archery (we discovered that some brothers are especially competitive haha). After being separated by a screen (meeting virtually via Zoom) for so long, it was such a pleasure to be able to share meals, to discuss and collaborate, and to forge close bonds which transcend language, culture, age, etc. “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!” (Psalm 133:1)

I pray for God to continually provide for the team in Cambodia, especially for their  spiritual fortitude and rootedness in the word of God. I pray that whether during formal ministry time or in casual interaction, eternity will be sowed in the hearts of every soul that is touched by Love-A-Village. 

Hello! We are Gabriel and Sarah and we were a part of Love-A-Village’s trip to Siem Reap in December 2019. Over the past few years, we have had the joy of sharing in the love of Christ together, supporting and spurring each other in our walk with Jesus. It’s always brought us great excitement to explore what it means to serve the Lord together (and we’re definitely still exploring!). As we grew more curious about cross-cultural missions, we began regularly attending our church’s sharing sessions where fellow brothers and sisters-in-Christ would share their missional journeys, and we would also pray for our missionaries in the field. Through hearing the many stories shared by teams who had travelled abroad to share the Good News, our passion for missions began growing.

It was at one of these sessions that we learnt more about Janice’s ministry with Love-A-Village. We were excited at the prospect of going on a mission trip together someday, but were also mindful of going with the right heart – if and when God called us to go. All through 2019, conversations between the two of us about missions arose time and time again. We asked God for wisdom and to show us how and where we could contribute to His work. One night, after one of these conversations, we decided to look into possible opportunities. That was when we first contacted Janice.

As we learnt more about the nature of the trip, the Lord touched the both of us individually, and we both felt compelled to embark on the trip. At this point in time, neither of us had much experience with cross-cultural missions. We also did not know anyone else on the team. Joining the trip involved entrusting ourselves to God and taking a leap of faith. Pushing aside our personal fears, we embraced this new experience with open hearts and open minds, and began working with the Love-A-Village team to prepare for the trip, excited to serve the Lord.

Our ministry in Siem Reap comprised Christmas outreach activities with the children, engaging the locals with some craft activities, as well as the training of teachers, and supporting our local friends in their teaching of English at the local school. We could go on and on about the activities we were a part of and the people we met, but ultimately, to us, this trip could be encapsulated with just one word – love.

We felt a deep sense of love and reverence for God in the local Christians we had the privilege to befriend. As we worked with our fellow brothers and sisters at New Living Hope Centre, we were touched by their love for others, as well as the warmth that they showed us. As we shared our stories, we realised that we had a lot more in common than we had thought – because we were all united in Christ. This sense of warm fellowship is what we will remember most about the trip. The opportunity to support and encourage fellow Christians in their labour for the gospel impacted both of us very much.

We also met many other inspiring Christians who continue to inspire us today. We vividly remember Teacher Yoo, a Korean missionary who founded the Thansure school 10 years ago and still heads it today. Even after all this time in Cambodia, she continues to clothe herself with protective UV sleeves and carries an umbrella (more for the sun than for the rain). With a laugh, she shared how she obeyed God’s call to go to Cambodia, even though she deeply despised the scorching heat. Another brother who made a huge impact on us was Samuel, a ministry volunteer by day and Tuk Tuk driver by night. After the Lord touched his life, he told us his goal in life was to share this love of God with everyone in Cambodia. He now conducts weekly bible study sessions in a few villages and even started a dormitory ministry for high school students, where he mentors and guides the students spiritually.

Above all, we felt God’s love for Siem Reap, and saw His hand at work in many aspects. From moving local Christians to serve those who had not heard the gospel, to growing village ministries both in numbers and in depth, we saw firsthand the work of an all-powerful, gracious and loving God. It brought us great joy to be just a small part of this big plan.

This trip reminded us of how missions really starts back home. Just as the local Cambodians were fervent for God, we should likewise be adopting the same passion and love for sharing the gospel here in Singapore. 

For us, as we continue to explore and unravel God’s plan for us, we hope to continue on our mission here in Singapore as well. Ultimately, we are all gifted with different talents, and are called to different lines of work – some locally, others across borders. 

Where is God calling you to go?

Day 1: Visit to Bible Society Cambodia

Day 2: Visit to Lovea Primary School and Peam Primary School

Day 3: Visit to Thansure School and Baray Village

Day 4: Visit to Pastor Villa

Day 5: Visit to New Living Hope Center

Day 6: Visit to Light of the Nations Church and Lovea’s Sunday School

Day 7: Siem Reap International Airport

It seems like it was only yesterday that we, an eclectic mix of travellers from diverse backgrounds and age groups, left the chilly December weather in Singapore for the sunny skies of Siem Reap and warm welcome of Cambodians. We are thankful that we had a lovely shared experience during which we enjoyed spending time together and contributing in our unique ways.

Read on for our thoughts on the trip!

Thank you for reading our blog. We hope to have you come on board next year!

Selected reflections from the trippers:

“There is freedom to preach and praise the Lord in Cambodia. It is an open door for missions! The harvest is plentiful in Cambodia.”

“I witnessed the Cambodians’ passion to serve God.”

“I was greatly encouraged by the teamwork displayed by the whole team. God brought people with many different gifts together to serve him during this trip.”

“I have now seen poverty with my own eyes.”

“We must walk the talk for others to see Jesus in us. Everyone can and should be involved in missions.”

 

This trip to Siem Reap came shortly after I attended the Celebration of Hope, a rally held in Singapore, on 18 May 2019. At the rally, through the sharing of testimonies and the preacher’s message, I was again reminded that we experience God’s grace and love when we step out in faith to do His work and not when we just have head knowledge about Christ.

So here I was with Janice and Hui Kwang, and Stacey, a teacher from an International school in Singapore, to share God’s goodness with others and to “taste and see” that the Lord is good. As with other trips, we met and connected with the Pastor and some members of New Living Hope Centre to discuss plans to reach out to Lovea Primary School. We discussed the plans with the Principal of the primary school, and we also met up with Mr Pagna of PCEF.

We had been conducting teacher-training sessions for the PCEF teachers. And this time, we had Stacey to show the teachers how to use the story books we had bought for PCEF. Despite rushing assignment deadlines for her Masters course, Stacey put together and delivered teaching strategies that the teachers found interesting and useful. The teachers had to apply what they’d learnt in the morning when they worked in small groups, in the afternoon, to put together a lesson plan using the various strategies Stacey shared in the morning.

Just before the trip, Stacey was told her father’s health had deteriorated, and we were praying that she would not have to head home abruptly, and the Lord answered our prayers – in fact, her father’s condition improved a little!

On this trip, I also had the opportunity to visit Peam Village Foundation, and to learn about how they hope to share and show God’s love through their kindergarten programme, and to bring the Gospel to the children and their parents.

Once again, we rounded off the year with an eventful trip to Siem Reap with our friends and families. Besides meeting up with and serving alongside our partners, we made new connections with the staff of Mustard Seed School.

Please read on to find out more about what we did!

Thansure School (aka Paradise School)

With her team of teachers, Teacher Yoo held a Christmas celebration with and for all of her beloved 235 students. We were honoured to be invited to join them.

Pagna Cambodian Education Fund (PCEF)

Besides conducting lesson observations and a mini workshop at PCEF, we spruced up the school library and kitted out the classrooms with story books.

We also visited Mr Soven’s classroom at the floating village of Kampong Phluk.

Lovea Primary School

A Christmas celebration was held at Lovea Primary School. This time, what made the celebration special was that it was organised by the teachers. They did a wonderful job and and everyone had an enjoyable time!

Mustard Seed School

It was a privilege for us to get to spend two afternoons with the teachers of MSS, during which we shared ways of learning with and teaching our students in our classrooms.

Rest and relax

As we all know, all work and no play makes Jane/Jack a dull girl/boy. Here are some snapshots of our recreational activities during the trip!

 

 

Yes! Our team of 4 ladies, Yee Jong, San San, Janice and myself set off for a teachers’ training at PCEF from 3 to 5 September 2018. I started off with great anticipation, with me as the observer and designated photographer. The training was conducted for 6 PCEF local teachers with Pagna, the principal and another local teacher Sina who was invited to join us.

Landing at Siem Reap airport on Sunday on a hot sunny afternoon, the weather turned to drizzling next two days during our stay there. Wow, cool climate for a change in Siem Reap for me.

On Monday, our first day at PCEF, San San began with ice breakers which brought much spontaneity and fun to the group. The class later broke into groups to draw up and present the goals they set to achieve by end of the 3 days’ training. This was indeed a good start to pave the way into the training proper.

Thanks to Yee Jong who conducted a demo lesson with clarity and in light-hearted spirit. Helpful tips and teaching techniques to engage children such as warm up songs, flashcards, audio recordings, role-plays and chanting were introduced. Lots of enthusiasm I observed and felt!

For the next one and half days, the local teachers discussed their own lesson plan in two groups and taught a lesson using the techniques learnt. We are blessed with the keen learning attitude of the local teachers.

As such, we hope the local teachers have benefited from the training. We hope to continue building friendship bonds and comradeship with the Cambodian teachers as we journey with them into the very heart of teaching and perhaps, one day, into the heart of our loving Lord Jesus Christ.