At first sight of the TsingHua International Student Activity Center where our bible studies would be held, we were struck by how big the room really was. It had a nice stage area equipped with speakers, projector and screen. In a separate partition, there was a café area with 3-4 square tables, nice bar-style seating at the outskirts of the room looking out full-length windows, and nicely furnished with couch sets. We thought the room was simply too big for our purposes – and could only dream of the future where we can utilize the stage for praise and pack such a big room. However, this was by far the best-lit and cleanest room on both campuses and also allowed food, so there was really no other choice. We thought we should just section off part of the room to create a cozy atmosphere and not intimidate the students.

How quickly did all of that change after Pastor Ed and Kelly’s visit! From their wisdom and guidance birthed Friday Night PLUS or Zhou Wu Zhi “Jia”. PLUS in Chinese is “jia” which is also the word for “family.” This branding of our bible study captures the vision inspired by Pastor Ed and Kelly: we hope to make our bible studies the most happening thing on Friday, something a bit more (plus) than your normal Friday night, and a place where people can experience community (family).

As I walked into our very first Friday Night Plus two weeks ago, I already sensed a complete change in atmosphere. I felt like I was entering something big. I was officially welcomed by Caroline’s friendly face and a registration table filled with Koinonia-Hsinchu brochures and Friday Night Plus flyers. There were also additional resources available with Chinese titles of Mere Christianity, Problem of Pain, Case for Christ, etc. People were seated in circles throughout the room caught up in conversation within cozy family-like groups and enjoying homemade, delicious Italian pasta, garlic bread, and salad. Then the night continued with rocking praise by our Hsinchu praise band and finally our bible study led by Eugene with his interactive Powerpoint presentation. It brought back a taste of home – all the effort and care that is poured out into each bible study, all the preparation, just doing everything it takes to make it attractive and appealing and something you would want to come back to. It was definitely a step toward making this the most happening thing on campus so that people would be drawn. 15 students came that night, and for the first time, there were more students than our Taiwan team.

Week two, we only expected a handful of people to come. People had said they wouldn’t be able to make it, and yet, God was faithful in just bringing so many people. The room that we thought we couldn’t fill anytime soon was actually packed. We had just enough food –luckily Allen and Cynthia brought the extra buns – the Philly cheesesteaks were scrumptious and quite a hit. People kept trickling in throughout dinner that I was losing track of the faces and then we found ourselves out of chairs! A total of 25 students came. The awesome thing was that they came from all different venues – the BBS postings that Kan has now mastered, Phil’s English class, the NTHU English corner that Phil/Greg lead on Wednesday, and even some contacts whom our SMT members met. The majority of them stayed for our post bible study activity. The night ended on a sweet note. The remaining students – some first-timers, some regulars –right alongside us, helping us re-arrange the room, clean up, and load the van. It was a touching and beautiful picture. One student captured it best – saying that he thought a lot more people would want to come to this and exclaimed how he definitely would invite his friends. We were all astounded and amazed throughout the night and attributed it to all your prayers at home. Thank you for all your prayers and support!

Life is not about me. It’s about God, the gospel, and what He is doing in the world. Life is all about what God is doing and not about what I am doing and what I can do. The first week of my stay in Cambodia, I was struck by the level of poverty that I saw and I was heart-broken by the kind of circumstance and environment that people and children were living in. Many of the houses that I saw were but planks of uneven wood put together with a sheet of metal used as roofs. As I saw the children that came to Life University, many of them did not have shoes on, their clothes were dirty, and their teeth were all rotten and black. It was hard for me to see these children being dropped off at their homes, as their homes were located in alley ways and they were living in destitute conditions. Going to Tuol Sleng on our way to Life University was unbearable, as I was brought to imagine the tragedy of this unspeakable evil that happened not that long ago. And seeing many people on the streets, children who were so lost, simply struggling to make a day to day living made me really sad and I started to wonder how things are really going to get better.

Then I looked at our mission team’s efforts during the first week of my stay: running short 30 minute chapel times for one week, teaching different kinds of classes on English, Art, Music, etc. and constantly thinking about how to better communicate & serve the students at Life U. Frankly, I felt that our efforts were so small and I began to doubt what difference can we really make during our short time here. I found myself getting teary-eyed many times just thinking about the people, their tragic history, and their destitute conditions.

But God started the work of changing my perspective as I went out to visit people in the villages. On Tuesday of our first week, a group of us had a chance to visit a mother of one of the kindergarten girl at Life U. Her name was Salet and when we told her that we came from the US to share about God, she told us that she already believes. She agreed that because people don’t know God, people commit all kinds of bad things – that she even see older men going to bed with young children and she grieved over human wickedness. She also told us that she has a neighbor who would like to hear about God and called her over right away. Her neighbor’s name was Hea-An and we presented the bridge gospel presentation to her and when we asked her what she thought of it, she asked “How can I be a good Christian?” I think I told her that with any broken relationship, you come to tell the other party sorry and ask for the relationship to be restored and same with God. She told us that she cannot attend church because she had to take care of her family and work on Sundays. I responded that new Christians are like newborn infants who need spiritual feeding from mature Christians who have known God longer. I also tried to encourage her by telling her that God knows the number of hairs on her head and that God will make provisions for her and her family. We asked her if she wanted to make a decision to become a Christian, she emphatically said, “Yes”. I confirmed her understanding of the bridge, then the fact that she is a sinner and she said yes to all this. I felt humbled by her simple trust in what I had shared and we prayed for her decision. After we were done with prayer, I couldn’t contain my thankfulness and amazement of the moment and I was reminded of what Jesus said about the whole heaven rejoicing over one sinner that repents. I felt so joyful as I shared this with her and she shed tears with me. The amazing thing is that the following Sunday, she came to church with Salet on a moto even though it was raining quite a bit. I really did not do or say much, but it was God who had been at work in this woman’s heart to prepare her for the moment. My eyes begin to open to see God at work.

I also visited another family with a mom, dad, and a grandmother who happen to visit her grandchildren. We shared the gospel with them and the man’s response was “How can I have a relationship with God?” Although he did not make a decision he told us that he wants to learn more about the Bible so that if others were to ask questions to him, he would be able to respond “confidently” and “sincerely”. Apparently he has been listening to a Christian station on the radio in the mornings from 4:30 – 5:30am. With this and many other visits, I felt so encouraged to know that the message of Christianity and God’s love & truth was being communicated. So many people that I met in the villages have already heard about the gospel or they were at least very open to listening.

I think that the best experience that I had on this trip that broadened my perspective of God being at work was through our overnight stay at a village called Bot Veng. This village is a snake capital of Cambodia and was a remote place that we needed to go on a boat. We got a chance to spend 3 days there and I got to really bond with the children through teaching and playing. They were so affectionate and open towards us and were eager to learn and spend time with us. I got a chance to really bond with a group of first grade girls and they were so attached. I loved the singing time, especially when they sang “Your Love is Deep” and I really felt that God loved these kids so much. Who can really separate them from God’s love? The answer is “Nothing!” With the little that we do, they loved it and I was so thankful that we were able to teach and put in their hearts the seed of the gospel and the truth about God’s words to them. I got to visit some of their parents and families as I did door to door evangelism and I was encouraged to hear that they have heard the gospel at least once and some were part of a cell group, where a Bible leader would come and teach the Bible. I felt so much hope for this village because the gospel had come.

“My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working” (John 5:17). What I saw and experienced these past 2 weeks made me realize that God is indeed at work and I am simply called to join and participate in what He is doing already. So many times this past year in doing ministry, the focus was usually on me – in terms of what I needed to get done, what I needed to say, what I needed to think up, etc. In giving my efforts and energy, I often found myself losing steam and getting tired. It was because I believed that so much of what’s going to happen and what has been happening depended on me. But through this mission trip, it became so clear that God is the main character who is doing the work of drawing and moving people to himself and working in their hearts. As Tony and I will be involved in leading a Kairos group this upcoming school year, I want to simply allow myself to see what God is already doing and join Him in His work. I feel like the shift happened from trusting myself and what I can do to trusting in God and what He can do.

What I was really inspired, rebuked, and challenged by were the Christians that I had met throughout the trip. A group of Bible students came with us to Bot Veng village and they were so servant-like and humble, taking care of everything for us, from buying all the food for our 3 day stay, bringing mats, and other amenities we would need for sleeping and cooking. They would wake up and start cooking breakfast from 6 in the morning, only to start preparing for lunch, then dinner for about 30 of us. They were squatting most of the time to cook, wash, and so quick to meet whatever need we had. Furthermore they would stay up until 2 am to keep the generator going just in case any of us would need to use the restroom. Doing all this and more, they were cheerful and rather grateful to us for doing what we did for Cambodia. One Bible student named Jesse, on our last night’s stay in Penom Penh, cleaned all our rooms and bathrooms while we were out eating breakfast. I was humbled and rebuked by their service and humility, as I thought about how I often want to do things for my own satisfaction, to gain recognition from others, or doing things with a grumbling heart. These Bible student’s were full of gratitude and cheerful service and I could not but to term their lives as “beautiful”. Their lives really melted by heart and drew me closer to them. Timothy Rhee at the leaders’ Bible study group shared how being a spiritual leader is not so much about preaching and words, but about living out the gospel with our lives on a day to day basis. It is with my life, the way that I am serving, interacting with others, the way that I am spending my time, money, and energy that the gospel can be communicated to the people around me and I committed to the people around me and I repented of having driven by many wrong motives.

Another lesson that God taught me regarding my attitude towards starting Kairos ministry is that I really had nothing to point to as an excuse to say that I am not ready. Many Christians that I met who were doing ministry and evangelism in the villages, leading even more than one church at a time were so young. They were in their early and mid 20s but they did not waste time thinking, hesitating, saying that they are insecure about this, inadequate in that, or even needing to take care of their personal lives. Rather, with what they learned in Bible school and what they knew to be true, they went out boldly, trying to meet the spiritual needs of so many people in numerous villages. They understood that people are so needy and they did not waste time mulling over anything. Compared to them, I had been a Christian longer than they have, have been trained in the Bible and even apologetics so much more, and have had the blessing of being part of a strong and supportive Christian community, and it would be so inappropriate of me to try to hide behind some small insecurity or inadequacy that I felt. I have received so much and have been trained so much and I am more than ready to be fully involved in God’s work.

One concrete application that I want to apply is to live a life of gratitude and simplicity. Being out in the villages made me realize that I take so many things for granted. I am thankful for the clean water that I can wash with, for drinking water, for hot water that come out at the turn of a faucet, for roads that I can walk on without having to worry about leeches or snakes biting or being sunk in very deep mud, for soap, for food, for my cushioned bed, etc. While so many of these villagers don’t have access to these things, I somehow have the privilege to enjoy them, and I ought to always thank God for all these and should never complain about anything. Furthermore, I realized that I need to live a life of simplicity if I am going to live a focused life of living out the gospel and doing God’s work. The Christians that I met who had the most impact on me were people like sister YoungRan, Bunny, Maria, etc. who really had no concern for their personal comfort, possessions, and desires, but spent their time, money, and energy in showing God’s love and truth to people. YoungRan was always on her feet trying to arrange meetings for Christians (nursing students, Christian lecturers/professors), non-Christians so that more people at Life U can become Christians and for Christians to grow more in their faith. Brother Bunny was someone who graduated from Bible School at Life U, and is currently pasturing 2 churches, and works at Life U as a secondary teacher for his income. He is very poor, but he uses part of his income to sponsor 2 students to get education/go to school. He has such a burden for people and he would do whatever he can to meet the needs of the people.

What also really struck me through visiting many different village churches in Cambodia, as well as meeting Christian leaders there is that there are so many people who suffer for the gospel. In fact, there is really nothing they can gain or benefit from preaching & living out the gospel, and they are simply struggling to be faithful to their ministries because they believe that the gospel is true. Our team visited a church in a village that had many Muslims and a mosque & I heard that this is one of the villages where some people attempted to burn houses down because of the Christians. I really felt for the pastor whose very life and his family was not stable and in danger, and these experiences really opened my eyes to recognize that there are so many people suffering for the gospel. In contrast, as a Christian, I gain and benefit in so many different ways: resources, relationships, co-laborers, help with many different aspects of my personal life, etc. and these blessings do not necessarily follow every believing Christian. I committed to pray more for the brothers & sisters in other parts of the world who are trying to remain faithful and stand up for the truth of the gospel.

I am so thankful that I had an opportunity to go on this mission trip to Cambodia and for the many lessons that He has taught me. I only pray that I will never be the same from the insights I gained and the commitments that I made.

There is so much to share about the four weeks I spent in Cambodia – how God answered prayers, how God spoke to me in personal ways, how God shared with me his broken heart for this ravaged country and for the whole world. But I want to focus specifically on the medical missions portion of the Cambodia 4 trip – what I experienced and what I learned from it. I thank God for the awesome privilege of bearing his name, being called a minister and an ambassador of Christ, and serving alongside my brothers and sisters as we shared the gospel message and carried out God’s work of salvation.

The medical mission team was headed by Dr. Jonathan Shun, an internal medicine physician with many years of experience under his belt, and further comprised of Angell (a 5th year MD/PhD student), Annie and myself (both nurses who just graduated with our masters). Obviously we relied on Dr. J, who was essentially the backbone of the team. In addition to the providers were the other crucial components of the medical team: the health educators (Christina Park and Danielle Park), the triage nurses (Richard Tjhen, Vanessa Ramirez, and Mike Fu), the charge nurses (Ray Wong and Helen Park), and the pharmacists (Hannah Shun and Irene Youm). At each village, there would be a church founded and supported by Pastor Koo’s Life Church, and in the building we would set up a clinic with two registration/triage desks, a pharmacy, and three stations with Dr. J as the attending physician who would float and tackle difficult cases. It is estimated that we saw over 700 people over the course of 7 days of village outreach. What amazes me is that each of the patients we saw and treated was able to hear the gospel, many perhaps for the first time, and most of them were prayed over. I thank God for the wisdom of having a medical-gospel team that could share the good news to those who came for medical services. Through sister Hannah’s testimony of God’s miraculous healing when modern medicine had reached its limit, through evangelistic talks, through 1-on-1 gospel presentations, and through brother Bunny simply preaching, God was able to open people’s hearts to the gospel message. About 40 people had indicated that they wanted to follow Christ, and some of them were confirmed to be genuine salvation decisions. Paul wrote in Colossians 4:3, “And pray also for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ…” Looking back, I am so thrilled and humbled that God would use the medical team to open a door for people to hear the gospel. It was really exciting in the village of Ankozolm, 2 hours from Siem Reap; we learned later that day that our visit was the local church’s first village-wide evangelistic push, which meant that over 200 people heard the good news of Jesus Christ for the very first time!

Yet, it was in that same village where I met Nampung, a 3-year old boy carried in the arms of his grandmother.

[journal excerpt] Patient #102: 3yo male complaining of high fluctuating fever for the past few days with one episode of vomiting but no diarrhea; also complaining of cough x 15 days and of “fast breathing.” Has not been drinking much fluids. Oral temperature: 103.7F. On examination, the lung sounds were coarse rhonchi throughout, tachypneic breathing rate, and nasal flaring indicating air hunger. Diagnosis: bilateral pneumonia. Prognosis: very poor. Dr. Jonathan said that this child was dying. We checked his eyes, and the patient demonstrated signs that he was progressing towards loss of consciousness. We gave the child one dose of Children’s Tylenol to help reduce the fever as well as the first dose of Augmentin, antibiotics to help combat the infection that had claimed both sides of his lungs. We explained to the grandmother how she was supposed to administer the rest of the medicine, and we explained how dire the situation was and how she needed to bring her grandson to the hospital right away.

As we were weighing the child, I held him in my arms and looked into his eyes, which were looking back into mine. 13 kilograms. Watching him struggle for each breath, I felt so helpless and desperate, and I could not do anything but pray to God to have mercy on his little child. It was the first time I had ever seen someone dying in my arms. I still pray for him, and I wonder how he is. Maybe he is taking the antibiotics, and the antibiotics are working. Maybe his family did take him to the hospital and he is receiving treatment. It actually hurts too much to hope, but I know that God is faithful and that he loves him so much more than I ever could.

What about the mother? She herself was waiting to be seen, along with her younger son. I called her over and explained to her that her son is very sick and might die unless they take him to the hospital. Her face showed no sign of concern whatsoever. No matter how much I reiterated the gravity of the situation to her, she was utterly indifferent. She cared more about her own health problems, which were so mild in comparison – she was complaining of dehydration symptoms, and her other son had a cold.

I was plagued with a whole slew of “what if’s?” – what if we went to the village sooner, what if I did not allow the grandmother to simply walk out of the clinic with that child, what if he does not go the hospital, what if he does not take the antibiotics, what if it was all too late? I talked with Susanna SMN, and she assured me we did the best we could and all we could do now is pray. So as the “what if’s?” subside, in its place rise the “what now’s?” What am I going to do now with this experience? How am I going to live with this in mind? As I thought about it, I realized that this boy’s story is not uncommon. If a child in Cambodia is dying from an easily-treatable infection, then for sure there is a child in China, a child in Europe, a child in Africa, a child in Mexico and even a child in our own backyard that is suffering and dying from some disease because he or she does not have access to healthcare. So should I throw myself to global medical work? I am one person, so limited in what I can do. Then should I round up every doctor and nurse and pharmacist and swell the ranks of Doctors without Borders? Ultimately it will accomplish so little in the face of the overwhelming health needs around the world. My only conclusion is that people need the Lord.

I heard from my dad this morning that my maternal grandfather in Hong Kong had passed away; he had another episode of pneumonia, but it was to be his last. He was 88, with 8 children and several grandchildren. He had attended church earlier in his life, but from what I knew, he did not believe in God or anything else. My mother and my aunt, both Christian, were with him when he died, so I hope they were able to minister to him during his final days. All people get sick, many recover, some more slowly than others, but in the end we all die. “Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment…” (Hebrews 9:27). What is of eternal importance, then, is how each man stands before God – either redeemed or condemned. Jesus’ own mission was this clear, and his mission for the church has remained the same these past 2000 years. Yet when I look at my neighbors, my classmates, my coworkers, or even people walking on the sidewalk, they all look as if they have their lives together, comfortable and content, and it seems like God is the last thing on their minds. But their schedules and attentions are occupied with so many distractions and hollow pursuits that they do not consider the things that matter the most. God calls me to show people the truth about life and to share the message of hope and eternal life that are found only in Jesus. I recommit to the work of the gospel, to making my whole life into God’s invitation for others to come and experience his love and truth.

On the last night of our mission trip, we were in Phnom Penh and met up with Pastor Koo, who told us the story about Chan Tha. Chan Tha is a 14-year old Cambodian girl from the village of Poipet, near the border of Cambodia and Thailand, who was suffering from frequent chest pains. Five years ago, Dr. Lee, a deacon-doctor from Korea, visited that village, met her, and diagnosed her from a congenital heart defect. During those five years, Dr. Lee was working to raise funds and support for a surgical operation to repair her heart. Because the cost of transporting her to Korea and of having the surgery there was so great, Dr. Lee decided it would cost less to send the surgical team to Cambodia to perform the operation. In the matter of months, Dr. Lee was able to assemble a surgical team, and together they flew into Phnom Penh. Because the cost was much less than expected, the team was able to perform cardiac surgeries on five more children. The five additional surgeries were all successful – we saw two of the patients and they were healthy and moving actively – but Chan Tha’s surgery had complications, and she was in a coma for the 6 days following the operations.

The medical team along with Susanna SMN, Hannah and Pastor Koo went to the hospital to pray over Chan Tha. When we arrived at her bedside, the sight of her grieved our hearts. Covered up to her waist with a bedsheet, she lied on her right side, with cardiac monitor lines, NG tube, and IV lines all over the place. She was hooked up to a ventilator, and the mouthpiece was secured around her lips with tape that was saturated in blood. Her body was swollen, especially her face and neck, and her arms and legs were cold. Some of us reviewed her medical records and lab reports, which showed that her body was slowly shutting down. Her blood pressure had been gradually declining, hovering around 40/25. Gathered around her and laying our hands on her – on her forehead, on her hands, on her feet – we prayed and cried out to God for a miracle, because we understood that medically there was no more to be done. We continued to pray for the next hour, while massaging her feet, caressing her hands, and speaking into her ear. “Chan Tha,” I said, “P’own srey (little sister), preah yea-su sraal’ang neak (Jesus loves you).” I recalled during a prayer meeting recently, how Pastor Ed encouraged us to erase the artificial boundaries encircling nuclear families and to claim other people as our brothers and sisters, and how he said he wanted to claim the children of Cambodia as his own. So as I stood at her side, I wanted to claim Chan Tha as my little sister, and to pray with desperation for her.

The following morning, Susanna SMN and Hannah along with another group of our missionaries returned to the hospital to see Chan Tha again. They were able to meet the pastor of the church where Dr. Lee serves as a deacon. Once the church learned about Chan Tha’s condition, they immediately set up a prayer and fasting chain, and the pastor traveled to Cambodia, riding many hours to Poipet to bring her parents to Phnom Penh. He has been by Chan Tha’s side ever since, massaging her feet and warming her feet with hot water bottles, praying over her with tears. He even asked our team for prayers for himself, because his heart was so broken. Our team witnessed how he wept so much in prayer and with Chan Tha’s parents, and one brother remarked how he experienced a concrete demonstration of the love of Christ in that pastor. The parents themselves were believers, so humble and grateful; as the team and they were huddled together in prayer, they were crying, and the father even squeezed brother Ray Wong’s hand. They told our team that they had already committed Chan Tha to God – that if she were to die, she would be with him in heaven, and that if she were to live, she would be a living testimony of God’s power and mercy. When I heard they had said this, I was personally comforted in my heart by the parents’ trust in God. One thing I was so afraid of was that they might respond with bitterness or doubt, but God was sustaining their faith in him.

This past Monday, we received news that Chan Tha had passed away over the weekend. Although the news is so sad, God has given the assurance that he was in control over the entire situation. In addition to the five additional cardiac surgeries, the Korean medical team signed a contract agreeing to perform 20 life-saving operations for the next 5 years! Because of this one precious little girl, 100 more children will have a second chance at life. The verse I had to hold onto was Romans 8:28-39: “And we know in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son…” God, who is always at work, always has a purpose – and that purpose is so good. Who knew that this girl, who would have lived until she was 30 at most, would go through this ordeal but through it 105 people could live again? Her life is like that single seed that died, giving life to many more seeds. Coincidentally, the team of surgeons came from an organization called “Kernel of Wheat.” “What shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? … No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:35, 37).

After hearing about Chan Tha’s death, as I was praying for her family and all those involved in her care, I was further comforted by other details I recalled. During those 5 years between the time Dr. Lee met Chan Tha and the time of the operation, the doctor cultivated such a close and fond relationship with her that she would refer to him as “father.” Moreover, that her parents are such faithful and godly Christians probably meant that she was dearly loved in the name of the Lord, being raised as a woman of God. And I imagine that before her surgery, her parents prayed for her and Dr. Lee prayed for her, that she would trust God during that time. Dr. J received an email informing him of Chan Tha’s passing, and in the report it said that “just prior to her expiration, she was able to see her parents and receive prayers from Dr. Lee…” God answered our prayer, and he woke her up long enough to see her parents and to be prayed over, to reassure them that she is okay. Praise God for his faithful provision! Even though Chan Tha was not miraculously healed, God had a specific purpose for her life, and she entrusted herself into his loving hands. “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

Where can I even begin to describe all that I’ve experienced and felt through this one week mission trip to Honduras. As I think back upon this week, what God has allowed me to experience in this one short week has far, far exceeded my expectations prior to going on this trip. Just to give a quick background about the organization that sponsors the mission trip is called Baptist Medical and Dental Mission International and was founded in 1974 by a missionary couple who had been serving in Honduras and recognized the severe medical/dental need in Honduras. Through this organization now, more than 40 teams from different churches volunteer with BMDI in Honduras and Nicaragua each year. Most of the teams that come to Honduras and Nicaragua mainly go into the remote villages to evangelize and also provide medical/dental care but the team that I happened to join is the only group that works the whole week at the Good Shepherd Children’s Home which I will talk more about later.

Truthfully, when I signed up to go on this trip, my main desire was to learn as much as I could about doing dental mission work so that I could apply it to our own church medical/dental mission trips in the future but I didn’t expect to be as deeply impacted by the condition of the country, the people and especially the children I met to the extent that I already find myself wanting to go back there again. As I look back now, I feel as if it was God’s will for me to come specifically on this trip even though when I first signed up for the trip, it wasn’t with much thought about where I wanted to go but simply I wanted to go somewhere, anywhere to learn about dental mission work. I remember in the beginning of June looking on the internet for different medical/dental mission groups to volunteer for during the summer, but for some reason this team that I ended up going with was the only one who responded saying they needed another dentist to go and the time frame worked out as well. Later on, when I met with the team leader, Richard, he had told me that they had been worried about not having enough dentists on this trip because one of the Honduran dentists who normally worked with the group had not been in contact with them for awhile and so he was really surprised and thankful when he got my email out of the blue asking if I could join his team as a dentist.

I remember my first impression as we left the airport and headed to the mission home we would be staying at is how beautiful and lush the country was, filled with mountains and trees. Yet, despite the natural landscape being so beautiful, I was also surprised to see the poor conditions that most of the people lived in. Even in the capital city itself, there were many signs of poverty as I saw so many shacks built on the sides of the mountains where people lived w/o electricity, no running water. As we got farther away from the capital, the poverty became more and more evident.

It’s definitely been an eye opening experience being a part of a mission team that was not comprised of our own church members. Even though I was the only Asian among the seventy members on the team yet the other team members made me feel right at home and I think one of the blessings on this trip was simply to be able to fellowship with these brothers and sisters in Christ mostly from Louisiana and Tennessee. The team members were from 3 different churches in Louisiana, and one from Tennessee. It challenged and inspired me as many of the people on the team were easily over 50 years old yet their passion and energy in serving throughout the week was just as if they were young twenty year olds. Many of these old “grandfathers” were outside each day in the hot, humid weather doing heavy construction work all day long, and for many of them they had been coming each summer to Honduras for more than 5 years. It also was an eye opening experience seeing parents and their children working together, in fact their was one family who had the grandparents, son and wife, and their grandchildren all together on this trip.

Just to give a quick outline of the week, every day we would drive over to the Good Shepherd children’s home from where we were staying and would work in the different ministries we were assigned to. People from the surrounding villages, some walking for several hours would come to the children’s home each day to be seen. Every day, as we drove in, there was already a long line of people waiting to be seen at 7:30 am. I was surprised by the list of different ministries they offered including: evangelical team, youth and children’s ministry, clothing ministry, hair dressing ministry, eye glasses ministry, construction, pharmacy, medical and dental ministry. Among the ministries described, I was surprised at how powerful the clothing and hair dressing ministries were and the way it brought so much joy to the villagers. Instead of simply handing out bags of clothes in the clothing ministry, they actually had set it up so that each person who comes in can look and shop for clothes that they actually like. And in the hair dressing ministry, the volunteers would help wash and cut people’s hair and help braid the children’s hair. Each evening after dinner, we would have a tent evangelical/revival service mainly for the workers and children from the children’s home.

It was definitely a very busy and fruitful week, as over 2100 people came through the week. When I first heard that number, I thought that they were mistaken but I was amazed at how many people from the surrounding villages came over the course of 5 days. Being part of the dental team with three other dentists, in total we were able to see about 300 patients throughout the week. Definitely in terms of the dental ministry, one of the main highlights was being able to go the nearby schools to provide fluoride/oral hygiene instructions and being given the opportunity to give a short evangelical presentation at two of the schools. I would never have imagined that here I would be giving a short gospel presentation to more than 200 school children in Honduras because all I thought I would be doing on this trip was mainly doing dental mission work. Yet I was really grateful for the opportunity to be able to tell these children about God’s love for each and every one of them. The tragedy is that the children in Honduras are unable to receive a good education because the teachers are constantly on strike due to them not being paid enough and the condition of most of the schools is utterly depressing. The day we went to visit the schools, we ended up only being able to go to two because three of the other schools were closed due to teachers being on strike.

At the end of the week, I was told there had been 138 salvation decisions through the week. Wow, praise the Lord!! One ministry that they began this year is called the rice and beans ministry in which they would drive to the remote villages and hand out bags of beans and rice while doing door to door evangelism. I heard that through this ministry, eight people made salvation decisions. I was so thankful to God that I had an opportunity to play a small part in these decisions by serving the people through meeting their dental needs. I remember someone sharing how after they went on the Cambodia medical mission team, they realized that what these people needed was more than medical treatment because medications run out, and eventually they will get sick again but what they needed the most was the Gospel. And I personally became convinced of this through this trip as well as I saw so many people with medical/dental needs. What hurt me the most was seeing all these little kids who came in with such badly decayed teeth that the only solution was to extract them. In the medical clinic, I heard that they saw many 14, 15 year olds coming in either pregnant or already having children. As patient after patient came into the dental clinic, I realized that we can only do a limited amount to help them with their health issues but what they needed the most was to come to know God’s eternal love for them.

The utter poverty I saw in Honduras was such a contrast with what I saw happening with the children in the Good Shepherd Children’s Home that we worked at. The founders of this children’s home, Greg and Eva Vaughn, reminded me a lot of Mike and Cindy Edson and what they were doing in Tashkent through the orphanage. Their vision for this children’s home was not simply that it would be a place where abused, abandoned children can have a home and come to know God’s love but that this children’s home would be able to have an impact around the surrounding community which it has indeed. I heard from other team members that came before, that the villagers are so grateful and thankful for the Children’s Home because without the home, they would not have a place to receive health care and clothing. One of my regrets was not being able to spend time talking to Greg and Eva as I was so busy throughout the week in the dental clinic but I was able to find a brief testimony about how they started this orphanage online:

Founded in 1997 by BMDMI missionaries, Greg & Eva Vaughn, the Children's Home is a fulltime ministry to the abused, abandoned, and orphaned children of Honduras. More than 200 children reside at the Children's Home where they receive the basic necessities of live - food, clothing, shelter, education and lots of love. The Good Shepherd Children's Home is a ministry of the Baptist Medical & Dental Mission International. The GSCH is built on the firm foundation of Love. Love For God and Love for Children. Eva Vaughn says "God closed my womb so that we would come here and open this home for abused and neglected children." Her husband Greg says " I became angry with God, asking Him why He gives children to people who abuse them in horrible ways and would not bless us with a child when we would teach them your ways and raise them in Church." Then Greg says he had to ask God to forgive him, who was he to question the ways of the Creator of the Universe. He then adds, "I said Lord, You know the Love you have given us for children. Just give us a big home and fill it full of children."

The Vaughn's suffered through 9 1/2 years of infertility treatment as they sought to become parents. They asked God to bless them with 5 children. God obviously had a bigger plan in mind. Through their trials the Vaughn's marriage grew stronger as they bonded together to weather this terrible storm. Around every corner they were reminded they were childless yet their faith in God continued to grow. They knew that God had a plan and soon realized that through their inability to have children God had created a children's ministry. The Vaughn's had become Directors of the Children's Ministry in their home Church, Westside Baptist Church in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
On a week long missions trip in 1995 with Baptist Medical and Dental Mission International God revealed His plan to the Vaughn's as they saw the need of the children in Honduras. As they watched children standing on street corners in tattered clothing begging for something to eat God began to unveil His purpose for them.

Returning to the states they sought God and what He wanted. The Vaughn's lived a comfortable life with all they could ask for. Good paying jobs, family and friends close by and a Church full of children that loved them dearly. But God was clear in His plan and in July of 1995 the Vaughn's became missionaries with BMDMI to return to Honduras full time. Greg says "Leaving was not easy for us or our family and friends. But we knew that God had spoken and we knew that we would never be truly happy if we did not fully surrender to Him. We were told that we would not be given a salary and would be responsible for every expense of the home. I knew I could not handle something like that but God assured me that He could. That is why we are called "Faith Missionaries". We have Faith that God will provide what is needed. And He Does!"

As I read through their testimony, it reminded me a lot of how Mike and Cindy Edson started out the Tashkent orphanage in faith without the necessary funds and yet God provides. I remember the first time I made my way up to where the children were living. Even though I was meeting them for the first time, yet so many of them were so outgoing, so eager to grab my hand and hold onto me, so eager to want me to play with them. Being the only Asian on the team, many of them gave me the nickname Jackie Chan. As I saw these kids happily playing around and interacting with us, I would never have imagined or realized the tragic backgrounds most of these children come from. Throughout the week I had opportunities to learn about the stories of some of these children. At the mission home where we staying, they had file folders with the background story of each child and how they came to the children’s home. Just like Compassion International, they also have forms for people if they are interested in sponsoring a certain child.

I remember on the last day I was playing with this little girl, Meylin, who was so playful and cheerful. Later on the bus ride home, someone told me about her tragic story. When she was 4 years old, someone found her tied up in a trash bag that was floating on the river. When they opened the trash bag, they discovered that both her hands and feet had been tied, and her mouth has been duct taped. Basically she was left there to die on that river. When she first came to the home, she was so afraid of anyone touching her and she would yell and scream whenever someone tried. I was stunned beyond belief to hear about her past because the way she interacted with people now so happily and cheerfully I would never have imagined such a tragic background. I remember throughout the night she kept coming up to me and wanting to sit on my lap.

I learned about another girl, Angelica, whom I first saw in the dental clinic. I think she’s about fourteen, a really cute and pretty girl with a beautiful voice as she sang at one of the evening tent services. Growing up, she was sexually abused by both her father and uncle so badly that when she was only 11, she had to undergo a complete hysterectomy. Again, looking at her now, one would never have imagined her having such a dark history.

One of the doctors in the medical clinic told me about one of the recent girls who had entered the orphanage and who had visited the clinic during the week. When the doctor examined her, he was shocked to see that her head was disfigured and her body was covered with scars because her mom used to beat her up with a hammer and machete.

I remember one cute boy named Joster who is five years old and he would follow me around everywhere I went and kept wanting to hold onto my hand. I remember when I hugged him and held him up, I was shocked to see how light he was for his age, he didn’t seem that much heavier than my daughter Emma who’s not even two. Later on when I read his file, I realized that he came from a home filled with domestic violence and he was malnourished. I could go on and on with the heartbreaking stories of each of these children I met throughout the week but what really touched me and amazed me was the transforming power of the love they have received from Greg and Eva and from God.

On the last day when the older children of the home put on a special program for the missionaries, one girl shared her testimony and in spite of her tragic background, she praised God and said that she is glad that she is in this home so that she can come to know God’s love. In my heart, all I could say was praise the Lord for what He has been doing through Greg and Eva, through the Christian workers at this orphanage. Where else can you find a little kid thanking God and being grateful that she is in an orphanage and not being resentful or bitter against God.

The last night we were there was so sad as I had to say good bye to many of these kids that I had started to get to know throughout the week. It was sad seeing many of them with tears in their eyes, not wanting to let go of my hands, telling me to come back again next year. I remember this one kid, who I said goodbye to, but then he would come back again, and I ended up saying goodbye to him 5 different times. I remember another kid who throughout the week tried to look cool but when it was time to say goodbye, his eyes were filled with tears. I was told that every year, this is the one week they look forward to because this is the only mission team group that spends the entire week at the children’s home, all the other teams that come to Honduras mostly go to the remote villages and only spend half a day at the children’s home. For me, I was surprised at how attached I’ve become to many of these kids I only met for the first time and for only a couple of days. As we were leaving in the bus, I just wished I had more time to spend getting to know them. I brought back several of their sponsorship forms because so many of them left such an impression on me that I want to continue to pray for them and have a relationship with them. For me, it’s just so different than sponsoring a Compassion child whom you never met, versus a child whom you’ve actually interacted and played with, whom you’ve taken pictures with.

As I was on the plane back from Honduras, my mind was filled with the images of each of these precious children I met through the week, and haunted with images of the utter poverty of this nation. One prayer I found myself praying was “God, please let me come back to this nation, let me come back to love these children again.” I know I surprised myself that I would be praying this prayer. I would never have thought prior to this trip that I would develop such an attachment for this country, especially the children, but it has happened and I thank God that He has opened my eyes to see the needs of this part of the world that I never thought about. This was my prayer request prior to going to the trip that God would open my eyes and help me to share in heart for the world a little more through the trip but I think God has really, really stretched opened my eyes to see the need for God in Honduras and He has left my heart yearning to see these precious little children I met again.

Relationships have formed quickly in this one week with the Life University students and we can't believe we've only been here for a little less than a week. We can already sense that we will miss each other greatly when we leave next week...

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