TIC’s Mission Effort in Cambodia

Opportunity to be in the

Mission Field.

TIC is full of many different opportunities to meet and

serve people both here locally and throughout Asia.

One of my favorite annual events is the annual Cambodia Mission Trip. What

started off as a youth trip evolved into a church wide trip. Friends, family, and

acquaintances are all invited to join us

when we go to Cambodia to experience ministry at the ground level.

This booklet is an quick overview of what

we have done in the past. This years projects will similar. No special skills are

needed, just a big heart and a willingness

to move outside your comfort zone to reach out to children who need a little bit of attention.

May God direct you in your thoughts and decisions as you consider joining us.

New Hope

Children’s

Homes

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In the summer of 2004, Taipei International

Church (TIC) youth went to Cambodia to for a

mission trip. While there, we helped construct

homes for families in need and spent some time at

two different orphanages. God blessed us with two

days of doing ministry and being ministered to by the

orphans and by introducing us to Pastor Sinai and

Somalay. The experience at the orphanages

prompted us to want to go back to Cambodia again to

work with New Hope for Orphans, Pastor Sinai and

Somalay. The team went to Cambodia with the

purpose to build housing for those in need, little did we know God had a greater purpose.

After much prayer, and a

exploratory trip by former TIC members

from the USA, Mike & Beverly Gilliam.

After hearing the report on their

exploratory trip, everyone agreed God

wanted TIC to partner with Pastor Sinai

in Cambodia. TIC’s Paradyme Youth

Ministry decided to return to Cambodia

in 2005 to work with Pastor Sinai and

New Hope for Orphans.

Mike Gilliam (center with cap on), Pastor Sinai, Somalay

(both to the right of Mike), Beverly Gilliam (far right)

History: 2005

History: The Beginnings

In March of 2005, former TIC members from South

Africa, Hennie & Madelein Prinsloo and Pastor Doug went

for a planning trip. In a one week whirlwind trip we

traveled all over Cambodia with Pastor Sinai visiting people,

churches and orphanages.

A few days into the trip we arrived at a village in

Northwest Cambodia near the Thailand border. In this

orphanage we found that the boys needed to sleep outside

in the former chicken coup which stood over a fish pond

(see pictures next page). Pastor Sinai shared with us his Hennie & his new friend

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Left: Kwanele and Sam who spent a

month in Cambodia in 2005.

Below: Chicken coup were boys in the

orphanage slept.

To this day the contractor we worked with wants us to bring more youth to work. Not only is the labor free, but they are hard workers. (Left - foreground: tying off rebar, background: digging the

foundation; Right - digging ditch for drainage pipe)

Above: New dorm building (turned out so nice the

girls moved into it)

Right: Plaque recognizing what God provided through TIC.

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Team members found themselves

challenged as they usually spend several

nights sleeping on the floor of the

orphanages.

wish to have a simple building for

the boys. Conversations helped us

discover his long term vision for the

orphanage, we found his true desire

was for a two story concrete

building, with a dorm on top, room

for house parents, and an open

community space below.

For 2005, we decided to take on the task of building the

fore mentioned building and several other small projects in

the area, including replacing a grass hut with a building for a

village church about ten kilometers away. God provided funds

and a building was raised which is now used as a girls

dormitory. Additional funds raised went to the purchase

generators, school clothing, land, and other smaller buildings,

sponsorships for seventeen children and other needs of the

New Hope For Orphans. Two separate teams went for ten day

trips, three youth spent seventeen days and three spent a

month in Cambodia.

The work and the living conditions where hard. There was not electricity, running water or

showers and it was hot and humid day and night. We slept either on the floor of the church

building or outside under mosquito nets and in close proximity. However, the youth and adults (and

one child) mustarded strength from God and not only survived but thrived. Within a week the first

team had laid the foundation an by the time the second team left construction had began on the

second floor. The building was finished and dedicated a few months later.

Before and After

Read about God’s amazing provision for the projects in The Work, Question , Need & God's Provision at the end.

Heat, humidity, hard floors didn’t add up

to good sleep, however all felt the

sacrifices was worth it because they

enjoyed the interaction and that

developed by staying at the orphanages.

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The stories continue, but by now I think you have a good foundation of TIC involvement in

Cambodia, so I will just give a short overview of each year since 2006.

In 2006, we went to Kampong Chnang.

Funds were raised for land, and the construction

of a church building, along with sponsorships.

While on location the youth worked on an

completed the foundation. A second smaller

team went to the Koh Kong orphanage to build a

kitchen.

In previous years one of the best parts of

the mission trip were the connections made with

the children and adults in the orphanages and

surrounding villages. Therefore, in 2007 we

changed the focus of our mission trip from construction to the orphans themselves. Time was spent

traveling to several different orphanages. While at the orphanage mission team members played

games, preformed skits, taught a Bible lesson and crafts, spent time with, and shared a meal with

the orphans and staff. We helped for a few days doing construction.

History: 2006 & 2007

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2008 marked the first year of the family mission trip.

In previous years the trips had been limited to teenagers

and adult sponsors. In 2008 the trip was open to all TIC

members, attendees and friends. A total of 48 people

divided into three teams undertaking projects at four

different orphanages. The projects ranged from light

construction, painting, installation of water filtration and

outreach.

In 2009 the main projects were a fence,

installation of two playgrounds, water filtration,

outreach and the building of a care takers house

for an orphanage farm. Forty-six people divided

into three teams and visited several locations.

The fence was a large project and was headed up

by Ray Heberer a TIC youth, who decided to build

it for his Eagle Scout Project.

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History: 2008 & 2009 Left: Ray working on the fence project.

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Ministry by

happenstance:?

In 2007, we

spent one day

traveling to a village

on an island on the

Tonle Sap river. This

was at the request of a

house church pastor.

When we got to the

village, a group was moving a house. A few of the boys

jumped in and helped carry the structure. Later we learned

that by participating in this it showed the people of the

village we cared for them and was a loud witness for God.

How Ministry Happens

Perhaps the greatest ministry is giving

God’s love and feeling God’s love by

the children. They (and we) love the

extra attention they get when we stay

with them. This is why we always try

to spend at least a few days and nights

at the orphanages. It will change your

life.

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In 2010 we continued the family

mission trip. Team members were

divided into three teams, each with

its specific goals or tasks. As in

previous years teams stayed in the

children’s’ home when possible and

spent time with the children.

Chicken Farm Team: This team

consisted of nine members and

spent the week in Kampong Cham.

The primary task of this team was

to start the building of a chicken

coop designed for 2,000 chickens.

The chickens will be raised by the

children’s’ home for food and to sell

for income. This is part of long

term vision to help each children’s’

home become self sufficient. The

long range goal is for each

children’s’ home to be able to raise

pigs, fish, chickens, fruits,

vegetables, and rice. These items

will be used in the orphanage or

sold to meet the needs of the

children.

Playground Team: This ten

member team traveled to two

different children’s’ home (Rong Kor

& Kampong Chhnang). The primary

task of this team was to complete

the installation of playground

equipment and bunk beds. The

bunk beds became a top priority

after one child broke a leg when

she fell off the top bunk after it had

given out from under her.

Outreach Team: This team of

seven men visited eight different

locations in four days with a

History: 2010

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In 2011 we continued the family mission trip.

Most of the group spent the week in

Battambang. One team visited many

children’s homes and small churches to

encourage and share a program. The other

team spent the week working at a New Hope

Children’s Home and started building a fence

around the property. The highlight of both

teams was the relationships developed with

people and especially the children in the

home.

Kampong Cham Team: This special small

team consisted of three members who spent

the week teaching both children and adults

English lesions. The highlight of the trip was

taking the entire children’s’ home to Siem

Reep for a road trip. This was the first time

many of the children have ever seen Angkor

Wat.

program of singing, skits, testimony and

preaching by Lum Lim. Lum Lim is the

director of Word of Life Fellowship

Churches, New Hope for Orphans’ sister

organization. The goal of this team was

represent New Hope for Orphans and

Fellowship Word of Life churches in a

positive way and to encourage village

pastors/churches. At the end of each

outreach event, gift bags of toothbrushes,

tooth paste, candy, shampoo, pencils, etc.

were handed out. Around 950 bags were

given away.

December 2010, Nicholas Wiest led a team of 9 volunteers to Cambodia to install a water filtration system at one of the Orphanages for his project for his Eagle Scout Badge.

April 2-9, 2011

Interested in sponsoring a child? Contact TIC missions Committee

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Our involvement in New Hope for Orphans has five

main purposes.

1. To follow up from previous mission trips to

encourage Pastor Sinai and Somalay (see

picture right) and their staff, and let them

know that TIC wants to continue to partner

with them on the ministry in Cambodia.

2. Raise funds for capital improvement projects.

3. Minister to the children of New Hope for

Orphans by spending time with them.

4. Develop vision and possible plan for a future

missions trips.

5. Deliver donated items from TIC members,

friends and community organizations.

Together we have raised funds to buy land for orphanages, rice fields to grow rice to feed the

orphans, multiple construction projects (from water wells to large buildings) and to sponsor

orphans. We have even had the opportunity to bring Pastor Sinai and Somalay to Taipei to share

about their work with TIC.

However TIC mission work in Cambodia is not about sending money. It is about involvement.

Going and spending time with the Orphans, staff and pastors can one of the best ways we can

encourage and support God’s work in Cambodia. It is about learning about another culture and

becoming friends.

New Hope for Orphans (NHO) is a

registered non-prophet agency in

Cambodia with eight orphanages and

growing with nearly three hundred

children. NHO together with

Fellowship Word of Life Churches are

led by Pastor Sinai and Somalay.

There vision is to bring to the

Cambodian people the hope they

have found in Christ. Visit NHO’s

website at

http://www.nhoasia.org

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The Work, Question , Need & God's Provision

After the Gilliams returned in the fall of 2004, TIC’s youth group and others went to

work to raise money for the Cambodia Mission trip. By March 2005, after six months of fund

raising, a little over US$7,000 had been raised. When combined with a TIC special offering a

we raised a total of near US$13,000. During Pastor Doug’s pre-trip visit Hennie, Madelein,

and Pastor Doug agreed that TIC was to raise the two story concrete dorm building in Rong

Kor and several additional smaller projects. Hennie then asked how much did more did we

need to raise? The answer was US$20,000 USD in six-eight weeks time. That evening the

decision and the problem was shared with Pastor Sinai and Somaly. We shared that we did

not know how we could raise US$20,000 in six weeks but did believe this is what God wanted

to do. We also were convicted the money needed to be raised first and that God would

provide.

Early the next morning before going to the airport Pastor Doug decided to send an

email ahead to Taipei to ask people to meet him that evening for the purpose of prayer and

strategizing fund raising. He wanted to do this because people in Taipei did not know about

the projects and the need for a lot more funds. Before he wrote the email he read incoming

email. The first email was in regards to a donation that had been promised several days

earlier. The amount of the donation: US$20,000. God was at work, not only did He ask TIC

to do something that seemed impossible, He provided the funds before He made the request.

Needless to say there was great joy and thanking of God as this news was shared with Pastor

Sinai and Somalay.

The best part of the story is that it didn’t stop there. In the following year (2006) TIC

set out to build a church building in the village of Kampong Chnang as the main project. When

the special offering was collected at TIC a person came forward and spoke to the chairman of

the mission committee. This person felt convicted by God to match whatever the special

offering for Cambodia mission was. The financial need was US$15,000 for the church

building. The mission offering: US$7500, the matching gift US$7500. God was at work again!

The story continues even to this day as God continues to pour out resources through

TIC to Cambodia, India and elsewhere. TIC members, attendees, friends and acquaintances

continue to give abundantly of their resources for projects, orphans and pastor support, and

to go on or send others on mission trips. It is good to be part of a community that freely gives

of their money, time, wisdom and prayer to others without hesitation. It just goes to show

that when we seek out what God wants to do and commit to do it, He will provide all that we

need.

It seems appropriate to end this with to be continued…