Wow, what a God You are! This is a lyric from a VBS song that reflects my heart coming back from a Southeast (SE) Asia mission trip. The first week in SE Asia was spent with our church’s orphan homes in Battambang, Cambodia. The campus develops kids into leaders and vessels of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The staff’s priority is to not only meet basic physical needs, but emotional and spiritual needs as well. God has placed faithful leaders and home parents in the orphan homes who teach the love of Christ. And the children genuinely worship the Lord each day with outstretched arms.

God has provided safety, health, family, and love to kids who were in a place of turmoil. His provision for these kids has given them great joy! Everywhere I looked there were smiles. Kids are kids everywhere. They like to play, laugh, run, and be creative. They each have their own unique flare given to them by the Lord. “Let the little children come to me,” Jesus said in Matthew 19:14. Because of your faithfulness, orphans in SE Asia have the opportunity to hear about Jesus. Thank you for your generosity in providing and praying for them!

The second week in SE Asia was spent in Thailand! We visited our orphan homes in Wiang Pa Pow and the G.R.O.W. (Grace Refuge Outreach Worldwide) home as well! We played games, talked, laughed, and enjoyed every minute together! I was given the opportunity to talk to the kids at their Sunday morning service and let me tell you: They are fearfully and wonderfully made and precious in Jesus’ sight. I could barely hold back tears as I shared about how God made them. That truth is so dear to my heart. Every person has a story and God has a plan for them. I saw a child at one of the homes with a large scar running up her neck. My heart broke. I wonder what life was like before she was rescued. There are things in this world we don’t like to think about or address. A lot of brokenness that we can’t even imagine. And for some of these kids that I met, they have been at the emotional and physical risk that is unimaginable. But the shelter that Christ offers them is undeniable.

One of the most important things that God taught me on the trip was to be intentional in every moment. I didn’t have forever with the kids. Only two weeks. I don’t have forever on this earth. Only God knows the amount of time each of us has and each moment should be used for the Lord. I need to live to put others first. I wasn’t born for myself. I was born to glorify God.

Elise Kern, Communications Intern

Learn more about our partnership with Asia’s Hope:

Orphan Care

See how you can become a part of what God is doing in SE Asia:

Become an Orphan Care Shareholder