It started with a prayer...one pastor saw the need andprayed. Then the pastor shared this prayer with other pastors and they prayed.Eventually, in the early 2000’s, these pastors met with Pastor Sinai Phouek andMark Geppert and shared the need with them. That one prayer, approximately 20years ago, has led to today: orphaned, abandoned, and at-risk children livingin the permanent location of the New Hope for Orphans (NHO) children’s home inthe province of Kampong Thom, Cambodia.
It has been a long process. Since those first prayers, manymore prayers have risen over the years for this to happen. Mark and PastorSinai picked up the mantle of prayer for this need and carried it forward. Stepswere taken and land was purchased in 2006. With the purchase of the land, itwas thought that the home would come quickly, but it didn’t. The land wasfarmed for many years, producing cashews and vegetables that were needed forthe local community.
In 2014, the first intern group returned from theirinternship at the SEAPC-USA office and established an office in the capitalcity of Kampong Thom. They worked very hard to reach out to people andestablish a worship community, with the goal of establishing the permanentlocation on the property that had been purchased. After a year, it was obviousthat it was not the correct timing and that the interns were needed in thePhnom Penh offices to help handle the rapidly growing ministry.
At the same time that all of this was happening, a youngSitha Phon and Sopheaktra Chhorn were growing up. Sitha was in his early 20s atthe Phnom Penh home for NHO, attending college and working, and Sopheaktra wasa teenager, living with her parents in Kampong Thom province and going toschool in her local community. Her father is a pastor. Ultimately, as theygrew, Sitha was working in the NHO head office and Sopheaktra went to PhnomPenh to attend college. They met through the youth/young adult ministry, fellin love, and married in April, 2015.
In early 2017, while awaiting the birth of their firstchild, Sitha and Sopheaktra felt led to move to care for orphaned, abandoned,and at-risk children in Kampong Thom province. They wanted to bless kids theway Sitha had been blessed when he was in need. Sopheaktra’s father’s churchhad a small school building on the church grounds that they were no longerusing and said that the children’s home could be there temporarily. In August2017, no more than one month after their son was born, they moved and withinanother month, they already had 8 children living at the home.
The number of children grew very quickly and the temporarylocation was at full capacity. It was actually inching beyond capacity as theycould not in good-conscious turn away children in need. It was obvious that thehome needed to move. Prayers intensified.
Then, in 2018, God brought short-term teams to help at thehome. A member of one of these teams fell in love with the kids and staff atthe home and felt led to help them in bringing forth the permanent location wherethey would live. Others joined in with the desire to see this completed. Usingthe land purchased in 2006, various designs for the home’s layout andconstruction were explored. The final design came into place mid-2019 as housefather, Sitha, requested that the home be laid out in the design of a cross;with the church being closest to the road, the learning center/house parentlodging being behind the church with the boys’ and girls’ dormitories on eitherside, and the kitchen/dining area in the back.
Construction began in November 2019 with expectations thatthe entire campus would be completed and children could move in during thesummer of 2020. Then, the world was hit with the global pandemic of COVID-19.From April through most of October, construction was stalled as the pandemicaffected every area of life. It looked like the children would not be movinginto the home any time in the near future but, as always, we have a great God.The obstacle that stalled construction was removed and construction began againin early November.
Now, at least one of the dormitories (possibly both) havebeen completed by the end of 2020. This allowed for the children to move to thelocation and start the new school year, beginning January 11, 2021, in theirnew schools – perfect timing. The construction for the remaining buildings willsafely continue around them and they will expand into the full campus as it iscompleted. The expectation is that the entire campus will be completed by thefall of 2021.
Praise God! What started as a prayer almost 20 years ago hasbeen answered. Orphaned, abandoned, and at-risk children are living in apermanently located children’s home in Kampong Thom Province, Cambodia. Oncethe campus is completed, the capacity will go from approximately 20 children,which was at the temporary location, to approximately 60 children – 3 times asmany children can be served at the home.
Praise God, 2021 is already showing itself to be a year ofmultiple blessings! Another long-time prayer is being answered. Children at theNHO home in Pursat Province, are going to receive the second dormitory thatthey have needed for a number of years. Construction will begin very soon.
The children’s home in Pursat Province was built in 2008with one multifunction building (dormitory, staff lodging, activity area) and akitchen/dining area. Since its beginning, the house parents at this home havebeen Yoeum Tha and Thin So. Under their loving care, the home filled to maximumcapacity and has been bursting at the seams with children for a while. Thelocal government in Pursat loves the home and has requested that it expand toallow for more children.
I’m not exactly sure when Brother Yoeum started to pray forthis need, but he and Pastor Sinai expressed it to us a number of years ago andwe have been praying since. There has been much debate about whether topurchase land and move the home, closing the current site, or to build anotherbuilding on the current property. Eventually, the decision was made to build atthe current location. Now, a church in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, region hascommitted to build the building and love on the children at this home.
They have already raised 2/3 of the necessary funds and weare negotiating the contract with the builder for the timeline. We expect thatthis building should also be completed no later than fall 2021. Then, the girlswill move to the new building and the home will double its capacity for thenumber of children that can be served there.
Two requests, many years in prayer, are being fulfilledright now. Approximately 55 children/youth will receive the immediateblessings. Innumerable children will be blessed over time. We have a great Godwho answers prayer no matter how things look around us! Thank you for prayingwith us!