Build Love

When I think of mission trips, first and foremost it’s about serving others and spreading the gospel. For my mission trip, our group and I were told from the start that we were there to build a house for a family, and we weren’t given many details.

The reason for this is that the organisation we partnered with works hard to protect the people they serve. We were in an area near Phnom Penh, which is an area infamous for child prostitution. The Christian NGO we worked with is called Agape International Mission, and they have been fighting against this and other human rights issues for years. When Agape agrees to build a home for a family, the family agrees in return not to send their children into prostitution.

Looking back on the trip, I’ve begun to realise that maybe building a house wasn’t the mission after all. When we left, we had completed 80% of the construction, but the walls were unfinished and there wasn’t much of an interior yet.

As I think deeper, I think my mission on this particular trip is to bring you a story. The story of a 14-year-old Cambodian girl I met during my stay.

When I first met her, she came up to me and said, “You guys are crazy. Why would you come build a house for us? Why not go to Angkor Wat to travel? My uncle and my neighbours always say, ‘You guys are crazy!’ You’re not building a house, you’re building love.”

I sat with her, and she continued sharing about her parents, who are now separated, and her father and younger sister who she lives with. She also shared how she came to know Jesus. She used to shy away whenever friends spoke of Christian stuff, but she sought God when her family had troubles. She shared how today, she is a disciple at the NGO, and she believes that God has a plan for her life despite all she has been through.

She believes God has a plan for her

Before she left, she told us she will remember us whenever she moves into the new house—it was only in that moment I realised who we were building it for.

The reason I want to share this girl’s story with you is to remind you that God is working in magnificent ways in different people, across countries, and through unlikely circumstances—as long as you are willing to step outside of your comfort zone. This girl and her story have refreshed and empowered my faith. Seeing the kingdom of God through her eyes was humbling, and I’m so glad she allowed me to share her story with you.

The only response I could think to give her was to pray for her and her family, promising her that I would pray for her every time I tell her story.

Candice Wong

pictured below