A Planting of the Lord for the Display of His Splendor
Ask most people today about the history of Cambodia and sadly they will say they have never even heard of the horrific genocide that occurred from 1975-1979. This slaughtering of a country has seemed to go unnoticed by many. During these killing years, over 2 million Cambodian people were murdered at the hands of the Khmer Rouge regime, and the land today still cries out with the pain and grave injustice. Whole families died from execution, starvation, overwork and disease, a literal mowing down of an entire generation. There is no changing the history of what happened in Cambodia, but there is a Redeemer, a Restorer, who rebuilds devastated places and His name is Jesus. He is why we do what we do at Asian Hope.
Isaiah 61 is a beautiful Old Testament passage that prophetically highlights the ministry of Jesus. Fast forward to Luke 4 when Jesus stands in the temple and chooses this same Old Testament scroll to read aloud. He then finishes quietly by telling his listeners that He was the very fulfillment of these scriptures. He was the One to bring good news to the poor, to set the captives free, to heal the brokenhearted, to release prisoners from darkness, to proclaim God’s favor, to comfort those who mourn, to bring beauty for ashes, to give a garment of praise instead of despair, and the One to help people become strong oaks of righteousness for the display of His splendor. More beauty unfolds in this passage with the promise of Him rebuilding ancient ruins and bringing restoration of places long devastated. The Good News of the Gospel is that Jesus can make all things new! He plants tender seeds along the rows of broken places and grows a beautiful harvest in decimated dirt. The Good News is that there is no devastation, trauma, tragedy, or heartbreak that is outside of His ability to fully restore, not even an entire country left for ruin.
At Asian Hope, our heart’s desire is to partner with this Good News to bring real hope and life-change to those in need. We believe that planting daily seeds of God’s love and offering a quality Christian education will sprout a harvest day after day that will someday change the entire country. Jesus is at work in Cambodia, in our Village Christian schools, moving through the hallways and through every teacher quietly serving the least of these. He is bringing beauty from ashes and healing hearts with His love. Our teachers and staff are ministering as the hands and feet of Christ, giving selflessly to meet the needs of those who have been overlooked, neglected, impoverished and uneducated. Jesus is the answer, and He is the strength and driving force behind every math lesson, every cup of clean water offered in His name, every family served, and every child loved. It’s all for Him and because of Him, and this is the foundational piece for why we do what we do at Asian Hope.
Our serving in Cambodia is planting seeds in hearts and minds, and your investing is reaping a rebuilding greater than you can imagine. Jesus alone can bring beauty and splendor from the ashes of devastation and hopeless hearts. He can reverse cycles of poverty and broken education. He alone knows the rebuilding plan for full restoration. Harvest is happening in Cambodia, a beautiful rebuilding and planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor, and Asian Hope is humbled to be working alongside Him to bring about the glorious harvest He intends…today, tomorrow and for eternity.
