REPORTS FROM THE ROAD - CAMBODIA AND VIETNAM

Thank you for your love and support as we have been touring here on the mainland U.S. for the past four weeks, having left Hawaii on July 7. We are sharing some of our mission experiences in this online blog called REPORTS FROM THE ROAD and we thank you for your ongoing prayers for our ministry.  

September 16

We're in Cambodia! Andrew and I arrived safely in Siem Reap on Thursday night at 10:30 pm. We left Honolulu on Wednesday at 10:50 am, flew nine and a half hours to Seoul, had a four hour layover, then flew five and a half hours to Siem Reap. We were very tired from our long trip, but grateful to the Lord for the opportunities we will be having in the next two weeks here in Cambodia, then in Vietnam.

We are here to show "Legacy," Andrew's film on the street children in Cambodia, a deplorable present condition brought about by the evil regime of Pol Pot in the 1970s who killed millions of people. The legacy that his evil deeds left on a suffering current population is the subject of Andrew's film. After a successful showing at the Docutah Film Festival in St. George, Utah last week, Andrew has brought the film to Cambodia to show to the people here. He wants to encourage them as they watch the story of two of their young men from the streets and how they rose out of their impoverished conditions and, through hard work, are leading better lives today. He hopes that the film will inspire the people to work for a better future for themselves. I am on this trip as Andrew's assistant, co-musical servant and co-preacher. I am blessed and honored to be ministering with my son.

Thank you for your love, support and prayers for the Hongo family ministry for many years. We are blessed to be co-servants in God's work around the world. To God be the glory for the great things He has done and continues to do in all of our lives - may His perfect will be accomplished as He leads and guides our paths every day.

THE FLIGHT OVER

Korean Air is a clean, efficient, beautifully maintained carrier with excellent service delivered by charming and attractive flight attendants. The flight from Honolulu to Seoul was about 3/4 full so we could change seats for added comfort. Andrew moved to the row behind me so he could stretch out. The food was delicious - I ate bibimbop, a Korean dish of vegetables and meat (pushed the meat aside) over rice which was served an hour into the flight. Six hours later, we had another meal, this time pasta and vegetables. Just trying to stay healthy here so we can function well on the mission. We make sure to take occasional walks around the plane and to stay hydrated. The entertainment options are plentiful - I watch a couple of old movies to pass the time, "Fiddler On The Roof" and "Titanic." Have seen both before but still enjoy the music and storyline of the former, and the awesome technical achievements of the latter. We both also read our Bibles, read newspapers and magazines, and take naps to endure the long flight.

At the Seoul Airport, Andrew - even after two big meals - wants to eat something light so we opt for noodles. Andrew has Korean black noodles (made of arrowroot) and I have Japanese soba; both are served cold.

The flight from Seoul to Siem Reap is more filled with people so we stay put in our assigned seats. Another pleasant flight,, another meal, another nap, this time I watch "X-Men: First Class" and find the tale of super-heroes with deformities more compelling and interesting than I expected. Before we know it, we are landing in the dark of night at the Siem Reap International Airport.

ARRIVAL IN SIEM REAP

Our friend David Narita greets us at the airport. He is a Japanese-American from New Jersey who married Lara, a Japanese-Caucasian girl from Hawaii. Both are physicians and left their practices in the U.S. to answer the call of the Lord to serve as missionaries in Siem Reap. They have three small children, are church planters in Siem Reap, and also use their medical knowledge to help the community here. David and Lara are supported in part by Kalihi Union Church. They have agreed to help Andrew arrange showings of his film. We in turn look forward to visiting some of the Naritas' mission projects and encouraging their people. David drives us to our hotel - the Angkor Riviera - and we quickly hit the sack, exhausted from the flight and needful of rest before the first day's labors.

FRIDAY MORNING

We stayed at the Angkor Riviera last October when we came on a mission with Stanley Togikawa and friends from Hawaii Southern Baptist churches. The hotel was comfortable, had a pool and fitness center, and served a substantial breakfast buffet with lots of vegetables. The price online was great - $30 - so we booked it for our stay. It was a good decision as the hotel will be a haven of needed rest for us this week.

We get up early and have a good breakfast, needing to meet our assistant Phearom at 8 am. Phearom is the young man who helped Andrew with his filming last summer. Phearom not only helped with camera work, he also served as translator, transportation provider (on his motorcycle) and good friend. It's good to see Phearom again. He has graduated from university and now teaches Japanese to the locals here. Japanese tourists are on the increase in this tourist community where the temples of Angkor are one of the wonders of the ancient world. So many of the local people want to learn the language. Interesting that when Phearom and Andrew don't understand each other using English, they will communicate in Japanese.

DRUG REHAB CENTER

Phearom rides his motorcycle while we follow along as passengers in a tuk-tuk, like an open rickshaw operated by a driver on a bicycle. We are headed for the Drug Rehabiliation Center of Siem Reap. Upon arrival there, we are greeted by some of the young men who are incarcerated there, having been arrested on drug charges and sent to the center for correction and rehabiliation. Soon Pastor Noel Dequito arrives. Noel is the Filipino missionary whom God called to Cambodia to serve the people here. He and his wife Fey have two young boys. Fey is a pre-school teacher for children of the international community. Several of you have given us donations for Pastor Noel's work. He is thankful for your support as he reaches out to the needy here.

Our purpose this morning is to show the film to the 20 young men gathered in the center's main classroom. Their ages range from 14 to 29 years old. After the film, we will have a question and answer time, then we will share music and testimony, ending with a time of prayer. The young men watch the movie intently - many are seeing their own lives unfold on the screen.

"Legacy" tells the stories of Sahn and Chak. Sahn, a 19-year old, was rescued on the streets a few years ago by a boxing coach Mr Sia who himself had lived on the streets. Sahn gives up drugs, trains to become a boxer, and finds a measure of success in his new sport. Chak is a 14-year old in the film who turns to the streets, fleeing a dysfunctional and impoverished home situation. At the end of the film, his future is uncertain - he is still a glue-sniffer and not sure what the next step is in his life. The backstory of Chak is that four months after Andrew completed filming, Gay and I went to Cambodia, met Chak and his family, presented an evangelistic concert in their slum neighborhood, and ten people - including Chak and his parents - came to Christ. We are hoping to meet up with Chak this week, trusting that he is doing well under Pastor Noel's mentorship. If he feels comfortable, we will encourage him to tell the true outcome of his story to film audiences.

For the young men at the drug rehab center, Sahn and Chak's lives do reflect their own as they tell us during the question/answer time after the showing. We then sing a few songs, Andrew dances the hula on one of them to everyone's delight, and I preach a message on the Fatherhood of God based on the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15. Following my message, Pastor Noel leads the young men in a group prayer in Cambodian. Following the group prayer, everyone sits and Andrew and I go to the individual boys and ask if they have specific prayer requests. The requests are mostly for God's deliverance from their dependence on drugs; one asks for God to give him a job as an electrician when he is released from the rehab center in four months; another asks that God take care of his son and daughter who are living with his parents.

In addition to Phearom and Pastor Noel, a young man named Emmanuel - a graduate of the rehab program - has come to assist us in translation and to offer his word of testimony. He was an addict but found Christ who delivered him from his dependence on drugs. He prays that his testimony will be encouragement to the young men at the center.

It has been a good morning and we landed in Siem Reap just about 12 hours ago. It's time to return to the hotel for some rest and shut-eye. After all, we have two more meetings in the afternoon.

TRUPIANGSE VILLAGE

After a quick lunch (veggie sandwich for Randy, Cambodian beef for Andrew) and a short nap, we are ready to be picked up by Pastor Noel for visits to two villages. The first is about 30 minutes outside of the city. Pastor Noel meets every weekday afternoon at 4 pm with Paula, a gracious and petite Cambodian believer who opens her home to children and moms in her village so she can witness to them. Don't let her fragile appearance deceive you: Paula is a tae-kwondo expert who teaches that sport to young people (the drug rehab young men are among her pupils) so they can learn discipline and gain confidence. One adult believer shared that she doubted Paula's efforts: "isn't tae-kwondo violent and aren't we Christians supposed to be non-violent?" But when she saw the students throwing practice punches and shouting HAL - LE - LU - JAH with each punch, this believer became totally supportive of Paula's methods.

About twenty-five children and ten mothers with assorted babies squeeze into Paula's spotless living room, all sitting on the cool linoleum floor. A sheet hangs on one wall in preparation for the screening. Paula - a voice as sweet as Cambodian nectar - introduces Andrew and me. We greet everyone with "Aloha," sing some praise songs and then hear the group sing a praise song in Cambodian. Andrew then introduces his film and everyone watches in rapt attention. Even the little ones. Following the film, I give a similar message as in the morning, simplifying a bit because of the younger ages of the children. I still focus on the love of a Father for his son who returns home after making wrong and selfish choices, emphasizing in particular how the father in the story runs to his son and embraces him because he is so happy that the son has come home. Emmanuel is helping with the translation and I see several mothers weeping as they are reminded of God's love for us - none of them has become a Christian yet. Following my message, I ask Paula to pray for the children and mothers.

We don't have a question/answer time as we did in the morning because of the age disparity, but following the screening, we speak with individuals in the group. Andrew has some meaningful discussions with some of the mothers who identify with some of the characters in the film - Chak's occasionally drunk stepfather reminds one mother of her own abusive father, another knows boys who are drug addicts.

Paula is thankful that we have come to encourage her group. As a gesture of her thanks, she has gone to get us ice-cold bottled water, a welcome refreshment in the warm late afternoon weather. We thank Paula for her kindness, say goodbye to the group, as Pastor drives us to our final meeting of the day.

TRAMNEAK VILLAGE

We go to a small church in the village of Tramneak about 20 minutes away for a 6:30 pm showing. Because of flooding in recent weeks, the roads are all beat up so our jeep has a rough time navigating the potholes created by the rain. It's a bumpy ride to say the least, but we praise the Lord for another opportunity to minister to the local people even as our stomachs are churning from the upheavals.

Ít's dark by the time we get to the church. About 30 people - children and adults - are seated outside on chairs, eating noodles and waiting for our arrival. The group has decided to meet outside because of the warm weather so this will be our first outdoor showing - like a Cambodian drive-in! A sheet has been placed on the side of the church building (a one story wooden hut, actually) as the people finish their eating and set up their chairs theater style.

As we are preparing, God sends a wonderful surprise. Emmanuel rides in on his motorcycle and seated on the back of the bike is Chak himself! We were hoping to see him sometime during our trip, knew that he was working as a waiter in a town many miles away, but did not expect to see him so soon. Thank you Lord. Chak looks good. He has put on weight, which means he is living well and getting proper nourishment. He is happy to see us and gives Andrew and me long, grateful hugs. Through Emmanuel's interpretation, he tells us how happy he is to see us and how thankful he is to God for our part in his life. We tell him how important he is in our lives.

It's time for the program to begin. The pastor is out of town, but his assistant Richard introduces Pastor Noel, Andrew and me. We sing some praise songs, I give a testimony of how I came to Christ, Andrew and I duet to "I Love You, Lord" and it's time for the screening to begin.

As the film is being shown, something unusual and unsettling happens. Members of the audience begin to laugh at serious moments. It becomes disconcerting to Andrew and me: why are people laughing, we think? But the film continues and I think everything is going well. Then Andrew comes to me about 15 minutes into the film and says, "I'm going to stop the film, Chak is very embarrassed that people are laughing at his story." I ask Andrew if we should give it more time, let the film run a little longer, but Andrew is more concerned about Chak's feelings and is trying to figure out on the spot how to handle this situation. Andrew was going to introduce Chak after the film to show God's good result; perhaps if people had known Chak was present, they wouldn't have laughed as they did.

Andrew does stop the film and talks to the people. In a gentle manner, he talks about how we all make mistakes in life and how God can redeem us from the wrong choices that we make. He then refers to "the boy in the film" and says he is happy that young man is with us tonight. He introduces Chak who goes forward to be recognized. Andrew asks Chak to say a few words and what follows is very moving. In a confident, flowing speech, Chak tells the people that he made many bad choices in his life but that he found God through Andrew and he is thankful for his life today. I'm condensing here - this boy from the streets that one would expect to be inarticulate talked for about four minutes, non-stop. Emmanuel translated some of what Chak was saying but assured me that "he is saying really good things."

Following Chak's word of testimony, Andrew talks about fathers and sons and the love he has for his own father coming to Cambodia with him, then introduces me to bring the meeting to a close. I share very briefly about God's love, proclaiming the Gospel and encouraging all to come to Jesus so that their lives can be changed just as Chak's was. Richard prays for the people, then Andrew and I sing a closing song.

The night has not gone as we expected, but we still know - even with the film being cut short - that God's will was done, that the message of the film was delivered even more compellingly through the in-person and inspiring testimony of Chak.

In discussing why the people laughed, Noel felt that óne reason could be that Chak's manner of speaking on the film was street slang, perhaps even profanities, which to the people was amusing. Although the translation was "clean," it might have been laundered by the translator for general viewing purposes. The villagers - earthy people themselves - may have been laughing at the vocabulary and not at Chak's life situation and bad choices as depicted in the film. We need to share that reasoning with Chak to assure him.

We learn later that Chak had to ride eight hours from where he is working to come to Siem Reap. He has other reasons for coming home related to job and family, but what made him selected this weekend for his return is because he knew Andrew and I were going to be in Siem Reap. What a blessed reunion, thank you Lord. Andrew, Chak and Phearom will meet tomorrow morning for more talk story time; Andrew will also be filming this discussion to do a follow-up film on Chak's life story. God is so good.

As we ride back to the hotel from the Tramneak village church, I praise the Lord for His providence and perfect plans for the lives of His children. I think back to my coming to Christ as a high school junior through Youth for Christ, how Gay became a Christian at Kalihi Union, how we met at the University of Hawaii in 1966 and fell in love and married in 1971, how Andrew was born in 1978 and how we raised him in the ways of the Lord, and how he has grown up to be man who is dedicating his gifts to God, gifts that led to an interest in film-making, the creation of "Legacy" and a vital role in the life of a young Cambodian boy named Chak who was addicted to drugs but now has been set free to love and worship the living Lord Jesus Christ. How great You are, Lord Jesus - may You continue to rule and reign in all of our lives as You fulfill Your plans for the building of Your Eternal Kingdom. Hallelujah!

Love you all in Jesus,

Randy and Andrew