Links formed in Phnom Penh
By Tek & Goldie Chong
We have been going to short-term mission trips to Cambodia in the last five years and have opportunities to meet different people serving in different corners of God’s vineyard. We appreciated their faithful sacrificial lives as missionaries, church planters, humanitarian workers, business people, etc. Because of their busy lives, we understood that these folks may not have met or got to know one another very well. So, we thought we would get them together and provide an opportunity for them to share their lives and ministries. These friends included Ong Teong Hoon (Phillip Bank, Boys Brigade), Andrew Tay (St John Ambulance, Himawari Hotel), Seet Ai Mee (E2STEM), Timothy Tay ( Emmanuel Community School), Patrick & Joyce Chen Zion Praise Harvest Church), Jovan Lee (leader of our Perth missions’ team), and Visot (principal of Emmanuel School)
In a comfortable private room in Red House Restaurant, while we enjoyed a delicious Chinese meal ordered with the help of Teong Hoon (a regular patron), everyone shared their calling, ministries, visions, passion and testimonies, ending the evening with prayer.
Dinner meeting at Red House, Phnom Penh
Back: Timothy Tay, Tek Chong, Patrick Chen), Ong Teong Hoon, Andrew Tay, Visot | Front: Joyce Chen, Seet Ai Mee, Goldie
We were indeed blessed with this meaningful fellowship and were delighted to receive the following update from Timothy & Teresa Tay, (founders of Emmanuel Community School) reporting connections made between their school and Andrew Tay of St. John Ambulance and Seet Ai Mee of E2STEM (institution for students after year 9)
Dear Tek & Goldie,
St John Ambulance
Visot the principal led a team of 10 teachers from Emmanuel Community School (ECS) to attend their first St John Brigade Singapore, Zone 2, Phnom Penh Corps orientation training at Andrew Tay’s Himawari Hotel recently.
St John Zone Presidents Andrew Tay and his wife Alicia Lim
The St John Phomn Penh instructors were impressed that no Khmer interpreter was required by Emmanuel Community School staff for a fairly intensive session.
At least 1 or 2 teachers in charge will have the opportunity in the future to undergo the TIC Teacher In Charge) officer training or workshop in Singapore which will definitely help them to be equipped and run their St John’s ECS Corps.
St John in Cambodia will try to see how they can provide financial assistance for teachers in charge to attend these TIC workshops.
Once our teachers are first aid trained, we will start a cadet corps at ECS. St John Phnom Penh will provide a free venue space (hotel or elsewhere or even co-operate with ECS) for these teachers to be trained, and his members will provide their skills to train these teachers for free.
E2STEM
Visot is in touch with Dr Seet Ai Mee with regards to the E2STEM – ECS tie up. We are giving our Grade 9s and those who graduated an opportunity to sign up for the entrance exam.
In order not to embarrass the high standard exam I have instructed Visot to arrange for pre-exam training just for those who expressed keen interest in it.
Our students do need the scholarship as the fees are exorbitant given their financial background. I have given direction to Visot that there may be scholarships available for outstanding achievers in the entrance exam.
Your apostolic calling in this season is all too clearly evidence. And for the joy of seeing many lives inspired and transformed by this calling may God give both of you many years of fruitfulness wherever he placed you both.
Tim & Teresa Tay
ECS (Emmanuel Community School) newsletter read HereAlso see Andrew Tay’s story ‘’A Light in the Marketplace’’ in our blog 29 Oct.2015
