A Very Merry Christmas

Yesterday morning (Dec 23) Tricia and I found ourselves in a room with dozens of  newborns and their mothers, many of them teenagers. These little ones were all miracles that started out as crisis pregnancies.  Moms who were once filled with fear, worry and were out of options now had beautiful babies and lives filled with hope.

In the afternoon we found ourselves in a room packed with over 180 young ladies who had either made a decision to leave a livelihood in the Karaoke Bars, sometimes fronts for brothels, or were in the process of making this life-change decision.

What was the reason these groups were together? It is Christmas in Cambodia!!! They had all been invited to come and celebrate Christmas and find out what Christmas is all about.

You might ask what Christmas looks like in Cambodia. In many ways it looks like just another workday. Cambodia is a country where 98% of the population are non-Christian and Christmas is not a national holiday. The vast majority of Cambodians have never heard the Christmas story or celebrate it in any way.

But, for those Cambodians who celebrate Christmas it is a huge party that can take place anywhere in the months of December and January. The whole focus of the party is to celebrate the birth of Jesus and to tell everyone you know, neighbors, friends, clients, etc., about the birth and life of Jesus. The excitement of telling people about Christ and the curiosity of those who’ve never heard is something I’ll never get tired of. Churches have standing room only crowds where people are curious to hear what Christmas is all about.

This has been a joyous Christmas for me as I’ve been a part of the Church truly heeding Jesus’ words “whatever you did for one of the least of these… you did for me.” It is refreshing that the focus of Christmas isn’t a single day, or about giving gifts, but about declaring the birth of our King.

Being far away from home and family during Christmas is always difficult. Tricia, the boys and I always feel down and miss all of our family celebrations during this time of year.  But what we’ve found in Cambodia is refreshing and inspiring during the Christmas Season. It’s during this season that we are proud to be a part of the lives of leaders of organizations like Precious Women, Mother’s Heart and New Life Fellowship.

Your gift makes the work of the Hester family in Cambodia possible, and we work hard to maximize each dollar entrusted to us. We are grateful for the generous support of many individuals and organizations that share our commitment to informed, responsible and effective service in Cambodia. To partner with us in 2015 Please Click Here.