What will YOU be when you grow up?

Some of you will be teachers.

Some of you will be lawyers.

Some of you will be dentists.

Some of you will work for Asia's Hope.

These were the answers that I heard today when I asked our Asia's Hope kids what they are studying at the University.  They are in the first wave of the future of the hundreds of Asia's Hope kids that are growing up right behind them.

Let me tell you about Chhong Chhem:  Today when I asked her what she was studying and what she wanted to do, her response brought tears to my eyes.  "I want to help take care of children.  I know what it is to have a broken heart because of having no family.  I understand what they are feeling and want to help them".

All of these answers live out our recognition that these kids ARE Asia's hope.  They will change their country's future by helping one another change in the love of God.

Dr. John and I cannot say enough about the steadfastness, sacrifices, and love offered by the Asia's Hope staff at each home.

The men and women not only raise their "own" families, they are willing to extend their hearts to raise a family of 25 children through years of schooling, homework, sickness, life decisions.  They are the mentors who teach the children how to grow up well.

The children have extra tutors to help learn English, coaches to help play sports, a teacher to help them learn a craft or computer.  It is not much different than many homes that we know, except that there are a few hundred other brothers and sisters living with them, going to school, getting to take extra field trips, play games together, and worship together on Sundays.

So it has been a grand parenting day for us here in Battambang.  We are so grateful that inadvertently we arrived during a school holiday, so there have been many hours of hanging out with the kids.  We return tonight to eat supper with some of them, visit the computer lab, and smile and laugh.

Tomorrow we have the pleasure of returning to Phnom Penh and getting to do this all over again with the children and staff at the five Prek Eng homes!!

By the way, my ego once again received a boost by some of the children thinking that the Queen of Cambodia had returned to visit them (honesty requires me to say that as they compare me to her picture which is on the wall, we both have full faces, wavy hair, and are of a certain maturing age....but it is still fun to be considered royalty every once in a while).

The following pictures show the proud "papas" from the BB homes, one proud Mama surrounded by some of the girls, and two boys from the winning "football" team. (Again, the pictures are on Facebook, but so far not on the blog.  Sorry).