EMI Team On Remember Nhu Project

It had been a great pleasure and privilege to have joined the Engineering Ministries International (EMI) who helped the Remember Nhu Organization prepare a master plan for a self sustaining community that would support at least two Children’s home in Takeo, Cambodia.

Remember Nhu is an organization that is “committed to preventing the exploitation of children in the sex trade industry throughout the world by meeting the physical, educational, emotional, and spiritual needs of at-risk children before the nightmare of the sex trade ever becomes reality. Remember Nhu's approach is to help one child at a time, one family and in doing so, one village at a time. Over 90% of their children have become Christians.”

When I received the EMI Newsletter some time in middle of December 2012, I thought that it was already one of the best times to join an engineering-related mission team to bless other nations. I emailed the team leader – Matt Hood – telling him that I was interested to join the team to go to Cambodia. After a few email exchanges, my inclusion to the team was formally finalized.
 

While my trip to Cambodia was full of surprises and provisions from God, my experience as a member of the EMI team has given me joy and fulfilment inasmuch as I become part of a very understanding and cooperative team.

Standing Left to Right-- Jim, Jackie, Brittney, Matt, Dave, Dan, Jennifer; Bent forward-- Ashley; Kneeling: Sophal, John, Todd, and Me (Raul)

Matt Hood – our team leader is a very soft spoken architect and well organized whose experience and expertise in leading an EMI team was acknowledged by all of us.

John Pries – a pastor and the ministry representative of the Remember Nhu Project; a straightforward person who shared to us wonderful reflections every time we had our team devotions. He also made sure to support our needs as we worked together in Takeo.

Brittany Williams – an EMI Architecture Intern whom I called – “my sister from another mother”—is a person whom everyone loves. Her smile and sweet voice... and the occasional giggles made everyone happy. One of my friends had mistakenly identified her as Venus Williams in one of the photos that was posted in Facebook.

Ashley Rose – the closest buddy of Brittany who can also sing sweetly, praising and worshipping God in our team devotions. Pastor John told her that she has a heart for missions. She was one of the Civil Volunteers who took care of the various testing, sampling and surveying in the site.

Jim Bushee – another Civil Volunteer who partnered with Ashley in the civil engineering tasks of the team. He was always ready to crack some jokes that made our mood became light and easy despite the hectic schedule we had.  Jim told me he treasured some of the points I shared in our team devotions.

Dan Wells – my architect partner who did a wonderful and sensible space planning for the Children’s Home. He is good and fast even if he did not feel physically well during his stay in Cambodia. I love the way he managed the 3D presentation using Sketch Up software. I would love to work with him again if ever we still have a chance to work together in one of EMI mission trips.

Jennifer Wells – the wife of Dan was so helpful even if she has no technical expertise in the preparation of the master plan. She did well in the compilation of our final presentation report. I appreciated on the way she talks and elaborates point of discussion very clearly.

Dave Onstad – my roommate who always assured me that my snoring didn’t bother him. As an experienced Electrical Engineer he knew very well how to fit in the electrical power requirements of the project with the existing utilities and facilities in the site.

Jackie Branberg – the Aquaponics volunteer who shared her heart and concern to the needs of the so many children in Cambodia. She was so good in helping the team prepare the its final PowerPoint presentation.

Todd Dee Futhey – an Aquaponics expert from Florida, USA, who amazed us with his devotion and boldness to share the gospel to others wherever he went. Most of the group appreciated his resourcefulness and loved to listen to his testimonies of faith.

Sophal – our Cambodian driver and interpreter. He was so very kind and humble. He was our connection to the Khmer community where we cannot do more of sign language. With him around, we were comfortable to ask him interpret what we would like to communicate with the locals.

Most of us have only known each other for the first time when we met at the 9 Dragon Hotel at Phnom Penh, Cambodia. But God was so good and gracious for giving us an understanding spirit. From day 1 up to the moment we finished our presentation to the Remember Nhu Ministry Representative, the team worked together trying their best to accomplish each others’ task so that we could come up with a better and comprehensive presentation of the project. We could not have finished working together the way we did apart from the direction and empowerment of the Holy Spirit.