Dear family and friends, 

We write this to you on the brink of our return to Cambodia after spending the last couple of months in the US. We have a few steps to face before we will actually reach our home again and we wanted to share with you and ask for specific prayers over the next 20 days. 

Before we take off: 

• Covid tests- negative results- with valid proof to present to be accepted to fly

When we land in Cambodia January 31st

• Covid tests at Phnom Penh airport
• Checking of all our paperwork (test results, visas, proof of medical insurance $50,000)
• Making a deposit of $2000 each, to cover costs of our re-entry to Cambodia
• Collecting our bags and travel to a hotel for our quarantine

Arrive at the hotel starting on 31st Jan until Feb 14th

• Pray for a comfortable hotel
• Pray for a big room to stay in, with space for us and a balcony
• For 14 days together in one room - recovering that God gives us patience, love and plenty of good humour.

Repeat Covid test on Feb 13th or 14th - for a negative result

Finally getting home on 14th February! Happy Valentine's Day!!

And lastly getting the remainder of our deposit back after the 14th…

Thank you all for your love and prayers for us!

Wendy & Yong

This was followed up on 16^th February with:

Dear family and friends,

Oh, what a return trip we had!  We started our trip from Atlanta, GA with plane issues.  We had to change planes after we were already in our seats.  We arrived in Seoul, South Korea for our flight change – late of course – and Koreans being Koreans, they were thorough in following procedures and checking paperwork.  They wanted to see $2,000 in cash for the deposit that the Cambodia government requires.  That’s $2,000 per person and a credit card wouldn’t do.  They also didn’t like the standard health insurance we had, even though we had asked our insurance company to provide a letter. They said we had to have this insurance from Cambodia.  We had to buy our insurance on the spot at Seoul airport.  Luckily, we were able to buy the insurance and we ran through the airport like some movie scenes.  It was hairy.

After this, we also had to sign a waiver saying that KoreanAir is not responsible should Cambodia deport us for any reason. Not very reassuring! Of course, we were in a state when we arrived in Phnom Penh at midnight.  But the processing of our papers went smoothly at the airport.  And the guy said that I (Yong) didn’t need the insurance at all since I’m Khmer.  Well, the KoreanAir people wouldn’t let me board otherwise.

Our hotel stay was fine, although the food was not good, we were able to move around the hotel, including to have meals outside on the rooftop terrace.  So, we have a lot to thank God for during our return to Cambodia!

If you can keep us in your prayers, we have two important things going on.  Wendy needs to go to the UK this week to support her dad, who’s health is deteriorating rapidly.  He needs a hip replacement surgery.  But he just needs support to be around the house.  With the new COVID lockdown measures that the UK is implementing, we pray that Wendy will be able to get there and return to Cambodia OK.

The second prayer is that I got an email asking for information and help from an old friend.  She and her husband work in Myanmar and as you know they just had a coup in their government.  She’s trying to get out of there and maybe come here, but with Cambodia government not issuing any new visas, I’m not sure how she’s going to do it.  Please pray for them.

Praise and Prayer

Thank God for a safe return into Cambodia, that we could sort out all the KoreanAir requirements and that God sustained us through quarantine – with laughter, time to read, to recover from jetlag and to reflect on our time in the US, then prepare for a new chapter back here.

Praise that we got a balcony hotel room, we could choose our meals and could come outside of our room to eat.

Pray that we will get a large part of our deposit back in time, before Wendy leaves for the UK.

Pray for Wendy’s Dad and his health needs.

Pray for Wendy travelling back to the UK (February 18th/19th) to be with him for a few weeks – we give thanks we Pray for us in our marriage to manage during the time we are separated, especially to communicate well together are able to do this despite challenging steps to get there and back again.

Pray for Yong returning to work and reconnecting with our community in Phnom Penh.

Pray for us in our marriage to manage during the time we are separated, especially to communicate well together.

Please do keep in touch with us – we love to hear your news too and know how we can give thanks or be praying for you.