Hisar - a special encounter

Before my trip, Pastor Ng has introduced me to Hisar, an Indonesia missionary in Cambodia. He said he'll be able to show me around and help me out in Phnom Penh. We exchanged a few emails and I found out he has a kid center in Phnom Penh. He also teaches people in need to drive tuk-tuk or sell other stuff so they can help themselves get out of poverty. He's 2 years younger than me, and already he's doing so much. I was fascinated about his work and was quite looking forward to meet with him.

First day in Phnom Penh, after my walking tour around the city, I called his number from my hotel room. He immediately said he'll meet with me. He came to my hotel in 15 minutes and picked me up to have some coffee. He was extremely friendly, and showed much appreciation when I gave him the gifts for the kid center. He started telling me his stories, one after another. Soon I realize this person is really no ordinary person. God has done so much in his life, and he's really surrounded by miracles. He's the kind of person you'd read in books and see in movies. I've never dreamed of actually meeting someone in person like him, and hear the story first handed!

Before I've arrived in Cambodia, the Lord has spoke to me clearly that I need to finish the GFA book. After half way through the book, I know that God wants me to support either the GFA or someone directly. As I talked more and more with Hisar, I felt, perhaps God wants me to help him, and support his ministries, financially. However in a place like Cambodia, you don't just give away money like that, there are scams everywhere. For a careful person like me, this is just too wild for me.

Right before the trip, I've started to read about a very small country called Bhutan. Because of its first election, it was on the news, briefly. And I remembered this country from the documentary "The Other Final". For some reason this country fascinated me and I started to read more about this country. The peaceful and simple people, the beautiful highland landscape, it's isolation from materials and technologies, have caught my attention over the fact that I was about to leave for a trip I've been planning for months. I thought to myself, it would be so cool if someday I can go to this country!

As me and Hisar continued to chat, out of the blue he mentioned this country. I thought I heard wrong. But he continued, that when his work is finished in Cambodia, he wants to go to this country, and do exactly what he's doing in Cambodia! Although this is just in his very early stage of planning, the fact that he has this tiny little unknown country in his mind, and at the same time in mine, I knew God has been planning for this!

Later on, God through different ways told me the amount I need to give, and the way I need to send the money. It's just an incredible feeling that suddenly God spoke to me so clearly and directly.

As extraordinary as Hisar is, he's still a person, and he has his down time. When I met him, he was just about to run dry and stressed out by all the hard works surrounding him, as he later shared with me. When he heard that I was going to Kampot, he immediately offered to accompany me. In the following 2 days, our friendship grew as we traveled together. In our adventure together, we had our tough times, and we had our fun times. We had times of worries and frustration, and we had incredible times laughing our butts off!

We went back to Phnom Penh late Wednesday, and I missed his English class in the kid center. I still regret it, but at least I know what God wants me to do now.

My Cambodian trip continued as we parted. As he went back to his normal life, and I continued on my adventure, this special encounter with Hisar seems to have ended for now. However, it is not for God. Incredibly, on my last day in Cambodia, as I flew back from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh, ready to take the flight back to HK, I bumped into him in the airport! He was just picking a friend up from the airport! We were so happy to see each other! It seems like as if God wants to remind me that I need to remember this person as I go back.