Volunteer Spotlight

Meet Rosemary Lee, our current volunteer at Ray of Hope. We first met Rosemary, or Rose, after last years dental/VBS trip when my mother Jodie and the team were flying back home through Tokyo, Japan. While deciding on how to spend their eight plus hour layover they met Rose who was in a similar situation. So naturally my mom invited Rose to join the team on a tour of the city. During their time together they got to know Rose and learned about her life and family ties to Cambodia.

As it turned out, Rose was also returning from a trip to Cambodia where she was visiting family. During her visit to Cambodia, Rose was interested in volunteering with a Christian organization in Phnom Penh, but was not allowed to because she isn’t a Christian. My mom really didn’t appreciate that and stated, “Then how can they share the Gospel with you? “. So sure enough, my mom again invited Rose to join the dental/VBS team the following year.

To my moms delight, and later ours, Rose took her up on the offer and met the team in Battambang this past July. Rose had originally planed on spending May-November backpacking throughout Asia but once she got to know our students she decided to make a change of plans and volunteer with Ray of Hope on a long term basis. She made this decision because she made a real connection with the street kids and felt that it could have easily been her growing up on the streets of Cambodia.

Since Rose started volunteering with us here at Ray of Hope she has been an absolute joy to work with. Her love of the street kids shows brightly through her loving words and actions which is exactly what we emphasize here at Ray of Hope. Whether she’s teaching the kids how to farm vegetables or introducing them to Fruity Pebbles for the first time, it is clear to us that this was not just a chance meeting.

I believe firmly that God brought Rosemary and Ray of Hope together for a reason. Aside from working with the street kids she has also helped our ministry a great deal. Summers can be a stressful time for us here as we bring new students into the program. Each new student brings the cost of running the program up, especially when we’re still looking for new sponsors. Thankfully Rose really stepped up and started a Go-Fund-Me account in which she raised over $1400.00, all of which she donated to Ray of Hope. Thanks to Rose we’re able to buy new school uniforms and shoes for the kids and even a new refrigerator for our center.

Rosemary will continue volunteering with us through mid-October where she will then continue on her journey throughout Asia. During her time here she joined us in our staff Bible studies, usually just listening in, and had a very open mindset when we talked with her about the Gospel. She attended many of our student Bible classes and even came to Church with us a few times. I believe that we opened the door for the Holy Spirit to enter into her life and we are eager to keep in touch with Rosemary even after she returns home.