It is the most quoted non-verse in the Bible: “God helps those who help themselves.” It is not exactly a bad thing, it just isn’t there. I believe it upholds a principle, “Do your best and God will do the rest,” which can be defended. And, that may be crucial to our success in Cambodia. When I arrived in Laos 43 years ago, I’ve got to admit I felt a little bit like a “June bug visiting a duck convention.” Here I was, the only white guy (I take that back there were two French priests, but they killed one …  

As the largest orphan care provider in Cambodia, we have endured the UNICEF proctoscope. It wasn’t pleasant, but it did do us some good; they helped us root out some malignant practices. Weak links can be: bad habits, poor administration, incompetent people or insufficient supplies.  But, all 23 of our “Memorandums of Understanding,” are being approved – one for each province. We are a far healthier organization due to this microscopic inspection. However, some things are beyond ridiculous, like having the caregiver sign and thumbprint a document every time a child brushes their teeth. Jesus had more than 5,000 show …  

Teams emanate partnership. Vision does unite people with a common call; but it can also divide people, and not render either party’s actions wrong. People can be in the will of God and be called to different areas, missions, or functions. In these cases they find the common ground and work together. We have had great assistance from a team made up from three churches in the US Napa Valley, led by Hope Chapel Santa Rosa, CA this past month.