Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Greetings in the peace of our Lord.
What a privilege to meet you here! This is my fifth week at CEDAR Fund, and my learning curve is still long. I come to know CEDAR for over a decade, but have never imagined of joining it, and not to say, leading it. It is really an honor to be part of this great family.
I could not recall when the poor started having a place in my heart. However in 2000, God called me to serve the needy; and to respond to that call, I quitted from my banking job and began serving the impoverished children in Southeast Asia on a full-time basis in early 2003.
Ministering to the impoverished people always comes with both tear and laughter. I remember visiting a church-based children center in Jakarta, Indonesia, in 2005. There I met a 7 years old boy who is born without left hand and right leg. It is sad that, because of his disability, his parents abandoned him when he was still a baby. However, God has never ignored him. He moved the church pastor to adopt this little baby and raise him up just as his own child. The pastor’s intervention provides love, hope and acceptance to this little boy. In that visit, he proudly sang a song for me, and in front of me was a community who accepted and received him just like any other kids there. This is a beautiful picture I will never forget.
Since we humans are very limited, there is never lack of frustration in carrying out the ministry in serving the poor. But, I am thankful that God remains in full control over His creation, and He has used many life-changing stories to encourage me to stay and move on in this journey.
At CEDAR, we dream to see “a just and compassionate world.” To realize this dream, we need to work hands in hands with our brothers and sisters all over the world. This is surely not what the enemy wants to see, and so, your intercessory prayer is very much needed to lift up our team to God’s hands.
May God’s grace be with you and your family always!
Your brother,
Raymond Kwong
Chief Executive