Category: Letter From CEDAR

Dear CEDAR friends and supporters, Have you ever wondered why Christians give? The National Christian Foundation (NCF) has just published one of the largest research studies on Christian giving (a), i.e. giving done by Christians to both faith-based and secular causes. They find that givers aged 45 and above give because they ‘feel greater purpose in life’ and ‘feel grateful’. Those aged 44 and below give because they ‘feel more fully alive’, ‘feel closer to God’, and ‘feel more hopeful’. NCF finds that the overwhelming driver for Christian givers is their desire to ‘be good and wise stewards of what God has given them’. When asked about the most important characteristics they look for in a charitable giving

Dear CEDAR friends and supporters, Someone once speaks of the difference between charity and justice: ‘Charity makes people happy but keeps them in an unjust system, while justice frees people from that system.’ At CEDAR, we believe both charity and justice are what God has called us to fight for, as together, they pertain to a vision of human flourishing that is part of God’s will for His creation. We are most grateful for each of you who is partnering with us in this Kingdom work. We believe in the power of partnership, networks and collaboration. We are delighted to partner with 58 churches and schools this year in our annual Red Packet Campaign to raise funds to

Dear CEDAR friends and supporters, Happy New Year 2024! The beginning of a new year is always full of anticipation and unknowns. What do we ‘see’? What is God doing in us and through us this coming year? How do we respond? While the word ‘new’ connotates freshness and hope, it can also take on a darker meaning. New violence and conflicts. New ways of human exploitation. Washington Post warns, ‘A historic rise in global conflict deaths suggests a violent new era.’ Ukraine, Israel-Palestine, Ethiopia, India, Myanmar ── some conflicts caught the world’s attention, while others remain protracted and unseen, with people suffering and dying in neglect. Even human trafficking is taking on a new face. The organised

Dear Supporters, Just last month in December, I went to Nepal for project monitoring, not only to review the local projects, but more importantly, to meet up with our local partners. The situations that they faced were easily beyond what I could imagine or comprehend by being in Hong Kong. The hard work they have put in to serve the local people often brings me great encouragement and touch. I am always encouraged by the pleasing results of what our Nepalese partners have achieved over the years, and there are many successful examples of community transformation, such as transforming women in grass-roots communities to have more opportunities to get more choices in life or to be educated; enabling

Dear Supporters,  Let me ask you, which infrastructure or building do you find most important in your community and will make you feel devastated without it? It could be the school that is the place children receive education, or it could also be the hospital because going to check-ups elsewhere is a hassle. It could also be the bus station because commuting during peak hours is crucial for work. With all the possible answers, is church one of them? If not, it means that the church and the community are not closely knit enough to care.   I once heard a sharing by a pastor from mainland China. When the cross was forcefully removed from the church, it