Bringing my 11-year-old son, Paul, on his first mission trip to Cambodia was something I had both anticipated and wrestled with for some time.
On one hand, I had hoped it would be a meaningful experience that would strengthen his faith. Having personally gone on yearly mission trips to neighbouring countries (except during the Covid pandemic), I wanted to expose Paul to mission work and instil in him a heart for reaching out to people from different cultures and backgrounds.
On the other hand, I had the same concerns many parents would have over how their child would adapt: Would he feel overwhelmed, uncomfortable, or even resistant to the unfamiliar?
In the end, however, our mission trip wasn’t just about what Paul would experience, but what we would learn together as a father and son.
A Change of Plans
As part of my church’s first ever father-son mission trip, we flew to Cambodia along with three other father-son pairs. Our agenda was to conduct a parenting workshop at a school and visit a local family living in a village.
Our assigned task sounded simple on paper: we were to build a cabinet and prepare a meal for the family as a means to bless them, and if the Lord opened the way, to start a conversation about the gospel.
Before the trip, I had discussed with Paul about what to expect: that things might not go as planned, that serving others sometimes requires us to adjust quickly, and that our attitude matters more than our output. Interestingly, those conversations equipped us better than our logistical preparation beforehand.
It wasn’t so much about executing a plan perfectly, but in offering what we could with sincerity, learning to depend on God, and allowing Him to teach us through our obedience.
When we stepped into the family’s council flat along with a Cambodian brother who served as our translator, reality quickly set in. The home was much smaller than we had imagined, with barely enough room to move around—let alone assemble furniture or cook a meal.
For a moment, I panicked. What now? The plan we had prepared no longer fit the situation in front of us.
By God’s grace and wisdom, we quickly adapted.
Instead of working inside, we began assembling the cabinet at the narrow corridor outside. It wasn’t ideal because of the tight space and the humid environment. Coordination, too, took extra effort due to our language barrier and difficulties understanding the instruction manual. Thankfully, after close to an hour, we finally managed to assemble the cabinet.
Despite us all sweating profusely, what surprised me was that Paul neither complained nor expressed frustration. Throughout the process, Paul quietly observed us and tried to help where he could by passing tools to us and holding the furniture parts.
As a father, I felt a tinge of warmth and pride in my heart as I could see how genuine Paul was in trying his best to help, despite our limitations and circumstances.
An Invitation
Aside from the change of plans in building the cabinet, we also had to rethink our initial idea of cooking a meal for the family as there simply wasn’t enough space.
Instead, we handed over the laksa ingredients we had brought along. At first, it felt like a compromise, as if we were giving something less than intended.
As we spent time with the family, however, it became clear to me that it wasn’t so much about executing a plan perfectly, but in offering what we could with sincerity, learning to depend on God, and allowing Him to teach us through our obedience.
What Paul and I initially saw as a brief act of service changed how we viewed generosity, humility, and what it truly means to serve.
What left a deep impression was learning more about the father’s daily life. Through our translator, we learnt that the father worked as a tuk-tuk driver through the night, which meant that he rested in the day while his wife worked.
Despite his fatigue, he made the effort to host us, and welcomed us with a gentle demeanour and kindness that needed no translation. His hospitality, given out of what little he had and despite how tired he must have been, was deeply humbling.
While the father politely declined our invitation to attend church, we later joined another father-son team to reach out to the local village head and his family, who joined in the church service! We praised the Lord together for his openness to hear the gospel.
Reshaping Our Perspectives
Although the trip itself lasted only five days, its impact stayed with us long after we returned to Singapore.
What Paul and I initially saw as a brief act of service changed how we viewed generosity, humility, and what it truly means to serve. Later on, Paul shared with me that he felt happy to help and serve others. As Philippians 2:3–4 encourages us: “In humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”
Don’t wait for the perfect timing or the perfect plan.
Throughout the trip, I was reminded again and again that faith is often formed in the unplanned moments. Before we left, I had prayed for Paul to be impacted, to grow, and to see beyond his usual world to the needs of others.
But during the trip, I found myself letting go of those expectations. Growth wasn’t going to come from a single powerful moment or a dramatic realisation, but through observation, small acts of service, and simply being there.
Presence Over Perfection
As for myself, this experience challenged me more than I expected. I had to confront my tendency to want things to go according to plan and to measure success by tangible outcomes.
But this trip reminded me that presence matters more than perfection, and that my role as a father is less about orchestrating experiences and more about walking alongside my child through them as we obey Jesus’ Great Commission as a family (see Matthew 28:19–20).
Would I do this again? Without hesitation, yes.
Not because everything went smoothly, but because it gave Paul and me something rare: a shared experience outside our normal routine, one that opened the door for deeper conversations and reflections.
It allowed me to see him in a different light, exposed him to a side of humanity that is seldom encountered in Singapore, and gave us the opportunity to talk about what it means to serve God and love His people in tangible ways.
Encouragement to Parents
If you’re thinking about bringing your child on a mission trip, I would say this: Don’t wait for the perfect timing or the perfect plan. Go with a willingness to learn together. Prepare your child, but don’t over-prepare to the point of scripting every possibility.
What will matter most are not the things you do, but the moments you share—the adjustments, the surprises, the unspoken lessons along the way.
In the end, the cabinet we built will hopefully serve its purpose in that home. The food we gave will be eaten and gone. But what remains—for both Paul and me, at least—is something less tangible, yet far more lasting, just as “the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’” (Acts 20:35).
In some ways, we went to give but we came back having received far more than we expected. And that, I believe, is the true gift of the journey.
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