In 1956, I married my Bible School sweetheart, Norman Ens.  Both of us had a vision and calling from the Lord to be overseas missionaries. The Christian and Missionary Alliance, which was the organization sending us to Cambodia, required that first of all we spend some years serving in Canada. So it was that they sent us to Hearts Hill, SK, and Luseland, SK. We served there from 1957 to 1960.

 

It was the church in Luseland that first sent us out on our missionary journey. For me, this journey has continued until the present day. In 1991, my husband went to be with the Lord.  At that time we had to serve the Cambodian refugee church in France after the fall of Cambodia to the Khmer Rouge in 1975. After his death, I was able to return to Cambodia and served with the C&MA until the year 2000. By then I was 66 years old, and the mission said I must return to Canada and stay there.

 

That was not what I wanted to do, and I soon realized that it was not what Jesus wanted me to do either, so I returned to Cambodia with no mission supporting me. I knew I could live in Cambodia on my own pension and small savings. I did not have a clear idea of what the Lord was bringing me back for. 

 

In 2002, Cambodia was at the height of the AIDS crisis. Along with another missionary couple, we established a centre for families coping with AIDS. Without any antiretroviral drugs, the HIV-positive parents all died, leaving us their children to care for. In 2003, we registered our organization with the Cambodian government, calling it Rescuing those without hope.

 

With donations, mostly from Canada, we began to build homes for orphan children. Beginning with 16 small homes for families coping with AIDS. RESCUE has grown to three centres and three university dorms and cares for children who are orphans or children of parents coping with AIDS, elderly destitute grannies, and adults coping with AIDS.

 

I expect to remain in Cambodia, living at our Rescue centre until I die.  My son, David, and his wife, Patti, live in Phnom Penh, and I am able to see them often. I have been able to travel back and forth to North America to visit my sons, Doug and Rod, and their families, and my daughter, Shelly, and her family quite often. I have 14 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. I love them all dearly. With good health and abundant blessing from the Lord, I expect that will be for a good many years yet.