A volunteer for Asia’s Hope, a cooperating ministry in the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches, lost his life on Sunday during a trip to Cambodia. Bob Owens, of Grove City, Ohio, died after being struck by a motorcycle in Siem Reap. A story in the Columbus, Ohio, Dispatch, shares some of the details. A portion of the story appears below. Click here for the complete article.
John McCollum, executive director, Asia’s Hope, wrote on the Asia’s Hope Facebook page: On behalf of the staff and children of Asia’s Hope in the U.S. and in Cambodia, I wanted to express our deep, deep sorrow and most heartfelt condolences to the family of Bob Owens.
We were shocked and heartbroken to hear that Bob was struck and killed by a motorcycle while walking with the team today in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
Bob was a member of a team led by Dr. Ray Sheridan, and a member of the Battambang 5 Champions Circle. This was Bob’s first visit to Cambodia, and he was on his way to demonstrate God’s love and mercy to the children at the Battambang 5 Children’s Home. He was joined on the trip by his wife Kim and granddaughter Jayla.
The team expresses gratitude to our Cambodian staff, who arrived on the scene shortly after the accident to offer comfort and assistance.
Please join us all in praying for the team and the family as they deal not only with the devastating loss but with the complexity of enduring such a tragedy so far from home.
May God have mercy, and may his spirit send peace.
Grove City missionary killed in Cambodia
A Grove City man was killed Sunday during a mission trip to Cambodia.
Bob Owens, who would have turned 75 today, died after being struck by a motorcycle in Siem Reap, Cambodia, a city in the northwestern part of the country.
Owens had been traveling with his wife, Kim, his granddaughter, Jayla, and four other missionaries on behalf of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Grove City, and Asia’s Hope, a Columbus-based nonprofit that provides family-style care for orphans in Cambodia, Thailand and India. The orphans the organization helps are at high risk for sexual and economic exploitation.
The orphans live as families in individual houses that are part of the same compound, said the Rev. Dan Millisor, pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
Millisor said the church had been moving toward sponsoring one of those houses, and Owens and the other missionaries went to Cambodia to purchase bicycles and other home goods the family living there might need.
Click here for the complete article.