"Help Cambodian Students" is run by two main volunteers: Ms. Laurie Gilbert of Highlands Ranch, CO and Ms. Dalay Lawrence of Sunnyvale, CA. We are thankful to have support networks both in the US and Cambodia which make this effort possible every year. On the US side, we have St. Luke's UMC under the leadership of Rev. Janet Forbes and St. Luke's director of finance Mr. Dave Cupp. In Cambodia we work with General Board of Global Ministries UMC Mission in Cambodia under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Romeo del Rosario and the treasurer Ms. Helen L. Camarce. We want to extend special thanks to Rev. Joseph Chan, who brought up this idea to the Mission team back in 2000 and continues to advocate for and support our work. He is the main contact for students in the Siem Reap region. And to Mr. Socheat Dy of Khmer Protestant Kompong Cham Methodist Church and Rev. Run Nay of Mohaleap Methodist Church. Students in Kompong Cham are located in various villages and Socheat has to travel many kilometers to reach them.
Laurie has been working in local and international missions for the past 16 years, with her church members at St. Luke’s UMC, in Colorado. She has shared life and continues to work with orphans, children, and youth in Cambodia, Zimbabwe and Guatemala. She is a Preschool teacher and has taught 3 and 4 year olds at St. Luke’s Little School. Laurie is married to her high school sweet heart, Gary, for 33 years and they have been blessed with 3 children and now 5 beautiful grandchildren :)
Dalay grew up in Kompong Cham, Cambodia. She supported herself through college and graduated from the Royal University of Phnom Penh in 2001 with a bachelors degree in education. That same year she moved to Denver, Colorado to attend Iliff School of Theology, who awarded her a Master's degree in Divinity in 2004. Dalay very much enjoyed being a part of the St. Luke's community as its missionary-in-residence during her three years at Iliff. Currently Dalay works as a linguist in silicon valley, California. She has been married to Tristan for 7 1/2 years and they have a 4-year old son named Cornelius. She and Tristan are both excited about returning back to Cambodia someday!
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