A Thankful November

November has been a month full of joyful progress! We have had some breakthrough conversations with students, guided by the HS. Our hearts are full this month.  

We spent time with Becky’s students at a class cookout. Chris took the boys on their first camping trip.

We were able to clearly express the meaning of Thanksgiving to our friends and students in our home. Turkey is not available in our town so we ate roasted duck! They taste pretty similar. 

We are looking forward to the upcoming Christmas holiday. This time of year allows us to openly share the meaning of Christmas as a part of a cross-cultural exchange. Our hearts feel that it is a privilege to be where we are during the holiday season. As tough as it is to be away from home for the first time, we know that we are right where we are called to be. 

Becky met with the manager at the orphanage and gathered a list of important needs they have. The manager was very receptive to the idea of us coming again. We will be taking items to donate around Christmas time. We will also share a meal with the family in the Yi village. Please pr for open hearts and open doors so that the message of Christmas will be presented. 

Opened Gates

“No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.”

Over the past year I (Chris) have been wrestling with the idea of furthering my training of the Word & ministry and have been seeking ways of doing this through getting a masters.  Once on the field I thought this door would close.  As my life turned into a day-to-day desire to know Him more I sought to ask for His will to be done.  Seeking Him had to become my priority, then loving my wife, and finally our work here.

Peace began flooding back to me when I returned my eyes to our Father.  The Lord knew that He needed to be about His Father's business (Luke 2:49), and so should I.  It’s weird how uncertainty can actually bring peace while ease causes the opposite.  Shouldn’t all of our decisions be based upon what is going to have the greatest impact for our Father’s Kingdom?

After settling into the changing daily routine I was able to finally call our new life a home.  I felt the presence of the Father walking hand and hand.  I no longer was seeking what I thought I needed.  And then one day He says it’s time.  I received an email from Golden Gate informing me of their full online masters program.  Immediately I deleted it.  A few weeks go on and, BING, a new email comes through while studying the language.  This time it’s personally written from a staff member so I replied with a, “Thanks, but because of my current situation I’m not able to attend at this time.”

Over a few months I would receive random emails asking for me to call.  So I grabbed the Magic-Jack and tried to call no answer.  This goes on for weeks.  On my last attempt to call I get a voicemail and I leave a message.  A few months passed by and nothing came back up.  Then I receive an email saying my Magic-Jack has a voicemail.  I listened to the email and decide it’s just a pitch, but I felt something pushing me to call back.  I waited till midnight our time to call and ended up off the phone at 5 am.

In those 5 hours I talked with three different staff members, nevertheless it was one person, who the Father spoke through, that I felt the call.  This gentleman happened to be at his lunch when I called him.  I shared with him how hard it would be for me to pay for one or two classes a semester and for me to get books.  In my mind I’m thinking of the logistics of getting them and the cost of a class.  You can’t just place some books in the mail, for this degree, and send them to the country I live in. 

His mind is focused on cost of the books, which I never even thought of!  He told me that he had always put some of his money aside to help a student and that he was called to help me, and that whatever book is needed for the entire degree program he would take care of.  He also said he would personally make sure I would get them safely.  Both of us, touched by the spirit, had tears of joy.  His yoke is easy and his burden is light when you place all you have on Him.

This is not about receiving a degree or not having the finances to take care of it.  It is about how to keep the great commission at the forefront of my mind, and the training to disciple those here.  It is about helping the lost go beyond “come and listen” to “go and tell.”  It is about the Son shining brightly.

I know that there is no way possible that I could be here today if it was not for His provisions.  I have seen the Father answer many prayers supernaturally.  And being a witness to the faith of the locals here is amazing and has taught me so much.  It is my pr’yr that not only rocks cry out His name, but the thousands of others that surround me.

The Son wants more for His community and this is a way for myself to be further trained in loving & teaching the lost.  Will you join me as I seek to know Him more?

October Is Now

Back in April, Becky went with her local friend to the orphanage in our town. The conditions of the location were very poor and run-down. She sat outside with a few children and fed them fruit. All children enrolled in the facility had some sort of special need, as did the elderly. In June, Becky was on the way with the female LABC team members to visit the orphanage when they received word that the orphanage had moved. As disappointed as we were, we were focused in pry’er in hopes that they had been moved to a better and improved place. 

At the beginning of October, Becky was headed into town to spend time with her friend and they received word of the new orphanage location! It is now in a nearby village, and it is beautiful! It is a new facility with clean furnishings. Becky was able to see all of the same kids she saw back in April and they looked great! It was such an answer to pr! The orphanage is very leery of accepting any visitors, local/foreigner alike. It is very uncommon in this culture to do “random acts of kindness”, so when someone shows up to their door, they automatically question, “What do you want from us?” It is heartbreaking, but we are thankful for this newly opened door.

Becky spent the entire day in a poor, Yi people village with a non-English speaking family that does not believe. They welcomed her into their home and fed her a traditional meal. Becky told the woman that whenever a local person invites her into their home, it helps ease any homesickness she may be experiencing and brings a close sense of family into her heart. The woman immediately broke into tears and was touched. Without a doubt, Father was speaking these words to this woman and softening her heart. They have welcomed us back to their village and we are hoping to see them soon.

Here is a picture of the lake in the village.

Exploring the North

We were given a weeklong holiday in early October and decided to take the opportunity to visit some hometowns of our students. We traveled to the north of our province to learn more about some people groups we work with. It was an amazing opportunity to pr over the land of these people in hopes that they become people of the King. We were encouraged by some local workers that are spreading the news in these two cities.

We rode through several Tibetan farms and had special encounters with Tibetan villagers. We were surrounded by Tibetan pr flags everywhere we went. The amount of false-idol-worship was heavy in most places

We were reminded that He is the ultimate Creator. Even the rocks cry out praises to our King. Climbing the local mountain was a sweet reminder.

We saw evidence of the longevity of creation that exists in this town by viewing the glacier on the mountain. 

A Swift September

This semester has flown by. We have been the busiest that we’ve ever been. We have stepped up our language learning at a more intense pace this semester. We really sought Father for His provision for how He desires us to learn the language. Our pryers have been answered. Chris was blessed with a tutor for the first 2 months of the semester and is now enrolled in speaking classes and Becky has been working with a tutor in our home.

Teaching has been going great. We get a few laughs at the English names the students choose for themselves and we love getting to know their personalities.

We have continued to have one of our regular groups of students over to our home for dinner most weeks. Our group of boys have asked us to teach them how to pr.

We celebrated “Mid-Autumn Festival/Moon Festival” this month by eating moon cake, playing games with friends, and lighting the sky with floating paper lanterns. 

We are happy to announce that we have found an acceptable haircut place! We experienced our first normal haircut this month! Always grateful for the small things.

A New Semester

We have to admit a certain fear as the new semester approaches.  Not so much about the teaching/befriending itself.  What incites fear in us is the realization that we, with all our insecurities, faults and failures, are again being given the opportunity to be apart of 13,000 student lives.  We think of the influence some of our college instructors and leaders had on us, positive and negative, and we wonder what impact we will have when these students look back some day.

This past week students have been piling back on campus for the fall semester, and we have been occasionally checking the campus stores and dorms for activity.  With that on our mind, we have been reading some scripture & writings and processing what is on our hearts:

“Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” — John 7:38

“It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship. . . .  It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with one another. . . .  Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations —these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat.  But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit.” — C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory

Father, once again we are awed by the responsibility you have given us, the opportunity to speak into the lives of students this coming semester.  Right now we have over 25 students that we regularly meet with and over 300 we teach from diverse backgrounds with a variety of interests, cares, concerns, expectations, and experiences.  They come with a range of attitudes toward us from enthusiasm & openness to fear & resentment.  Out of the students that we will come in contact with, some will face health problems, personal problems, and family issues we can’t even imagine.  Some will show anger or bitterness towards us because of our nationality.  Many will be scared as they start their freshman or senior year and they prepare to enter a world that feels hostile to them.  You have given them to us this semester.  We don’t know what you’ll be doing in their lives this semester, but it looks like we’ll be a part of it.

Father, may we give our classroom and home over to you.

Father, we give our rooms & house over to you.  We’ve dedicated our home to you in the past, but this semester we put the physical space of our classrooms into your hands.  We ask for your presence to be felt there, that your love would flow.  Help us to recognize that these rooms you have prepared for us is Holy Ground, and that the students in it are immortal beings.  Help us to see that you are there ahead of us, already at work in the lives of each student in the class.  This is a huge responsibility and a tremendous honor.  We pry for your guidance as we deliver lectures and guide discussions that challenge students and take them out of their comfort zone.  We pry for words to speak clearly and explain difficult concepts.  We ask you to put the words of Truth in our mouth that will nudge students toward a deeper knowledge of you and a better understanding of the world around them.  We pry that the classroom be a safe place where students can learn from their mistakes and grow into the men and women You have called them to be.

We pry for protection, Father, protection against saying things that may hurt students or offend them.  We pry for protection against comments that may be ambiguous or easily misunderstood.  We pry for wisdom as we intentionally raise difficult questions and challenge students’ worldviews, that students trust us as a teacher and a friend even when they do not understand our methods or appreciate our approach.  We pry for your grace so that even when we mess up, when we do come to class underprepared, when we don’t know the answer to students’ questions, when we unintentionally offend, that You would redeem our weakness, that these would become moments of learning and grace.

We pry also for the students who will struggle.  We know from past experience that some may cheat or plagiarize, in particular given the pressure to perform well in a foreign language.  We pry that you would help us to support them in the extra challenges they face in our class, both language and culture.  Help us to recognize what they can bring to the class, new perspectives and ideas that push us out of our comfort zone.  May Your living water flow through us as they encounter not only us, but also You in us.

We give our house to you as well, Father, and our time.  We ask that You reside there, that Your presence be felt in the conversations that take place.  Given the kinds of classes we teach and the issues students face, there will likely be conversations that go far beyond the academic.  As students “open their souls to scrutiny,” help us to treat them with the respect they deserve, that Your love and Your life would flow through us, that your living water would wash over them.  Help us to respect and love them even when they fail to meet the standards set for them by their parents, the university, or us.  Help us to pry for them; grant us wisdom about prying with them.  I pry that far beyond what they learn about the “nations, cultures, arts, and civilizations” of this world they will come to better appreciate the immortal beings around them, their friends, roommates, & teachers, and to focus on Your eternal presence in their lives.

Finals Week, Goodbyes, and Celebrations

Well, we finished our first semester of overseas college life! Last week was ‘finals week’ and Becky submitted all of her grades!

This is the last week of school and the majority of the students on campus will go back to their hometown and spend time with their families. We have spent our time with students playing games and teaching them new things!

Please remember us this week as we are both saying our goodbyes. We never know for sure if the students we have connected with will return in the fall semester. We are asking Father for “fruitful goodbyes”.

This weekend we were blessed to spend our evening Skyping with the community back home! Some awesome friends put together a fundraiser breakfast for our trip to Thailand to receive our shots! Moments like this really fill us up. We are beyond thankful! 

Team Time!

We were excited to have our very first team this week! It was a huge joy to spend the week serving alongside our friends and family where we live. Their schedule was packed full of work to be done. They spent time in classrooms on campus and had several opportunities to share the Good News! 2 weeks prior to their arrival, Becky showed the J Film to 210 of her students. Some of the team members were able to “piggyback” off of the questions students asked! It was beautiful to see how Father continues to work in the lives of these students by using willing team members.

The team experienced a lot of what we experience while living here on a daily basis. We introduced them to our national friends, where they spent time in their homes sharing stories, meals, and getting to know each other. We showed them where we go grocery shopping, took them to eat at the places we frequently dine, and enjoyed time together in our home as much as possible!

It was refreshing to be around old friends and new, Chris’ mom and brother, and our brothers and sisters from our SS class. It was a time of renewal for the both of us that was much needed.After guiding the team for the week, the team took us to the big city for the last 2 days of the trip and blessed us. They took us around town and helped meet any needs we had.

After guiding the team for the week, the team took us to the big city for the last 2 days of the trip and blessed us. They took us around town and helped meet any needs we had.

Our SS class (shout out Essentials!) put the funds together for us to purchase a second hot plate. As many of you know, we live in a hotel room that has been converted into an extended stay apartment. We have a makeshift “kitchen” with a toaster oven and one hot plate as our stovetop. When we cook meals, we can only cook one dish at a time… and when we have 9 people in our home every Friday, cooking becomes a 5-6 hour event. Of course tears were shed as our class surprised us! Thank you, thank you, thank you! 

Medical Examinations

Today was the day we were to drive south to the border of Vietnam for our medical examinations required for our visas. We can attest to the truth that American doctors are much different than Asian doctors! Wow we had an interesting day to say the least!

We started by having a chest X-ray to check our lungs. This was a blessing in disguise because we were able to check Becky’s lungs since she had been coughing. They were clear! The doctor asked Chris if he was pregnant! Ha! (look closely at Chris’ x-ray). 

Then we had our blood drawn to test for AIDS and gave a urine sample in a container the size of a medicine cup. (Ladies, try producing a sample while using a squatty potty. Enough said.) After that, we each had an ultrasound. The doctor told me that I was skinny standing up, but I was fat when lying down. People in this country are very critical in making observations. In America, we would never call someone ‘fat’ to their face because it may offend them. 

Finally, they performed an EKG (they spelt it ECG) the old fashioned way with clamps around our ankles (Becky felt like the bride of Frankenstein).

What a memorable experience. We all passed our medical exams just fine. After being poked, prodded, and invaded, we walked to the Vietnam border. It was so neat to be able to see another country right before your own eyes. You can see the bridge to Vietnam behind us. 

We also walked the street market and brought back a little souvenir to remember this experience!

June *Swoon*

We celebrate 4 years of marital adventure today! It is amazing to look back on the last 4 years and reflect on how crazy awesome our journey together has been. Father has truly drawn us closer to each other and closer to Him. As challenging as it can be sometimes, we feel that living overseas has been the BEST part of our marriage so far!

To celebrate, a friend gave us a surprise deal at a Hot Springs Resort about 3 hours away from our town. We had a difficult time relaxing at first, because it was nicer than anything we’ve ever experienced here! This was the first time in our marriage to be together and alone on the actual day of our anniversary!

We spent our time hopping around 12 different kinds of hot spring pools, hitting balls at the driving range, and resting. We met a family of 3 while we were there and spent some time with them.

We are beyond thankful to our friend for such a sweet blessing.

A Recent Adventure

As soon as we jumped into our new culture, we celebrated the Chinese New Year. Welcome to the year of the snake! So, what's in store for the year ahead? Slithering our way into new adventures and transformations. Not that we're suggesting we will shed our skin or anything too drastic.

We now ask you to let your imagination run wild as you read about this adventure!

Referred to by the locals as, "Little Hong Kong", this nearby town is a mountainside city known around the mining community as home to the biggest tin production mine in Asia. It is the nearest town to us that offers a variety of attractions rarely seen by foreigners.

We decided to make the trip with friends of ours that know the town better than most. As we arrived in the town we found plenty of boats willing to take us on the lake, a line of people wandering through an exotic zoo, and a tram willing to take us up 2,000 feet to the temple that sits atop of the mountain, or we could just walk 3,000 steps.

It's a 45-minute ride to the heart of the town by bus or van. After a quick stop at the square we made our way to the zoo. Upon arrival, we were charged the entry fee to the zoo, which we thought was for the tram. The zoo is basically a small-scaled zoo full of animals native to this region of Southeast Asia, with the exception of a few. In keeping with many zoos from all over the world, the enclosures are too small for their inhabitants, a significant proportion of who seemed to be pretty depressed about it all. However, you could get right up to the cages or glass and get a great show.

Despite the above, we were fascinated by the variety of animals on display, which ranged from tigers, a hallucinating elephant, Asian black bears, wolves, cobras, and a variety of birds and monkeys that were not shy of giving us some entertainment.

The different animal enclosures are spaced along elevated walkways that loop throughout a park. At the end of the path we made it to the tram and steps. For a small fee we opted with the tram, plus no one felt like walking an hour up and an hour down.

On the tram ride up and down, we gained access to some of the best views of the city. Once atop of the mountain, we were surrounded by several towering temples. We began to pry for the people who believe in false idols. This has also caused us to think about the counterfeit gods in our own lives that we have created. We ask Father to remove these CG's from our hearts and that we may focus solely on Him.

We enjoyed the cool breeze our Father was providing. As we headed down the mountain in the cable car, we spent the time laughing and connecting with our friends.

Uploaded by Chris Bielinski on 2013-12-27.

Praises & Requests

Praises

  • Chris gave his lecture on International Trade last week! Thank you for prying! He has another one scheduled for June. He has also been guest teaching at least once a week for various colleges. We have no word on whether or not he really will be compensated for the times he has taught, but we continue to rely on Father for our Daily Bread and that we focus on the relationships rather than the reward.
  • Our health has improved and has remained stable for the most part this month!
  • We have been eating more than once a day!
  • Thankful for direct accountability with those back home during challenging moments.

Requests

  • Last week, Becky was able to show the J film in her class to 210 students. Please ask Father to reveal Himself to these students as they continue to process what they saw, most of them for the first time. We are hoping for questions to answer and conversations to come out of the video.
  • For Chris and Becky to continue to improve with language skills while learning characters. We have 3 weeks left of language class for the semester.
  • We are ready for Father to deepen the relationships with have established with our “Friday Night Crew”. We ask that He will lead the way and speak to these friends as He reveals Himself.
  • Ask Father to help us get good sleep at night. We have a difficult time shutting down and turning off our brain. We wake up many times feeling as if we had never gone to sleep in the first place.
  • We are preparing for our first team to come while living here. They will be here the second week of June! Please ask Father to guide us in His plan for the visiting team members and to begin to prepare their hearts for what is coming.

Thailand Update:

  • We have booked our trip to Thailand with Father’s guidance. We are trusting that the remaining funds will be provided by Him in His timing. We have airline tickets and a place to stay.
  • We both have doctor’s appointments for physical exams as well as JE injections. 

Time With Friends

Earlier we mentioned that Chris traveled with his friends for Labor Day. Last weekend, we rolled 7 deep in a van to travel about an hour away, only to discover a REAL WATER PARK!!! YES! REAL!! Imagine Hawaiian Falls meets Great Wolf Lodge complete with an outdoor wave pool, huge lazy river, high dive boards and pool, and indoor water slides! We were originally supposed to visit a Hot Springs. However, somehow we ended up here instead, and we had an absolute blast! We spent the entire day splashing with friends, teaching a friend how to swim for the very first time, capturing moments of endless laughter, eating dinner in a local village, and fishing with bamboo poles while watching the sunset.

Father is giving us these moments to deepen the bonds of true friendship with these friends from the “Friday Night Crew”. Each time we are all together for a meal, they ask us to pry before they start eating. We take that time to give thanks to Father and specifically pry for the people around us.

Imagine Hawaiian Falls meets Great Wolf Lodge complete with an outdoor wave pool, huge lazy river, high dive boards and pool, and indoor water slides! We were originally supposed to visit a Hot Springs.

Middle School Love

We have been given the opportunity to assist with an English Club at the local middle school in town! We spend 2 hours with 600 students! Chris is a ROCK STAR and does a fantastic job leading these students in activities. He is a natural with a microphone and a large crowd!

We have finished for the semester, but we are now prying that this opportunity continues for the fall semester and that we further our relationship with the middle school principal, teachers, and students.

Friday Night Crew

We have spent every Friday night for over a month now with the same group of students. We cook an American dish and they in turn cook an Asian dish! We always end up with an intense game of UNO with plenty of laughter. It feels so natural to have this group over to our home each week. It is a joy to cook for them, too. We have really bonded with them and we are prying for Father to take these relationships to the next level. We do not push, but instead we show love with willing hearts. To shake things up a bit, we did chocolate Fondue (thanks to our good friend from the Melting Pot!) and had fun with homemade photo booth accessories! 

Happy Mother's Day

We surprised our moms with flower deliveries for Mother’s Day! Shout out to some awesome moms who have helped us tremendously while we live overseas!!

Becky visited a friend’s English Center and spent time teaching the children about Mother’s Day and showed them how to make a Mother’s Day card! (It says "Happy Mother's Day" in our language!) 

Class Happenings

We have successfully completed the first 10 lessons of our language class. We are now going back through each lesson to specifically learn how to write and recognize each character. As frustrating as this can be, we know that it is equally important to be able to read as much as it is to be able to speak. We are making progress! It has been awesome to speak a few phrases and write some characters for students. They are touched that a foreigner is learning their language! We have a long way to go, but we are pressing forward with His guidance! 

One of Becky's students painted us a beautiful scroll for our home! It was such a sweet gift!

One of Becky's students painted us a beautiful scroll for our home! It was such a sweet gift!

Becky showed the J film to 210 of her students last week as a part of how religion influences culture. A great segue into revealing truth. It was incredible to see their reactions while watching something for the first time. They were amazed at the part where J feeds 5,000 people. They were also incredibly concerned when J was beaten. It was good for us to see the film again. It is always a deep reminder of the origin of our salvation and how significant of a price He paid for our lives. We encourage you to watch the film at a time other than Easter. Take a moment and watch it with your families. Be reminded of how powerful His grace will always be.

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Labor Day Holiday

We were given Monday-Wednesday as a holiday from work/school to enjoy the Asian version of “Labor Day”. Technically, Labor Day was on Wednesday. Anytime there is a holiday, people are off the two days before it. However, it is truly not 2 days off, because you have to make up the time for work and school on the Saturday and Sunday prior to the holiday. So really, it is just a rearrangement of the weekly schedule. It is more work for people than it is worth! To us, it seems like another reminder to the people here of the communistic control. They want the people to “think” they are getting time off, but in reality, they aren’t.

This was the first time since we have been living here that we spent more than 1 night apart! Chris traveled to a town about 3 hours away with our group of friends. He had an absolute blast growing in his friendships.

When you have a few days off you just need to hit the road. 8 of us decided to travel to some nearby cities and do some swimming.

Becky went with some friends to a village about an hour away in the mountains. Original plans did not happen because her friend’s car ended up halfway off the road! She had no experience driving in the mountains. It took 8 of us to lift the car onto the road. We were reminded of how valuable it is to serve others, despite the circumstances.

International Week

We kicked off International Week by participating with the other foreigners in the “Food Festival”. The International College asked us to prepare an American dish to serve to the students on campus. This was quite the challenge being that typical “American” ingredients are either limited or not available at all in our town! We accepted the challenge and decided to make Apple Crisp and Macaroni and Cheese! I know, I know.. you are probably thinking, “Cheese?! Where did you find cheese?!” Well, thankfully we received a block of Velveeta in a care package. We used the Velveeta and found a 5 lb. bag of pasta noodles in town! We have apples, oatmeal, brown sugar, flour, and sugar here available in town, and we brought a container of cinnamon from home. The Food Festival was a big success! We fed 200 people with our Mac n’ Cheese and Apple Crisp! 

Let's Go Fly A Kite...

We were asked by the International College to meet at the soccer field to learn how to decorate and fly a kite. It turned out that when we showed up, we were actually supposed to come as a team of 3 and participate in a kite decorating/flying COMPETITION!

Neither of us had ever flown a kite before… another “International Week” challenge! The first part of the competition was to paint the kite. We were given 1 hour to design and paint. Becky designed the kite as a world map connecting Texas and Asia, to go along with the theme of International Week. 

The second part of the competition was to fly the kite. Another foreigner friend from America joined our team, and he and Chris did the flying part! The soccer field was divided into 20-meter segments. Each team was only allowed 20 meters to run and launch the kite, while also only having 10 minutes to get it as high in the sky as possible.

Our team was part of the first round of teams to fly. 7 minutes in to it and no team was able to launch their kite into the sky. Becky began to pry for Father to provide us with sustaining wind so that we could have our kite fly. Sure enough, our kite launched successfully! Members of the International College ran up to our team in shock! Becky told them about how she pryed for wind, and that He answered our pryer! They were struck with wonder! 

International Week came to an end with International student performances. Our Vietnamese friends sang songs, Thai students sang and danced, and Becky and some other Americans performed a skit in Chinese. Awards were given to the winners from the various activities that took place during the week. We found out that we won the Kite Competition! We won most creative design and flying!

Our main desire for International Week was to give Him the glory in all that we participated in! We want to be a living Testimony of His power and truth! 

Praises & Request

In addition to this post, we have 5 more for you to read.

We appreciate you from the depth of our hearts. We are continuing to adjust to daily life in our new country. Each day is different from the next. We have experienced some homesickness this week. At times, it seems like we are doing very little here. Relationship-building is very slow and security is very high at this time. We must remember to trust HIS timing and that these are HIS people, not ours.

Praises:

  • We continue to be grateful for technology. With the apps of Skype and Viber, we have been able to call, text, and see family and friends. If you’d like more info about these apps, please let us know!
  • We have received a few care packages from home! Woooo hooo!!! If you would like more information about sending a package, please let us know!
  • After 6 weeks, Becky no longer has a sore throat. PTL! 
  • Teaching is going great. Chris has been asked to be a guest speaker in a political science class a few times this month. Continuing to pry for opportunities!

THAILAND UPDATE:  We are blown away at how Father continues to provide. At the time, we were unsure of the cost for our shots. A dear friend donated an amount of money and she requested it to be specifically used for our shots! We were so thankful! Well, a few days ago we heard back from the hospital with the information about our shots. Instead of receiving 1 shot, we have to receive 2 to complete the series within 3-12 months apart from each other. The total cost of receiving both shots for both people came out to be the exact amount donated by our friend! HE is divine in HIS planning! Can I get a WHAT WHAT?!

We know that Father has affirmed the decision in going forth with traveling to Thailand, but this means we have to go twice to complete the series of JE. We will no longer need to stay for a month, but we will be staying for 15 days to allow enough time for any reactions that may occur from the live virus vaccine.

We feel it is important to be transparent with you about the costs required for one trip. The total cost of $2,100 includes traveling 5 hours away to the nearest airport, airfare, bus, and other traveling expenses, room and board, meals, and medical expenses.

We continue to seek Him for our daily bread.

Requests:

  • Chris has been spending quite a bit of time with a group of Vietnamese students each week.  He has had good conversations with them. They are here until the end of the year. Please ask that Father guides his words and gives him the opportunity to share the word.
  • Further the relationship with the orphanage. Ask for the hearts of the orphanage workers.
  • Becky is meeting with 2 sister friends for dship. Please ask for wisdom of the word so that she may help them gain understanding of His truth and that they may grow confident to share with others. 
  • Language classes have been going well. We are able to speak survival language. We are ready to go deeper and learn more conversational speech. Please ask for patience and that we retain what we learn. 
  • Later this month, Chris will be giving a lecture on International Trading Competition for the school of business as a guest speaker. Update on his job status: Because of visa complications, he cannot be hired by contract with any organization or company. He is only allowed to act as a guest speaker on occasion. Please ask Father for provision and security. We are thankful for these opportunities for him to be a guest speaker. Pry that we continue to trust in His plan for Chris’ use of his time.