Christmas Grace

This Christmas our prayer was for us to have a revelation of what it’s all about, and we were blessed with the knowledge that it is about our Lord’s grace.

Our eldest son Evan was stranded at the Vancouver airport due to heavy snowfall on his way here. He sat inside the plane for eight hours waiting to fly out. Skyping with him was the last we heard from him until he got to Bangkok. After finally arriving in Thailand he was placed on the waiting list for a flight to Chiang Mai on super-hectic Christmas Eve. He made the first flight out and arrived here 24 hours later than originally intended. The Lord’s grace allowed for him to get a seat and be here in time for Christmas.

Eric, our second son, took our motorcycle for a ride and its wheel was hit at an intersection by a speeding motorist. Another second and he could have been hit directly. As it was, he was thrown off the bike but survived with minor scratches and bruises. The teen who hit him spent the night at the hospital with a broken wrist and a battered knee. Eric could have easily died or gotten badly hurt, but didn’t.

We were all here last night eating our Christmas dinner. Not one of us was at the airport, the morgue, or the hospital, and being together as a family, we were all of us each other's Christmas gifts.


At God’s grace, at the very first Christmas, Jesus was sent to us so we could have him as our Savior. None of us deserve Jesus but He and God loved us way too much. Because of what He’s done on the cross, and the Holy Spirit, we can have abundant lives and someday live with Him for eternity in heaven. Merry Christmas indeed!!!

Best Birthday Ever

Since Evan was going to spend his 18th and first birthday on his own, we were naturally concerned that he might be lonely and sad that we couldn't be there with him. The week leading to his birthday, we started to pray for him, and his younger brothers earnestly asked the Lord that he would be blessed.



I emailed his roommate to see if he could somehow find a way to surprise Evan, but didn't hear from him. Friday (Nov. 14) was his birthday so Thursday night, (Thailand time), I asked my Bible Study group to pray for him. One of the ladies asked if I'd like her to contact one of her friends from Houghton to see if they could somehow bless Evan. I agreed believing anything was possible with the Lord but wondering if we were too late (Thailand just being 12 hours ahead of the US). Lo and behold, her friend no longer worked at Houghton but she had a cousin whom she then proceeded to connect with. Another friend was contacted and sure enough on Evan's birthday, right after we connected by Skype and sang and greeted him in the morning, the friend came around with a cake and a bag of goodies courtesy of the Womens' Soccer Team. The cousin later brought along some balloons! Indeed, the Lord blessed Evan through people he didn't even know, a statement that I knew the Lord wanted me to tell him. Evan did other fun things with his friends and possibly partied too much but in the end, he concluded that it was his best birthday ever.



We are truly awed by our Lord who has seen to it that our son is cared for much better than when we had him here with us. He undoubtedly loves Evan more than we do and is doing a great job taking care of him. Thank you, Lord. He is yours.

Fascinating Laos

From October 19-24 we had the privilege of traveling to Luang Prabang and Phonsavan of the Xieng Khouang province. We were totally unprepared for the beauty, adventure, and painful truth that awaited us. Consisting mostly of mountains, we were blessed to enjoy view after view of valleys, sunflower dotted hills, pine trees, villages, and vegetation with flowers of varying sizes, colours, and types. We were fascinated with not just the beauty of the country but its uniqueness. Where Thailand would at times have elephants on the road, Laos had lots of cows (!) and Hmong kids pushing their bikes up hill and riding them down, depending on the terrain. We visited their waterfalls and enjoyed the adventure of a lifetime trekking beside, across, on, or over the falls. We hiked for 1.5 hours on fallen logs, through a tree trunk, on rushing waters, and even through leech infested areas. The blood suckers got me twice but were thankfully removed before they became fat!


We also visited the Plain of Jars, a site that has hundreds of massive jars. The jars’ ancient use might have been to hold dead bones, or to hold something ceremonially used by their former king. Whatever they held can no longer be visibly seen but the jars are still standing there not willing to reveal their secret. What’s most eerie about the plains is the presence of bomb craters. Huge holes on the ground made by bombs dropped during the Vietnam War (1964-1973) are part of the scenery. The strangeness of huge jars sitting in the middle of a beautiful landscape with massive holes connected the ancient past with the not so distant past. Questions naturally arose. Since Laos was not part of the war, why was it bombed so much? We later found that the country is the record holder for being most bombed per capita in the world. Xieng Khouang is one of the most bombed province in the whole country. What were we doing there? We possibly stood in the most bombed place on earth!

There were actually foot markers so that we would know where to walk. If we left the marked path, we risked possibly stepping on an unexploded bomb. Sadly, many Lao have lost their lives or limbs doing just that, walking, or farming, and tragically connecting with a bomb or grenade cluster. Before we arrived there, 3 preschoolers lost their lives and two others were maimed when they found a grenade. Unfortunately, the effects of the bombs still haunt Laos today as it did then. Each year many Lao continually die. The majority of their un-farmed land is also due to the presence of bombs. The bulk of the countryside remains undeveloped until a team of bomb experts are able to sweep the land clean of them.


Laos is fascinating; stunningly beautiful, but painful to be in. Please pray with us for the Lao to rise above their plight, for progress to come, for healing to happen, and for forgiveness to be given.

Laos facts: in 9 years at least 1.36 million metric tonnes of bombs were dropped in the country. This is equal to 14 aircraft carriers. 1 metric tonne = 1000 kilos. Many of the bombs remain unexploded.

Thank you, Canada!

Last night we decided to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving. Thanks to Eng we managed to enjoy a delicious western meal of ham, sausages, mashed potatoes, and salad. It wasn’t turkey, but nevertheless a nice treat for all of us. Our evening included a call to Evan who we’re happy to say will have his own Thanksgiving meal, courtesy of the International Services of his college. Needless to say, we prayed and thanked the Lord for anything Canadian and the following came up: maple syrup, snow, maple leaves or different coloured leaves, Niagara Falls, and Hockey Night in Canada. We decked ourselves out in red and white, and thanked the Lord that we are Canadians. We are truly proud to claim it as our country.



Who specifically thanked the Lord for what? Eric thanked the Lord for maple syrup, Ethan for the snow, Linda for the leaves, Eli for Niagara Falls, and Eng for Hockey Night in Canada. Bonus points if you got all 5!



PS. As we remember how grateful we are to be Canadians, let’s also pray for the Burmese whose lives are in danger as they still get displaced by the Burmese Army and are constantly on the run. Please specifically commit the Free Burma Rangers who are committed to helping out those on the run. Thank you.

"Lab Yu"

He said it again the last time I spoke to him and once again, it made my heart skip a beat. It’s such a blessing for me to hear it. That phrase, meaning ‘I love you’ was from my Tatay (father) while I talked to him on the phone. [He’s living in Toronto while I’m over here in Chiang Mai.] He said it just as I was saying goodbye. I didn’t say it to him first and then him simply echoing me. He just said it and I know he meant it. Thank you, Lord. I know it may not sound like much to you and you may wonder what the big deal is. If you know my Tatay, you’d agree with me that he’d come such a long way. You must understand, he hardly ever talked when I was growing up. He still doesn’t do it much. He’s not only a shy, quiet man, he didn’t hug nor kissed much either. In the past, there were times when I would lie beside him in bed and try and ask him questions or converse with him. Sometimes he didn’t even answer me as he’d be too engrossed in the crossword puzzle he’d be doing. I used to often just leave him in frustration. A little while back, I’d told him on the phone that I loved him and he’d not said anything so I’d add that he should tell me that he loved me too. He’d complied and it was good to hear him say it but since I asked him to say it, it surely didn’t mean that much. Now, he says “lab yu” to me on his own, unprompted, voluntarily, sincerely. Unbelievable. What a joy. I feel loved. “Lab Yu too.”

Remarkable Incidences

Every once in a while we go through experiences that boggle our minds and all we can do is shake our heads in disbelief, wonder, and awe, all rolled up into one. What Eng and I experienced the last week in August falls in this category. Tuesday of that week, I came home and discovered my wallet missing. I figured I might have left it in school where I taught but I couldn't be sure. Immediately however, I started to pray incessantly. I also got our sons praying right away. The reason? It takes half an hour to renew a driver's license in Toronto. In Thailand? It would take a trip to the Canadian Consulate, the police station to report it lost, the doctor's for a medical certificate, and the transportation office for the license itself. It's definitely not a pleasant nor short task to do and that's only taking care of one of the items in my wallet! Eng was on his way here from Canada when during his stopover in Bangkok, he suddenly realised that he no longer had his passport. Panic stricken, he retraced his steps to the shop where he was at to find out if he left it there. He didn't. Like me, his prayers started. Thank you Father, that you can do the impossible, that you answer prayers, that nothing is too difficult for you.
To continue the story, the next day, I got to school, checked my mail box slot, and there sat my wallet! To this day, I don't know how it got there. I don't know who placed it there, I just happen to know who made it happen. Eng's story ended with the shop owner bringing him to the place where he could find out about lost items. A call was placed to the third floor and sure enough, his passport was there waiting for him to pick it up. Details? Who knows? Only God, it's all God. Thank you, Lord!

Gigglehead

Since arriving back from Toronto, life has not been the same. I realise that it's the absence of Evan. And the knowing that he's not living with us anymore unless he visits, doesn't comfort one bit. Life is good and God is till sovereign and great, but it just feels like something is amiss, Evan is missing. Sigh.

I choose to be grateful and glad for all the years we've had him with us. Sometimes, it's just that the gaping hole that he made in our hearts when we left him in Toronto just threatens to swallow us up. Thanks God, for your grace that is sufficient.

The ad above is what we placed in his school's yearbook. Evan was prophesied to be born before he actually was. He was to grow up into a fine, young man. And that, he surely did!

I Love My Husband

Two years ago when I visited my parents here in Toronto, my mother (who has Alzheimers) was well aware that she was at the point when she could no longer remember everything she wanted to remember. One night,in her moment of frustration and resignation, she with hand on her forehead said to my father, "What is wrong with my head? What if I can no longer remember you?" My father very quickly answered, "You may go ahead and forget everything, just please don't ever forget me".

It's been two years since and she has forgotten way more. When tested by her Neurologist just a few weeks ago, she couldn't say where she was (which hospital, city, or country). She couldn't tell what day it was, nor whether it was morning or evening, winter or summer, or what year it was. She couldn't come up with the word for 'pen' when she was asked what it was called, nor the word for 'writing' when asked what the pen was for. It was particularly ironic and sad to hear the Doctor tell his Med. Student that my mother had her Doctorate and used to be a Teacher, then an Administrator.

At this point in her life, my mother sometimes remembers me (her daughter) but most of the time, she doesn't. She's constantly confused as to who my husband and sons are. Once, she wanted to go home reasoning that her parents would be upset as it was already late. We couldn't convince her that she was home! Since her mind was in the past, she couldn't recognize my father either. Thankfully, it lasted for only a few minutes.

At the Doctor's office, she was able to blink when shown the written instruction to do so. She also picked up the paper when commanded to. Lastly, she was asked to write a sentence, then to read it. Without hesitating, she quickly wrote the sentence 'I love my husband', then read it confidently. My father beamed and looked like he was about to cry all at the same time.

Nowadays, very few marriages last, and some of those who are still married, aren't always happy to be in the marriage. My parents are sadly greatly affected by my mother's illness, but in her lucid moments, they are a joy to behold. As they celebrate their 60th Wedding Anniversary this Saturday, they're definitely (by the Lord's grace) happily married. I am so proud to be their daughter.

Hugs of Love

Ever since living with my parents when we arrived here in Toronto, we've been blessed. However, it's been very interesting, amusing, and even trying for us also in many ways. This is mostly due to my mother having Alzheimers. She has been forgetting many things including us, facts, and what she's saying. Sometimes she'll express the same concern over and over such as tripping over the cable that the computer is hooked up to, or one of the kids not in bed yet. But, what stands out the most to us who sometimes sleep later than she does, is how frequently she comes out of her bedroom to say "goodnight". She'll kiss and hug, say "goodnight", then go back to her room. A little while later, she'll do the same thing again. This sometimes goes on anywhere from 6 to 12 times at night. I, Linda, regretfully admit that by the second week of our stay, I was beginning to get tired of the repetitiveness and interruptions of the nightly routine. Thankfully, the Lord made me remember that my mother wasn't really affectionate to me when I was growing up. She became a lot more expressive when she got older but we then went to the mission field and have been there for close to 11 years. That meant I've missed out on being able to give, nor receive love from her in an intimate way (kissing and hugging). Now that she's saying "goodnight" many times each night, I get to receive in an intimate way each time, whatever affection she wants to give me. I realise that we were unknowingly making up for all the lost times that we couldn't hug because of distance and other reasons. Each hug and kiss she gives me each night (be it the 6th or the 8th) is filled with the same sincerity, warmth, and love as the first one. I am grateful to receive massive doses of her affection each night in lieu of all those times she couldn't give them. Thank you, Lord!

Random Act of Kindness

As we joined the line-up to buy tickets to get in the museum today, we (our 4 sons Evan, Eric, Eli, and Ethan, and their two cousins JJ and Jaime) were all quite surprised when an Asian man handed Eli a bunch of tickets and told him to use it today. While we crowded around to examine what they were, the man nodded to me, Linda, and gave a quick wave before he exited the building.

Upon closer inspection, we saw that they were entrance tickets for the museum. There were two for kids (perfect for Ethan and Jaime), two for Youth (Eric and Eli used them), four Adult tickets (for Eng, myself, Evan, and JJ), and a Student ticket. How on earth did that man pick us to give the tickets to? How did he know how many we needed? How could the timing have been so perfect that as we're walking in, he's walking out? Could he have been an angel? The number of tickets were certainly sufficient for all of us to get in the museum for free. Fact is, we even had an extra one which we then turned around and gave to another equally surprised random person.

We can only attribute the amazing blessing of savings to the Lord. With the tickets was a stub showing how much the man paid for them, $79.50. Thank you Lord for providing for us in such a random way. Nothing is too difficult for you!

The Old and the New

For the last two years, we have been praying for a newer vehicle to replace our 'black beauty'. Contrary to her name, what Black Beauty lacks in looks, she makes up for in her determination to run. She's almost 20 years old but she still drives well. Of late, we replaced her radiator but other than that, she's still hanging in there. If only her doors would lock, her windows would open, her A/C would run well, her lights would function, etc., etc. Alas, slowly her body parts are showing its age. She also reflects how we believed the Lord would provide for us when we got her almost 4 years ago. We felt she was what we deserved.

Along comes Tiger (shown below with Ethan), our new vehicle. We thank the Lord for her. She was the vehicle of friends who are moving on to China. Now we are awed at the remarkable differences between the two. We thank the Lord for His provision. Since we trusted that He could provide for us without our input on what we deserved, this is what we received. What a God. We are grateful not just for this new addition but for His changing us.

Pulsifers

In the picture from left to right are Lindsay, Leslie, Eli, Ethan, Evan, Murphy, Eric, Chris, Eng, Craig, Lib, and Lani.


Since April 10, my sister Lib and her family have been living here in Thailand. They came to work as Short-Term Mission workers at a home for adopted children and to visit with us at the beginning and tail end of their stay. It's wonderful to actually be able to phone someone and it isn't long distance and costing money. It's amazing to actually have relatives here. My children have cousins(!) and we've actually been able to get together on Sundays at church and afterwards. We've been able to 'hang out' and spend time together. With four of our sons and 5 of theirs (1 son and 4 girls), they didn't always get along but for the most part, it was so much fun to have them here. We are grateful for the Lord's goodness. This week-end is the last time we'll have the opportunity to spend time together as they leave the Tuesday following. We'll be so sad to see them go but we choose to be more grateful that they were able to come. What a blessing from the Lord to make it happen. Thank you, Father!

The Yanguangs

For the past week, we've been praying for the Yanguangs of Yunnan, China. There are 0.35 million of them with 0.14% Christians. Workers are currently there. Let's pray for them to be effective and that the Yanguang believers would know how to share about their faith. Thank you and bless you.

Moving On

There comes a time in everyone’s life when one must pack up, pick up, and move on. For missionaries this is a more common occurrence, but nevertheless an event that takes a lot of effort, both physically and emotionally.



Recently we have been informed that the rent on our house is being raised. Significantly enough for it to be too much for the house we are currently staying in, with it being unfurnished, etc. This being the case we are looking to come back after the summer (save for myself, of course) and, after a month, moving into another house.



There are quite a few specifications that we would like to make for our new house, one of the most important being that it needs four bedrooms. Our current house has four, and the house right next to us, which has the same structure, is vacant. However the room I sleep in is the kitchen in that house, and is in that way unsuitable.



Please pray for us to find a house, as we will have to move soon after returning to the country. There are a lot of things we are asking God for in this new house, and we know He will provide well for all of them. Pray mostly for easy transition, as all things are possible through Him.

The Wenma

The Unreached People Group for this week is the Wenma. The Wenma live in the Chinese province of Yunnan, and number 150,000. They are being worked with. However, only 0.14% of them are believers. Please join us in prayer for the Wenma, and for them to accept and love God's word.

Plea for Emily

The picture shows Emily on her nanny's arms with Jane right beside them.

When I first saw 4 year old Emily, I asked her mom Jane if I could pray for her healing. Little did I know that years ago, Jane received a word from the Lord that He would bring healing to her adopted daughter Emily. In fact, she’s been singing Psalm 118:17 to her since the doctors said Emily would die before the age of 4 years old. "She will not die, she will not die, she will not die, she will not die but she will live to proclaim your glory" goes her song. I believe the Lord gave Jane that verse to encourage her and more importantly because Emily will indeed live to give glory to Him. Will you please pray for the fulfillment of this word? Emily can’t focus her eyes, can’t lift her head, can’t eat food through her mouth (but straight through to her stomach by a tube), can’t stand nor use her arms, and can’t talk. I don’t know how she’ll glorify the Lord in her present state. Would you please pray for her complete healing? She was found in the garbage as an infant but our Lord has a plan and a purpose in her life. Yes, Lord, do let her live to proclaim your glory. Thank you for praying. -~Linda

Thank God

Two days ago I sat down to the computer to find an email from Matthew Reitnour, Houghton College’s Director of Admission, in my inbox. The email was entitled “FYHP and scholarship letter‏.” I can clearly remember thinking to myself, “Wait, I can remember the First Year Honors Program thing, but what’s this about a scholarship?”



Opening the email I read:



Greetings from Houghton College! Attached you’ll find a letter outlining our decision regarding your application to the First Year Honors Program, and you’ll also find information regarding your scholarship award.



There was a Word document attached, and I downloaded it wondering to myself what the outcome would be. Here is an excerpt from the second and third paragraphs of the letter:



Choosing students from this extraordinary group of candidates was difficult - a task undertaken with discussion, care, and prayer. I'm pleased to advise you, Evan, that the Committee was favorably impressed with your application and interviews and wishes to extend to you an invitation to be part of the London track of the First-Year Honors Program.



The Scholarship Committee has also made its final selections for awards. Let me congratulate you on your selection for one of the Chamberlain Scholarships of $10,000, or a four-year total of $40,000. This award is renewable from year to year, requiring you to maintain a grade-point average of 3.25 and remain a student in good standing.



I was totally blown away. Not only was I accepted into the First-Year Honors Program, but I was also accepted for the scholarship! I had continually believed that both would be coming my way after the interview, but actually reading it with my very own eyes was breathtaking.



All of my thanks go to God for blessing me with this. I went into the interview covered with prayer, and left it with the full confidence and faith that I had done my best and that God had helped me all throughout. There really are no words for this amazing blessing, and this only serves to prove how faithful and how generous our God is.



I continue to thank Him for what He has done.

Help Wanted

As most of you know my dad serves as the finance manager for the Regional Accounting Center and the business manager for Mekong. This being the case he is responsible for a great many missionaries, and is continually involved with all of them.



His job is very time consuming, and he has come to the conclusion that he needs another staff member working at the office; someone who can answer emails and talk face-to-face to some of the workers they are helping to finance.



Although he is leaving for the summer to go on furlough, Andrew Jackman is someone who is willing to step in for him while he is gone. It would be better, however, if his temporary replacement could have a little more help around the office while he is away.



Pray that the Lord would provide a sixth staff member to assist with the workload that will undoubtedly increase while my dad is away. Also pray for Andrew Jackman as he will have a lot of responsibility falling on him over the summer.

The Dejing

The Dejing live in Guangxi, China, and have a population of roughly one million people. Although less than one percent of them are believers they are being worked with. Please join us in prayer as we lift these people up to God, and ask that His hand would be among them.

In Lieu of the Interview

To all who prayed for my interview with the people at Houghton, you have my most sincere thanks.

The interview definitely did not go as smoothly as I had planned, as it was rescheduled to a week after the initial date, falling on March 5^th. Finally, when the night came, the school had connection problems, as they phoned five times after nine o’ clock and each time I was unable to hear what they were saying. They resolved to try again after their interview with another student at 9:30, and this time around we were able to hear each other on both sides.

I answered all of their questions to the best of my abilities, and with God’s help. There was no way I would have been able to do as well as I did without Him and your prayers. Thank you all of you, it is an incredible feeling being lifted up on the prayers of others, and I ask that He would bless all of you more greatly than you have blessed me.

The Truest Freedom

Yesterday, March 9, 2008, was the Global Day of Pray for Burma. We last spoke of Burma back in January of last year, in 2007, and described the political situation there, as well as the status of Christianity within the country. The rest of that year brought about a revolution, as thousands of Burmese marched the streets, accompanied by monks in defiance of the government. This upheaval brought great international awareness to the atrocities being committed, but ultimately ended without much closure or change.

We ask this week that you would pray for Burma as a country under harsh military rule, and as a people waiting to be rescued. Last year’s revolts revealed that they are tired of being persecuted and mistreated and are ready for something new. Every month there are dozens of deaths as the military, which numbers 400,000, continues to use the people of Burma for labour and for their own gain.

In praying for the country and the people remember that the military are not exempt from our prayers. The Burma Army needs our prayers just as much as the people do, as they are where the changes must occur if a revolution is truly to spread across the nation. In lifting up every village child we must also lift up every general and officer, continually asking the Lord to bring all of them into His kingdom.

The people of Burma cry out for salvation from their oppressors, and they long for a freedom they have never known. We ask that they would experience spiritual salvation, and that in Christ they would know the truest of freedoms.

The Yongnan

The Yongnan can be found in Guangxi, China. There currently people working with them, but there are not near enough to reach all 1.5 million. This being the case, only 0.14 percent of them are believers. Join us in prayer this week for their salvation, and that His word would be spread throughout them on to all nations.

Please Pray For Me

As many of you know, I was recently accepted into Houghton College, the school of my choice (see the posting on Monday, Feb. 11). Along with sending me my acceptance letter, I also received a letter informing me that I was eligible to join the school’s First Year Honors Program, which offers trips to both London and the Balkans during the first year of school.

I have a friend who is currently participating in the Honors Program right now, and who is studying in London. She’s told me about what a great experience it has been, and how amazing it is being there and learning in that environment.

Going to Europe is something that I have always wanted to do, and this program provides an opportunity to do this while in college and studying.

The people at Houghton College will be calling me Thursday night, for an interview determining whether or not they should accept me into the program. I feel I’m ready, but could still use all of your prayers. Please ask God for wisdom for me, and that I will be able to answer all of the questions to the fullest of my abilities.

Whether I am accepted or not is entirely up to Him, and I trust that whatever happens, it works out for His glory.

The Zuojiang

The UPG for this week are the Zuojiang. They live in Guangxi, China, and 0.14% of their population know Christ. There are 1.64 million Zuojiang, and they are being worked with. Please join us in prayer for the Zuojiang, and that they would be receptive to God’s word and come to know His everlasting love.

Blessed Through Visitors

In the past couple of weeks God had blessed us by bringing guests to our home.

Just last week Pastors Jan and Leslie Drayer came to stay with us while they were in Chiang Mai from Sunday to Wednesday after their conference. On returning to the Philippines they would begin the process of packing to move to the States. We were able to pray for their safe travel and for an easy transition back, and felt that they left almost as soon as they’d come.

Also last weekend we met friends of friends, a Canadian couple, Ross and Janet Kennedy. They were in Thailand on vacation, but are now seriously praying about moving here to teach at Grace International School. We were also able to pray for this couple and for their children, who had all already left home. We were able to enjoy a much shorter time with them, but felt equally blessed.

With every visitor that God brings to us He blesses us too by letting us be a blessing to them. I know that He works through us to refresh and restore the people who come here, and I am proud to be His instrument.

The Lianshan

This week’s Unreached People Group is the Lianshan. There are considerably less of them than most people groups, numbering only 40,000. It is currently unknown whether there are any believers among them, and there are no workers where they reside in Guangdong, China. Please pray for the Lianshan, and for God’s word to spread through them as a people, and to reach out to the surrounding nations.

At Long Last

At long last, my wait is over. Ever since the beginning of this school year I have been waiting for a reply from one of the five colleges that I applied to.

Four days ago, on February 7^th I received an email from Houghton College, telling me that they had accepted me into their school. It was an unbelievable feeling, and I had to read over the acceptance letter twice before telling my mother what had happened.

“The Committee has carefully considered your entire application and believes that you will gain an outstanding education at Houghton, while making meaningful contributions to the campus.”

This was just part of the letter that they sent me, and reading through, I was struck by how personal it was. They had obviously taken care in reading through my essays, and this surprised me.

We have decided as a family that this is the school for me. It is amazing how they accepted me despite the fact that my parents wrote that God would provide, when asked how money would be sent to pay my tuition. As of this moment we have only one third of how much it will cost to send me there for a year.

However, we take faith in the fact that God provides. Please pray that we will continue to trust in Him, and for us not to fall into doubt or unbelief. The Lord is always with us, and He will always help us through whatever we face.

The Qiubei (and the blog)

The Qiubei live in Yunnan, China, and number 200,000, or 0.2 million. There are very few believers, with less than one percent of the population who know about God. The Qiubei are not being worked with at this time.

Please pray for the Qiubei, and for their salvation.

Also, praise God that the blog is back up and running! Since our main computer has been fixed, I have just gone back and reformatted all of the cluttered posts that were without spaces of any kind before. We will now be returning to our regular schedule of posting.

Provision in Answer to Prayer

Most Christians know that God answers prayer. However, it never ceases to amaze us when we are audience to His great power.

As some of you know I will be graduating in June of this year, and will then be going to North America where I will be studying in either Canada or the States. This has become a very large part of our lives, thinking about scholarships and schools and, most importantly, how to pay for said schools.

The application for Houghton College, the school that I most want to go to, required an affidavit of financial support indicating that my parents could send money to send me to school; the amount paid would have to be almost $29,000 a year. Knowing that we did not have the money my parents wrote down that the Lord God Almighty would provide the money.

Just last week my mother went on a silent one-week retreat to get away from it all. On the third day of the retreat, a Monday, she shared our predicament with a woman who was attending the retreat with her, a missionary. The next day the woman she has just met told her that she would give $10,000 US to help send me to college.

That Wednesday, as we sat around the table before heading off to school, my father told me about what had happened. I was speechless. It took a good two minutes before I could wrap my head around what had happened.

We are all told that God will provide for our every need, but to see it actually happen, to hear about it when it applies directly to your life, that is something entirely different.

I urge all of you to place your faith in God, because I know that He is always there for you, always listening. God will always be there, ready to give, ready to bless.

How Blessed We Are

We met a few people over our Christmas vacation, but only one family stands out above the rest. While we were there we met Jane, who, overhearing my father speaking about having communion, offered her rooms to us. Our two families were able to meet her, as well as her helper and her two adopted children.

The subject of this posting is her eldest child, Emily. Emily was found on a garbage pile in Nepal, where she worked as a school teacher. She immediately adopted the young girl, only to find that she suffered heavy brain damage. Currently Emily cannot even raise her head, and must be carried everywhere.

Her other child is named Isaac, a very lively young boy.

Twice over vacation we were able to pray with Jane and Emily. We prayed as a family for her healing, and that no matter what happened, that God would be able to show His glory through her. We've been informed that she is doing much better and is smiling and laughing more.

Through all of this we were able to remember how much God has truly blessed us, in that we can walk around to go wherever we want, and communicate with others and tell them how we're feeling.

Please pray for both Jane and Emily, because Emily's starting to grow up and is not as easy to carry around as she once was. Pray for Jane, and for strength and most importantly for patience, for her to know that God works everything out for good.

The Youjiang

It seems that as the months have gone on this has turned into not only a section to read about the Unreached People Group, but also where you can read my latest apology for not updating.

The past two weeks have been extremely busy, and one of the posts that I'd written had to be recalled due to misunderstandings between my mother and I. I sincerely apologize to all of you who read this, and who have been somewhat out of the loop as of late.

Back to business, this week's UPG is the Youjiang. The Youjiang number only 0.85 million, and live in Guangxi, China. They are currently being worked with, but have a population of believers only 0.35% of the total population.

Please join us in praying for the Youjiang, and for their eventual salvation. There are people working with them, and it is only a matter of time before God sends His holy fire among them and raises them up as His children.

The Guibian

This week’s UPG are the Guibian.

The Guibian live in China, in the provinces of Guangxi and Yunnan. There are 1.1 million of them, and, just like the four people groups before, are 0.35 % believers. There are people working with them at the moment.

Pray that those working there that they would be filled with the Holy Spirit, and that they would spread the fire to those around them.

Our Vacation

We returned from our vacation at Dolphin Bay about three weeks ago, sometime after Christmas. That being our first away from our home here in Chiang Mai, we can agree pretty unanimously that it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

Leaving on December 19th we piled into a van with the Feniaks, our friends with an equally large family. The trip there and back was extremely long, with us leaving Chiang Mai at four in the afternoon and arriving at our resort at six in the morning.

While we were there we enjoyed the scenery, since living in the mountains there isn’t a lot of wind, or sky like there is next to the ocean. The younger boys enjoyed playing in the sand and frolicking in the waves, while the parents did a lot of sleeping, simply glad to get away from work.

We were able to spend a lot of time together as two families, learning new games that we’d never known how to play before. It was good being able to have another family to hang out with, as we were far away from anyone we knew.

Our entire vacation has been a real blessing, so much so that I may have to post an additional entry going into further detail over the events that transpired. Thank you for your prayers, and a Blessed 2008 to all of you!

The picture above is, clockwise from the left: Juanita, Linda, myself, Eric, Eng, Megan, John, Jared, Daniel, Eli, Ethan, and Joel.

The Guibei

Many apologies for the lack of updates, the holidays have got one up on me, and it's been difficult.

The first Unreached People Group for the year 2008 is the Guibei.

Like the three people groups before it the Guibei can be found in Guangxi, China. Compared to the previous three they number much less in population, numbering only 1.45 million. In a strange turn of coincidence, the Guibei are 0.35% believers, just like the previous three. However, they are not being worked with at the moment.

Please join us in prayer for the Guibei, and in thanking God for the New Year.