Ever since my family left to go back to Chiang Mai and I remained in North America to begin my post-secondary education, a large gap appeared in the so-called "Yeong Family Hierarchy." As the eldest brother I had been in charge of a great deal, but being thousands of miles away didn't exactly bode well when it came to me taking care of my responsibilities, and as a result Eric was forced to take over.
These were big shoes that he had to step into (size eleven, to be exact), yet from everything I've heard he's done a really great job. From walking the dog before the rest of the family is even awake on weekdays to writing up his own contract determining the work he did around the house, Eric has gone above and beyond the call of duty.
When he is not washing the car, doing a load of laundry, or working on the yard, Eric has found time to compete in a badminton tournament, run in Track Meets, help as stage crew for a musical, and even celebrate his 16th birthday party. Academically, he's chosen to take two AP (Advanced Placement) courses next year while in Grade 11, and two more in Grade 12- a heavy workload for any student.
Between his duties as honorary eldest brother and responsible student/fun-loving teenager, Eric has a very full life. He's definitely managed to take up the torch, and to own his new role. Well done, Eric!
Monday, May 25, 2009
Saturday, April 11, 2009
The Dead Will Rise
As our supper guests arrived, I expected the evening to turn out like any other night with friends over; I couldn't have been more wrong! The first thing our guest said was that a man had drowned in the pond just a block from where we lived. He and his friend had been drinking beer and had decided to take a dip in the murky water. Unfortunately, he didn't resurface. His friend frantically tried to find him and immediately sought help but to no avail. Almost an hour later, the body remained submerged in the dark water. As people gathered around the pond, our friend had passed by, which is how she found out what had happened. She told us that she wanted to pray for the drowned man to be raised to life, so I went with her. We waited anxiously while scuba divers went into the man-made pond to pull the dead man out. It was then that I thought to myself that seeing a drowned dead man wasn't exactly what I wanted to do. It was unsettling for me to watch them pull him out. It was too surreal. I went home, but later realized that my friend had left her cell phone and I had no way of making her know it was time to eat. I had to go back and get her.
When I got there I saw the dead body covered by a white sheet. At that point most of the people had already left. Our friend was joined by two other Christian friends and they were all praying. I knelt down and joined them stating that nothing was impossible with God. We asked the Lord to make him live again. I commanded him to rise in Jesus' Name. We were interrupted when they drew the sheet back to take pictures. I had no choice but to look at him close-up. I’m still recovering from the shock of not just laying a hand on a dead person, but also being so close to someone who had just died. It’s just so unreal. His pale, ashen, white body had regained its brown color. I wondered later if we should have kept praying. Instead, I told my friend that Eng wanted us home to eat. We left soon after that.
At first I was disappointed with the Lord for not bringing him back to life. Now I know that although I mentally believed we would do even greater things than what Jesus did (the lame walked, the blind saw, the dead came back to life) because He is praying for us, in my spirit I had unbelief. May the Lord increase my faith. Yes, I did pray, but had that man sat up, I would have been the first one surprised by it! I’m grateful that the Lord isn’t upset with me. I learned more about my faith. I cannot conjure it up. The Lord gives us faith to raise the dead. This is my prayer. The same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead is living in me. I have prayed this reality in me. That drowned 29 year old Thai man remained dead, but soon, for so long as I get the chance to pray for dead people, one day, the dead will rise in the mighty Name of Jesus Christ.
By the way, Jesus has Risen! Happy Easter.
When I got there I saw the dead body covered by a white sheet. At that point most of the people had already left. Our friend was joined by two other Christian friends and they were all praying. I knelt down and joined them stating that nothing was impossible with God. We asked the Lord to make him live again. I commanded him to rise in Jesus' Name. We were interrupted when they drew the sheet back to take pictures. I had no choice but to look at him close-up. I’m still recovering from the shock of not just laying a hand on a dead person, but also being so close to someone who had just died. It’s just so unreal. His pale, ashen, white body had regained its brown color. I wondered later if we should have kept praying. Instead, I told my friend that Eng wanted us home to eat. We left soon after that.
At first I was disappointed with the Lord for not bringing him back to life. Now I know that although I mentally believed we would do even greater things than what Jesus did (the lame walked, the blind saw, the dead came back to life) because He is praying for us, in my spirit I had unbelief. May the Lord increase my faith. Yes, I did pray, but had that man sat up, I would have been the first one surprised by it! I’m grateful that the Lord isn’t upset with me. I learned more about my faith. I cannot conjure it up. The Lord gives us faith to raise the dead. This is my prayer. The same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead is living in me. I have prayed this reality in me. That drowned 29 year old Thai man remained dead, but soon, for so long as I get the chance to pray for dead people, one day, the dead will rise in the mighty Name of Jesus Christ.
By the way, Jesus has Risen! Happy Easter.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
His Grace and Overpowering Love
Departing from Houghton, my trip to Newark was a harrowing one, to say the very, very least. This was a journey that consistently and unrelentingly tested my faith and forced me to look to the only one who could help me.
Having stayed at my roommate’s parents’ house for a night and some of the day, I was driven to the Rochester bus station by Mr. Doty at 7 pm, to arrive at 9 pm to pick up a Greyhound ticket I had already purchased. Upon arriving there, he asked me if I had everything. I assured him that everything was quite alright, and went on to get my ticket.
Showing the woman at the front desk my purchasing number, I was given a ticket. Greyhound buses only allow one large piece of baggage per passenger, and since I had already gone from Toronto to Rochester, I was prepared when she informed me that it would be ten dollars for the other bag. Heading back to my handbag and rifling around inside, I realized that I did not have my wallet.
This was only the beginning of a very long trip, and the first of many challenges to come my way. I responded in the logical way and searched through every single bag and possible pocket; I found nothing. After praying fervently I worked up the courage to ask a man sitting nearby for his cell phone and called the Dotys. Mrs. Doty told me that I had forgotten a sweater, and that inside a pocket she had found the wallet. There I was, sitting in the bus station, waiting for a bus, without a single dollar.
What happened next was the first of many blessings, and a complete and total surprise to me. The woman at the desk came out and gave me two tags to stick on my bags, saying something about their being handwritten and it being alright. Confused, I returned to the desk and asked about paying (I was fully ready to write a check, because I had stuck my check book into my back pocket for some reason before leaving). She then went on to explain, in words that I can’t recall, that it was alright.
After thanking her, and still overcome with gratefulness, I boarded the bus and proceeded to thank God for what he had done, asking that this woman be blessed a thousand times over and that the rest of my trip continue on smoothly, in spite of not having the resources to get beyond the Newark bus station.
Our bus arrived at a bus station in Syracuse, where we had a short stop. Sitting in the bus station for over thirty minutes, I took out my ticket and realized that I didn’t leave until 1:15, contrary to the 12:15 that I thought I had heard the driver say. Minutes upon minutes went by, and standing up and staring at a screen, I realized that my bus was delayed to 2:15. I sat, straining my ears to every announcement that could possibly be for a bus to Newark, and finally approached the front desk. After hearing my question about the Newark bus, the Greyhound employee told me that I had just missed my bus.
To be more specific, he had made the last announcement “just two seconds ago.” I sat down at a bench and combed my fingers through my hair. I couldn’t believe what was going on. It was almost 3 in the morning at this time, and I had no idea how I was going to get to where I needed to go.
The second blessing happened when the man came from behind his desk and told me that he would put me on another bus. He asked for my ticket, left, and came back, telling me that there was a bus to leave in twenty minutes, and that I had better listen this time. I thanked him profusely and waited for the bus to be called.
Throughout this entire time I had been praying, asking for guidance and for the perseverance to get through all of this. Sitting in the bus, I pulled out my Bible and started the next chapter of Matthew I had lined up to read. It was the 24th chapter, and the second chapter section was “The Day and the Hour Unknown.” I was struck with how this was, and the whole situation of not knowing when I would get to Newark, or how.
I woke up to the bus pulling into the parking lot of a Dunkin Donuts, and the driver talking on his cell to someone, describing the sounds the engine was making, and the burning smell. He told us that the bus had broken down, and that we would have to wait in the Dunkin Donuts to keep out of the cold.
Sitting there, for two and a half hours, I pulled out my Bible again and read the next chapter. Matthew 25, verse 13 says, “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.” Having read this I felt admonished, yet encouraged, that I could be prepared and go on. Finishing off the chapter with “The Sheep and the Goats” I was reminded that I was chosen, and set aside by God, and that he would help me through everything.
Having climbed onto the other bus I stayed awake and aware, ready for anything to happen. I slept on and off, but never more than half an hour. Arriving at the bus station in New York City, I carried my two pieces of luggage across the entire station, making it to the next bus. Suffice to say, Newark was the first stop, and I was dropped off right outside of the bus station there.
Lugging my bags inside I set up next to a number of ATM machines. My Bank of Montreal card had been placed inside my handbag instead of my wallet after trying, and failing, to create a PayPal account. I had tried it several times at a machine at the Syracuse bus station, but had been met only with a message informing me that the transaction could not be processed.
Finally, there I was, in Newark and without a dollar on me to get to the airport. Lo and behold, the first machine refused my card despite accepting the pin number. Praying under my breath I approached the second machine and gave it my card. It worked! I withdrew a pretty large amount of money and proceeded to the information counter to find out how to get to the airport. Learning that the best way was by train, I bought a ticket and proceeded to take on the two flights of stairs to get to where they were, luggage in hand. ***
To make a long story just a little bit shorter, I got to the Newark airport safely. Once there, I waited for hours before being met by friends who took me to everyone else. My original ticket would have had me arriving in Newark at 5:40 a.m., which would probably have had me at the airport by 7 a.m., at the latest. I arrived at the airport at around noon. But here I am, sitting on my bed in London, England, barely jet lagged and happy about it.
Oh, and to really end the story off, my wallet was given to a student departing from Houghton, and was given to me at the airport. Good news, all around. I made it to Newark only by the powerful grace of God, and have not stopped thanking him since. May this little (sort of) story be a message to all of you that his love overpowers all.
Below is a picture of me, finishing this email.
Having stayed at my roommate’s parents’ house for a night and some of the day, I was driven to the Rochester bus station by Mr. Doty at 7 pm, to arrive at 9 pm to pick up a Greyhound ticket I had already purchased. Upon arriving there, he asked me if I had everything. I assured him that everything was quite alright, and went on to get my ticket.
Showing the woman at the front desk my purchasing number, I was given a ticket. Greyhound buses only allow one large piece of baggage per passenger, and since I had already gone from Toronto to Rochester, I was prepared when she informed me that it would be ten dollars for the other bag. Heading back to my handbag and rifling around inside, I realized that I did not have my wallet.
This was only the beginning of a very long trip, and the first of many challenges to come my way. I responded in the logical way and searched through every single bag and possible pocket; I found nothing. After praying fervently I worked up the courage to ask a man sitting nearby for his cell phone and called the Dotys. Mrs. Doty told me that I had forgotten a sweater, and that inside a pocket she had found the wallet. There I was, sitting in the bus station, waiting for a bus, without a single dollar.
What happened next was the first of many blessings, and a complete and total surprise to me. The woman at the desk came out and gave me two tags to stick on my bags, saying something about their being handwritten and it being alright. Confused, I returned to the desk and asked about paying (I was fully ready to write a check, because I had stuck my check book into my back pocket for some reason before leaving). She then went on to explain, in words that I can’t recall, that it was alright.
After thanking her, and still overcome with gratefulness, I boarded the bus and proceeded to thank God for what he had done, asking that this woman be blessed a thousand times over and that the rest of my trip continue on smoothly, in spite of not having the resources to get beyond the Newark bus station.
Our bus arrived at a bus station in Syracuse, where we had a short stop. Sitting in the bus station for over thirty minutes, I took out my ticket and realized that I didn’t leave until 1:15, contrary to the 12:15 that I thought I had heard the driver say. Minutes upon minutes went by, and standing up and staring at a screen, I realized that my bus was delayed to 2:15. I sat, straining my ears to every announcement that could possibly be for a bus to Newark, and finally approached the front desk. After hearing my question about the Newark bus, the Greyhound employee told me that I had just missed my bus.
To be more specific, he had made the last announcement “just two seconds ago.” I sat down at a bench and combed my fingers through my hair. I couldn’t believe what was going on. It was almost 3 in the morning at this time, and I had no idea how I was going to get to where I needed to go.
The second blessing happened when the man came from behind his desk and told me that he would put me on another bus. He asked for my ticket, left, and came back, telling me that there was a bus to leave in twenty minutes, and that I had better listen this time. I thanked him profusely and waited for the bus to be called.
Throughout this entire time I had been praying, asking for guidance and for the perseverance to get through all of this. Sitting in the bus, I pulled out my Bible and started the next chapter of Matthew I had lined up to read. It was the 24th chapter, and the second chapter section was “The Day and the Hour Unknown.” I was struck with how this was, and the whole situation of not knowing when I would get to Newark, or how.
I woke up to the bus pulling into the parking lot of a Dunkin Donuts, and the driver talking on his cell to someone, describing the sounds the engine was making, and the burning smell. He told us that the bus had broken down, and that we would have to wait in the Dunkin Donuts to keep out of the cold.
Sitting there, for two and a half hours, I pulled out my Bible again and read the next chapter. Matthew 25, verse 13 says, “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.” Having read this I felt admonished, yet encouraged, that I could be prepared and go on. Finishing off the chapter with “The Sheep and the Goats” I was reminded that I was chosen, and set aside by God, and that he would help me through everything.
Having climbed onto the other bus I stayed awake and aware, ready for anything to happen. I slept on and off, but never more than half an hour. Arriving at the bus station in New York City, I carried my two pieces of luggage across the entire station, making it to the next bus. Suffice to say, Newark was the first stop, and I was dropped off right outside of the bus station there.
Lugging my bags inside I set up next to a number of ATM machines. My Bank of Montreal card had been placed inside my handbag instead of my wallet after trying, and failing, to create a PayPal account. I had tried it several times at a machine at the Syracuse bus station, but had been met only with a message informing me that the transaction could not be processed.
Finally, there I was, in Newark and without a dollar on me to get to the airport. Lo and behold, the first machine refused my card despite accepting the pin number. Praying under my breath I approached the second machine and gave it my card. It worked! I withdrew a pretty large amount of money and proceeded to the information counter to find out how to get to the airport. Learning that the best way was by train, I bought a ticket and proceeded to take on the two flights of stairs to get to where they were, luggage in hand. ***
To make a long story just a little bit shorter, I got to the Newark airport safely. Once there, I waited for hours before being met by friends who took me to everyone else. My original ticket would have had me arriving in Newark at 5:40 a.m., which would probably have had me at the airport by 7 a.m., at the latest. I arrived at the airport at around noon. But here I am, sitting on my bed in London, England, barely jet lagged and happy about it.
Oh, and to really end the story off, my wallet was given to a student departing from Houghton, and was given to me at the airport. Good news, all around. I made it to Newark only by the powerful grace of God, and have not stopped thanking him since. May this little (sort of) story be a message to all of you that his love overpowers all.
Below is a picture of me, finishing this email.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
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!!!
Monday, December 8, 2008
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.
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.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
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.
Monday, October 13, 2008
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.
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.
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