Trips and Visitors

March/April 2011 Update

These have been a full two months for our family. In March, we traveled back to Bangkok during spring break. Our church, Newsong, is active and excited. We noted many new faces, mostly of Thai men and women. It was refreshing to sit in on one of their services and hear how the Lord is moving in their community. We were also happy to see many of our friends from ICS, to catch up on how life has changed, and to wonder at His goodness to those that seek Him. A number of our friends had babies this spring, and two of them actually gave birth while we were in country. What a privilege for us to visit them in the hospital and see their newborns!

We also reconnected with some Thai families, specifically with one with whom we've gotten very close. Please pray that this family will recognize and yearn for the presence of God in their lives. They are so kind and giving, and we just pray they will soon choose the narrow path, which is a huge detour from their Buddhist background.

Upon returning to Seoul, Mark turned around and flew south to Australia where he attended and presented at a technology conference there. Aside from the valuable work and trade experience he gained in the sessions, he was also able to see some of the Melbourne sights and shoot awesome photography.

In mid-April, we welcomed Mark's parents, Ken and Dee, to our home in Korea. His dad was on his return from a 2-week mission trip to Palawan in the Philippines. His mom joined him in Seoul for this week-long visit to see us and their only grandchildren. Mika and Coby were thrilled to have their grandparents around, and we took many trips out to see the city and experience life at the school and with our church. Our favorite day was Saturday, when we journeyed to Seoul Zoo and spent the day admiring animals with our amazed children.

During Passion Week, Mark's school held a special outreach service for the high school students. Over the past month, there has been a more openness at the school, and our community is praying for students to be willing to make that climactic choice to follow Christ. In addition, there are discipleship groups (Mark leads one) that challenge students in their personal lives, apart from the rigors of academic work. Please pray with us that students will see the value and importance of evaluating their spiritual state, that they will recognize the joy and peace amongst their Christian classmates and teachers, and that they will ultimately choose Jesus Christ for themselves.

As we look forward into May, we see a number of events approaching. Mark will have surgery on his shoulder in mid-May. Both of us will be working hard on grad work. The school year will end on June 3, and we have many end-of-the-year ceremonies and responsibilities. We will be staying in Seoul for a week following as Mark leads technology training for staff at his school.

Praises!
~Our family's trip to Thailand
~Mark's trip to Australia
~Mark's parents' visit
~More openness amongst students at Mark's school

Prayer Requests
~The salvation of these students
~Mark's upcoming shoulder surgery