OceanicThai

We came to say goodbye to a beloved mother. Now we are saying another, shorter, goodbye to many beloved people, places, and yes, the creature & cultural comforts of our America. Next week Tuesday night we board our long flight across the Pacific Ocean and cross into the incredibly different world of southeast Asia. I am already starting to have dreams of speaking Thai and using my hands to "wai" or make the Thai greeting. There are now 14 teens that we will have the joy of baptising with John our Filipino partner, in the gorgeous Andaman Sea. The activities at the center are growing, and we will put our hands and hearts into it to minister, for the sake of and because of the love of the Christ that is our strength and joy. We don't know where we will live or if Poppy will have a dorm to go to, but we live by faith and He has never, never let us down. Thank you for being part of our journey, for being our friend, we cherish you.

Our family came back to the U.S. in January to say goodbye and be with Kennedy's mom Rosie as she went through the last stage of bone cancer. Rosie died April 2oth, 11:23 a.m. When she died Kennedy was holding her hand and she was in her own room in her own house. The memorial service was beautiful, a gathering of those who loved her and colorful flowers arranged around a favorite picture. We are grateful that we had the time to spend here at home with her, to say all the things we wanted to say, and for a sweet goodbye to a beloved woman. We are going to Chicago for the first 2 weeks of this month, May. Our children will stay with their grandparents and finish up schooling. This summer we are planning to spend a lot of time camping and hiking before we pack our bags to return to Southern Thailand late July. We are praying that this time will be a time to quiet and heal our hearts as a family so we are ready to give it our all when we return to Thailand. There are 13 new be...

Sweep in like a tidal inundation seep into the earth, erosion, erode and fill push in then flow out again take part of me with you leave part of you with me I step into your ocean I step into your world strange creatures lurk under your mysterious waves dangerous, poisonous I tremble all your flotsam and jetsam swirl around me I hear your weeping wind blow through gentle melodies, violent dissonance I will gather the moments I have had with you like colored glass on a beach let them slide through my fingers Your waves crash over me Rush in like an inundating wave and then recede tidal water, rushes back ebbing and rising here and then gone

Monday Kennedy went to his mom's house to visit her and meet with her nurse, Chad. Chad let the family know that it looks like days before Rosie passes away. It was quite a shock for all of us, we had expected another 2 months, or at least several weeks. So everyone is on high alert and we are preparing to say goodbye. Yesterday I was able to communicate what a wonderful mother-in-law she has been for me, as well as such a special friend, and how much I love her. I talked about the special times we've had as a family and especially with Poppy & Jasper. Rosie was with me when I gave birth to Poppy and helped convince me to go ahead and give her the name "Poppy." It was wonderful to have her all these years, she has been a gift and brought a lot of happiness & laughter into my life. It is difficult to let her go.

Fantastic news! What we have been waiting and praying for the past year. In the past 3 weeks our Filipino partner, John Arcenas, has led 8 teens to faith. Here is his story: "At the airport on the 25th of February, God gave me a word. It’s at 8th chapter of John verses 31-36, “the truth will set you free...We (Jews) answered him (Jesus)...have never been slaved by anyone...Jesus answered them, everyone who commits sin is slave to sin...So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” The Thais are proud that they never been slaved by any Western power and they are very proud of that. They thought they are FREE! But, Jesus said “everyone who commits sin is slave to sin”. The Thais need Jesus to set them free too. The Sunday of 28th of February, I shared the message I got from God with our youth during our cell group. Some of our youth were convicted. They realized that they are enslaved in sin and needing Jesus to set them free. There were seven youth which are in the pict...

Weeping, questions, and movement of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of teenagers...this is such an answer to so many prayers at our Peace Music & Art Center. Valentine's day, last Sunday, our partner John Arcenas showed Christ's passion at the center for our "cell group" (kind of like a seeker-service.) Southern Thai teenagers watched this excerpt from Gibson's Passion as John explained the cost of reconciliation between a holy God and fallen man. Although the gospel message has been related to them before, this day's response was dramatically different than the usual fidgeting, cell-phone calling, running off to buy snacks Sunday meeting antics. In a world where one worships the governing spirits of the area, ancestors, the Buddha and some Hindu gods thrown in there as well, the idea of one God is a radical one. That this God is interested in our lives personally and desires not only reconciliation but relationship is also a strange concept for Theravada Bu...