The Colors of Singapore

We've now been overseas for more than a week without updating you.  Yes, we're alive!  Here's a glimpse into our lives at the moment.  


**If you're going to skim, don't miss the "Humorous Highlights" throughout and the photos at the end**

Kate's Take: 

It's official: I love the tropics!  

Singapore is very hot, humid, and tropical (see photos below).  Little geckos run along the walls and small ants claim the floors.  There are beautiful botanical gardens across the street from where we are staying.  The plants seem bigger than life; we even came across some large lizards (3 feet in length) in the gardens!  

This sums it up well.

Being that this the rainy season here, we've had rain most days.  Usually not lasting more than a couple hours, the rain is often accompanied by thunder and lightening.  

Humorous Highlight: We were given a lesson in "Lightening Safety" in one of our courses because Singapore gets more lightening than almost anywhere else in the world.  

Back in Class

Our time here with OMF has been a time of transition, fellowship, and education.  Every morning begins with candidates and staff gathering together in worship and prayer for various fields, departments, and individuals.  Sharing testimonies is highly valued as well.  

We gave our testimonies Tuesday morning in front of candidates and staff. We are the only missionaries in the current Orientation Course that are headed to Thailand, so our testimonies were met with much enthusiasm.  Many staff members, who used to be missionaries in Thailand, came up to us with encouragement, stories of their time on the field, and helpful insights.   

Humorous Highlight: In one of our medical sessions we learned that we will be required to go through a "de-worming" process every six months while on the field.  No worries though, visitors are free of this obligation!  

Singapore... is that a city or a country?  

Singapore is a very modern city (city-state to be exact) and is fairly westernized in many ways.  English seems to be the most common language, which is nice for us as we explore.  There are lots of fun things to do and see.  

Humorous Highlight: We have gotten lost numerous times now simply trying to cross the road.  Some streets do not allow pedestrians to cross at street-level, forcing them into a maze of underground tunnels which lead to any number of places (i.e. shopping malls, subways, and other streets).    

Lessons in Culture

We have had many cross-cultural experiences that are fun enough to mention.  We are joined at OC (Orientation Course) by many from the UK and Australia.  Apparently, American English and UK English are considerably different.  There's been quite a bit of laughter as we discover each others' home cultures and get a taste of the culture here...

• Tea Time: Every day at 10:40 AM we have tea time (which I love).  We've been introduced to "Milo," a powdery substance much like hot cocoa mix.  Add some cream and sugar and it's a fantastic tea time drink (or "cuppa" if you're an Aussie).  
• Roti: There is a small Roti-Prata cafe' within walking distance of OMF HQ.  Roti is an Indian dish that can be served as a meal or a dessert.  It is one of Phil's favorite desserts from his time in Thailand.  We've been frequenting this cafe'.  
• China Town: We got the chance to explore China Town with some other "OMF-ers" as we are called (see photo below).  We all had a good time ordering at the food vendor carts.  Thankfully, someone pointed out to us the sanitation ratings on the front of each cart (we were only supposed to order from "A" and "B" rated carts).  
• Dessert was very interesting... multi-flavored, shaved ice on a bed of jelly cubes and red beans.  I'm still not sure what I think.  

Humorous Highlight: Those from the UK and Australia do not know what a baby stroller is; they refer to them as a "pram" or a "buggy."   

Also: pants are "trousers"; flip flops are "thongs"; and a woman's slip is a "petticoat" (which will made someone blush if you bring it up in conversation).  

Photos

Although the weather has been quite grey and rainy, we did manage to get out to snap a few photos for you.  

In-Culturating

We had dinner in China Town (which is close to Little India) during the Indian Deepavali festival.  

Phil thought this was funny because it said "No Tooting."
Turns out, it says, "No Touting," which is equivalent to "No Soliciting."
Sorry Phil. 

Botanical Garden

The Botanical Gardens across the street from us.  

Miles and miles of gorgeous flowers and various tropical plants.

We need to invest in a tropical plant identifier :)

There are many orchids in this part of the world, I think they are a favorite of mine.

Congrats if you made it all the way to the end of this blog post!  I know, it's a long one.  Hopefully you enjoyed a brief taste of Asia.  We love you all in Christ, and really appreciate your support!  

In Him,

Kate

... and we're off!

Thanks for all your prayers and support during these beginning stages of our missions journey!  We're finally on our way to Asia!  

This verse seems incredibly fitting to share with you: 

"And I’m going to keep that celebration going because I know how it’s going to turn out. Through your faithful prayers and the generous response of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, everything he wants to do in and through me will be done." Philippians 1:18-19 (MSG)

Below is a short, fun "Good-bye" video that we had filmed and sent to our partnering churches to play Sunday morning, October 28, as we are airborne and bound for the mission field.  

Thanks for continued prayers!  

Outside the Box and Inside the Suitcase: Kate's Departing Reflections

Fun... Practical... Sentimental - what warrants a place in the next three years of our lives? 

As the date of our departure approaches, we are creatively seeking closure in our hearts as well as our suitcases.  

In prioritizing our earthly possessions we are attempting to select those things that are meaningful enough to make the packing list.  So many questions to consider...

How important is it to me?  How much do I use it?  Does it fit in the suitcase?  How much does this hat make me stand out as a foreigner in Thailand?  

Meanwhile, we are going through the challenging process of saying, "goodbye," to many dear friends and family members.  Goodbyes are bittersweet; they can be so hard and so beautiful at the same time.  


I recently experienced a powerful moment during a tear-filled farewell with a close friend - at the very moment that I felt the most sorrow, I was overwhelmed with thanksgiving.  

I am often filled with gratitude and a spirit of praise for the rich relationships with which I've been blessed.  At the same time I am grieving the loss of many hugs, snuggles and giggles with nieces and nephews; many game nights, fun outings, and coffee dates.  I could easily focus on what I will be missing or giving up, but the Lord continues to show me that He will bless us abundantly for our faithfulness to follow His call.  

We are confident that The Lord will be faithful in His promises.  Anything the Lord calls us to do is worth the cost.  This verse from Mark 10 has had an impact on the condition of my heart lately: 

“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life." {Mark 10:29-30}

As we attempt to think outside the box about packing and, more importantly, saying meaningful goodbyes, we are accompanied by an awareness of the struggles that may lie ahead.  Yet, in so many ways we feel that the promise in Mark 10 has already been fulfilled in our lives as we are lifted up in prayer and encouraged by so many brothers and sisters in Christ.  

Fun... Practical... Sentimental - The Lord has already begun to show us what warrants a place in the next three years of our lives.  I pray that this next phase of life will be as rich as the one that is concluding.  It will look and feel different as many close relationships will be separated by half a world.  But, as we each grow in the Lord, sharing testimonies of His faithfulness, we will grow closer in spirit.  I have been given a glimpse of the beauty of the body of Christ in all its mystery.  

Preparing for Life... Thai-Style

FUN PREP FOR THE THAI ADVENTURE | some highlights

Rather than writing about preparing for our adventure overseas, I thought I'd simply show you.  Here are a few pictures of what we've been up to lately:

Making Thai Spring Rolls

Oh the joys of packing... 

Practicing for Thailand's rainy season?

Preaching at and visiting our partnering churches

Kate & her Mom got their motorcycle licenses!  

Quality time w/ nieces & nephews
(Phil's on the bottom of that pile!)

PLEASE KEEP PRAYING FOR THAILAND | a couple prayer points from prayerpowerlines


Phil and I continue praying for revival in Thailand.  Please join us in praying for the powerful movement of the Holy Spirit.  Pray for the Thai church to "stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose..." (Philippians 1:27-28).

22.  EXCHANGE PROGRAM.  Eight Chinese students are coming to Chiang Mai University in Thailand for a three-year exchange program. As two Christian workers help teach them during this time, pray for many gospel-sharing opportunities.

23.  SEMINARY GRADUATES.  Pray for the three graduates of the Chiang Mai Theological Seminary (CTS) in Thailand who are now serving as local church pastors and church planters. Praise God that they are now molded and equipped for this important work!

25.  CHURCH GROWTH.  A church plant in Northern Thailand has had an indigenous pastor for the past three years. As OMF International pulls back financially to allow self-sustained growth, the church is becoming resentful. Pray that church leadership would trust in God's ability to sustain them.

Here's a video with some more ways to pray for the Holy Spirit to move among the Thai: 


9 Blessing for Thailand from OMF Media on Vimeo.

Look out Thailand... Here we come!

That's right, we hit 100% of our support goal!  Thank you, Jesus!  

Thank you for your prayers, support, and encouragement; we wouldn’t be here without your faithfulness to the Lord.  Let the journey continue as we move on to this new exciting phase of ministry!  

We plan to leave in mid-October, stopping along the way to visit missionary friends serving  in Japan.  Then we'll be landing in Singapore for three weeks of training with OMF International.  After our training we will be arriving in Lopburi, Thailand, which will be our home for the first year of our term.  

About Our Town | Lopburi - City of Monkeys

Since this is where we will be living for the upcoming year, we thought it would be nice to tell you a little about it.  

From thailandtriptour.com

During our first year, while doing language school and cultural learning, we will be located in Lopburi.  This small city is in central Thailand, about two and a half hours North of Bangkok, the capitol city.  Lopburi is known for its Old Town ruins, sugar cane crops (which Phil is very excited for), sunflower fields, and, of course, the massive infestation of monkeys!  Here's a link to a mildly humorous article written by someone who is not so happy about the monkey population.  

From travelerspoint.com

Lopburi has approximately 26,000 people living in it.  We have been told there are not too many foreigners living there, thus it will be a good place for us to be immersed in the Thai language.  We have also been told that there is not much entertainment there... nothing to distract us from our studies :).  There are more interesting facts about Lopburi on WikiTravel.org.

Although there may not be as much to do in this small city, we are excited that we will be able to dedicate our time to learning the language and making new friends.  We will update you more on the city, etc. once we get there and have some pictures to share!  

**If you are not receiving our update letters and would like to be, please sign up at omf.org/us/partner.  

A Weekend of Event-ful Fun!

Just finished a busy, but very fun weekend!  Thought we'd share a couple of the highlights...

On The Big Screen

Kate's home church showed a missions video featuring the two of us this past weekend.  Here it is for your viewing pleasure :)

Chick-"Phil"-A Event!

What a fun and successful event we had Monday night at Chick-fil-A in Erie!  Hundreds of friends, families, and brothers and sisters in Christ showed up to support us!  




We were prayed over this weekend, encouraged by countless individuals, and had many commit to partnering with us in missions.  We are feeling thankful and blessed!  The Lord is so faithful.  

Eat Mor Chikin to Support World Mission!

This is the moment you've been waiting for... Help send us to Thailand by eating at Chick-Fil-A!

Eat at Chick-Fil-A (in Erie, PA)

on July 23, 2012

between 5:00-7:30 PM

**bring this flier with you**

Please invite your friends, family and anyone else who... 

1. Wants to support world missions
2. Likes to eat chicken

A creative way to partner with us!  

15% of the sales between 5-7:30 PM will go toward our ministry if people bring in the flyer!