Thanksgiving season

Dear Ministry and Prayer Partner,

Christmas is soon approaching... As it surely reminds all of us much about God’s exceedingly wonderful love for our lives, we pray that you will enjoy a season full of love, warmth, and joy from Him, our Immanuel.
One more year of life is going to close, we are so much thankful to God for His sustaining grace upon us. The year of 2008 has been a joyous, challenging, and also a faith-stretching year to both of us: graduating from school, leaving the Philippines, settling our ministry and family life in a new place, starting to build relationships, keeping our minds and hearts open to God’s directions, doing little things He entrusted... Looking back to all of these, we just can give Him our praises, thanksgivings, and express our deep appreciation and gratitude to you for how you have been used by God step by step to love and to encourage us, to embrace our vision, and to support our family and ministry prayerfully and financially. Thank you for journeying with us through ups and downs of this year by your committed prayers, listening heart, and lifting hand in time of need. May our Heavenly Father who sees and knows all known and unknown deeds and works of yours will bless you abundantly! As someone said “God does not give us task according to our strength but He gives us strength according to our task,” we have experienced it true in our ministry and family life in the past two months. Thuan has just started the teaching ministry with a class on Synoptic Gospels for New Staff Training(NST) of Campus Crusade for Christ (CCC). Although the class with only five members but God has used Thuan to revive His heart to them through Jesus’ ministry, and also to teach some very important truths about Jesus’ modeling life and His sacrificial death for mankind, which were not tackled by preachers and teachers in Vietnam. At the end of the class, the call to be a discipler like Jesus brought students’ hearts to God for a deeper commitment to live and do ministry ministry like Him. As the class went on, Thuan was always thankful to God because He used that class to minister to him in a special and personal way. We know God has blessed Thuan’s teaching through the students’ responses after the class.

Serving in music ministry was also an exciting experience to Thuan in church during these two months. With a strong belief that praise and worship will play an important role in our evangelistic band for our future vision, Thuan seeks to sing praises to God in every opportunity. He never lacks it even in his daily personal devotion with Him. And our God is a God who sees His children’s heart and desire; God gave Thuan opportunity to lead praise and worship in church Thanksgiving Anniversary service and made him to lead the church choir. The choir got started recently and inspired church members through its service and encouraged many either to join the choir or to be renewed in worship. We are looking forward to seeing how God will use the choir for His glory this Christmas season through many worship and evangelism programs.

With Esther, God has used this period to encourage her so much through her ministry involvement. It helps her to be “active and energetic” like before =) in a while with some ministry opportunities where she served as an interpreter. We actually did not think that we might serve God this way but as we mentioned, we did our best in all things that God entrusted. Through her role of interpretation, God helped missionaries whose hearts are for Vietnam, finished their trainings here effectively. Esther feels helpful and appreciated when she seeks to serve God and His people wholeheartedly through every single opportunity she has although she is now in her eighth month of pregnancy.
Through our service in interpretation, God also allowed us to meet His servants who extended their kindness and encouragement to us, taking their time to sit and listen to our heart desires, life struggles, and future plans. The conversations with them caused our hearts to be more humble and committed to pray more in order to seek God’s clear direction for our vision in finishing the Great Commission in Vietnam. We believe that God is opening His doors and gradually lead us to His will.

We also thank God for our families, from both sides, who are very supportive to us. Our two fathers came visiting us on November to see our place, ministry field, and encourage us in our walk and service for the Lord. The fact that our fathers sat in Thuan’s class and in conferences where Esther interpreted, encouraged us much. We praise Him because He has chosen us and make us and our house to be His servants (Joshua 24:15). All praises to our God!

With all have been shared, we thank you for all of your prayers, support, care, and encouragement. May God richly bless you!