Seasonal Discoveries - January Prayer Letter

Dear Ministry and Prayer Partner,

It’s been a long while since you heard from us. We missed greeting many of you “~Happy New Year!~” because Christmas is often the most busy season for Christian ministers in Vietnam when all focus on evangelism works and nurture one another in our Heavenly Father’s great love.

Though we are just new comers in this city, we thank God for using us in different ways in the past six months for His glory and purposes. You know it well that you play a very important role in our service to our King. Thank you so much for your love, prayers and financial support. We do pray for you often as we think of you and your labor in Him through us and how you have adopted us as your church and family members to uphold our heart and vision. May you never get tired of laboring with us in reaching Vietnam for Christ!

It’s been always a great joy for us to share with you regularly some highlights about God’s work in and through us as days pass. Sometimes there may be a great and significant change or move and the other times it may be just a personal spiritual lesson to learn and grow in our walk with Him or merely a gift to thank God for. However, just like you, we truly appreciate His works in us, believing that He is weaving something beautiful and lovely into our lives through each detail. We entitle this prayer letter "When we do our best, He will take care the rest" because we have seen it true in our marriage life and ministry last month.

We thank God for the opportunity to attend a mass evangelism program during
the Christmas celebration where around ten thousand people gathered and hundreds of them received Jesus as their personal Savior and Lord. God’s open door for Christianity in Vietnam inspires us to have faith and confidence in fulfilling our God-given vision. We know He has a reason and purpose for that.For Thuan, it was a busy but a fruitful month with his music, preaching, and teaching ministry. After three years being away from home, he had been enjoying his service in the choirs for the church Christmas gathering and other gospel meetings. Just as many others, it’s always special for us to celebrate Christmas in our own homeland in Vietnamese way of celebration. With a very humble and limited ability in music, Thuan did his best in all he was tasked in church. He just enjoyed his time with the choirs whenever they had practice. As the service was over, we were both rejoicing on the way home because the music brought joy, refreshment, and recommitment to worship King Jesus into the choir members’ hearts and the congregation. It’s all about Him and for Him, the Lord of Christmas alone. However, what surprised us most was the pastor’s words when Thuan met him a week after that: He and his wife experienced the best Christmas service ever since in their five-year ministry in the church. Truly, “when we do our best, God will take care the rest.” We were just “faithful in a very little thing” (Luke 16:10).
Esther’s highlight was her Christmas sermon for kid evangelism program although she completed her eighth month of pregnancy during the Christmas. It happened because God is the One who gave her a very good health during the pregnancy. She has not experienced any dizziness exhaustion, pain, or abnormal symptoms throughout the months. It’s just that she’s getting heavier everyday as the delivery approaches soon this month.
We know that you prayed for Thuan’s teaching in Baptist Bible School last month.
It was his first time in life handling a class of 30 students composed of old experienced pastors and young inexperienced students. So, it was truly a learning experience for him. Thuan really learned to communicate well so they all could understand but manage time allotted and goals set for the subject.
As a couple, we praise God for His provision, preparing for the delivery of our baby, Kairos. In requesting you to pray for it, we asked Him a specific amount required for a natural delivery and our God is an awesome God, He did provide us exactly what we asked through His servant, who is a channel of blessing from God for us. We are now counting down to Kairos’ birth anytime this month. Please continue to remember us in your prayers. We do pray for you each. May God see you through in your life, family, and ministry this New Year!

Please pray for..

• ¨ A safe and natural delivery for Esther, wisdom to take care Kairos, and adjustment as we welcome our little one.
• ¨ Thuan’s involvements in one more new Bible school. He will be helping the school to do the set-up work.
• ¨ Thuan’s ministry in church this first quarter: music ministry and especially preaching as he will preach in our church main service more often.
• ¨ Our prayer life, we need to discern God’s directions in the new year.

GoD hAs HiS oWn TiMe FoR eVeRyThInG!

I cannot describe clearly what we have been thinking and feeling these days as we are so expecting our baby, Kairos. I got a strange pain 3 nights ago with many signs of the delivery, Thuan called our Mom to come and she took a coach during the midnight. As she arrived early in the morning, we went to the hospital, I became like a "sOoN-dEliVeRiNg" lady... with all kinds of pain and exhautions in and out, and even with the way I walked, (just as all of other moms in that emergency room). Finally, I was rejected by the doctor...
-There are signs that your day is approaching but the process may take some days in your case so just stay at home and be alert if the pain increases then come again!
So, we went home, waiting for Karois on his way out. Thuan reminds me always about our baby's name, Kairos - God's appointed time. He Has His own time for everything and He will make all things beautiful in His time despite of how much I am expecting! Thuan does not have any schedules, just be available for his arrival. He cleans the house and is very ready...
I thank God for the strength that He re-enforces in me during these days with my Mom's help.
Thank you for all of your prayers. May God bless you back in return! And please continue to keep us in your daily prayers.

The verse for a New Year

In my personal time with God this very first week of the year 2009, Hebrews 7:25 came to me as a promise from God which moved my heart to worship Him. Jesus is our forever Intercessor!

Each year is an exciting and adventurous journey for me to walk with God and discover His plan for my life. However, this year will be a year with many surprises when I am going to take my noble role of a mother. Things may get harder and life may be more tough than ever since in many ways but I am ready to take that unfamiliar path because I know He will be there, being my Father and taking me through all days of a coming year. I am confident for the fact that Jesus is my Intercessor and He is able to save me completely when I come to God through Him because He always live to intercede for me.

My prayer is that I will be reminded always in time of troubles, of needs, of discouragements, confused, and even happiness, joy, and peace.. that Jesus always intercedes on my behalf and I will be receiving a fruitful and blessed year as God wants.

Please also pray for me. Life has its own periods. I am not a "family" lady but I am learning everyday to finish this period well before I can take another step to finish all well.