08.08.08
Posted in General News, Prayer Updates at 838 by quitomandie
First allow us to apologize for not updating this more frequently. I’m afraid we ran into some hacker problems not too long after the last post, and lost all of our password-protected access until very recently, and since then we’ve been crazy busy.
We are now living in the US again. Ioan is climbing and crawling and generally getting himself into trouble. Mike is working, and very busy. And I’m trying to keep up with both of them, take care of the apartment, and get settled. So aside from moving half way around the world, it’s business-as-usual. God has blessed us in amazing ways during this transition - we had enough money to get through the summer, we were given a whole apartment full of furniture and most of the basic kitchen supplies - pots and pans and such. Most of the furniture and kitchenware was not only free, but is nicer than what we had in Korea, too - so that was an incredible blessing. God has also provided transportation for us. Ioan did really well with all of the traveling, visiting new people, adapting to American food (peas and greenbeans are things we didn’t get very often in Korea, and without my own blender zuchinni baby food is hard to find in the US) and various other adjustments. He is still his happy, out-going self and is still the happiest baby in the nursery. I had intended to start making my own baby-food again after we got settled, but a day or two after we moved into our apartment he started eating table food (cut up or mashed), so that is no longer a problem.
We are back at Grace Covenant Church, and loving it - but now we miss UBC! Guess we will just have to keep looking forward to heaven and being able to worship alongside our brothers and sisters from all over the world. Anyway, for now, Mike and I have been asked to be involved in developing a new ministry at our church here in Ohio. We’re going to be starting a children’s ministry on Sunday nights with an emphasis on learning basic doctrine. We’ll be using a catechism as the back-bone of the program, and then fleshing it out with Bible study, memory verses, etc. as we teach the kids the biblical foundation behind each point and then how we can apply it to our lives. Anyway, we’re really excited about seeing how things work out. The class is scheduled to start in mid-September, and between now and then we have to pick a curriculum, put a team together, and work out the logistics. We’re working with one of the associate pastors as well as with the Sunday School director to figure out all of these details.
Permalink
12.27.07
Posted in General News, Prayer Updates at 1522 by quitomandie
Funny, “Happy Holidays” tends to be used in our 21st century society by groups who are trying to avoid the religious connotations of “Merry Christmas” . . . but the word “holidays” is itself a reminder that this is a time of year dedicated to praising and worshiping God.
We are doing pretty well. Mom flew home on Christmas Eve. We were sad to see her go, but I’m sure my family is glad to have her back. :-) The last few days have been an adventure as we try to adjust to being a three-some. Ioan is doing well. Mom and Dad have good days and bad days, mostly depending on how much sleep we got the night before.
Mike’s Christmas break ends on January 5th. Please keep him in prayer as he re-adjusts to working full time and dealing with the changes at home. Also, pray for me as I am having a hard time emotionally with not going back to school, and will also need to adjust to caring for Ioan on my own during the day.
God has provided a Spanish teacher - literally, as in from Spain - for my afternoon classes who is much more qualified to teach them than I am. I’m excited to hear how he will challenge and stretch the students. My Spanish II class is a little panicked, but I think they will rise to the occasion. Pray for the kids as they adjust to a new teacher, and for Jose’ as he adjusts to Uijongbu. Also pray that his visa paperwork would go through very quickly and he would be able to arrive early in the semester. We are still praying and looking for a math teacher. Right now, the plan is that the middle-school math teacher, who is also our pastor, will take the Algebra II class, while the Pre-Calculus class will be taught by our guidance counselor, who was the high school math teacher up until last year.
Mike will be speaking in chapel in January, and also possibly preaching sometime this winter. I will be continuing to teach the middle school girls’ Bible elective, and to be involved in the high school ladies’ Bible study. I am also involved in helping with the annual purity seminar, which will be held the first week in February. Please be praying for all of these things.
Little Ioan is already such a blessing. Every day he gets a little more alert to what’s going on around him, a little hungrier, a little more peaceful when he sleeps, and I realize a little more how totally dependent on us he is, even though he sometimes thinks he isn’t. It’s been a good reminder - to watch for God at work, to crave the bread of life, to rest in the knowledge that I am secure in him, and to remember that on my own I can’t do anything.
I hope your Christmas was enjoyable, and that the New Year brings you closer to Him.
- Mandie
Permalink
06.16.07
Posted in General News, Prayer Updates at 806 by quitomandie
Thank you so much, everyone, for your prayers! I started bleeding a third time Monday morning, but it was very scant and brownish, so we decided to just stay in bed and hold off going to the doctor to see what developed. When it hadn’t stopped by Tuesday, we called the English-speaking head nurse, which is what we’d been told to do first if I had a problem. She said we didn’t really need to worry, but since I was close to time for my check-up, anyway, to go ahead and come in that afternoon.
The doctor announced that the baby is fine, developing normally for dates, and looks pretty healthy - especially considering all that has happened. He also was able to check the problem area in the placenta via. ultrasound and declared that it is no longer a problem and we are out of danger for the time being. It seems that the tear is near the top of my uterus, so some blood from the earlier tears was trapped inside and is now slowly working its way out. I have been allowed off of bed-rest (with some restrictions - mostly common-sense) and also been cleared to go back to work in the fall unless something else happens in the mean-time. However, I have also been warned that there is a good chance that the problem will repeat itself. Therefore, I’ll have to be careful and watch for symptoms for the remainder of the pregnancy.
Right now, we are praising God that the crises is over for now, and that both baby and I seem to have come through in good condition. With the tear near the top and blood trapped inside, things could have gone very badly (we might not have known there was a problem until it was too late to do anything, or until I was very sick) - so we are thankful for God’s protection.
Permalink
05.18.07
Posted in General News, Prayer Updates at 930 by quitomandie
My doctor visit a week ago went really well. Everything looks good and the baby is healthy.
Last week, 2 of my students were baptized at our church. Clara and Kimmy are sisters who were saved in elementray school, but had not been involved in church or really growing much until this year. Now, Kimmy is helping in children’s church regularly - crowd control and serving as translator. Clara is involved in the youth group and has started inviting friends to come to church with her. It has been exciting to see them grow over the last several months. Two of my other students have begun attending church regularly in the last couple of months, and one of them is coming on Sunday nights now, too!  It is amazing to see God at work in the lives of these kids.
Mike had the oppurtunity to preach in chapel on Wednesday. His sermon was from Colossians 3. Pray that God would continue to use the words he said in students’ lives during the next few weeks.
The school year is winding down! Pray for grace and stregnth to finish well - for us as well as the kids.
Permalink
04.19.07
Posted in General News, Mission Trip Update, Prayer Updates at 837 by quitomandie
Our trip went VERY well, thank you to all who contributed. We will be getting personal thank-yous out as soon as we get a list. It was amazing to see how God put our schedule together. When we left, we had a very loose and tentative schedule with a lot of free time. There was also some concern, as the missionary we were going to work with was in the US and wouldn’t return until the evening of our third day, only to be hit with jet-lag upon arrival. However, God had a plan!
For one thing, we ended up working very closely with one of the national associate pastors at the church, and several students from the youth group. This was a huge blessing to us - to be able to work directly with Filipino believers and to get to know them better was a wonderful opportunity, as well as a good reminder to us all of the fellowship we can have in Christ. For another thing, we were kept quite busy - even some of our “tourist” opportunities turned into minestry!
The first day (Saturday) our group helped with the church’s “Sunday School” program, which they hold on Saturdays due to lack of space in the apartment where they meet. Afterwards, our guide asked if we would mind joining him on a visit to a public highschool where he would be promoting the church’s summer camp. Our group was surprised by our “celebrety status” at the assembly, and the opportunities that came with it. We were asked to perform a skit, so Mike and one of our students performed a pantomime with a clear gospel message in front of 400 kids. Afterwards, the Filipinos who were with our group were able to explain the message of the skit while promoting the camp.
Sunday was spent at church. Our group led the evening youth service, and many of the students have shared how that meeting was one of the highlights of their week. It was great to see young people from Korea, America, and the Phillipines all worshipping the same God with passion and joy. Also, those of our students with active roles in the service have given testimony that they were very aware of their own weakness and God’s power as they led. As one of them put it in our group meeting Sunday night - “I couldn’t do it by myself - it would have to be God working through me.” What a blessing to be able to learn this lesson as teenagers!
On Monday we presented a drama workshop, during which we taught the youth group some basic acting skills and a few evangelistic skits. It was a great time of relationship building, fun, and fellowship. Tuesday, we had the opportunity to visit several catholic churches and learn a little about “Semana Santa.” Our students were impressed by the dedication of many of the Filipino catholics, but also by the hopelessness of the idolotry that binds them. Many of my Spanish students asked if the culture in Latin America was similar. At one of the churches, we stopped and spent some time praying for God to bring the light to the Phillipines and to give wisdom to believers there as they share their faith.
On Wednesday and Thursday, we attended mid-week services at churches in two very different neighborhoods. Wednesday was a great time of fellowship at the church we had been working with all week. On Thursday, we went to a poorer neighborhood to spend the evening at a small one-room church that is just getting started. We arrived several hours before the service, and spent some time walking around the neighborhood - very different from the malls and nice houses we had seen earlier in the week. After walking around for a while, we noticed a group of about 30 kids had gathered, following us. We stopped at an area with a basketball court, and while some of our group joined in the game, the rest of us lined the kids up on the sidewalk and shared some of our stories, songs, and skits with them - right there on the street. As I watched the rapt attention of our audience, I was amazed by God’s ability to provide opportunities for minestry even when we don’t expect them.
Our group was kept safe for the whole trip. The students were wonderful - great attitudes, no complaining or bickering, easy to chaperone. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a group of teenagers in such close quarters behave so well before! God was truly good to us.
One final note, while on the misisons trip, Mike and I learned that our family is growing! Since our return, I’ve made a trip to the doctor. He said everything looks fine, and that the baby and I are both healthy. The little one will be joining us in December.
Permalink
03.09.07
Posted in Mission Trip Update, Prayer Updates at 1259 by SeismicMike
For the second consecutive year, International Christian School will be sponsoring a high school missions trip to Manila, Philippines. The trip will take place from March 30 - April 5, 2007. Last year, a team of six students and three adult sponsors spent one week in the Philippines. This year our team has more than doubled as we anticipate a team of thirteen students and six adult sponsors. One of our goals was to hep with the ministries of two missionaries. These two missionaries are financially supported by Uijongbu Baptist Church (our ‘home’ church).
Matthew Johnson is an American missionary who works primarily with teenagers in Manila. He serves as a youth pastor in a church where his dad serves as the senior pastor. The Johnson family has served in the Philippines for many years, and this is currently Matt’s third year as the youth pastor. In addition to his responsibilities at the church, Matt helps with the programming of some youth camp ministries in the Iba Zambales region of the Philippines. Last year, their church was able to send over 1,300 students to the camp. At the camp, many youth are hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ for the very first time. Overall, this camp reached over 10,000 students last year during a twelve week period. During one week, there were a total of 975 campers. Of those campers, 413 received Christ for the first time, and another 225 were baptized. Also another twenty students committed to go to Bible College and serve in full time vocational students. In 2007, Matt’s prayer is to see God continue to move in the way that He has in the past and that more students will be reached for the Kingdom of God.
Arnel Bong Reyes is a Filipino missionary who lives outside of Manila. He serves as pastor of a local church along with his wife and family. In addition to their church responsibilities, they are also involved with the Christian School which is a ministry of the church. Pastor Bong has a genuine heart for the people of his country.
For our missions trip, we hope to accomplish the following:
- Minister to the congregation of the Johnsons’ church in Manila through music, drama and teaching
- Be actively involved in the youth rallies to encourage the teenagers to attend the camps this summer
- have the opportunity to evangelize many of the youth who we will meet
- Encourage and build relationships with the believers in the area
- Travel just outside of Manila and have ministry opportunities in Pastor Bong’s church
We anticipate the cost for each student to go to the Philippines at about 700,000 Korean Won (about $700). This includes the cost of the plane ticket, plus the daily expenses like food, lodging and transportation. We ask for your prayers as we continue to work out the final details for this trip. We are very excited for this team of students that we are taking with us. We know that God will use each of them to accomplish great thing for His purpose. Thank you for your continued service to our Lord and Savior.
Please also continue to pray as we seek to raise the remaining $270 in support. God bless you all. If you would like to give, please e-mail us or leave a comment (with your e-mail address) and we will reply with the address.
Permalink
03.06.07
Posted in Mission Trip Update, Prayer Updates at 846 by SeismicMike
$1,130
$270 to go.
Thank you all for your gifts. Please be praying for us as we begin preparations in earnest.
Permalink
02.20.07
Posted in General News, Mission Trip Update, Prayer Updates at 907 by SeismicMike
God has given us two specific examples of His wonderful provision in the last month.
The first is that my support for the missions trip is now over 100%! This is less than two weeks after we e-mailed the letter out! Thank you so much to everyone who has contributed! Don’t feel bad! If you still would like to contribute please do so. Mandie is considering possibly going, and if she does then we would need a total of $1400, rather than the $700 for just me. We currently have $1,030 raised (that we know of), so please continue to contribute if God lays it on your heart. If Mandie decides not to go, then we can always use the surplus to help one or two of the students who may be struggling with his/her support. And of course, what we covet the most is your prayers! Especially for me in a leadership roll b/c this is the first time I’ve ever done something like this. I hope to watch the other teachers closely to learn as much as possible.
The second is that apparently (without my realizing it), ACSI has decided to give me a 5 year license (instead of the 2 year provisional that I have). Under the 2 year license, in addition to the CEU’s and the Philosophy of Ed. class, I would need to complete a 3 hour teaching methods course in order to renew it. Now all I need to do are the CEU’s and the Philosophy of Ed class, and I can do both here at the school. (in fact, all I have to do for the latter at this point is write a 6 page paper and read about 5 books, and I have a year to do it!).
So at this point, I’m looking at options for where to go next in my education. This removes a huge burden, because now I don’t have to pay for a class while we’re still trying to pay off our school loans. So priority #1 is loan consolidation. Priority #2 is finding somewhere to continue my education. I’m leaning towards two options. The first is an MBA, which would probably help me out in my business duties for the school (esp. if it had an international business focus). The second option is picking up a MDiv somewhere. For both options though I need to be able to do it 100% correspondence, and have somewhat inexpensive tuition. I’m looking at possible Taylor for the MBA, but am open for other options. For the seminary, I have no clue. Masters is an option, but I don’t know if they offer correspondence, and I know they’re expensive. Also, there’s an Asian Theological Seminary in Taiwan which offers classes at $50 a class, but I don’t know much about them.
Thanks for all your support and prayer 
Permalink
01.25.07
Posted in General News, Mission Trip Update, Prayer Updates at 1223 by SeismicMike
This spring break, the school is sponsoring a missions trip, and I (Mike) have decided to participate. We are going to the Philippines (though I’m not sure exactly what part). This is somewhat exciting for me as I have wanted to return ever since my first trip in 1999. Please pray that God will put together a team of servants for Him on this trip.
Also pray for me because I will be needing to raise some support for this trip. The cost is significantly less than the last time I went (seeing as how I’m already on the same continent). Also pray that God will prepare my heart, both as a servant and as a leader/chaperon.
The dates of the trip are Friday, March 23 - April 1.
At any rate, it looks like I’m going to be fulfilling the promise I made to myself some 8 years ago… just like Gen. MacArthur… I shall return!
PS. Anyone who wants to help with the trip can send money to us c/o the Stitzels. Email us if you want to contribute and we’ll give you their address. The total cost of the trip will be somewhere around $700. I need to have raised $250 by February 20, the next $250 by March 6, and the rest by March 23… Also, if we raise enough Mandie would like to go too, but that would double the cost of the trip.
Permalink
01.15.07
Posted in General News, Prayer Updates at 1520 by quitomandie
Well, here we are in January!
With the New Year comes a time of transition for both of us. Mandie is teaching Algebra 2 this semester, along with her regular Spanish classes. Mike is taking on a shift in responsibilities at work, as well, as our guidance conselor has moved to the States, leaving him in charge of report cards and transcripts. We are also taking on some extra responsibilities at church - teaching childrens’ church for two months. This is a wonderful opportunity to invest in the lives of the children who attend our church, as well as to get to know and encourage the two teenagers who will be working with us.
We are very thankful for our families, and for the Godly heritage passed on to us by our parents and grandparents. Mike’s grandpa has been struggling with cancer during the last few months, and it is a challenge for us to be so far away and not always sure of what’s going on. Mandie’s grandpa retired last week after a lifetime in the minestry and 23 years as Sr. Pastor of Great Lakes Baptist Temple.
On a similar note, Uijongbu Baptist Church is preparing to say goodbye to our Sr. Pastor and his wife as they retire and move back to the States this spring.
Please pray with us for smooth transitions - for the churches as they seek new pastors, for the retiring pastors and their families, for us at work and for our students, and for the children’s church minestry. Also, please pray with us for Mike’s grandpa and their family.
Permalink
« Previous entries