06.29.07
Posted in General News at 1025 by quitomandie
We have been in the process of moving this week. It started last weekend with packing and planning. Then, on Monday, we hired a group of teenage boys from the youth group to help us move. (We offered them all-you-can-eat homemade pizza as an incentive - I ended up making four, but they only ate three. I learned that putting leftover pizza in the fridge AFTER it rises but BEFORE it bakes doesn’t turn out very well - I baked it for lunch the next day, and it came out like cardboard.) Since then, we have been unpacking (slowly) and getting the handful of things that didn’t get transferred on Monday. We were told we had until July 13th to be out, but once we moved the bed the land-lady started getting very impatient, so Mike stayed over there until 11:00 last night getting the last of the stuff, mopping the floors, cleaning the sink and bathroom, and just generally giving everything a last “once-over.” He stayed late by himself so that I could go to bed at 10:00 - he must really love me! The school still has some things in there (the oven and fridge, a couple wardrobes) so we haven’t officially handed our keys over yet, but all of our stuff is out.
It has been WONDERFUL to be back at church. That was one of the hardest parts of being on bed-rest. Mike always found something on-line for me to listen to on Sunday morning (usually Pastor Rick from our home church in Beavercreek). But listening on the radio and being there in person, as part of the community, is NOT the same thing. I now have first-hand experience to back up what I’ve been hearing for years - you really can’t “do church” at home as a substitute for being involved in a local body of believers (the communion of saints, as the creed would say).
Our pastor leaves on Saturday for a short trip to the States, and our associate pastor is also on a summer furlough, so for the next few weeks the deacons and various lay-preachers are going to be filling the pulpit. Mike is preaching on July 8 at the evening service. Pray for him if you think about it. In addition to getting his sermon ready and helping me at home, he has also been very busy at work preparing for the transition into his new job on Monday.
I haven’t been back to the doctor since my last update, but so far everything looks/feels fine. I get hot and tired very easily, which is making moving go VERY slowly, but I’ve passed the initial “caution advised” period and am now supposedly able to get back to my normal routine. Our next appointment (the normal 5th month visit) is scheduled for July 10, and will include such fun attractions as another blood test (to check for downs syndrome, not optional here), finding out the baby’s gender, and strawberry smoothies from the juice bar outside the clinic. Our insurance year ends this weekend. We sent in the paper work for Mike’s appendectomy, but when we added up all of my hospital bills we realized that the ones the insurance will cover (hospital stay and blood test) don’t add up to enough to cover our deductible. Since on most of my visits, the only thing I pay for is the required ultrasound, and our American insurance company doesn’t cover ultrasounds, that is all out-of-pocket. But, for $20 a month, it’s not a bad deal. My “emergency ultrasounds” were free.
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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.
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06.01.07
Posted in General News at 1058 by SeismicMike
I realize that some of you are very much in the loop while others are somewhat not in the loop, so I’m going to try to cover all bases. We have not produced an official prayer letter in a while because of how crazy everything is. I think the last thing we sent out was a very general “We got back from the Philippines” note. I still intend to send out more personalized thank-yous to those who financially supported us, but that won’t happen until Liz sends us the list.
So, I’ll start a while back. While we were on the trip, we discovered that Mandie is pregnant. This is very exciting for us, but is going to make life very crazy - and it already has. Life continued pretty much normally until May hit. Now, everyone here told us that May is the busiest month, but I’m not quite sure if I can accurately evaluate that statement, because a lot of what has happened in our May has been abnormal - non routine. It started with my appendectomy very early on - which put me a bit behind on my work. Then I got home and back to work and such and then last Tuesday (a week and three days ago), Mandie discovered that she was bleeding. I took her to the hospital and they said that the placenta had begun to separate from her uteris - which was not an actual miscarriage, but has put the pregnancy in danger. They ordered her to bed rest and that was that - until this Tuesday when she started bleeding again - this time more so. The doctors say that the tear has advanced - though the baby is still ok at the moment. So they admitted her to the hospital on a provisional basis to make sure she heals up.
So that’s where we stand. She’s coming home today, which is good news. Needless to say, my life has become extremely busy in the last few weeks. Through it all though, the Lord has shown His blessings. He has placed us in a vibrant community of believers who have rallied around us in love and support. Not an hour goes by that someone doesn’t ask how we’re doing and if they can help, and they have helped! The news of Mandie’s initial bed rest was about two hours old when I was told that meals were being organized for us, and people have done laundry and such for us.
Please pray for us. This summer is going to be extremely stressful. My job is going to be changing significantly. I’m going to be given much more responsibility next year. Also, we’re supposed to be moving - and I have no idea when exactly this is going to happen. We think Mandie may very well be on bed rest for the duration of the pregnancy. Please pray for our baby. We are trusting God’s Sovereign care and Providence. I think that this may be one of the most intense trials I’ve experienced in my walk with Christ. Please pray for our spiritual growth. We know that without God’s provision and blessing this whole thing can’t happen. We’re trusting Him that if He gave us this miracle He won’t take it away, but even if He does it’s for our good. Thank you all for your love support and prayers.
Other than that, things have been pretty good. I spoke in chapel on the 16th and it went really well. I spoke from Colossians 3 on living for our Master, Jesus. I have posted a rough transcript of what I said on my blog. The students responded pretty well. I don’t always have the best way of knowing what their responses are because I don’t interact directly with them very often. I was able to build relationships with them on the mission trip and through church, but that’s only with a select few.
Several of our students were baptized a few weeks ago, and another one delivered the sermon on Youth Night at our church this past Sunday. Please continue to pray for the spiritual growth of our students. We have some that are very apathetic, but there are those select few who really stand out.
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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.
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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.
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03.31.07
Posted in General News at 2017 by SeismicMike
Update time. We are just outside of Manila in a town caled San Moreno… We got in last night and had a short sleep before heading out this morning.
We were the “main event” at the church’s ‘Sunday School’ that they have each week. From there we traveled to a high school to do a promo for the camp.
We have pictures and should be posting them soon. Right now I’m writing from an internet cafe in the mall right near our hotel.
Keep praying for us. 
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03.25.07
Posted in General News at 855 by quitomandie
Well, it’s hard to believe that we are leaving on Friday!
Our team will be helping out with children’s minestries on Saturday, special music and a youth service on Sunday, and teaching a drama clinic on Monday. On Wednesday, we will hang out with the local youth group, and on Thursday we will be helping with a rally. Mandie is helping to organize the part of our team doing children’s minestries, while Mike is involved in the drama team. We are getting very excited, but still have to get through this week yet.
Monday and Tuesday are the Stanford achievement tests at school. After those, we will be starting 4th quarter. How the time flies! Our first year in Korea (and first year married) is almost over.  We are excited about the opportunities God is giving us - both next week and as we look forward to next year.
Mike is preparing to speak in chapel in May. He will be addressing the topic of “Why should you consider a Christian college?” In our Ivy-league crazed society, many of our kids need to understand the vital importance of approaching their discipline from a Biblical world-view, and the value of quality Christian education in helping them prepare to integrate their faith and their field. He is also hoping to address the stereotype that Christian schools are academically inferior to secular schools. Pray for wisdom as he prepares.
Thank you for your prayers for our church during the last couple of months. Last week, Tom Vasel was elected as senior pastor of Uijongbu Baptist Church. Please continue to be praying during this time of transition.
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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.
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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.
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02.21.07
Posted in General News at 1102 by SeismicMike
Well, it turns out we will be able to find a ticket for Mandie and she has decided that she wants to go, so please keep the money coming! We need another $400 for her to be able to go too.
Thank you for your support
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