Dear Loved Ones,
Greetings to you from miles away—you are in our thoughts and prayers. Thank you so much for your continued interest and prayers. God continues to comfort and encourage us, touching our troubled hearts and leading us to a peaceful corner.
We thank God for His protection and provision as He allows us to have special family times while Seong had to come home for medical check-ups. Praise the Lord everything is going so well for him! The vascular surgeon was amazed when she saw the result of Seong’s CT scan; she said she had expected to see more tearing in the wall of the descending aorta, but the tears are the same size as last year.
As you remember, last year Seong’s medevac flight was an amazing story; his ascending aorta was 9cm and should have burst, but God had spared Seong’s life, again. The grafted ascending aorta and sternum, which had been joined with 8 wires after surgery, healed well. Seong’s high blood pressure and sugar level must be controlled thoroughly to keep the descending aorta stabilize. Seong also met the Nephrologist for his kidney. The doctor said it is quite ok without having a biopsy test at this stage, but he recommended a new medicine for Seong’s kidney to continue to be healthy.
God is good and His plans cannot be thwarted, or trifled with, by mere man, worldly strife or sickness. We thank God for His healing hand upon Seong.
And thank God for His provision, again, as Seong’s pre-existing-condition coverage for Evacuation Medevac flight was accepted, though the insurance fee for Seong is quite a bit higher than the normal fee. What God chooses to do in us and for us and through us, He will do for His glory! Praise Him!
We had both lost many kgs in the bush; however, now Seong has gained 5kg. I also gained 4kg here, where we can easily eat various foods. But I feel heavy and feel like I need to be doing physical exercise. We especially enjoyed having various kinds of vegetables—making up for our lack of fibre in the Kora village. I know we will lose 10kg within 3 months of being back in Kora, as usual, because in the bush there isn’t the right food to provide the nutrition we need. We were told that we needed some mineral supplements as the rain water we drink, straight from the tin roof, lacks the right minerals. So, while here, we are going to buy various vitamins, minerals, protein, fibre, etc. for our health.
As our hearts are also always with the Mihi tribal people, and as God compels us, this coming Sunday we will happily go back for another season to the field in PNG. We look forward to the ministry with all its joys and challenges, in God’s strength and by His grace. We pray it will be a prosperous, successful time of preparing for teaching—with translation and literacy continuing, as well as all the many ways that we reach out and care for these poor and simple folk every day; they need the Lord so desperately.
May the Lord preserve the lives of those who He already knows will turn to Him when they hear the message of truth and of salvation so clearly in their own mother tongue. We pray for the hastening of that wonderful day, and that He will continue to keep and protect us physically, mentally and spiritually as we labour toward this end in a land of spiritual darkness.
May God’s light shine out like a beacon through our and your lives to draw these dear ones closer to Himself through hearing, understanding and responding, personally, to God’s message of love and salvation in the near future.
It is great to see our family and how both sons have been able to purchase their own homes; yes, with a bank loan but there is no other way to do it. We pray that they will continue to have successful jobs which they enjoy and which will enable them to make the payments in the future.
Little Skyey, our granddaughter (2years and 2 months old), is such a delightful and special little girl! It’s been wonderful spending precious times together, and that she knows and loves her grandma & papa.
Also, we praise the Lord that our daughter-in-law, Sally, who had been suffering from morning sickness, is happily over it now and carrying her precious baby girl (they already named her Ashlyn) safely! After a very worrying start, we pray that her pregnancy will continue to go well—for mother and baby—and a safe delivery in February. We continue to pray for them to be happy and continue to walk close to the Lord.
Our sons and daughter-in-laws say that the reason for God’s blessing upon their lives, spiritually and physically, is not to upgrade their physical lives but that their lives can be used for His glory. They know that we also live for our family of 20,000 Mihi brothers and sisters in Christ. Our children are great prayer warriors, trusting God to take care of us, without carrying a burden of worry as we joyfully serve far away.
We are thanking God for His goodness, faithfulness and loving presence as we keep travelling onwards and upwards! We want to thank you for being part of our ministry by your love, care and prayers as we continue to serve in His ministry of Bible translation, Discipleship and Church planting for the Mihi people.
We do not know what tomorrow may bring, but today, God has spared Seong’s life. PRAISE HIM for the extra bonus days to breathe and to proclaim Who He is and what He has done through Jesus Christ for our salvation.
Only by His mercy and grace, we can face tomorrow!
In the grip of grace,
Seong and Mina
