Prayerletter February 2010
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Newly planted rice glows bright green in the paddies, the days are warming up, the dry wind blows and we have some milestones to celebrate. Our colleagues found a new house; the Lighthouse centre occupies the ground floor and our colleagues live upstairs. Kids Club began again after the move with 30-40 kids each week instead of 10-15; wonderful but stretching. Some new students are coming to the adult English classes, among them our next-door neighbour and some teachers from Lukas' school! In December we hosted a team from our colleagues' church in South Africa for a week. They were involved in sharing the meaning of Christmas in a highschool and a kindergarten, a Christmas party outreach and a market outreach, as well as helping paint in the new Lighthouse. They really helped the Word go forth and were a great encouragement to the team too. Peter has found a great new language helper, a loyal English student in the morning becomes his teacher in the afternoon..! B. is a good cook which was a great for Peter's Kitchen module, and great for our diners too! His current module is about communicating Christian concepts to Buddhists. Please pray that this will give B. more understanding of the Gospel too. March 15-26 we have been invited to teach English at a local children's "summer" school. Peter will teach 6 lessons using material around a Bible story theme that Kelly will prepare. Please pray for good ideas and that the children would gain some understanding of God as well as English. Three weeks ago we were able to attend a two-day conference with some OMF colleagues. It was wonderful to worship and listen with full understanding and to connect and pray with friends. We also went to Lopburi for language checks and for Kelly to sit her Level One exam. Now both onwards to Level Two!
With much love and God's blessings,
Peter & Kelly + Lukas + Emmet
Pray with us:
- That all new contacts at our centre will feel at home with us and will have a growing interest in God's Word.
- That Lukas will learn more Thai as he interacts with teachers and friends at school.
- For wisdom and perserverance in Thai language study in the midst of the demands of life and work.
- For deepening personal and spiritual growth and transformation.
- For a fruitful time at the "summer" school.
Praise with us:
- That we are starting to building deeper friendships!
- That Lukas loves the people at his school and is starting to understand and speak some Thai.
- That God is continuing to transform us in our personal lives!
Prayerupdate December 2009
In Thailand, Christmas is the best time for sharing the story of Jesus. The only Christian celebration that people here know about is Christmas, and almost all churches try to make the best of people's curiosity by organizing outreaches. Please pray for spiritual protection for and anointing on Christians so that the Good News about Jesus can be shared clearly, and for receptive hearts and minds.Our team in Lampang is having a short-term team from a church in South Africa join us for a week from the 13th until the 20th. Please pray for their adjustment here and for all the outreaches planned:
- Tuesday the 15th -- teaching English at a highschool in the morning, and Market evangelism in the late-afternoon
- Friday the 18th -- teaching English at a kindergarten
- Saturday the 19th -- Kid's Club in the morning, and a Christmas Party outreach in the late afternoon
Pray for sensitivity, clear presentation of the Gospel, and receptive listeners. For our Christmas Party Outreach, where we hope people will come to us, please pray that we can communicate well in our opportunities to invite people, that those we invite would have the courage to come, that those who come would be touched by the Christmas message, and that it would be a really fun time of fellowship together as well.
Please also pray for the move of our centre at the end of the month to a new location in the city centre -- praise God that we have found a new house for the centre!
Please pray for our colleagues, the Bekker family, who will be moving out of their home and neighbourhood to move into the house that is will partly serve as the new centre, which will still be called the Lighthouse.
Please pray for our friends and students and contacts who know us and our work through the old Lighthouse, that we would not lose people in the move.
Thank you so much for praying!
May you have a blessed Christmas,
Peter & Kelly + Lukas + Emmet
Prayerletter November 2009
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The local labourers are scything and hand-threshing the last of the rice harvest and the winter weather is here: dry, windy, and cold at night. There are no heaters of any sort, so we have resorted to layers of blankets and pyjamas. Often chilly little boys join us under the quilt at 3 am to warm up!
The excitement of arrival in a new place is over, the slow work of integrating has begun. This comes with moments of both discouragement and encouragement. Last Monday we went to our first Thai Christian funeral to mark the passing of the father-in-law of Peter's language helper. He was a wonderful Christian man who had a great influence in his community and whose nine surviving children also are involved in serving God and others. We were reminded of the greatness of God's Kingdom and that investing in people is worthwhile and has far-reaching effects. Also we discovered that we actually knew a handful of people whom we could greet and talk to which made us feel like we were integrating in Lampang a little bit more.
Lukas is about to experience some community integration when he starts school on Monday. He will attend a kindergarten prep class three mornings a week (although his classmates go all-day 5-days a week!) Right now he understands very little Thai and has never been in the structure of a classroom setting. Please pray for him in this total Thai immersion and new routine that he will adjust well, make friends and learn the language.
Another big change for our team is that the landlord of our centre --The Lighthouse-- has just sold it and we need to move out by year end. We are sad to lose our great premises and location but are open to see what new things might result from this change. Please pray that we would find a new base for our work soon -- real estate is another cross-cultural challenge!
With much love and God's blessings,
Peter & Kelly + Lukas + Emmet
Pray with us:
- That we can build one or two really good friendships and also continue building more.
- For wisdom to know what kind of place would be the best base for our work and that we would find it soon.
- For Lukas as he starts school -- for friends, Thai language and good adjustment.
- For continued safety -- Kelly had a mini-accident with the motorbike, and Emmet caught a brick in the head thrown by Lukas.
- For health, we've all had colds lately.
- For personal and spiritual growth as we encounter and process long-hidden issues on a regular basis in this cross-cultural life.
Praise with us:
- For moments of real encouragement.
- For both finishing up our next language module since leaving Lopburi with our new helpers here.
Prayerletter October 2009
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As I made a Thanksgiving poster with Lukas today, I got stuck deciding what symbols to use as decorations. The 'traditional' ones don't really translate here -- there are no turkeys to be found and no autumn-coloured leaves. It made me think about what Thanksgiving is really about -- celebrating God and thanking Him for all His good gifts. We have much to be thankful in our lives at the moment. We are thankful for our house in Lampang -- that we have been able to set it up already and that it feels like home. We live in a beautiful spot among the rice fields and forested hills. We have colleagues who have been a wonderful help and support as we settle in to this new city and encounter all kinds of situations of daily life that we need to negotiate in Thai. We were able to rest by the sea for a two week holiday after all the stresses of moving. Lukas and Emmet are healthy, happy, active boys who are living life fully and challenging us to grow in character. We have just spent a special time with Kelly's parents and the boys thrived under Grandma & Grandpa's attention. We were greatly blessed by a number of gifts and cards and greetings brought to us from Canada. Both Peter and Kelly have met language helpers, have resumed language study, are enjoying it a lot and were even surprised at how well it's going after a couple months break. Peter is really enjoying teaching his English classes at the centre where we work here in Lampang and is building friendships with the students. The neighbours up the road drop by several times a week to visit the boys and we are beginning to build friendships with them. There are many dear friends around the world praying for us and following our story. And that is only the beginning! God is good! All the time! Happy Thanksgiving!!
With much love,
Peter & Kelly + Lukas + Emmet
Praise with us:
- For being able to settle into our house here in Lampang and that it feels like home
- For our colleagues who are so helpful in showing us the ropes -- both in the city and in our work
- For finding language helpers and enjoying Thai study
- That we have found what looks like a good pre-school option for Lukas
- For a great visit with Kelly's parents -- that the boys could really have a great time with Grandma and Grandpa
- For a refreshing holiday
- That we are finally shaking our coughs and colds that have hung around for a month
- For God's protection when our car was rear-ended -- that only Kelly was slightly hurt and that she is mending; that our car is fixed again; for a Thai friend who walked us through the whole procedure after the accident
- That we are making new friends here
Prayerletter June 2009
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We are into the last stage of our time in Lopburi. In just over a month we will be loading all our belongings into our car and be heading to Lampang. But these last 5 weeks will be full ones. Tomorrow we leave for the annual Thailand field conference to enjoy fellowship with colleagues who live and work all over the country; to sit under Biblical teaching in English; to join with full understanding in English worship -- we are looking forward to it! Peter has been asked to lead two of the plenary worship sessions. The week of July 7-11 will be a milestone in terms of our language study: Peter will have his check for his 9th (final) module and will write (and converse!) his Year One exam; Kelly will have her first check since Emmet was born to complete her 7th module. Then we will have time to round off cultural assignments, go to Bangkok to tie up last loose ends of business and goodbyes, and begin buying (and possibly sewing) some of the necessary items for setting up house from scratch (our house here has been fully furnished and equipped with linens, tableware etc.), share dinner with neighbours to say thank you and goodbye, and finally say farewell to our local church community. On July 27th we will embark on the 6 hour drive with our packed car to Lampang. Our team leader has found a good housing option for us there but the rental is not completely finalized.
We are already feeling the weight of goodbyes. It is difficult that just as we are feeling that we have built relationships to the point of being able to really connect and get to know people (both local and colleagues) we are uprooting and starting all over again. Please pray for emotional resilience in this big change which comes in a long line of recent big changes.
With much love,
Peter & Kelly + Lukas + Emmet
Praise with us:
- That Kelly has enjoyed her return to language study
- For all the aunties and uncles that have helped to care for Emmet while Kelly has been studying
- That Peter will be able to succesfully complete his Year One exam before we leave Lopburi
- That we seem to have a good housing option in Lampang
Pray with us:
- That Peter will be able to lead everyone into the presence of God as he leads two worship sessions at conference
- For clear minds and good recall in our last language checks and Peter's exam
- For emotional resilience during the transition process of moving
- For wisdom to know how to help Lukas and Emmet with the transition
- For the house rental to finalize without trouble
- For peace and political stability for Thailand
Prayerupdate May 2009
We would appreciate prayer for the following things that weigh on us:
- That the transferring of the car ownership would go smoothly, also getting the car safety clearance.
- For a positive language module check for Peter on Wednesday (his 8th, only one more to go before the first year exam!).
- That our day trip to Bangkok on Thursday for visa renewal and pick-up of Emmet's Dutch passport would be safe and that all the appointments would happen without complications.
- For Lukas as he says goodbye to his best friends this week -- that he would understand that they are moving, and that he will adjust well to the new dynamic in the daycare, that he might play well with the children who are left (all younger than him) and still want to go there.
- For Lukas' third birthday on June 4th, that we would know how to celebrate it well and that it be a joyful time.
- For us as we think through some parenting issues, for wisdom and unity.
- For the house we will move into in Lampang -- the first opportunity just presented itself, pray for God's clear guidance.
- We hope to find the right colleagues to continue the relationship with the Roti-family.
Thank you for standing around us!
Love and God bless,
Peter & Kelly + Lukas + Emmet
Prayerletter April 2009
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We seem to be adjusting more quickly to becoming a family of four than we did to becoming a family of three, however, the last two months have been full of adjustments to the patterns of everyday living: our sleeping, Lukas' playtime, parent-time and attention, our studying, etc. Lukas is gentle with Emmet although we have noticed some regression in other areas of his behaviour. Peter returned to full-time language study after 2 weeks of paternity leave and since then has completed a whole module. Next week he will begin a "module out" of the language centre studying with an untrained language helper, without using the study space of the centre in order to practice what it will be like to study after we leave Lopburi. Over the last month Kelly has enjoyed conversation practice with a lovely Thai colleague and next week will return part-time to formal language study, bringing Emmet with her to the language centre.
The time of saying goodbye to our fellow-students has begun. The group we came to Thailand with is dispersing to new work places across the country. It is hard to say goodbye to these friends who have been such a big part of our lives over the last year. This is especially true for Lukas, whose two best friends will be leaving within a month. He loves them so much that he names them as brothers, prays for them every night and is constantly asking to go over to their house regardless of whether he has just been with them all morning at daycare or whether it is a day off. Please pray for him as he says goodbye and adjusts to this major change in his social environment and for us to know how to help and support him.
With much love,
Peter & Kelly + Lukas + Emmet
Praise with us:
- For the safe arrival of Emmet and for the blessing he is in our lives
- For the successful completion of a number of administrative tasks including embassy visits and getting Thai driver's licenses
- For continued progress in our language learning
Pray with us:
- For Lukas to continue to adjust to being a big brother and for wisdom in how to help him with this transitionFor Lukas to continue to adjust to being a big brother and for wisdom in how to help him with this transition
- To adjust well to new language study routines
- For us to process saying goodbye to our friends well, especially for Lukas
- That Emmet's Canadian citizenship application will be accepted in Canada and go smoothly
- For peace and political stability for Thailand
- That we can have a meal with the 'Roti-people' before our colleague leaves Lopburi
Prayerletter February 2009
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The last couple of months before coming to Bangkok to wait for the baby have been busy ones for us. Both Peter and Kelly completed another language module with a successful check, receiving some of the most positive feedback so far. We have now completed 6 of the required 9 modules of our first year. We are starting to feel more confident in our ability to converse with local people and have had a few opportunities for practicing. Some weeks ago we were invited, along with another colleague student, to the home of a Thai family who make and sell roti (a flat crepe-like pancake spread with sugar and condensed milk) at a street corner near the language centre in the evenings. They taught us how to make roti and then we had a meal. Kelly also has had opportunity to connect with a tailor down the road as she has been getting items ready for the baby. She is a single lady who has been tailoring for 30 years and has been very friendly in all our interactions. Both of these contacts have had positive connections with missionary students before us. Please pray for God's ongoing influence in their lives and for wisdom in knowing how to nurture the relationships in the short time that we have here.
In personal news, Peter's grandmother passed away on the 1st of February in the Netherlands. She was 97, and we are happy that she is now with the Lord -- but we still miss her. We have been thankful for God's grace in helping us to process the passing of our closest grandmothers in the last months even though we have been so far away.
Thank you for upholding us in prayer.
With much love,
Peter & Kelly + Lukas + baby Tuck
Praise with us:
- That the baby has turned head down, as of last week!
- That Lukas seems to be catching on to his toilet training -- but he still has a few things to learn!
- For positive language feedback at the our most recent checks and a sense of progress.
- For growing relationships with Thai people.
Pray with us:
- That the baby would be positioned even better for a natural birth, and for a safe and healthy birth.
- For Lukas to adjust to being a big brother and for wisdom in how to help him with this transition. - For consolation in the passing away of Peter's grandmother.
- For God's hand of protection, especially in the Bangkok traffic..!
- For discernment in how to join with what God is doing in the lives of the people with whom He has brought us into contact.
Prayerupdate January 2009
Time is flying! January is almost over and we are two weeks from moving down to Bangkok to wait for the baby to be born. He is due in 5 weeks. We have a reasonably urgent prayer point: the baby is not lying in position for a natural birth but has been lying transverse or oblique. Please pray that he will turn to lie with his head down, in a good position for a natural birth -- we would rather avoid a caesarian delivery.
Our language study is going according to plan -- our last check before we go to Bangkok is scheduled for February 5th for both of us. Please pray for concentration and clarity -- especially for Kelly who is finding the combination of increasingly warm weather and increasingly pregnant state challenging for her language study.
We will be part of an annual language school retreat (a weekend of spiritual and teaching input) from February 5-9. We are scheduled to plan and lead the morning worship session twice. Please pray for inspiration and anointing and that we will find the time to prepare well in the midst of everything else.
Lukas is in the process of being toilet trained -- not entirely a project we had planned to start right now (it was started at his childcare programme) but we thought it best to be consistent at home too. It is not going too badly but also not entirely smoothly and is an added stress on us all at this time. Please pray for Lukas that he can learn how it all works and be able to communicate clearly and for wisdom and patience for us.
In 2006 OMF committed to pray to mobilize 900 new workers in the next 5 years. Please pray that those whom God is calling would step out in faith, even in the face of the current economic situation or other things that might be holding them back. There is so much that any dedicated Christian could do here in Asia! This weekend (at the end of January) is MissionsFest weekend in Vancouver, and OMF will have a booth there. Please pray for good interactions with those who have an interest in missions both short and long term.
Thank you so much for your faithful prayer support!
Many blessings,
Peter & Kelly + Lukas + baby Tuck
Prayerletter December 2008
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The busy month of December is upon us all! In Thailand, Christmas is the best opportunity for spreading the gospel and talking about Jesus, because it is the one Christian event that most people know about. Churches usually have outreaches this month. Teams from the Language and Orientation Training centre (that's us!) have been invited into many schools to do presentations, so we'll be busy with that besides our regular language learning and church activities. Our local church is caroling at several locations (among other things), and we're planning to join in too!
December is perhaps the most difficult month to be away from family, but even more so because Kelly's grandmother passed away on the 4th of December. She was 96, and we are happy that she is now with the Lord enjoying a much higher quality of life -- but we still miss her.
We feel we are growing spiritually these days, and God seems to be speaking into our lives. It has been exciting to read about the world house church movement and to ponder its potential for the urgent spreading of the gospel in Thailand. Also, we are having daily family devotions around a 'Jesse tree' this Advent season, and Lukas really looks forward to these!
Both of our field trips went well, and we've been processing all we've seen and learned along the way. It was great to get to know our fellow workers better, and to see the actual work. We sense a clear leading from the Lord, but have yet to meet with the national director to make a final decision. Please pray for unanimous convergence of God's will for our designation.
Many Advent, Christmas and New Year's blessings to you!
With much love,
Peter & Kelly + Lukas + baby Tuck
Praise with us:
- For continued well-being for both Kelly and the baby, despite incidents.
- Lukas is growing more responsible and communicative, and is starting to engage more spiritually.
- Language learning is still progressing according to schedule in spite of all.
Pray with us:
- For consolation in the face of the passing away of Kelly's grandmother.
- For God's hand of protection, especially on Kelly and the baby.
- For Lukas to grow emotionally; he can still throw a mighty tantrum when things don't go the way he wanted.
- For increasing boldness in using our language with people we meet.
- That many seeds may be sown during the Christmas outreaches and that the Lord will bless people with understanding and a desire to learn more.
- We will need to get a car before the baby comes, please pray with us for God's provision.
Prayerupdate November 2008
A short mail right before our departure for South Thailand. We're leaving tomorrow, and will return on the 25th. Pray for protection, good health and good contacts along the way. Kelly is asking special prayers of protection for the baby, as she has a rhesus-negative blood type, and the baby might have a positive type (like his daddy).
We will be hosted by the regional leaders Jeff & Belinda Callow, an Australian family with 3 boys of primary school age. The objectives are getting to know the team there better, as well as the region, which has its own unique character (about 15 hours traveling by train from Bangkok). Whether we will go to Lampang in the North or Paak Phanang in the South in July 2009 will be decided in January.
Life in Lopburi and our language study are going well. We do increasingly have the feeling that we do too many things and aren't able to rest well enough. Mondays are our resting days, but it is tempting to try to catch up with our email backlog for instance... Pray for good priorities and peace from God!
Lots of love from all of us and God bless,
Peter & Kelly + Lukas + baby Tuck
Prayerletter October 2008
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Thank you for your support! We realize once more how great a role you have to play, not only in getting & keeping us here, but also in praying for fruit. Yesterday we watched the new OMF docu-movie about the life of James Fraser, titled Breakthrough (available from OMF). He was an OMF missionary among the Lisu tribe who saw great spiritual breakthroughs when people back home started to pray for the Lisu with the conviction that they were given the authority by God to engage in the battle for their souls. James Fraser started sending regular prayer letters from China to England, inspiring and informing prayer warriors back home. Prompted by love, people started to earnestly pray together. Peter was greatly inspired by James Fraser when he left The Netherlands to go to missions college. We hope & pray that in due course we will be able to inspire & inform your prayers more effectively..!
Kelly has started to meet regularly with a Thai woman who wants to learn English. Pray for Noot, that she will desire to know Jesus. We are inspired by the wide range of ministry opportunities that we see in the lives of more experienced missionaries. But for the most part, we really need the Thai language in order to build relationships and communicate with people on a deeper level. We have learned the basics of reading & writing now, which is exciting, but we have much still to learn! Pray that we will be able to invest a lot of our energies in learning Thai, and that we will develop relationships where we can practice language. We are encouraged that we are getting to know some people at church better. Also, Kelly is feeling well in the second trimester of pregnancy and baby Tuck is dancing around!
Love and blessings, Peter & Kelly + Lukas + baby Tuck
Praise with us:
- For new life emerging! All well & healthy so far.
- Language learning is going well, and we're enjoying it too!
- Lukas is learning and growing more confident in doing things himself.
Pray with us:
- For our new baby's development and health.
- For safety and protection
- For good recall and understanding of the Thai language.
- That we would continue to build friendships with Thai friends in church.
- For Kelly's involvement in teaching Sunday school.
- For our field trips: Oct 24-29 to Lampang, North Thailand, and Nov 19-24 to Paak Phanang, South Thailand, where we will meet the OMF teams working there, to explore possible options for our future ministry placement - for sensitivity to God's leading to the place where He would have us live and work in the coming three years.
Prayerletter August 2008
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While writing this we are enjoying the last few days of our rest & retreat in Southern Thailand. We have been staying in the OMF Centre called The Pines, located on the beach at the narrowest part of Thailand. We thank God for His goodness to us in providing this time to process the changes in our lives, unwind and evaluate. We have gained a renewed sense of how to bring God's message, and also a fresh perspective on family life and how to raise an active and willful toddler. On top of that, we've discovered that we're expecting an addition to our family early March!! For Kelly this has meant being repulsed at times by smells and tastes, but this seems to be improving now as we are moving towards the end of the first trimester. Incidentally, Peter's intestines haven't given him any more trouble, for which we really praise our God!
The language learning has been going well, we're both enjoying it, and we've managed to finish module 2 before our retreat; Kelly has been going especially fast through the material. We feel blessed in enjoying life in Lopburi, Lukas loves the daycare in the morning and playing with other kids, and we have really treasured the focused study time that gave us. The fellowship with fellow students and staff has also been a precious blessing. We have really gotten involved in church life, Peter has been doing a session with the worship team on harmonious singing, and Kelly will be teaching Sunday school (in English, but for the first time in her life!) for ages 1-4 on a monthly rotation. We have an increasing eagerness to be able to speak Thai, which will enable us to build significant relationships.
We greatly value your prayer support, and hope you are well.
Love and blessings, Peter & Kelly + Lukas
Praise with us:
- For new life emerging! All well & healthy so far.
- Language learning is going well, and we're enjoying it too!
- We are really refreshed, restored and inspired by our retreat.
- Peter's intestines are no longer giving trouble.
Pray with us:
- For our new baby's development and health.
- For Kelly's morning sickness to subside and for more energy.
- For good recall and understanding of the Thai language.
- That we would build friendships in church.
- For Kelly's involvement in teaching Sunday school.
- For our designation after our year in Lopburi. We will be taking 2 field trips later this year, one to the North and one to the South, to explore the options and to get to know the people. Pray for wisdom in discerning God's call, for the field and regional leadership and for ourselves.
Prayerletter May 2008
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We had a great send-off both in the Netherlands and in Vancouver, and we were very encouraged by all the people that came to say goodbye to us. We did manage to do almost all the things we had hoped we could do in terms of leaving for Asia, and God graced us with timely visas and travel mercies. The only thing unexpected was, that we missed our connecting flight in Hong Kong. The upside was, that we got to see a bit more of the city because we spend the night at a YMCA. And then on our last leg towards Singapore, we met another Candidate (also from Canada) on her way to the Orientation Course!
It is a blessing to be here and meet many likeminded people, some with decades of experience and with a tremendous anointing for their work. The lectures, interviews, house visits and general times of fellowship are really rich, and it is great to see some of the OMF work ethic displayed in daily life. Every working day, the whole International Head Quarters is gathering to start the day praying for all the work in a systematic fashion.
It is surely a time of transition, and the hard work we had to put in to make everything work is starting to take its toll on us physically and emotionally. We are also realizing that the months ahead of us with its single focus of language learning is found to be taxing by most people. But it is also exciting and settling at the same time to think that in June we will be in our new home!
We greatly value your support, and trust that the Lord is keeping you.
Love and blessings, Peter & Kelly + Lukas
Praise with us:
- For having been able to work really hard the last few months to get everything ready and in order.
- For the great blessing it is to be here in Singapore, with a great family of brothers & sisters.
Pray with us:
- For Peter who will be having intestinal enteroscopy this week; for insight and healing.
- For provision of a time of rest for us that we really need and are being recommended to take soon.
- For adapting well to our future living situation in Thailand, settling into a healthy routine, and getting a good start in language learning.
- For the people in Thailand, that they will develop a greater thirst after righteousness, truth and love and their Source.
Prayerupdate April 2008
Our time in Sweden and The Netherlands has been rich and full and varied. We are now into our last week in The Netherlands. Our schedule for his week is very full of meetings with people. We are looking forward to seeing everyone but are also feeling quite stretched in terms of stamina and energy.
We are thankful for:
- the many good times we have had with family & friends doing "ordinary" things
- the encouraging meetings with small groups and prayer groups from our church here
- being unexpectedly blessed on our way by a church plant of our home church here
- Peter's mother who has been able to spend lots of time with Lukas
- how well Lukas has adapted to all the changes and gotten along with his cousins and friends here
Please pray for:
- our health -- we are struggling to recover from flu/colds again (the last time you prayed for our health as we departed from Canada, the Lord gave us the gift of health during the flight!)
- our stamina and energy as we have a full schedule, that we can be fully present to interact with the people wherever we are
- that we may remain in God's peace in the midst of lots of arrangements and busyness
- for our commissioning services and party in our sending church here in the Netherlands Sunday 20 April:
- for all the last minute arrangements that need to be made
- that we would have opportunity to connect with people personally, especially those who will have travelled a long way to come
- for all the events and meetings that are being arranged in Vancouver, and our commissioning service there on April 27th.
Thank you for your support!
Love and blessings, Peter & Kelly + Lukas
Prayerletter March 2008
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The time has come! We have been given the green light to go! Our apartment is clean, our bags are packed, our tickets are booked... and we are flying on Monday! "But wait", you may say, "we haven't had a chance to say goodbye and send you on your way!" Don't worry, we are not going for good yet. Are you confused? Let us tell you the whole story.
Just over two weeks ago we received the news that we had been given our medical clearance, that the financial clearance was pending and that our place was booked in the OMF International Orientation Course in Singapore starting in early May. We have been waiting for that news for a long time and are so thankful that the Lord has flung wide the door. The drama is that the "go" came just over two weeks before our departure for The Netherlands on a farewell trip we planned in faith that the clearance would come. We will be connecting with and saying goodbye to our family and supporters there and will be sent out by our Dutch home church.
So suddenly from a stance of waiting we have been thrust into full speed ahead. In about two weeks we have had to confirm our trip, make our plans, pack up and move out from our apartment whilst trying to keep straight all the different strands: Europe, Singapore & Thailand, moving out, moving in, storage, and more importantly, saying goodbye to dear friends and supporters. It has felt very chaotic to us, and at first it all looked impossible, all the more so because Kelly & Lukas have been sick with colds and infections for the last three weeks. But God has provided the energy needed and generous support from people around us. As we write, we sense that some of you will be bewildered by the speed of this and we want to apologize for not sending out this message sooner; the urgency of packing obscured the importance of communication. But we are coming back from The Netherlands to Vancouver, from April 22 - May 4, to wrap up here and be sent out from here and say goodbye.
Invitation to our commissioning service and farewell party
We will be sent out from Granville Chapel (5901 Granville Street, Vancouver) on Sunday, 27 April 2008. The service starts at 10:00 am, with a celebration after the service with food and goodbyes. If you are able to, please come, we would love to see you and celebrate in fellowship with the community that has gathered around us in this venture of faith.
Love and blessings, Peter & Kelly + Lukas
Praise with us:
- We have been given the green light to go to Thailand!
- For everything God is providing for us -- we are so overwhelmed with His goodness!
Pray with us:
- For Lukas' ears to completely clear before flying.
- For all of us to completely be restored from our colds.
- For peace in the midst of multiple transitions.
- For opportunities to say goodbye to people here in Vancouver and in the Netherlands and bring closure before we start a new adventure.
Prayerupdate February 2008
We've just received some great news! We have been cleared medically, and the financial clearance is just a technicality. So we are going to continue with our plans to start in Singapore in May, and we'll arrive in Thailand in June. Our tickets for our ministry trip to Europe are being booked.
We have to make some important decisions about how to best use our time in the weeks ahead, so we'd like to ask you to pray with us for those. We will have to empty out our house and have packed for Europe in the next two weeks. Then, when we return, we'll have almost two weeks to pack for Thailand.
Praise with us for God's faithful provision in opening the door and please pray that we would be able to trust him day by day and moment by moment in the daunting task of preparing to leave and bringing closure to our lives here in Vancouver in such a short time. We are looking forward to seeing His mighty hand at work and seeing many evidences of His power and glory for truly "we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that the all-surpassing power is from God and not from us!" (2 Corinthians 4:7)
Many blessings, Peter & Kelly + Lukas
Prayerupdate January 2008
Best wishes for a blessed 2008! It is getting more and more certain that we will leave Vancouver in March, but we are still waiting for the official word to "Go!"
We are thankful for the International Student Christmas Camp: the atmosphere was positive and open, everyone was very interested in the talks around the Bible passages about Christ's birth, and there were no accidents in any of the sporting activities! Praise the Lord for His good gifts and pray that what He has begun in the hearts of those who were there will grow even further.
We have struggled with sickness over the last weeks: Lukas got sick the night before we were to leave for Christmas Camp, so Kelly and Lukas stayed at home in Vancouver while Peter went to lead the Camp. No sooner recovered than on New Years Eve Lukas got a tummy bug of some sort, which he passed on to us... Needless to say Kelly has fallen behind in her desk work and administration that needs to be done even more urgently now. Please pray for good motivation and organization for all the administrative tasks that need to be done, as we are also busy with rounding off our activities and involvements here in Vancouver.
It seems that the closer our departure comes, the greater the resistance against us fulfilling God's call in our lives to spread His truth and grace. Please pray for protection and health for the whole family and extended family too. Kelly's mother was in a car accident right after New Year's; by God's grace no one was hurt badly but please pray for complete healing and restoration from the effects of the accident.
In terms of our departure, we are still waiting for the final medical clearance. Please pray that the last medical report would be quickly written and that there would be no communication or postal glitches as the reports and decisions are being transferred across the continents.
In terms of our finances, praise the Lord for how He has provided for our outstanding Outgoing Costs and growing regular support. Things look really positive but please pray for the official financial clearance and for the last percentages of regular support to come in order.
We are hoping and praying that we will be able to stay in our apartment until our departure in mid March. Please pray for favour around the decisions that will be made regarding us and our accommodation.
From family life, please pray for a sense of peace and security for Lukas in the midst of all the busyness and stress of the changes going on around him. Please pray that he will sleep better at night and wake less frequently and in the mean time please pray for Kelly that she might have all the energy she needs to encounter positively the daily challenges after nights of broken sleep.
Thank you for your support!
Blessings, Peter & Kelly + Lukas
Prayerletter November 2007
First of all, we would like to begin with a big thank you to all of you for your ongoing support of us in prayer and for walking with us during our waiting time. It seems strange to think that the last time we wrote we were looking ahead at a full year of waiting in terms of our Thailand plans. Now, six months later, the wheels of actual preparations to leave are creaking back into motion.
Looking back, we can see God's hand of mercy and wisdom in guiding us to pause in our plans. These past months have been important months of personal growth for all of us, particularly of strengthening health for Kelly. She has experienced a steady increase of energy and stamina that seems to be holding even in the midst of busyness and unexpected strains, such as moving apartments (again!) in the midst of other commitments. We can see God's power released in prayer at the root of her return to health. In December Kelly will be examined to obtain her medical clearance.
Lukas continues to grow and develop from a baby into a toddler. He is very active, running around and discovering the world. He understands more and more in both English and Dutch and is also using words in both languages. While we enjoy seeing his growth, we especially love to see how he has his own ministry of blessing others. His wonderful sense of humour and delightful laugh bring others real joy, and his tender heart blesses others. We experienced a special moment with a dear friend who was dying of cancer when Lukas came up to her while she lay on the couch and patted her hand and then lay his head on her arm. We are excited to see how God will continue to work in and through Lukas.
Peter spent a lot of time looking into Bible translations, in order to find a helpful one for ESL students. In this quest, he found a translation for personal study use that he is really blessed by. The English Standard Version (ESV: general editor J.I. Packer, 2001) conveys a lot of the original languages and it is a great pleasure to read. He finds himself spending much more time reading with renewed enthusiasm. Heartily recommended!
As our plans for Thailand paused last spring, our actual ministry activity greatly revved up! You may not have realized that Peter changed status and became an Associate with OMF. He is being lent to Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship (IVCF) to be involved with outreach and ministry to international students. So, we are in vocational missions at last, our current mission field being the world at our doorstep!! All summer Peter has been active in planning events, mentoring volunteers and connecting with new students. He directed a camp over the Thanksgiving weekend and he has just started a new Bible study on the basics of Christianity, which already has drawn a number of interested students. The next big event is the Christmas Camp, which will provide a view into the real meaning of Christmas and the experience of living in a Christian community for about 100 internationals. Have a look at our website! www.internationalfriendship.net
While all of this is exciting, we are even more excited to start missions work in Thailand in 2008! The months are rolling by rapidly, our departure in March 2008 is closing in. There is a lot of paperwork that needs doing, and we still need strengthening of our support network. If all goes well, we will be sent out from Vancouver at the end of March 2008, stopping in the Netherlands in April 2008 to also be sent out from there, and then arriving in Singapore for our four-week OMF Orientation Course in May 2008, finally arriving in Thailand early June 2008 -- maybe on Lukas' second birthday!
We are very thankful for how the Lord has provided 85 % of our financial support so far -- please pray that He would continue to raise up those who would be willing to partner with us in ministry both here with international students and for our church planting work in Thailand.
God has been connecting us to Thailand through people in Vancouver. We have been blessed by a Thai friend who has been volunteering with the international students this past year. We have recently been encouraged by getting to know Tim & Brenda Noble and their two boys who are serving with OMF in Central Thailand and who have come to Vancouver on home assignment. They have decades of combined ministry experience, and have been living in the city where we will spend our first year! It has been wonderful to hear more about what life and ministry there are like. We have asked them to share their knowledge of the work that we will be doing in Thailand during a special luncheon:
A luncheon with Thai food (!) will be hosted at Granville Chapel (5901 Granville St, Vancouver) on Sunday 25 November 2008, after the morning service (which starts at 10:00 am) from 12:00-14:00 pm. You are warmly invited to come (if you can!) and have a double taste of what our life and ministry will be like in Central Thailand. Hear from us and from the Nobles!
Thank you for your partnership with us in this endeavour. More than ever, we realize that we can do nothing of value without God's presence, and likewise we need the support of His Body in all that we hope to accomplish.
Love and blessings, Peter & Kelly + Lukas
Pray with us:
- For continued healing and growth for Kelly (and Peter!) and patience and endurance in the process.
- That Lukas will make choices that will help him grow towards God.
- That we will have wisdom to nurture Lukas well.
- For wisdom and diligence for the pre-departure paperwork.
- For more students to come to the Bible study and a willingness to let it affect their lives.
- For the green light to go, and final clearances to happen (medical and financial).
Praise with us:
- Kelly has been strengthened to a remarkable degree, and we are learning valuable spiritual lessons in the process!!
- For the joys of parenting Lukas.
- For good relationships developing with internationals.
- For God's grace in bringing us Thai contacts to prepare us even more for Thailand.
- For everything God is providing for us -- we are so overwhelmed with His goodness!
Prayer Mail July 2007
We are glad to be able to share with you a number of praise items in this update.
We had a wonderful time in The Netherlands connecting with our family and supporters there. We were able to spend time with all of Peter's parents, siblings and his grandmother too. We even got to be a part of an annual holiday weekend with Peter's mother and all her children and grandchildren, which we often miss by being out of the country. In terms of supporters, we visited our home church, and also a daughter church which is interested in maintaining a connection with us. We dedicated Lukas in our home church and we visited two small group Bible studies that have 'adopted' us to support by prayer and keeping in contact and also three prayer groups from our church, one of which has specifically adopted us through a connection with our support committee. We had wonderful fellowship at every meeting and were glad to be able to participate in the studies and prayer times and deepen our relationships with other members. We were also able to visit a number of supporters individually, including some new supporters. We felt so blessed to be able to have this time of personal connection with people in The Netherlands and praise God for the rich quality of our relationships with people there, even when we only get face to face contact on a yearly basis at most! Lukas was a star-traveller adding to his transport-resume: long-haul flights, trains, buses, ferries and bikes (front and back seat!). Kelly managed very well in Dutch, probably her best ever to date, and spoke Dutch about 95% of the time we were there. We have much to be thankful for.
Our thankfulness continues in that we have received news that we may stay in our current lodgings without a major move, although we will be moving across the hall at the end of September. This has lifted a great weight of uncertainty from us and we are grateful not to have to go apartment-hunting in the very competitive Vancouver housing market. Also we are very encouraged with improvements in Kelly's health and energy. We are excited that things are going better with her and this gives us hope that things will continue to improve until she is at full strength.
We are also very thankful for Peter's ministry among international students. He is really loving his work and enjoying the opportunity to build relationships with students and team members. At first he was wondering how it would be with the decades of age gap between him and many of the students but he is finding that this is actually not a disadvantage but an asset -- several of the young men have approached him seeking mentoring regarding life issues and decisions. He is finding that he is both active in encouraging and strengthening believers in their faith - for example, one student who had grown nominal in faith is experiencing renewed interest in and commitment to his faith. Also several students interested in the faith are coming to a weekly Bible study to investigate and discuss the gospel.
Please praise with us for all these things, and continue to pray for:
- Increase in Kelly's energy and full resolution of underlying issues
- our first ever week long family vacation with just the three of us
- for safety, a positive experience and good time together as a family
- preparations with the IVCF team for the coming of new students
- for continued growth of our support network: we are at about 85% of what we need financially for a green light to go to Thailand.
Thank you so much for praying with us and for us!
Many blessings, Peter & Kelly + Lukas
Prayer Mail May 2007
Here are some prayer points to accompany our newsletter.
In the coming week:
- as we prepare to go to The Netherlands, good organization of all that needs to be done in terms of contacting people, arranging times to meet and the details of travelling with a baby
- for Peter to be able to make good arrangements for the international student work for while we are away
In the coming month in The Netherlands:
- that God would go ahead of us as we go, that it might be a rich time of reconnecting with family, friends and supporters
- for wisdom in how much we can fit into the time we have there, given the slower pace needed to include things like Lukas' naps :-)
- for wisdom & blessings in setting into place the necessary support network in The Netherlands
- for travel mercies, especially during the transatlantic flight with a very mobile baby needing to be confined to our laps!
In general:
- pray for our housing situation, there is a possibility that we have to move mid August: pray that we are able to stay in our current appartment
- give thanks for Kelly's recovery & healing, pray total victory
Thank you so much for praying with us!
God bless, Peter & Kelly + Lukas
Prayer Mail April 2007
We apologize for the long delay in sending this prayermail. We have been trying to get a clear view on the situation we have found ourselves in more than a month ago. So, we're still learning to share our journey as it unfolds, with the vulnerability that goes along with it.
We will not be going to Thailand until 2008. This is because of some concern about Kelly's health, and OMF wants to make sure she is back to full health and strength after some post-partum issues. We want to emphasize that we are still fully committed to and excited about going to serve in Thailand, and OMF is fully behind us!
We value your prayer regarding these issues:
- Please pray for Kelly to regain her health - we have faith that she will be stronger and healthier that she ever has been!
- Please pray for Peter's work until we will leave for Asia. Currently, OMF and IVCF are looking into the possibility of Peter becoming a staff worker seconded to InterVarsity's International Students Ministry at the University of British Columbia. Many details need to be sorted for this to be arranged, so pray for all parties involved in discussing the arrangements.
- Our current housing was only guaranteed until July. Pray for God's solution in the face of our changed situation. The less upheaval the better, and something close to UBC might be good.
- Pray for Lukas to continue to grow and develop healthily, both physically and spiritually!
- Praise for our financial support, it is over 86%! We will still need 100% before leaving for Thailand. We thank God for His continued faithfulness in providing for us. Please pray also for our financial situation to be healthy while we are still here.
We feel we have grown a lot through our wrestlings these last few weeks, and at the moment, all is going really well with us.
Have a blessed Easter - the Lord has risen indeed!
Lots of love, Peter & Kelly + Lukas
Prayer Mail January 2007
Greetings in the name of our loving Lord Jesus! We feel we really need your prayers. A few exciting things are ahead:
- This Friday evening we have a gathering with old friends telling them about our mission to Thailand and being prayed for.
- This Saturday is the OMF Day of Prayer, and Peter will be sharing devotions to the faithful & missions veterans..!
- The Alpha course at Granville Chapel has just started up on Tuesday evenings, and we're bringing a few friends (who brought a few friends themselves!). This can lead to baptisms..!
- Next week, Peter will be teaching ESL again twice a week, level 3 this time. These are mostly non-believers, so it's exciting to also have some time with them studying scripture.
- On February 3rd, we're having a get-together with another group of old friends where we will be sharing about Thailand and being prayed for.
- At the end of February we'll be in Victoria sharing with an OMF prayer group there, and hopefully meet some other friends but planning wisdom is needed.
- We're also excited to participate in the Alpha marriage course in February and March! We pray this will be a blessing to our marriage, but also hopefully useful for future ministry.
- We are also planning a trip to Alberta in March to visit friends and family and share about our future plans too. Here again, planning wisdom and mercies needed.
- Meanwhile, we're still involved with our home group, and with the ministry among international students. And Kelly is involved with a mothering peer support group, mostly non-believers, so pray she will be a good example, as they all know she's going to be a missionary in Thailand.
We praise God for all these people and activities that are a part of our lives and we pray that we will be open channels for God to minister through us and receptive vessels for His Spirit to be at work in us. We want to be a blessing to people here even as we prepare to for Thailand.
We are now two-thirds on the way for our financial support, so we do need more if we are to go for Singapore in May (and Netherlands in April). We see God moving, which is always great and encouraging!
However we also experience some resistance that we would value your prayers for. Whenever we undertake things that are related to our future mission, it always seems to take a lot of energy and go slowly or with difficulty, while other ministry related involvements seem to be no problem. One example is Peter's huge inbox of mails that he wants to respond to personally, but it only seems to be growing. We would like to see Jesus fully reign in these areas of our lives!
Thank you so much for your support.
Many blessings, Peter & Kelly + Lukas
Prayer Mail October 2006
We have much to be thankful for at present. We had a wonderful time of fellowship, meeting prayer warriors, and great presentations at both the Victoria and Vancouver OMF Heart for Asia conferences within the last 6 weeks! Roy Comrie's talk really encouraged us again to once more totally devote ourselves to God's purposes for our lives, no matter the cost. We were reminded that our discomforts are insignificant compared to what others have suffered for their faith, and even more so in the light of eternity, and in the light of what Jesus suffered to get our admission into God's kingdom. And He died to bring not only us, but many more into a personal relationship with the Living Creator God!
Please pray for more opportunities to share our plans and God's heart for the Thai people. Now that our departure is moving closer, we are focusing more clearly on the compassion that Jesus has for those that don't know Him. We would love for you to be able to pray more for the people of Thailand, that they will stop believing in the doctrine of reincarnation that keeps so many people in spiritual bondage. On one hand, it keeps people from totally going off into hedonism and materialism, on the other hand it causes people to disregard the importance of this life, this one unique chance that they're given to get right with God.
On another note, praise for how God is providing for our family, we're all healthy. Lukas is in the 99th percentile for weight for his age - already 20 lbs (9 kg) at just over 4 ½ months of age!! Thanks for all your prayers! He might be starting to teethe, and is quite fussy at times, and difficult to put to sleep. Would you please pray that it would be easier for him to fall asleep and that we might find some ways to help him fall asleep, beyond carrying him around whilst bouncing up and down. It is a great work-out (!!) but one that we wouldn't mind phasing out - especially in the middle of the night!
In terms of finances, we still need lots of pledges towards our regular month-to-month support. Our one-time outgoing costs have all been covered, so that is wonderful! For the regular support, we are between 25-30% of our needs. By the end of December, the decision will be made if we get to go to South-East Asia in March. We will need well over 90% of our support pledged, otherwise we will have to wait and aim for a May departure. So please pray for people to be moved by God in generosity. We feel it would be a miracle, but for God this is an easy thing. We lay it in His hands.
Thank you so much for listening to us. May God clearly speak to you and give you faith & vision to pray for some of these needs!
Many blessings, Peter & Kelly + Lukas
Praise Mail, June 2006
Peter's dental surgery has gone remarkably well, there was hardly any swelling or pain afterwards, and the nerves are all still functioning! It appears that he will be able to function normally (apart from chewing for now).
Lukas is doing great, and Kelly seems to be really recovering well now. We're praising God!!
Many blessings, Peter & Kelly + Lukas
Prayer Mail 4, June 2006
We're glad to report that Kelly's uterine infection seems to be taken care of, and that she could keep feeding Lukas!
Could you please pray for the dental surgery that Peter is having on Friday between 1 and 2 pm. For medical clearance with OMF, his 4 wisdom teeth and another tooth need to be extracted. There is a risk of permanently damaging the nerves in the lower jaw which could result in the loss of movement in the lower lip area.
Please pray that the nerves will not be permanently damaged. Also pray for his recovery without getting an infection. His father and sister will be visiting for a week, arriving on the 28th, so we hope to be able te spend some quality time with them.
Thank you so much, Peter & Kelly + Lukas
Prayer Mail 3, June 2006
Kelly seems to have gotten infected and started a course of antibiotics this evening. She's not feeling too well. Please pray that she'll be able to keep feeding Lukas.
An item of praise: he gained a pound on his birth weight already, so he hasn't been lacking so far!
Thanks for your enduring willingnes to pray!
God bless, Peter & Kelly
Prayer Mail 2, June 2006
It is accomplished, our son has been landed after more than 24 hours of labour. A more detailed announcement will follow, as we've decided to sleep on the name. Pray that we'll choose the most suitable name! Please also pray for Kelly's stitches, that they will heal well and there won't be any complications. Naturally, we're very much affected by the whole proceedings, but we praise God for His goodness.
Abundant blessings, Peter & Kelly and -for now- the sprout
Prayer Mail 1, June 2006
The delivery has been set in motion. Kelly's waters broke at 6.30 pm, and contractions are at this point less than 10 minutes apart. We hope to still get some sleep tonight, but the contractions have started to be more painful.
Please pray that the baby -still very active- will settle in the optimal position, and that we will be able to have him at home.
Thanks for 'labouring' with us!
Love & many blessings, Peter & Kelly and the Sprout
Praise Mail May 2006
Thank you for praying for our presentations, both in the service and at the luncheon at Granville Chapel. They all went well, and we were positively overwhelmed by the response of all who came to the luncheon! The Lord does indeed work mightily through His people. It was also great to see so many people helping in different ways. We feel very loved, which is wonderful.
Please pray that we'll be able to stay in touch with our Dutch supporters and the church there. It's more difficult because of the distance, but also it's almost like there's an invisible barrier that shouldn't be there!
Also, please keep praying for the (home?) delivery to go well. The time is drawing near..!
Thank you for your kind hearts!
Love & many blessings, Peter & Kelly and the Sprout
Prayer Mail May 2006
Sorry for the long silence - we have been feeling rather swamped since we returned from The Netherlands 6 weeks ago. Moving into our apartment, getting ready for the arrival of the baby, continuing with preparations for Thailand and the rest of life that keeps going on!
Regarding our continued partnership development, we are now turning our attention to communicating our plans here in Canada and specifically at Granville Chapel. We have been given the opportunity to share a powerpoint presentation in the Sunday services on May 14, with a luncheon to follow the services on May 21. There are also a two homegroups who have invited us to come and share our vision with them. We are hoping that these opportunities will be good times of communicating our vision and relationship building.
As part of our partnership development process we need to keep track of those of you who are committed to praying for us as OMF wants to make sure that we are sent out with a solid base of pray-ers praying with us. You are on our list, but if you don't want to commit to praying for us in the future, please let us know.
Things to praise God for:
- that the trip to NL was full of good fellowship and contacts
- that we all continue in good health
- for settling well into our new home
- for all those who are interested in our plans and are supporting us in various ways
Prayer points:
- wisdom to know how and what to prioritize amongst the lengthy "to do's"
- for communication that reaches people in the presentation at the luncheon on May 21
- for good time of fellowship and communication with one of the homegroups who have invited us on May 17
- that God would stir up His vision in us and those with whom we share
- for continued health for Kelly and the Sprout in the last weeks before his birth - he's due on June 2!
Thank you for all your support!
Love & many blessings, Peter & Kelly and the Sprout
Prayer Mail 5, September 2005
Thank you for being willing to support us in prayer. Tomorrow we fly to Holland for our almost 6 week trip to communicate our vision for mission. Our main prayer is to reconnect with our church, friends and family, and invite people to partner with us in our mission endeavour in Thailand.
Other prayer requests:
- Kelly's back on the flight, on New Year's day she strained it
- Peter's back, it got sensitive after a day of skiing...
- The baby's health on its first intercontinental flight :-)
- Kelly's energy in coping with jetlag and cultural adjustment
- The arrangements to meet with people in The Netherlands
Thank you very much for praying God's will for us! Many blessings, Peter & Kelly
Prayer Mail 4, September 2005
Praise the Lord!! We just heard from the council that we've been accepted as members of the OMF fellowship. The interview was a great time of confirming God's calling on our lives. We felt we were able to answer all the questions with clarity and confidence in God's presence.
Tomorrow we'll have a debriefing, and we'll learn more about our next steps. We'll also be working on a few assignments, including a 4 minute presentation which each of us will present to the group on Saturday.
- Praise God for confirming the path we have been pursuing for the last few years.
- Pray for energy and focus as we work on our assignments, as we're quite tired by now.
With much happiness and praise, Peter & Kelly
Prayer Mail 3, September 2005
Thank you for all your prayers. We have felt upheld and encouraged by them over the last week which has been quite intense. We have been on the receiving end of LOTS of information and things to weigh and consider which has been stimulating but also a bit overwhelming. We have been able to ask many questions and have gotten more clarity on a number of issues so thank you for your prayers - God is answering them!
We've just heard that our interview will be held on Thursday evening at around 7 pm (4 pm Pacific Time; 1 am! European Time). First they will meet with us together and then with Kelly alone and then Peter alone. Afterwards they will deliberate without us present and make a decision, which they will then communicate to us along with some recommendations for future steps for us. We are very aware that our future lives are being formed in these next 24 hours.
Please pray:
- that we will be well rested as sleep times have been shorter than usual.
- for peace and clearheadedness for us during the interview. We've at times felt quite emotional during the last few days, especially Kelly :-).
- for the ability to answer concisely and choose which details to include and which not.
- for the council to decide and advise wisely and according to God's plans.
All love & blessings, Peter & Kelly
Prayer Mail 2, September 2005
We have arrived safely in Toronto and have been able to acclimatize here a bit although our sleeping schedule is still largely on BC time. Tonight we had our first session and we got to hear the stories of the people who are leading the course. Two of the candidates weren't able to come so there are only seven of us. We are looking forward to getting to know people better as we spend time together and as we each have a chance to share our stories with the group in the evening sessions.
The schedule is quite full and there will be a lot of material to interact with. Also we will need to prepare an assignment - a four minute presentation that we will be able to use in the future to communicate about our plans and vision. The next few days will be mainly spent attending seminars about things like the history and founding principles of the organization, finances, team interactions, living in another culture, medical concerns in another climate. Our interview with the council will be on Thursday afternoon/evening, at which time the decision will be made about our membership with OMF --both by the council and us-- keeping in mind that the decision has already been made in the courts of heaven!
Prayer points:
- God's clear guidance for both the council and us leading up to the decision on Thursday
- that we would be able to interact with the seminar material personally and have the presence of mind to come up with relevant questions we need to ask
We do have email access here so if you have any questions, comments or insights please be in touch.
Love & blessings, Peter & Kelly
Prayer Mail 1, September 2005
Thank you for praying for us as we take this important step in our lives. We really appreciate your support. We thought we would give you a few more details so that you can pray in a more informed manner.
We'll give you some thoughts for our first few days and then hope to update you part-way through the course once we know more what is on our plates. The course runs from Friday, September 16th to Sunday, September 25th.
- good relationships with the other candidates and staff
- sensitivity to God's leading in regards to our field placement
- that we stay peaceful and be ourselves
- God's guidance for making contact with people outside of the course
Thanks!
Love & blessings, Peter & Kelly
Prayer Mail March 2004
This is just a short mail to keep you updated about our moves and to give you fuel for prayer. We will be in South-East Asia from 21 March to 21 April to join a team from an international organisation. We will be teaching English in a school as well as visitin some orphanages.
- Please pray that we will have good contact with our pupils — also outside of class time.
- Please pray for strength as we get used to living in new and different circumstances for us (new food, new climate, new job — teaching 4 hours a day, different language around us etc.)
- Please pray for God's help as we have to teach English with which we have little (Kelly) or no (Peter) experience. We are being thrown in at the deep end!!
- Please pray for good contacts with other workers on the field with regards to what work is available in the region as we consider future minstry as well.
- Please pray for good working relationships among the team members — it is an international team.
And we hope that above all we will enjoy what God is doing in this place and among these people.
Thank you so much for your support.
Blessings, Peter & Kelly
Prayer Mail January 2004
Welcome to our prayer letter! As Peter is accustomed to send out a prayer letter to his friends every once in a while, we thought that now that we are together we would include some of Kelly's friends too.
Short update:
When we came back to our apartement in England after our Christmas vacation it was so wonderful to feel like we were coming home instead of facing newness everywhere as we did in September! It meant that we had more energy to spend in catching up with friends from college — and studying too, as Peter had an exam in the first week to perpare for! At the end of this term, Peter will write three exams, in New Testament Theology, Old Testament Texts and Sociology of Religion. Kelly will also write the New Testament Theology exam but the other two she wrote last year already :). Kelly is also taking a Pastoral Studies course that includes leading a class seminar for assessment. Both of us must also write an Advanced Religions Paper — an essay about another religion which is 'advanced' in that it is self-directed. This year we have been placed in Christ Church Ware, an Anglican church in the town where we live, about an eighteen minute walk from our home. Peter has his practical ministry church placement there and helped with the Alpha course that they ran in the first term. This term and next term he will be preaching in the evening service a couple of times. We are enjoying the worship and the community there.
- Peter 'must' —for the first time— preach next Sunday (1 February) on Amos 7:1-8:6.
- Kelly 'must' on Tuesday (27 January) give a seminar on Boundaries (personal/psychological).
- We are still busy with arranging our placement for during the Easter vacation — we must find a project to be involved with and people to work with, especially a supervisor. We have decided to go to Chiang Mai (North-Thailand), where many organizations who work in the surrounding area have their heardquarters. We are hoping to be able to investigate some of the different work that is being done in South-East Asia so that we can get an idea of where we might fit in in the future. Primarily we are looking to form a vision for our future, to encourage those who are there and for Kelly to have a taste of life in South-East Asia. Please pray that we can find a project and supervisor in good time to get all the paperwork done for visas etc.
- Both of us must present a proposal for our BA essay —it is kind of like a thesis— please pray for us that we might each choose a fruitful topic that will hold our interest.
- That Kelly would continue to have increased energy to engage with life.
- We want to update our website http://peterkelly.passchier.net as soon as we can in the midst of all the busyness...
- That God would continue to grow our vision of Him and His kingdom.
- That we could rest well during the Christmas vacation, that we could spend some time with Peter's church in Groningen, that we could have good contact with Peter's family.
- That we feel more at home in our apartment and surroundings.
- That Peter's exam for Theology of Mission went well (we still await the results...).
- That we can have more meaningful interactions with others this term in prayer and friendship (a thanks point and prayer point!).
Thank you very much for all of your interest and support! In case you don't want to receive these prayer mails, please let us know with a mail in response (we won't be offended!).
God's blessings, love, Peter & Kelly
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