This time of year we are especially grateful for you, your support to us of our ministry in Thailand and your words of encouragement. Two weeks from today, we leave to return to Thailand. We had decided to spend the time during the girls Christmas break from college in Florida so that we could be with Jon and Marisa also. After growing up in Asia’s tropical climate for Christmas—this feels a bit more like home to the girls anyway. Mike is missing the Iowa snow—and Judy is deciding if all the hype about a “White Christmas” is all that great anymore! We are just happy to have this time together before our return.
We also appreciate your prayers for a difficult family situation that has just come up. Judy’s dad has been having heart problems and 5 days ago went into the hospital. When they found out he had 99% blockage in one artery and 80% in two others, he’s been in ICU ever since. Tomorrow (Monday, Dec. 24) at 7:15am he will have his second open heart surgery to do a double bypass on his heart. Needless to say this has been very difficult on us and we have agonized a lot over Judy leaving the family to go back up to Iowa. The plan now is to say our good-byes down here and get back up to him when he is released from the hospital to help with the recovery. We appreciate your prayers for him as he is in the open heart surgery and for a good recovery. Please pray also for us to know how we can best be here for our girls and help with Dad also.
We are so ready to get back to Thailand and return to our ministry, Thai staff and students, and home. The reports from our Vision CM 2007 conference were incredible. 600 students and staff gathered together, and many new Christians are in the campus ministries around the country as a result.
Our family situation makes us feel torn between leaving our girls and dad in his fragile state and yet getting back to our life and work in Thailand. We really do need your prayers for us right now. Pray for Dad’s surgery and recovery, these last days with the girls, and all the logistics for our return on Jan. 7 to Thailand. God is always good and faithful and we need to reflect on that right now.
Enjoy this family holiday and celebration of Jesus’ birth!
December 25, 2007
December 14, 2007
Christmas Letter- 2007
December, 2007
Dear friends,
November was definitely a month of reflecting on God’s goodness and faithfulness in our lives. It was a month for us to be in Iowa, and gave us the opportunity to share with 7 different churches an update of our ministry. We have really enjoyed the small Iowa rural churches and have been encouraged by the community and family commitment evidenced by their fellowships. We were also blessed to have all four girls come to Iowa for Thanksgiving, play together on sleds in the first snowfall they had seen in many years on the day before Thanksgiving, and then host a meal for both of our families on Thanksgiving Day. We are truly blessed and the girls said it was their best Thanksgiving ever.
December will involve another month of travel. First stop is Lori’s college graduation on December 6 from North Greenville University, in South Carolina. CONGRATULATIONS LORI! We are so proud of her and her determination to complete her college education! Then our travels will take us through: Georgia, Alabama, Florida, and Missouri --for a wedding, visit with team members, Christmas with all four girls, and leaving Jenny at college in Missouri before our return to Thailand on January 7.
In all honesty, juggling our girl’s schedules of travels in different states is difficult. The packing and sorting is a lot of work, sometimes exhausting and emotionally draining. But with God’s strength, we always seem to make it through (striving for joyfulness) and we are eager to get back to our home and work in Thailand.
Many people have told us that they want an updated family photo, so this was our best attempt and probably our first time ever to share a family photo taken in snow. We so appreciate your prayers for us and value them more than you’ll ever know.
When you see this photo- please pray for:
1) Our good-byes with each of the girls as we leave them after the holidays to fly back to Asia. Pray that each of them will walk closely with God and He will be their Father and they will turn to Him- when we, their parents can not be there for them.
2) That God will prepare our hearts as we adjust back into our home and ministry in Thailand. There are so many ministry needs and we want God to show us how to best use our time and talents in ministry there.
3) December 5 is the King of Thailand’s 80th birthday. This will be a significant celebration for the whole country. Thailand Campus Crusade for Christ is using the holiday for one of our largest student gatherings ever- with a conference Dec. 7-11 in Chiang Mai at our center. They are expecting 800 students from all over the country. By the time you get this the conference may be over, but please pray for the follow-up of the students who attend and make decisions to follow Jesus with their lives.
May this Christmas season be one of true meaning for you and your family,
Mike and Judy Christian
mikejudy@ji-net.com
Dear friends,
November was definitely a month of reflecting on God’s goodness and faithfulness in our lives. It was a month for us to be in Iowa, and gave us the opportunity to share with 7 different churches an update of our ministry. We have really enjoyed the small Iowa rural churches and have been encouraged by the community and family commitment evidenced by their fellowships. We were also blessed to have all four girls come to Iowa for Thanksgiving, play together on sleds in the first snowfall they had seen in many years on the day before Thanksgiving, and then host a meal for both of our families on Thanksgiving Day. We are truly blessed and the girls said it was their best Thanksgiving ever.
December will involve another month of travel. First stop is Lori’s college graduation on December 6 from North Greenville University, in South Carolina. CONGRATULATIONS LORI! We are so proud of her and her determination to complete her college education! Then our travels will take us through: Georgia, Alabama, Florida, and Missouri --for a wedding, visit with team members, Christmas with all four girls, and leaving Jenny at college in Missouri before our return to Thailand on January 7.
In all honesty, juggling our girl’s schedules of travels in different states is difficult. The packing and sorting is a lot of work, sometimes exhausting and emotionally draining. But with God’s strength, we always seem to make it through (striving for joyfulness) and we are eager to get back to our home and work in Thailand.
Many people have told us that they want an updated family photo, so this was our best attempt and probably our first time ever to share a family photo taken in snow. We so appreciate your prayers for us and value them more than you’ll ever know.
When you see this photo- please pray for:
1) Our good-byes with each of the girls as we leave them after the holidays to fly back to Asia. Pray that each of them will walk closely with God and He will be their Father and they will turn to Him- when we, their parents can not be there for them.
2) That God will prepare our hearts as we adjust back into our home and ministry in Thailand. There are so many ministry needs and we want God to show us how to best use our time and talents in ministry there.
3) December 5 is the King of Thailand’s 80th birthday. This will be a significant celebration for the whole country. Thailand Campus Crusade for Christ is using the holiday for one of our largest student gatherings ever- with a conference Dec. 7-11 in Chiang Mai at our center. They are expecting 800 students from all over the country. By the time you get this the conference may be over, but please pray for the follow-up of the students who attend and make decisions to follow Jesus with their lives.
May this Christmas season be one of true meaning for you and your family,
Mike and Judy Christian
mikejudy@ji-net.com
December 08, 2007
Gatlinburg, Tennesee- Still Celebrating...
Since Grandpa Leonard and Uncle Dick and Aunt Joy came all the way out to Lori's graduation, we decided to take a fun day to do something adventuresome in the area before their return to Iowa tomorrow. We drove a scenic route through the Smokey Mountains and ended up in Gatlinburg, Tennessee in time to walk along main street, checking out their fun shops and enjoy a great meal. We decided on Bubba Gump Shrimp and found Forrest Gump there to be very entertaining. After resting at our cabin up in the hills, we went to our first nighttime parade and found their annual Christmas parade to be a lot of fun.
December 07, 2007
Lori's College Graduation
Today was a very special day in the life of us as parents. After 5 1/2 years of college- we got to celebrate Lori Lynn's graduation from North Greenville University. Yep, it took her a bit longer than some college students and that is why we are so extra proud of Lori. Academics are hard for her and yet she is incredibly gifted in her field of study and we have no doubt that "God is going to use her to make a huge splash in the world", as some of her professors communicated with us today. We are so proud of her the way she perservered, and stuck with it to complete her goal. Of course, anyone who studies at three different universities and changes their majors, needs to expect it will take them longer. But her experiences have enriched her life in the process and we are so excited to watch and see where God leads her next! Lori- we need to tell you again that we are so very proud of you! Way to go girl!!!
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