Friday, November 10, 2006
November Prayer and Praise Points:
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (Philippians 4:6)
Dear friends,
Maple and I are trying to get into a regular habit of sending monthly prayer letters to keep our family/friends/prayer supporters informed about the going-ons in our lives. We so appreciate each one of you in our UK/USA/Singapore/worldwide community who have helped shape and encourage us in Christ (in big ways and small) these past years. Please continue to do so by writing, praying and staying in touch. Here then is a latest update on Maple and Manik, as well as a few prayer/praise points. Please join us in lifting up praise and thanks to God for all he is doing in our lives, and don’t forget to let us know how we can pray for/with you too.
Current news
Manik is currently buried under a pile of theological books and journals (with only a straw to breathe with), but hopes in a couple of weeks time to appear resurrected from the exams and assignments that have kept him holed up in the bedroom, typing away furiously at the computer. On November 16th, he will complete the year of study (graduating with a Graduate Diploma in Intercultural Studies from Singapore Bible College). He then hopes to have a short time off to make up for all the time the last weeks have taken him away from his bride of one-and-a bit years!
Maple and Manik are also planning a short trip (Maple’s first!) to Malaysia at the end of November. We hope then (December/January?) to make a short trip to Northern Thailand to explore a potential missionary opportunity that we have been put in touch with through NAMS in the States. (I am not at liberty to say more at this moment, other there is a potential link up with an American missionary family working with a Presbyterian church in the US, who is leading a thriving work with a Unreached People tribal group on the Thai/Lao border). More on that if that develops.
We continue to plan to re-locate to Thailand only in April of next year. We feel it is important to spend the next few months with my parents at home, as well as Chinese New Year with Maple’s family in Taiwan. (Some of you will know that part of our happiness with being sent by God back to Asia and on to Thailand is that we will not be far from our parents in Singapore or Taiwan, and be able to make regular and if need be, sudden, trips home).
In the meantime, we are hoping to do some Thai language study and begin making some practical arrangements for our move next year.
Maple’s recent trip to China
The trip to China was truly an eye opener for Maple. This was her first time to China after a lifetime of waiting J. She was able to visit all theformer students from the University of Essex where she used to study and work with Manik as an international student worker for DNA Networks. She spent 9 days (5 days in Shanghai and 4 days in Nanjing) altogether. It was a short trip indeed. She hopes in the future that she will be able to visit these friends again with Manik, and many other students in other parts of China who also need to be encouraged.
Dear friends,
Maple and I are trying to get into a regular habit of sending monthly prayer letters to keep our family/friends/prayer supporters informed about the going-ons in our lives. We so appreciate each one of you in our UK/USA/Singapore/worldwide community who have helped shape and encourage us in Christ (in big ways and small) these past years. Please continue to do so by writing, praying and staying in touch. Here then is a latest update on Maple and Manik, as well as a few prayer/praise points. Please join us in lifting up praise and thanks to God for all he is doing in our lives, and don’t forget to let us know how we can pray for/with you too.
Current news
Manik is currently buried under a pile of theological books and journals (with only a straw to breathe with), but hopes in a couple of weeks time to appear resurrected from the exams and assignments that have kept him holed up in the bedroom, typing away furiously at the computer. On November 16th, he will complete the year of study (graduating with a Graduate Diploma in Intercultural Studies from Singapore Bible College). He then hopes to have a short time off to make up for all the time the last weeks have taken him away from his bride of one-and-a bit years!
Maple and Manik are also planning a short trip (Maple’s first!) to Malaysia at the end of November. We hope then (December/January?) to make a short trip to Northern Thailand to explore a potential missionary opportunity that we have been put in touch with through NAMS in the States. (I am not at liberty to say more at this moment, other there is a potential link up with an American missionary family working with a Presbyterian church in the US, who is leading a thriving work with a Unreached People tribal group on the Thai/Lao border). More on that if that develops.
We continue to plan to re-locate to Thailand only in April of next year. We feel it is important to spend the next few months with my parents at home, as well as Chinese New Year with Maple’s family in Taiwan. (Some of you will know that part of our happiness with being sent by God back to Asia and on to Thailand is that we will not be far from our parents in Singapore or Taiwan, and be able to make regular and if need be, sudden, trips home).
In the meantime, we are hoping to do some Thai language study and begin making some practical arrangements for our move next year.
Maple’s recent trip to China
The trip to China was truly an eye opener for Maple. This was her first time to China after a lifetime of waiting J. She was able to visit all theformer students from the University of Essex where she used to study and work with Manik as an international student worker for DNA Networks. She spent 9 days (5 days in Shanghai and 4 days in Nanjing) altogether. It was a short trip indeed. She hopes in the future that she will be able to visit these friends again with Manik, and many other students in other parts of China who also need to be encouraged.
Shanghai Night Scene
Well, this brings you up-to-date with most of our news for now. Hopefully, we can keep our rather static blog-site updated too.
Thank you for your continued prayers and thanksgiving made on our behalf.
May the Lord bless and keep you.
Maple and Manik
Praise Points:
Thank God for the continued encouragement and support (including financial) we receive particular from our mentors and their networks/community - Jon Shuler and the Beales, from NAMS and DNA respectively - through regular e-mails and phone calls. We would not be where we’re at today without God bringing them into our lives.
Thank God for the helpful introductory meetings that have recently happened between us and the Director of Missions of the Anglican Diocese of Singapore and the field leader of the Anglican work in Thailand. (The Diocese of Singapore has ecclesiastical jurisdiction over Thailand for now.) While we have no plans or intentions as yet to formalise our links with them, it is nevertheless helpful and conducive to our future work that we maintain at least cordial links with them and are open to the possibility of working together, should God lead.
Thank God that Maple has a good trip to China, and was able to see a number of ex-student contacts from our time in England. She also was able to spend time with Vic and Lorna Corpus, an English couple we know well from our time in England, who also came for the wedding of our friends. Maple also had opportunity to meet up with J J, and it was helpful to see the work he is involved with and to encourage him.
Thank God for the months of study that Manik and Maple were able to do at Singapore Bible College, and for the equipping we believe will be most helpful as we move to Thailand and put our hands and hearts to the work God has prepared for us to do.
Thank God for the friendships we have built up with various ones this year. Especially helpful have been the friendships with members of our cell-group at church, and the regular fellowship and friendship Maple and I have found with Sherry who is also from Taiwan, and her American husband Matthew who is also a student at Singapore Bible College. With them, we have built a great friendship with two other Indian couples and have regularly met for Bible Study as couples.
Prayer points:
Prayer for a good restful holiday in Malaysia from 24-27 November, and that our plans for an exploratory trip to Northern Thailand (Dec/Jan?) will materialise.
Pray for wisdom to discern where God is placing us in Thailand, and all the practicalities that come with moving again (house hunting, visa application, things to bring or not to bring, language study, etc).
Please pray for our sister-in-law (Rachel), niece and nephew who leave at the end of the year to immigrate to Australia. They will join my brother (Mark) who is already there and has recently found a job! Please pray that my parents will adjust quickly to not being able to see their grand-children as often as before.
Pray for Maple’s dad, brother’s (Kevin) salvation as well as many other members of her wider family.
