July Update

This is the e-mail Matt sent our when we returned to Korea. He's much better at the updates than I am.

Greetings to our precious family in Christ.

We just arrived at the end of our visit to the U.S. It was a whirlwind, but a good visit nonetheless. If we failed to see you at that time, we apologize as our time was short.

I (Matt) had the opportunity to attend Pre-field Orientation (PFO) towards the end of June. By the end of that time, I had met teachers from Indonesia, Kungming China, Nairobi and Argentina, to name a few. It was a blessing to hear how God is working and plans to work in the lives of other International Christian School teachers.

We were also blessed to be supported by Beka's home church, Grace Baptist. We know God has blessed us to be a blessing, and I pray that we can do that.

God also blessed us with a vision for ministry. During the course of last year, we began to have a heart for those who are usually overlooked in successful societies. Through help from staff and leadership in our school, we were able to visit a Grandma House (much like a nursing home) and an orphanage. We plan on visiting the same places in order to estabish relationships. Thankfully, we were able to develop a small group of students willing to minister to others in this way.

Our plan for next year is to have one event involving Community Service Outreach every month. This will involve scheduling, which is not my (Matt's) primary skill. We trust and pray that He will give wisdom in this matter. We thank God for His vision and blessing, and pray for wisdom as we plan for this coming year.

I (Matt) am also planning a Bible Study focused on the topic of worship. I had the opportunity to do a word search over the summer, which yielded a wealth of information. Pray that God gives wisdom as I organize the scribblings in my notebook. I pray that we learn more of Him, and less of our own opinions.

We also praise Him that He continues to take care of us. When we arrived in Korea, we found that the locks on our door had been tampered with. We had to stay in a hotel for the night as we were unable to get in. Thankfully, the locks were changed the next day. When we got in, we found everything as we had left it. Thanks be to Him for His goodness.

In closing, thank you for your prayers, encouragement and support. God bless each of you as you continue to serve Him.

In Christ,
Matt and Beka