Thailand - Thoughts on our Minds

By Kyle Small -
In the midst of preparing to leave for Thailand several things are on our minds:

1. Our children - enough said.

2. Our loving, caring, and generous Church - Harbert Community Church has kept up with our fast-aced living since we arrived, and our trip to tHailand is no exception. The freedom they grant us to live into discipleship is wonderful, and we hope that our many adventures return the blessing that they grant to us. Pray for Kelly Boersma - who started full time at HCC this week! and also for Erin McDermott, our pastoral resident, who, together, will do an incredible job at leading the church in our absence. Also pray for Knute Larson who is preaching on Sunday, January 9.

3. The Andersons, Nortons, and Armfields - The three angels who will be caring for our children. This is a big endeavor for them, and as Jim Hannenberg said at worship yesterday - "though many are praying for you, I am praying for the people taking care of your children." Well said, Jim.

4. Daeng and Tipwan - These are the leaders of the Covenant Church in Thailand - they are a co-pastor couple, also. They came to Harbert in June (long before we ever considered traveling to Thailand), and we were amazed as they traveled to the US for four weeks leaving their children in Thailand - now they will be able to calm our fears as we go to them in a similar fashion. Their ministry will be a great encouragement to us!

5. Our Group - The North Park Seminary students traveling with us, most of whom we have not yet met. Pray for health, safety, and joy as we engage one another on the flight over, during our travels, and on the way home. Traveling in groups forms great bonds, and we look forward to making new friends.

6. Thailand Christians - We are always blessed and amazed at the mutual learning from Christians around the world. We look forward to learning from one another about live-in-Christ through our different locations, cultures, and understandings.

7. Our children.

We covet your prayers for safety, health, and presence as we leave tomorrow morning for Chicago.

Comments

  1. Anonymous5:51 PM

    !VAYA CON DIOS!

    Who do we call for a playdate with Micah and Madeline?

    The VPCs

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

It's been a year(s) - Living The Good News between Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday

By -
Image
January 5, 2021, was the first day of a very long road. To be honest, it is the most memorable day of a road that began several months before as we left the familiarity of Holland, Michigan, and moved to South Carolina.   Madeline received her first of three brain surgeries at Greenville’s children’s hospital on that day. What was a relatively minor brain surgery (if there is ever anything minor related to the brain), turned into a nine day stay with a feeding tube, and a young girl was now worse off than when she first arrived. The pain of the first surgery turned into a second a few months later. The second was better than the first, but headaches, stomach aches, and intense pain clouded any signs of success.    One year ago, today (February 13, 2023), Madeline entered the incredible children’s hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah. We walked the unfamiliar territory of the new hospital in a new city with fear and trepidation. The neurosurgeon is one of the best in the world...
Read more

Returning to the Mitten - Small Family Update

By -
Image
Running - What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger? I went for a run on Thursday morning at the end of April. I was in West Michigan for a consulting project and enjoying a later start to the day. I left my in-laws house to run a route I enjoyed many years ago. Lindsay's uncle has a home on my West Michigan running route, and I decided to stop to say hello while running. I simply wanted to offer a hug and enjoy some connection. It was a delightful pitstop. I said, "I miss you." He said, "I miss you, too. Come home." His demeanor was energizing and directness a bit unraveling. His words fell distinctly on my ears. I continued running and his words wouldn’t leave me. I kept running and wondering if/how I should tell Lindsay about the encounter. Siri called Lindsay while I continued running. I wasn't going too fast (I couldn't if I tried according to my son). I asked Lindsay, "What if I said when we leave for Bethany we will not be returning to South ...
Read more

Moving, Healing, and Times of Transition

By -
Image
               We have a spreadsheet for this season. The final column is for the dog. When I first made the spreadsheet, she wasn’t included. Then the plans were made to pack, travel, and move. Everything made sense until we asked about the dog’s whereabouts. I admit it is nice for the confusion to be about a dog. It’s been a  dogged  two years, yet our family is intact; our home is selling; the children are registered for schools; I get to keep my job; and Lindsay has an incredible opportunity on the horizon. But the real news is some we have been waiting for since February. Madeline had her MRI and CAT scan early in the morning last Thursday. A few hours later the results were available in MyChart. Lindsay called to read it to me. She hadn’t yet read it herself, so we were bracing to hear the words for the first time together. I was so anxious and even as positive words laced the opening lines, I was waiting for the “but.” The re...
Read more