Christmas 2012

We wanna begin by again thanking you for your interest and involvement in what we are doing in Muslim Southeast Asia! Like you, as the end of the year approaches, our inbox is fuller and more fun to read. As there are no urgent items below, it won’t be a tragedy if our Jollt doesn’t get read until after all the end of year formalities, pre-Christmas preparations, Christmas celebrations, post-Christmas indigestion, and (slightly more rigorous) exercise routines, and holidays are done. We pray that you are reminded of God’s presence as you look back on 2012’s happy and hard times. We also pray that (like us) these have brought you closer to Him and led you to be more engaged with the lost and least (on this topic, check out this alternative carol http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8MB5bojeEk&noredirect=1). Christmas annually reminds us about many truths. God gives what we don’t deserve. Religious outsiders (non-Jewish Magi) comprehend and celebrate Jesus’ significance. The world is also broken, and life is hard. Mary and Joseph’s celebrations in Bethlehem were, after all, cut short by the grief and wailing of their neigbours, and Mary (while still convalescing) travelled overland to Egypt. Enjoy the comfort of modern transportation and may God bless your rest!

N’s Stay of Execution

Readers may recall that there has been a cloud over N’s future at school. We heard a week ago that he can stay until the end of Grade 5. This is more of a stay of execution than a get out of jail card. In order for N to cope with Grade 6, his literacy skills and speed have to continue to improve. While devising a strategy and supplying the support is our responsibility, he has to continue to put in the effort. We were delighted to read the comments that his classmates made about him at the end of the year. While full of challenges and uncertainly at school, we have never seen him so healthy emotionally, for which we are grateful.

Surprise & Success

SJ enjoyed her 40^th birthday, and her (surprise) party a few days later. She had no idea about our cunning plans. The organizers felt a tinge of guilt when she confessed to having wanted to have some friends over for afternoon tea. We told her that our few (mainly American) friends were tied up with American Thanksgiving. 

Southern Philippines & South Thailand

My (CJ’s) time away in Nov went very well. While I would do things differently next time, the three-day workshop with the small group Muslim believers went well. We followed Moses and God’s people as they sojourned from Egypt to the edge of the promised land via Sinai. After some initial struggles, many saw the significance of covenant-making and renewals, God being present in fire, cloud, tent and tabernacle, that rebellions sometimes happen soon after revelation, and that God requires holiness (not just purity). My 20 hours in Singapore was short but worthwhile. The day got off to a rough start: In Changi Airport security woke me up at 4 AM (after only 3 hours sleep). There were no signs saying that sleeping in the transit lounge was prohibited. A shorter beard may have helped. My seminar at the National University of Singapore went well, but the trip to South Thailand from Singapore was slower, and more tiring, mainly due to there being no seats on buses to the Thai border until after midnight. As is always the case, my time “back home” in the south was extremely pleasant, and very productive. My fieldwork went well and I snuck some short, but very sweet, time with the team. I also spend an evening with a group of local Thais reaching out, in word and deed, to their Muslim mates.

Holiday Plans

We have absolutely no interest in going anywhere over the kids’ two-week school break which starts today (Dec 20). While aware of the “service” part of Christian service, after years of travel between Songkhla and Pattani, and 18 months in other people’s homes in NZ, we are still reveling in living together in our own home. 2012 has also been a busy year with many absences, and C still has to go to work. All these have made it easy to make a decision to stay put. Occasional visitors will lower the likelihood of anyone getting bored.