Just thought you all might like to see a picture of Kristen and Baby Katelyn at 32 weeks (a little over 7 months)! Both are healthy and growing bigger and bigger each day! August 20 is right around the corner....
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Prayers for Little Rose
Many of you remember the little Chinese girl, Rose, that we took care of for three weeks during our time in China. We have been burdened since before we left China for her situation. Her current foster family (The Wickershams), who was in the process of adopting her, had just found out that there was a mix-up in paperwork/communication and she had been matched with another family in the United States, and they will be coming to China this October to pick her up. The Wickershams have not talked with Rose about any of this yet, but they are definitely starting to focus their own hearts and minds on how to best prepare her for the transition ahead. Please join us and the Wickershams in praying for their expressed needs below and for this precious little girl who holds a special place in our hearts (prayer needs are taken directly from an e-mail we recently received from the Wickershams):
- For us as we grieve
- For us to have the right heart towards Rose's adoptive family
- That the adoptive family would be willing to work with us before and after the adoption, and willing to address the very real emotional needs Rose will have as she goes through yet another loss and transition
- For the Father's best regarding the timing in which her adoptive family arrives
- For us to have the wisdom and resources needed to prepare Rose for what is ahead
- That Father would protect Rose's heart and mind from any negative effects of the many disruptions her life has held. That she would be able to successfully attach to and trust her new family
- That we would be faithful and honor Him in our actions, words, and thoughts
- For Grace, as we know she will truly miss Rose as well. (Note: Grace is the Wickersham's 1 year old adopted daughter who has become like a sister to Rose)
If you are interested in reading more about the details of this particular adoption situation and knowing even better how to pray, you can visit the Wickershams website at http://spaces.msn.com/members/markmegan
The Wonderful World of Waco
We are currently staying with Dave's mom in Waco for the week (see above picture of us with her), and we have thoroughly enjoyed our time with her and other family in the area. It has been raining like crazy this week, but we love the refreshment it brings....could do without the humidity, but love the refreshment. The Waco open house this past Sunday was wonderful! Thank you to all of you who came, especially those who drove from Austin and Houston! What a blessing it was to reconnect with so many familiar faces! We are hoping to visit the Baylor campus (Kristen's alma mater) sometime before we leave for Austin this Friday. Sic 'em bears!!
Friday, June 22, 2007
Since We've Been Back: Week 3
June 18: "Doctor's Appointment!" We had our first docter's appointment since being back in America and we were able to meet Kristen's docter (Dr. Sylvie Paroski). She came highly recommended and we were glad to finally meet her! She is great! During this visit, she confirmed that everything looks great and that Katelyn is still due to arrive on August 20! We also got to hear Baby Katelyn's heartbeat! What a special treat that was! We can't wait to meet her!
June 18-20: "A short stay with the Davis'" As planned, we left our temporary house in Highland Village so that another family could stay there for a short time. We were able to leave all of our "big luggage" there since we will be returning to the house on July 6. So the first part of this week, we stayed with our friends Bobby and Terra Davis in Richardson. We are thankful for the sweet fellowship and laughter that we shared with these gracious hosts!
June 20-23: "A short stay with the Richardsons" We stayed with Rob and Libba Richardson (and their children Brandon and Kyndall), and enjoyed spending time with them! We went to Kyndall's karate class, got to see Brandon's season finale little league baseball game, and enjoyed homeade ice cream at the end-of-season team party! What a treat! We hadn't seen a baseball game in ages!! We are so thankful for this sweet family and the time we were able to share with them!
Week of June 24: We are currently staying with Dave's mom in Waco and have our first Open House this weekend! We are looking forward to connecting with friends and family in this area!
June 18-20: "A short stay with the Davis'" As planned, we left our temporary house in Highland Village so that another family could stay there for a short time. We were able to leave all of our "big luggage" there since we will be returning to the house on July 6. So the first part of this week, we stayed with our friends Bobby and Terra Davis in Richardson. We are thankful for the sweet fellowship and laughter that we shared with these gracious hosts!
June 20-23: "A short stay with the Richardsons" We stayed with Rob and Libba Richardson (and their children Brandon and Kyndall), and enjoyed spending time with them! We went to Kyndall's karate class, got to see Brandon's season finale little league baseball game, and enjoyed homeade ice cream at the end-of-season team party! What a treat! We hadn't seen a baseball game in ages!! We are so thankful for this sweet family and the time we were able to share with them!
Week of June 24: We are currently staying with Dave's mom in Waco and have our first Open House this weekend! We are looking forward to connecting with friends and family in this area!
Since We've Been Back: Week 2
June 11: "Home Base" We moved into a temporary house in Highland Village (just south of Denton) which is being provided to us by the Village Church. It has been a most wonderful respite for us, as it has more than we could ever ask or imagine! ...Including a beautiful back porch that we have enjoyed relaxing on every free chance we get! This house is the closest thing we have to a "home base" until we find a more permanent place of our own (hopefully by the end of July and most likely in the Dallas area).
June 16: "Birthing Class" We attended our first of two (our next one is June 23) all-day birthing classes at Trinity Medical Center in Carrollton (just north of Dallas) where Kristen will be delivering. Imagine our surprise when we met a couple in our class from Beijing! Tao and Hui have lived in Dallas for six years, and we look forward to possibly developing a relationship with them and maybe even getting to practice our Chinese! It was such a gift to meet this sweet couple from a place so dear to our hearts!
June 17: "First Father's Day" Dave celebrated his first Father's Day this year! Kristen and Little Miss McCurdy (now known officially as Katelyn Rose McCurdy) gave him a bib that said "My Daddy's The Best" and a couple of good books (one for Dave to read and one for him to read to Katelyn).
A note about our little girl's name: We picked the name Katelyn for a couple reasons: We were drawn to names that started with a "K," we thought it was pretty and sounded nice, and Dave's mom's middle name is Kay, so this was a small way we could honor her. We chose Katelyn's middle name to be "Rose" because we have quite a few special Roses in our lives. Dave's great grandmother's name was Rose, Kristen's grandmother's name was Rose (both women loved the Lord very much and we want that legacy to continue in the life of our daughter), and Rose is also the name of the precious little girl that we took care of for three weeks during our time in China.
June 16: "Birthing Class" We attended our first of two (our next one is June 23) all-day birthing classes at Trinity Medical Center in Carrollton (just north of Dallas) where Kristen will be delivering. Imagine our surprise when we met a couple in our class from Beijing! Tao and Hui have lived in Dallas for six years, and we look forward to possibly developing a relationship with them and maybe even getting to practice our Chinese! It was such a gift to meet this sweet couple from a place so dear to our hearts!
June 17: "First Father's Day" Dave celebrated his first Father's Day this year! Kristen and Little Miss McCurdy (now known officially as Katelyn Rose McCurdy) gave him a bib that said "My Daddy's The Best" and a couple of good books (one for Dave to read and one for him to read to Katelyn).
A note about our little girl's name: We picked the name Katelyn for a couple reasons: We were drawn to names that started with a "K," we thought it was pretty and sounded nice, and Dave's mom's middle name is Kay, so this was a small way we could honor her. We chose Katelyn's middle name to be "Rose" because we have quite a few special Roses in our lives. Dave's great grandmother's name was Rose, Kristen's grandmother's name was Rose (both women loved the Lord very much and we want that legacy to continue in the life of our daughter), and Rose is also the name of the precious little girl that we took care of for three weeks during our time in China.
Since We've Been Back: Week 1
Many of you have e-mailed showing a great interest in how you might be able to serve and wanting to know what we have been up to since we've arrived back in America. Thank you for your support and encouragement! We are finally able (and excited!) to catch you up....
June 5-11: Landed in Dallas and were met at the airport by Kristen's mom and youngest sister and our dear friends James and Dangela Hill (and cute daughter Molly!). We then headed straight from the airport to Denton where we had a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with our good friends, Bethany and Jeff Flint (and their new son Micah), who live in Washington State but were visting family in Texas! We were able to time our return to see them before they headed back to Washington, and our time together was such a blessing! We also stayed this particular week with our dear friends, Jamie and Jenny Hipp (and their new daughter Jordan). It was such a great transition time for us, as the Hipps have both lived in East Asia before and were able to relate to many of the transitions and adjustments we were experiencing.
June 9: HAPPY 30TH BIRTHDAY DAVE! We met Dave's mom in Waxahachie for a fun birthday lunch at the Catfish Plantation! We were even served free peach cobbler in honor of Dave's special day! Later that evening, the Hills hosted a small gathering at their home in Dallas--complete with pizza, salad, soft drinks, birthday decor, Blue Bell ice cream, and an absolutely delicious (and huge!) birthday cake! Our friends Kyle and Jill Scott (and their sweet son Brodie!) came straight from a Rangers game to celebrate with us as well!
June 5-11: Landed in Dallas and were met at the airport by Kristen's mom and youngest sister and our dear friends James and Dangela Hill (and cute daughter Molly!). We then headed straight from the airport to Denton where we had a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with our good friends, Bethany and Jeff Flint (and their new son Micah), who live in Washington State but were visting family in Texas! We were able to time our return to see them before they headed back to Washington, and our time together was such a blessing! We also stayed this particular week with our dear friends, Jamie and Jenny Hipp (and their new daughter Jordan). It was such a great transition time for us, as the Hipps have both lived in East Asia before and were able to relate to many of the transitions and adjustments we were experiencing.
June 9: HAPPY 30TH BIRTHDAY DAVE! We met Dave's mom in Waxahachie for a fun birthday lunch at the Catfish Plantation! We were even served free peach cobbler in honor of Dave's special day! Later that evening, the Hills hosted a small gathering at their home in Dallas--complete with pizza, salad, soft drinks, birthday decor, Blue Bell ice cream, and an absolutely delicious (and huge!) birthday cake! Our friends Kyle and Jill Scott (and their sweet son Brodie!) came straight from a Rangers game to celebrate with us as well!
Monday, June 18, 2007
We're Back!
We are writing from Dallas, Texas where we arrived safe and sound (and tired) on Tuesday evening. We are currently resting and recovering from jet lag, and we hope to see you all either at the open houses mentioned in the May McMemo (see below for reminder) or individually as schedules allow. Once we establish a more permanent address and acquire a phone, we will be in touch to let you know our new contact information. Until then, please feel free to contact us at our “correspondence” e-mail address: dandkmccurdy@yahoo.com. Thank you for praying us back safely, and please continue to remember us as we adjust to this “new” place!
Sunday, June 17, 2007
You're Invited!
We would love to reconnect with you at one of the events below! Each event is “come and go,” and we will have an informal sharing of pictures, video, and stories of our experiences over the last two years!
Waco Open House
Sunday, June 24
2:30-4:30 p.m.
147 Lawhon Lane
Waco, TX 76708
Please RSVP to pam.mccurdy@sbcglobal.net
Austin Open House
Saturday, June 30
3:00-5:00 p.m.
10804 Tall Oak Trail
Austin, TX 78750
Please RSVP to dabradberrys@austin.rr.com
Dallas Open House
Saturday, July 14
3:30-5:30 p.m.
3432 Winged Foot Court
Dallas, TX 75229
Please RSVP to emailthehills@yahoo.com
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP!
Waco Open House
Sunday, June 24
2:30-4:30 p.m.
147 Lawhon Lane
Waco, TX 76708
Please RSVP to pam.mccurdy@sbcglobal.net
Austin Open House
Saturday, June 30
3:00-5:00 p.m.
10804 Tall Oak Trail
Austin, TX 78750
Please RSVP to dabradberrys@austin.rr.com
Dallas Open House
Saturday, July 14
3:30-5:30 p.m.
3432 Winged Foot Court
Dallas, TX 75229
Please RSVP to emailthehills@yahoo.com
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP!
McMemo: May 2007 Edition
Please rejoice with us this month:
His Faithfulness—We can’t believe it has been two years already!! We rejoice over the Father’s faithfulness in taking care of us, teaching us, and growing us in such wonderful ways during our season in China. We thank Him for the people with whom we have built relationships and for the many precious things we have learned from this amazing culture.
“Good Book” Study—This is the group of four Chinese girls that Kristen meets with each Monday afternoon to study the Good Book. Kristen and the girls have learned so much from each other during these special times together. A recent highlight was a few weeks ago when Jean (the newest member of the group and the Family) pry’ed aloud for the first time. Although Kristen didn’t understand all of what Jean was saying (she was speaking in Chinese), her precious voice was no doubt a sweet sound to our Father’s ears! During their last meeting this Monday (5/28), Kristen will give each of the girls a Good Book and ask them to pr’y about who they might share the Message with and pass the Book along to. This is a bold challenge in this particular culture, but we trust that it is one that the Father will bless and use to multiply His flock! Also, Kristen is thankful to have found another team member to take over and facilitate this group in the Fall!
The McCurdy Three—Kristen and Little Miss McCurdy are in the beginning of their third trimester and both continue to progress very well (see attached picture of all “three” of us)! We are thankful to have all been healthy (especially Dave…so that he can help Kristen climb the five flights of stairs up to our apartment each day!) Additionally, we recently celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary (5/17) and are immeasurably grateful for the gift of marriage and each other. One of our dear friends recently pointed out, “You have spent half of your marriage in China!” What an amazing adventure it has been to share together.
Please remember us this coming month:
Goodbyes and Packing—On Monday, June 4 (7:30 a.m. your time), we will board a plane back to America, leaving behind a country and people that are very dear to our hearts. Please ask that we would have healthy “last time” visits with our teammates (who have grown to be like family to us) and our Chinese friends—specifically Lulita and Atom, Alfred and Mary, Luke, Wendy, the Vegetable Girls, Anna (our helper), and Belinda (our Chinese teacher). We are also in the throws of packing, selling, sorting, etc. Please ask that we would not be stressed out, but enjoy each moment and memory we have.
Transition Back to America—Along with leaving China comes transitioning back into our “home” culture which will most likely feel much different (and even strange at times!) than what we have come to know living here these past two years. Please ask that we would work together to support each other during this transition, that our family and friends would have patience and understanding as we adjust, and that we would show the same toward them and others we come in contact with.
Heightened Security—In the last couple of months there has been a dramatically escalated number of reports of foreigners being instructed to leave China. The government is beginning to take severe action against Chrstnty here, especially where foreigners are concerned. There are various reasons for these actions, but overall, we would ask you to pr’y that the plans of the evil one would be thwarted and that the Father’s love would penetrate deep into the hearts of government officials—that they might turn to Him and be a part of His plan for this nation’s sprt’l healing and restoration.
University English Corner: Each Sunday evening we attend what is called an English Corner at a local university. This particular one (there are many throughout the city!) is a student-led club offered on campus to those who are interested in improving their English by conversing with native English speakers (that’s us!). The past two weeks, the club chose the topics of “Wedding Traditions” and “Mothers” to discuss. On the surface, these topics don’t seem to lend themselves to much “deep” discussion, but you would be surprised by all the things we have been able to share! For the wedding topic we brought a few wedding pictures and our wedding program as “props.” One girl asked Kristen “What is the symbolism of wearing a white dress?” Another girl asked “Why did you get married in a ch’rch?” On the topic of mothers, we talked at one point about things we have learned from our moms and what we would want to teach our own children. One girl said, “I want to teach my children to be optimistic and live a good life.” The girl sitting next to her began sharing about her struggle with not being able to “will” herself to have a good life. She felt like there had come a point where “a good life” was more than she could create or “work up.” Dave was able to share with her about the One from whom abundant life is given. At another point, students began sharing stories about the sacrifices their moms had made for them…some shared of memories they had of when they were young, and others shared of the huge financial sacrifice their parents were making just so their son/daughter could go to college. One girl shared an interesting story she had heard of a mother who gave her life in order to save her daughter. From that, we took the opportunity to talk about the greatest example of such love through our Elder Brother! It seemed like the more we listened, the more each story became part of a much bigger One. Please ask that these students would know and respond to the Father’s passionate pursuit of them and that our team would continue to have an open door from university officials to go and help each week. Click on the link below or copy and paste into your web browser to see a few pictures of a typical English Corner.
share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=2BZNmLds1YsKg
Just for Fun!
At the same English Corner mentioned above, one particular day we had a special time of just meeting with the club’s student leaders. We didn’t really know what the full agenda would look like, but we did know that, at some point, they wanted us to teach them a well-known American song and also a fun dance. Our team prepared “Lean on Me” as the song and “The Chicken Dance” as the fun dance. Immediately after we sang “Lean on Me,” the leaders made the executive decision right then and there to make this their club’s theme song! As if that wasn’t enough, once we taught them the Chicken Dance, they couldn’t get enough of it! Note: If you’ve never seen the Chicken Dance, you can basically just picture everyone acting like a chicken to the sound of music. We actually had to ask them to move on in the program because we were so physically tired of dancing! Did I mention that these are college students?! Then the students wanted to teach us “The Rabbit Dance” (which we quickly figured out is known in America as “The Bunny Hop”). Our team felt pretty confident at first, but once the music started, it sounded totally different than what we were used to! We had a bit of a time keeping up, but we had a blast! Feel free to click on the link below or copy and paste into your web browser to view a few pictures that a teammate took of our exciting evening!
http://www1.snapfish.com/share/p=43291177857259379/l=261275716/g=58345669/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB
As always, please let us know if there is anything we can be lifting up on your behalf, and we look forward to updating you again next month. Please see the above invitation for details about our open house events this summer in Waco, Austin, and Dallas! We would love to connect with you, personally thank you, and share about our experiences over the last two years!
In His Love,
Dave and Kristen
Ps. 63:1-5
His Faithfulness—We can’t believe it has been two years already!! We rejoice over the Father’s faithfulness in taking care of us, teaching us, and growing us in such wonderful ways during our season in China. We thank Him for the people with whom we have built relationships and for the many precious things we have learned from this amazing culture.
“Good Book” Study—This is the group of four Chinese girls that Kristen meets with each Monday afternoon to study the Good Book. Kristen and the girls have learned so much from each other during these special times together. A recent highlight was a few weeks ago when Jean (the newest member of the group and the Family) pry’ed aloud for the first time. Although Kristen didn’t understand all of what Jean was saying (she was speaking in Chinese), her precious voice was no doubt a sweet sound to our Father’s ears! During their last meeting this Monday (5/28), Kristen will give each of the girls a Good Book and ask them to pr’y about who they might share the Message with and pass the Book along to. This is a bold challenge in this particular culture, but we trust that it is one that the Father will bless and use to multiply His flock! Also, Kristen is thankful to have found another team member to take over and facilitate this group in the Fall!
The McCurdy Three—Kristen and Little Miss McCurdy are in the beginning of their third trimester and both continue to progress very well (see attached picture of all “three” of us)! We are thankful to have all been healthy (especially Dave…so that he can help Kristen climb the five flights of stairs up to our apartment each day!) Additionally, we recently celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary (5/17) and are immeasurably grateful for the gift of marriage and each other. One of our dear friends recently pointed out, “You have spent half of your marriage in China!” What an amazing adventure it has been to share together.
Please remember us this coming month:
Goodbyes and Packing—On Monday, June 4 (7:30 a.m. your time), we will board a plane back to America, leaving behind a country and people that are very dear to our hearts. Please ask that we would have healthy “last time” visits with our teammates (who have grown to be like family to us) and our Chinese friends—specifically Lulita and Atom, Alfred and Mary, Luke, Wendy, the Vegetable Girls, Anna (our helper), and Belinda (our Chinese teacher). We are also in the throws of packing, selling, sorting, etc. Please ask that we would not be stressed out, but enjoy each moment and memory we have.
Transition Back to America—Along with leaving China comes transitioning back into our “home” culture which will most likely feel much different (and even strange at times!) than what we have come to know living here these past two years. Please ask that we would work together to support each other during this transition, that our family and friends would have patience and understanding as we adjust, and that we would show the same toward them and others we come in contact with.
Heightened Security—In the last couple of months there has been a dramatically escalated number of reports of foreigners being instructed to leave China. The government is beginning to take severe action against Chrstnty here, especially where foreigners are concerned. There are various reasons for these actions, but overall, we would ask you to pr’y that the plans of the evil one would be thwarted and that the Father’s love would penetrate deep into the hearts of government officials—that they might turn to Him and be a part of His plan for this nation’s sprt’l healing and restoration.
University English Corner: Each Sunday evening we attend what is called an English Corner at a local university. This particular one (there are many throughout the city!) is a student-led club offered on campus to those who are interested in improving their English by conversing with native English speakers (that’s us!). The past two weeks, the club chose the topics of “Wedding Traditions” and “Mothers” to discuss. On the surface, these topics don’t seem to lend themselves to much “deep” discussion, but you would be surprised by all the things we have been able to share! For the wedding topic we brought a few wedding pictures and our wedding program as “props.” One girl asked Kristen “What is the symbolism of wearing a white dress?” Another girl asked “Why did you get married in a ch’rch?” On the topic of mothers, we talked at one point about things we have learned from our moms and what we would want to teach our own children. One girl said, “I want to teach my children to be optimistic and live a good life.” The girl sitting next to her began sharing about her struggle with not being able to “will” herself to have a good life. She felt like there had come a point where “a good life” was more than she could create or “work up.” Dave was able to share with her about the One from whom abundant life is given. At another point, students began sharing stories about the sacrifices their moms had made for them…some shared of memories they had of when they were young, and others shared of the huge financial sacrifice their parents were making just so their son/daughter could go to college. One girl shared an interesting story she had heard of a mother who gave her life in order to save her daughter. From that, we took the opportunity to talk about the greatest example of such love through our Elder Brother! It seemed like the more we listened, the more each story became part of a much bigger One. Please ask that these students would know and respond to the Father’s passionate pursuit of them and that our team would continue to have an open door from university officials to go and help each week. Click on the link below or copy and paste into your web browser to see a few pictures of a typical English Corner.
share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=2BZNmLds1YsKg
Just for Fun!
At the same English Corner mentioned above, one particular day we had a special time of just meeting with the club’s student leaders. We didn’t really know what the full agenda would look like, but we did know that, at some point, they wanted us to teach them a well-known American song and also a fun dance. Our team prepared “Lean on Me” as the song and “The Chicken Dance” as the fun dance. Immediately after we sang “Lean on Me,” the leaders made the executive decision right then and there to make this their club’s theme song! As if that wasn’t enough, once we taught them the Chicken Dance, they couldn’t get enough of it! Note: If you’ve never seen the Chicken Dance, you can basically just picture everyone acting like a chicken to the sound of music. We actually had to ask them to move on in the program because we were so physically tired of dancing! Did I mention that these are college students?! Then the students wanted to teach us “The Rabbit Dance” (which we quickly figured out is known in America as “The Bunny Hop”). Our team felt pretty confident at first, but once the music started, it sounded totally different than what we were used to! We had a bit of a time keeping up, but we had a blast! Feel free to click on the link below or copy and paste into your web browser to view a few pictures that a teammate took of our exciting evening!
http://www1.snapfish.com/share/p=43291177857259379/l=261275716/g=58345669/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB
As always, please let us know if there is anything we can be lifting up on your behalf, and we look forward to updating you again next month. Please see the above invitation for details about our open house events this summer in Waco, Austin, and Dallas! We would love to connect with you, personally thank you, and share about our experiences over the last two years!
In His Love,
Dave and Kristen
Ps. 63:1-5
McMemo: April 2007 Edition
Please rejoice with us this month:
We’re Having A…GIRL! That’s right! After much anticipation, we found out at our doctor’s appointment in Beijing on April 13 that we are having a precious little girl! We are very excited, and we are continually grateful for the opportunity the Father has given us to nurture and care for this growing little one. Now 24 weeks along, Kristen and Little Miss McCurdy are doing great. Now the name game begins….we’ll keep you posted!
Kristen’s Trip to America—Thank you for your pry’rs concerning Kristen’s trip to America. Our Father is faithful!! Kristen (and Little Miss McCurdy) had an extra seat on both 13-hour legs (going and coming), so this made for a little extra comfort! On top of that, she had no jet lag, and her first night in America the baby decided to start kicking! Most of all, your pryr’s were felt in the situation of Kristen’s grandmother Rose. The morning after Kristen landed in Dallas, she received a call that her grandmother had passed away. Although Kristen wasn’t able to see her, one of our main pry’rs was that she would be able to attend the funeral if things progressed as the doctors anticipated that they would. Our Father truly does do exceedingly more than we could ask or imagine. Kristen was able to attend the wedding in Mississippi she was a part of and the funeral was held in Louisiana only two days later. She had a wonderful opportunity to celebrate her grandmother’s life with her whole family and give thanks for the precious and lasting legacy she left (our daughter’s middle name will actually be Rose). We give thanks to the Father for his perfect timing in taking her to heaven, the place that she has lived and longed for! Thank you again for pry’ing!
Please remember us this coming month:
Easter—The Chinese translate Easter literally as “Live Again Day.” So with that said, we had a wonderful “Live Again Day!” We attended an English Corner at a local university (same one we had the Christmas party at) on Easter evening. [Reminder: An English Corner is a gathering of Chinese people who want to practice their English and exchange ideas about culture, traditions, etc. with native English speakers like us!] We had the opportunity to share very openly about Easter—what it means to us, traditions that go with it, etc. There were over 100 students in attendance, and after dividing into groups, we each had about 15 college students eager to ask questions and know more about this “American” holiday! What an incredible time of sharing! One person wanted to know why “Good Friday” was not called “Bad Friday,” considering that J had suffered and died on that day. What a great opportunity to explain how His suffering was for our good….and that, out of His great love for us, He specifically planned it that way. Please ask that the students present at this English Corner (and specifically in our groups) would grasp just how precious this sacrifice was and what an amazing relationship is available because of it. May they experience their own “Live Again Day,” as their beautifully translated version of this holiday expresses.
“Little” Rose— Many of you may remember Rose, the precious four-year-old Chinese girl who came to live with us for three weeks this past winter while her new foster family (another couple on our team) was in America. The Wickershams are currently in the process of pursuing her permanent/official adoption into their family. This would be an absolutely wonderful thing, for both Rose and our friends, the Wickershams! Please ask that the Father would begin to clear all obstacles that stand in the way of this adoption going smoothly. Some obstacles could possibly include changes in adoption laws, finances, and important decision makers.
Building Relationships—
Belinda (our Chinese teacher): Although our Chinese classes are coming to an end, we are confident that the Father’s work in Belinda’s life is just beginning! Dave recently had a conversation with Belinda about our decision of whether or not to return to America. Before Dave had the chance to explain the process of pry’r we went through, Belinda said “you needed to ask Shang Di (the word used in Chinese for our Father; literally translated “High King”) what He wanted”…….Exactly! Please ask that Belinda would see her need to ask Shang Di what He wants, and that she would see that He simply wants her.
Lulita and Atom: This is a newlywed couple that we have mentioned before who live just two floors above us. We invited them to dinner around Easter time to catch up and also try to serve as an encouragement to them in their marriage. However, before we even left for dinner, the Father gave us a neat opportunity to share with Lulita (her husband hadn’t arrived yet) about Easter. She has just recently changed jobs and is working for an American company now. In a few e-mail exchanges she saw just before Easter, she noticed that people were talking about having “Good Friday” off from work. She asked Kristen what Good Friday was. This was, again, a wonderful opportunity to share the Good News of Good Friday. Please ask that Lulita and Atom would grow in love for each other and in their hunger for our Father’s love.
Just for Fun!
When we went to Beijing for our doctor’s appointment this past month, we decided (after hearing about this idea from another couple) that it would be fun to hold off on actually having the nurse tell us what the gender of the baby was, and instead, we asked her to write it down on a piece of paper so that we could take it with us that evening and open it over a nice dinner together. Both the nurse and the ultrasound technician were Chinese, but the lady we made this request of had really good English. Obviously, this was a fairly unusual request, but she was very excited to take part in our fun! Only seconds after the ultrasound began, she was scribbling something on the piece of paper Kristen gave to her. She then got an “official” hospital envelope, put the paper in it, and sealed it! She proudly handed it to us, and we took a picture (see attached)! When we got to the restaurant that evening and finally opened up the envelope (admittedly, it was a little hard to wait!), we were just expecting to see one word “Boy” or “Girl.” However, the nurse must have been so excited at her part in this event, that she took a little extra time to write a note of congratulations. Here is what it said—verbatim—“Hi! You are going to have a baby girl! Congratulation! Enjoy your time!” No doubt, that sweet little note is going in Little Miss McCurdy’s baby book. J
As always, please let us know if there is anything we can be lifting up on your behalf, and we look forward to updating you again next month. Stay tuned in next month’s McMemo for details about our open house events this summer. We would love to connect with you, personally thank you, and share about our experiences over the last two years!
In His Love,
Dave and Kristen
Ps. 63:1-5
We’re Having A…GIRL! That’s right! After much anticipation, we found out at our doctor’s appointment in Beijing on April 13 that we are having a precious little girl! We are very excited, and we are continually grateful for the opportunity the Father has given us to nurture and care for this growing little one. Now 24 weeks along, Kristen and Little Miss McCurdy are doing great. Now the name game begins….we’ll keep you posted!
Kristen’s Trip to America—Thank you for your pry’rs concerning Kristen’s trip to America. Our Father is faithful!! Kristen (and Little Miss McCurdy) had an extra seat on both 13-hour legs (going and coming), so this made for a little extra comfort! On top of that, she had no jet lag, and her first night in America the baby decided to start kicking! Most of all, your pryr’s were felt in the situation of Kristen’s grandmother Rose. The morning after Kristen landed in Dallas, she received a call that her grandmother had passed away. Although Kristen wasn’t able to see her, one of our main pry’rs was that she would be able to attend the funeral if things progressed as the doctors anticipated that they would. Our Father truly does do exceedingly more than we could ask or imagine. Kristen was able to attend the wedding in Mississippi she was a part of and the funeral was held in Louisiana only two days later. She had a wonderful opportunity to celebrate her grandmother’s life with her whole family and give thanks for the precious and lasting legacy she left (our daughter’s middle name will actually be Rose). We give thanks to the Father for his perfect timing in taking her to heaven, the place that she has lived and longed for! Thank you again for pry’ing!
Please remember us this coming month:
Easter—The Chinese translate Easter literally as “Live Again Day.” So with that said, we had a wonderful “Live Again Day!” We attended an English Corner at a local university (same one we had the Christmas party at) on Easter evening. [Reminder: An English Corner is a gathering of Chinese people who want to practice their English and exchange ideas about culture, traditions, etc. with native English speakers like us!] We had the opportunity to share very openly about Easter—what it means to us, traditions that go with it, etc. There were over 100 students in attendance, and after dividing into groups, we each had about 15 college students eager to ask questions and know more about this “American” holiday! What an incredible time of sharing! One person wanted to know why “Good Friday” was not called “Bad Friday,” considering that J had suffered and died on that day. What a great opportunity to explain how His suffering was for our good….and that, out of His great love for us, He specifically planned it that way. Please ask that the students present at this English Corner (and specifically in our groups) would grasp just how precious this sacrifice was and what an amazing relationship is available because of it. May they experience their own “Live Again Day,” as their beautifully translated version of this holiday expresses.
“Little” Rose— Many of you may remember Rose, the precious four-year-old Chinese girl who came to live with us for three weeks this past winter while her new foster family (another couple on our team) was in America. The Wickershams are currently in the process of pursuing her permanent/official adoption into their family. This would be an absolutely wonderful thing, for both Rose and our friends, the Wickershams! Please ask that the Father would begin to clear all obstacles that stand in the way of this adoption going smoothly. Some obstacles could possibly include changes in adoption laws, finances, and important decision makers.
Building Relationships—
Belinda (our Chinese teacher): Although our Chinese classes are coming to an end, we are confident that the Father’s work in Belinda’s life is just beginning! Dave recently had a conversation with Belinda about our decision of whether or not to return to America. Before Dave had the chance to explain the process of pry’r we went through, Belinda said “you needed to ask Shang Di (the word used in Chinese for our Father; literally translated “High King”) what He wanted”…….Exactly! Please ask that Belinda would see her need to ask Shang Di what He wants, and that she would see that He simply wants her.
Lulita and Atom: This is a newlywed couple that we have mentioned before who live just two floors above us. We invited them to dinner around Easter time to catch up and also try to serve as an encouragement to them in their marriage. However, before we even left for dinner, the Father gave us a neat opportunity to share with Lulita (her husband hadn’t arrived yet) about Easter. She has just recently changed jobs and is working for an American company now. In a few e-mail exchanges she saw just before Easter, she noticed that people were talking about having “Good Friday” off from work. She asked Kristen what Good Friday was. This was, again, a wonderful opportunity to share the Good News of Good Friday. Please ask that Lulita and Atom would grow in love for each other and in their hunger for our Father’s love.
Just for Fun!
When we went to Beijing for our doctor’s appointment this past month, we decided (after hearing about this idea from another couple) that it would be fun to hold off on actually having the nurse tell us what the gender of the baby was, and instead, we asked her to write it down on a piece of paper so that we could take it with us that evening and open it over a nice dinner together. Both the nurse and the ultrasound technician were Chinese, but the lady we made this request of had really good English. Obviously, this was a fairly unusual request, but she was very excited to take part in our fun! Only seconds after the ultrasound began, she was scribbling something on the piece of paper Kristen gave to her. She then got an “official” hospital envelope, put the paper in it, and sealed it! She proudly handed it to us, and we took a picture (see attached)! When we got to the restaurant that evening and finally opened up the envelope (admittedly, it was a little hard to wait!), we were just expecting to see one word “Boy” or “Girl.” However, the nurse must have been so excited at her part in this event, that she took a little extra time to write a note of congratulations. Here is what it said—verbatim—“Hi! You are going to have a baby girl! Congratulation! Enjoy your time!” No doubt, that sweet little note is going in Little Miss McCurdy’s baby book. J
As always, please let us know if there is anything we can be lifting up on your behalf, and we look forward to updating you again next month. Stay tuned in next month’s McMemo for details about our open house events this summer. We would love to connect with you, personally thank you, and share about our experiences over the last two years!
In His Love,
Dave and Kristen
Ps. 63:1-5
Saturday, June 16, 2007
McMemo: March 2007 Edition
Please rejoice with us this month:
Housing and Car—We are so grateful to the Father for His goodness in providing temporary housing and a car to use for the summer..…and sooner than we could have ever anticipated! What a blessing and relief this is, as we now have two things we can cross off our to do list for our transition back to America in June!
Baby McCurdy—Just over 18 weeks along now, Kristen, Baby McCurdy, and Dave continue to do well! Thank you for your continued pry’rs for us and our growing family! How amazing it is to know that the Father is carefully and wonderfully knitting Baby McCurdy together at this very moment! Kristen has a good level of energy and is enjoying staying active with marketing tasks, meeting with college students, attending Chinese class, etc. We are thankful for both her health and that of Baby McCurdy. Coming soon in the April edition of the McMemo….boy or girl?!! We’ll all find out soon enough!
Easter—Easter is upon us and we are excited to share the true significance of this holiday with those we meet! We rejoice this month as we anticipate and marvel at the sacrifice our Father made in giving His one and only Son so that we could have a relationship with Him and share in the gift of eternal life. We rejoice over J’s power in conquering death over 2000 years ago, and we continue to be amazed at the ways He shows Himself alive and active in our lives and around the world today!
Please remember us this coming month:
Kristen’s trip to America—Kristen (and Baby McCurdy) will be traveling to America March 21-April 5 (flying out Tuesday night your time) to be a bridesmaid in a good friend’s wedding. Please ask that Kristen (and the baby) would have a safe and comfortable journey, as a 13-hour plane ride and jet lag can be quite taxing on just about anyone, but especially someone “traveling for two.” Please also ask that Kristen would have the energy to enjoy and serve the friends and family she will see, but at the same time, wisdom to know when to rest and slow down. In addition to the joy of seeing familiar faces and places, this trip has recently taken on a new significance, as Kristen’s grandmother, Rose, has been very sick and weak over the past week. Only the Father could have known and planned for this special timing when Kristen was anticipating this trip almost a year ago. Please ask that Kristen would have both physical and emotional energy to serve especially her mom and grandmother as an instrument of His comfort and encouragement during this time. Lastly, please pr’y for Dave during Kristen’s two-week absence, asking that the Father would bless his time alone, our communication while Kristen is gone and our reunion when she returns.
Building Relationships—
Alfred: You may remember Alfred, a Chinese friend of Dave’s we have mentioned before who works at a local medical university. Alfred was recently engaged and will be married this Fall, so we were able to host him and his fiancée, Mary, for lunch this month. It was such a wonderful opportunity to encourage them in seeing the beauty of marriage, Who created it, and Who can speak to any and every aspect of it! Dave was able to give Alfred an English/Chinese copy of the “Good Book” and guide him through many important verses that speak to love and marriage. We also looked through our wedding photo album with them, as they were very excited and interested to know about Western wedding traditions. We were most happy to share some of the Important traditions we had as part of our wedding! J Please ask that Alfred and Mary would seek to know the One who knows and loves them even better than they know and love each other and that they would make a decision to serve Him individually and in their marriage.
Vegetable Girls: Kristen was able to reconnect with the Vegetable Girls after their Chinese New Year vacation. When she went to have lunch with them at their campus, one of them (Cherry--we like to think of her name as short for cherry tomato J) said that she was invited over the holiday to attend a government-registered Chinese chr’ch with a former business professor and his wife (both Americans). Cherry had never stepped foot in a chr’ch before, but she mentioned that she felt “very comfortable” and really enjoyed all the beautiful songs that people were singing. We have mentioned before how exciting and encouraging it has been to see the Father use other people like this professor in the lives of these girls to draw them to Himself. Please ask that the Father would use this experience in Cherry’s life to help her understand the true and abiding comfort that comes only from being known intimately and personally by her Maker.
Dave’s Kung Fu Teacher: Chad is new to the McMemo, but not new in our lives. He has been Dave’s Kung Fu teacher ever since we arrived and Dave started taking classes. Chad has just married and will be moving with his wife to Japan for her to teach at an international school there. Although Chad has taught classes to many like-minded people, he has not really ever expressed an interest in spt’l things….until just recently. We were able to have dinner with Chad several weeks ago, and during this time we talked about the grace and truth we have been given. His eyes watered as he spoke of the difference he has seen over the past few years in working with Family members, and how our lives are so distinct. He also spoke of his desire to live likewise, and mentioned going to chr’ch once in Japan. Thankfully, we were able to discuss the power of J as the source of the difference and distinction, as well as ensure that Chad received a copy of the “Good Book” before his departure. Please ask that Chad would seek the forgiveness, inner healing, and life change that only J can bring him.
JJust for Fun!J
One afternoon recently, Kristen rode her bike to Dave’s office to have lunch with him. This is not an unusual occurrence, but this particular day was quite memorable. One of Dave’s colleagues, who is the Director of Marketing with whom Kristen works, brought a small box of ‘traditional’ Chinese treats which were sent to him by a friend of his in America. The Americans around the table knew immediately what these special little treats were. After all, when Americans eat Chinese food in America, what do they always serve afterwards? Bingo! Fortune cookies! However, our Chinese friends around the table were a bit confused. Looking at the odd-shaped cookie wrapped in plastic, they were all asking, “zhe shi shen ma?” (Translation: “What is this?”). They had NEVER seen or heard of fortune cookies before. It was quite funny to see them introduced to this “traditional” Chinese cookie for the first time! So now you can all impress your friends and family with yet another interesting fact from the East: Fortune cookies (and eggrolls too!) are seldom, if ever, seen in China. They are simply foods adapted to fit American tastebuds, and our guess is the “traditional” Chinese classification just stuck! We confess….there are times that we really do wish fortune cookies and eggrolls existed as an option at a Chinese restaurant here!
As always, please let us know if there is anything we can be lifting up on your behalf, and we look forward to updating you again next month. **The attached pictures are of us at the annual Chinese Language Training Center Variety Show. This show is put on by the Chinese teachers and is an opportunity for us foreigners to show off our Chinese language talent! Our Chinese teacher asked us if we would perform a special song as part of the show, so….one picture is of us performing our duet of the famous Chinese love song called “Yue Liang Dai Biao Wode Xin.” Translation: The Moon Represents My Heart. The other picture is of us and our Chinese teacher, Belinda.**
In His Love,
Dave and Kristen
Ps. 63:1-5
Housing and Car—We are so grateful to the Father for His goodness in providing temporary housing and a car to use for the summer..…and sooner than we could have ever anticipated! What a blessing and relief this is, as we now have two things we can cross off our to do list for our transition back to America in June!
Baby McCurdy—Just over 18 weeks along now, Kristen, Baby McCurdy, and Dave continue to do well! Thank you for your continued pry’rs for us and our growing family! How amazing it is to know that the Father is carefully and wonderfully knitting Baby McCurdy together at this very moment! Kristen has a good level of energy and is enjoying staying active with marketing tasks, meeting with college students, attending Chinese class, etc. We are thankful for both her health and that of Baby McCurdy. Coming soon in the April edition of the McMemo….boy or girl?!! We’ll all find out soon enough!
Easter—Easter is upon us and we are excited to share the true significance of this holiday with those we meet! We rejoice this month as we anticipate and marvel at the sacrifice our Father made in giving His one and only Son so that we could have a relationship with Him and share in the gift of eternal life. We rejoice over J’s power in conquering death over 2000 years ago, and we continue to be amazed at the ways He shows Himself alive and active in our lives and around the world today!
Please remember us this coming month:
Kristen’s trip to America—Kristen (and Baby McCurdy) will be traveling to America March 21-April 5 (flying out Tuesday night your time) to be a bridesmaid in a good friend’s wedding. Please ask that Kristen (and the baby) would have a safe and comfortable journey, as a 13-hour plane ride and jet lag can be quite taxing on just about anyone, but especially someone “traveling for two.” Please also ask that Kristen would have the energy to enjoy and serve the friends and family she will see, but at the same time, wisdom to know when to rest and slow down. In addition to the joy of seeing familiar faces and places, this trip has recently taken on a new significance, as Kristen’s grandmother, Rose, has been very sick and weak over the past week. Only the Father could have known and planned for this special timing when Kristen was anticipating this trip almost a year ago. Please ask that Kristen would have both physical and emotional energy to serve especially her mom and grandmother as an instrument of His comfort and encouragement during this time. Lastly, please pr’y for Dave during Kristen’s two-week absence, asking that the Father would bless his time alone, our communication while Kristen is gone and our reunion when she returns.
Building Relationships—
Alfred: You may remember Alfred, a Chinese friend of Dave’s we have mentioned before who works at a local medical university. Alfred was recently engaged and will be married this Fall, so we were able to host him and his fiancée, Mary, for lunch this month. It was such a wonderful opportunity to encourage them in seeing the beauty of marriage, Who created it, and Who can speak to any and every aspect of it! Dave was able to give Alfred an English/Chinese copy of the “Good Book” and guide him through many important verses that speak to love and marriage. We also looked through our wedding photo album with them, as they were very excited and interested to know about Western wedding traditions. We were most happy to share some of the Important traditions we had as part of our wedding! J Please ask that Alfred and Mary would seek to know the One who knows and loves them even better than they know and love each other and that they would make a decision to serve Him individually and in their marriage.
Vegetable Girls: Kristen was able to reconnect with the Vegetable Girls after their Chinese New Year vacation. When she went to have lunch with them at their campus, one of them (Cherry--we like to think of her name as short for cherry tomato J) said that she was invited over the holiday to attend a government-registered Chinese chr’ch with a former business professor and his wife (both Americans). Cherry had never stepped foot in a chr’ch before, but she mentioned that she felt “very comfortable” and really enjoyed all the beautiful songs that people were singing. We have mentioned before how exciting and encouraging it has been to see the Father use other people like this professor in the lives of these girls to draw them to Himself. Please ask that the Father would use this experience in Cherry’s life to help her understand the true and abiding comfort that comes only from being known intimately and personally by her Maker.
Dave’s Kung Fu Teacher: Chad is new to the McMemo, but not new in our lives. He has been Dave’s Kung Fu teacher ever since we arrived and Dave started taking classes. Chad has just married and will be moving with his wife to Japan for her to teach at an international school there. Although Chad has taught classes to many like-minded people, he has not really ever expressed an interest in spt’l things….until just recently. We were able to have dinner with Chad several weeks ago, and during this time we talked about the grace and truth we have been given. His eyes watered as he spoke of the difference he has seen over the past few years in working with Family members, and how our lives are so distinct. He also spoke of his desire to live likewise, and mentioned going to chr’ch once in Japan. Thankfully, we were able to discuss the power of J as the source of the difference and distinction, as well as ensure that Chad received a copy of the “Good Book” before his departure. Please ask that Chad would seek the forgiveness, inner healing, and life change that only J can bring him.
JJust for Fun!J
One afternoon recently, Kristen rode her bike to Dave’s office to have lunch with him. This is not an unusual occurrence, but this particular day was quite memorable. One of Dave’s colleagues, who is the Director of Marketing with whom Kristen works, brought a small box of ‘traditional’ Chinese treats which were sent to him by a friend of his in America. The Americans around the table knew immediately what these special little treats were. After all, when Americans eat Chinese food in America, what do they always serve afterwards? Bingo! Fortune cookies! However, our Chinese friends around the table were a bit confused. Looking at the odd-shaped cookie wrapped in plastic, they were all asking, “zhe shi shen ma?” (Translation: “What is this?”). They had NEVER seen or heard of fortune cookies before. It was quite funny to see them introduced to this “traditional” Chinese cookie for the first time! So now you can all impress your friends and family with yet another interesting fact from the East: Fortune cookies (and eggrolls too!) are seldom, if ever, seen in China. They are simply foods adapted to fit American tastebuds, and our guess is the “traditional” Chinese classification just stuck! We confess….there are times that we really do wish fortune cookies and eggrolls existed as an option at a Chinese restaurant here!
As always, please let us know if there is anything we can be lifting up on your behalf, and we look forward to updating you again next month. **The attached pictures are of us at the annual Chinese Language Training Center Variety Show. This show is put on by the Chinese teachers and is an opportunity for us foreigners to show off our Chinese language talent! Our Chinese teacher asked us if we would perform a special song as part of the show, so….one picture is of us performing our duet of the famous Chinese love song called “Yue Liang Dai Biao Wode Xin.” Translation: The Moon Represents My Heart. The other picture is of us and our Chinese teacher, Belinda.**
In His Love,
Dave and Kristen
Ps. 63:1-5
McMemo: February 2007 Edition
Please rejoice with us this month:
Decision—Thank you all for your support and pry’rs for us these past couple months as we have sought His guidance on what His will is for the next chapter of our lives! He has made Himself clear among the many options presented, and we are excited to announce that we will be moving back to Texas in June and remaining with LDi as Dave serves as the Director of Finance for the U.S. headquarters. He will maintain many of the financial management responsibilities he currently has and will also serve as the interface between U.S. and Chinese financial operations (perfect for him since he’s spent the last two years working in China!). Although the U.S. office is located in Atlanta, the director of the office has graciously offered Dave the opportunity to work from Texas (most likely the Dallas area). We are thrilled to be remaining with LDi, as we believe in their vision and purpose as an organization, and we want to help them in whatever way we can to further His Kingdom in China. A specific answer to pry’r was that we both had a united heart in the decision, and the Father was so faithful to provide very clear indications that this particular season in China had come to an end. However, we both feel strongly that our involvement in this country will not end here, but rather will continue on in new and exciting ways! As is, Dave will need to travel to China at least once a year for an annual finance training, so this will be a great opportunity to reconnect with our community here and our Chinese friends. Also, we anticipate that among two of the main universities in Dallas (University of Texas at Dallas and the University of North Texas) which have large Asian student populations, we will be able to connect with these students and build relationships through language study, hosting dinners, and many other ways we haven’t even discovered yet! This decision making process has been a wonderful experience for both of us in truly understanding what it looks/feels like to be led by Him. We never once felt like we were left to make this decision on our own, and we are grateful for His presence and direction throughout this time. Thank you for the part you have played and will continue to play in His work among this special group of people!
Baby McCurdy—Just over 15 weeks along, Kristen and Baby McCurdy continue to do well—and Dave is doing well too! Our next doctor’s appointment will be in Beijing in mid-April, at which time we will find out if we’re having a boy or a girl! Thank you for all of your words of encouragement during this time. It is so special to have so many people share in our joy and excitement!
Chinese New Year Travels—We (and four of our other teammates) had a wonderfully refreshing time on our Chinese New Year trip! We were able to connect for a couple days with some former teammates who recently moved to Singapore, and then we flew to Thailand for a few days to enjoy a nice time of relaxation and fellowship. Just as you asked, the Father made us sensitive to the people we met along the way—specifically a young man named Shaun, a Chinese student studying for his PHd in Engineering at a university in Singapore. Shaun, who we met on our flight from Beijing to Singapore, had returned to China to visit his family for the Chinese New Year and was returning back to Singapore for his studies. As we started chatting with him, it came up that Kristen was pregnant (we’re so excited about it—how could it not?!), and he proceeded to then ask us how many children we wanted to have. As part of Kristen’s response, she said that we were just thankful to the Father for giving us such an incredible opportunity to be parents! Shaun immediately asked, “So, are you a Chrst’n?” This led to a wonderful conversation in which we were able to share the Good News with Shaun and give him an opportunity to ask questions. Near the end of the flight, Shaun mentioned that he had a couple friends at his university who were Chrst’ns, so we are asking that they would step forward to water the seeds in Shaun’s heart that were planted on that plane!
Please remember us this coming month:
Decision—Although it is such a blessing to have the decision made, please ask that we will be diligent and focused in making the most of our time left here, and that the Father would give us wisdom in knowing what details are important to take care of from here regarding our move back to Texas and which ones can wait. As specific needs arise that you may be able to help with, we will definitely let you know.
Building Relationships—
“Good Book” Study: Since October, Kristen has been hosting three girls at our apartment for a study of the “Good Book.” One girl had a scheduling conflict early on so she is no longer able to attend, but the Father has brought Jean, who, when Kristen first met her, was a “seeker” of the Truth. However, we are excited to announce that as of today (Monday, Feb. 26) Jean has become a Believer of the Truth. We are so excited to welcome her into the Family! Kristen was able to share the Good News with her over the last two times that they met one-on-one. When Jean realized that the J wanted a relationship with her just as she was and that she didn’t need to be good enough or know everything about the “Good Book” before entering this relationship with Him, she was eager to invite the Him to have control of her life, mind, and heart. Jean will attend her first “Good Book” study with our group next week, as Leah and Rachel (the other two members of the group) will be back from their Chinese New Year break. Please ask that the group dynamics would be comfortable and that we would be able to love and minister to Jean as a group as she grows in her faith. Please also ask that Jean would grow strong in her faith as she studies the Good Book and that she would be bold in sharing with others about this new relationship she has.
Lulita and Atom: You may remember Lulita and Atom who were married just a few months ago (after a very short time of knowing each other). We met Lulita this past August when she left a note on our door asking if Kristen could spend some time each week teaching her English. Recently Kristen went to visit Lulita to ask her how her and Atom were doing and how she was enjoying married life. Kristen was disappointed to hear Lulita say that she really felt like she did not love Atom, but rather, only liked him. Although she realizes that Atom treats her very well and makes her feel special, she is lacking the feeling she expected would come with marriage. Please ask that Lulita and Atom would turn to the Father as the center of their marriage and that He would fill the empty places in their hearts and their marriage with His love.
JJust for Fun!J
Recently, while Dave was in America, Kristen invited our Chinese teacher, Belinda, over for dinner…with one twist. Kristen suggested that Belinda do the cooking and teach Kristen how to cook Chinese food! When Belinda arrived and started cooking, Kristen wanted to make sure to write down how much of what ingredient to use (in America, we call this a recipe!!). Kristen soon realized that this would be a hopeless task. You see, the Chinese people have a different style of cooking that we like to describe as “a dash of this, a pinch of that, and a fistful of whatever else looks good.” Although Kristen left the cooking session with a few scribbles on a small piece of paper, the meal was delicious and they had a wonderful time of visiting—in Chinese and English, no less! It doesn’t get any better than having a Chinese cooking class and a Chinese language class rolled into one!
As always, please let us know if there is anything we can be lifting up on your behalf, and we look forward to updating you again next month. **The attached picture is of us at the Singapore Botanic Gardens.**
In His Love,
Dave and Kristen
Ps. 63:1-5
Decision—Thank you all for your support and pry’rs for us these past couple months as we have sought His guidance on what His will is for the next chapter of our lives! He has made Himself clear among the many options presented, and we are excited to announce that we will be moving back to Texas in June and remaining with LDi as Dave serves as the Director of Finance for the U.S. headquarters. He will maintain many of the financial management responsibilities he currently has and will also serve as the interface between U.S. and Chinese financial operations (perfect for him since he’s spent the last two years working in China!). Although the U.S. office is located in Atlanta, the director of the office has graciously offered Dave the opportunity to work from Texas (most likely the Dallas area). We are thrilled to be remaining with LDi, as we believe in their vision and purpose as an organization, and we want to help them in whatever way we can to further His Kingdom in China. A specific answer to pry’r was that we both had a united heart in the decision, and the Father was so faithful to provide very clear indications that this particular season in China had come to an end. However, we both feel strongly that our involvement in this country will not end here, but rather will continue on in new and exciting ways! As is, Dave will need to travel to China at least once a year for an annual finance training, so this will be a great opportunity to reconnect with our community here and our Chinese friends. Also, we anticipate that among two of the main universities in Dallas (University of Texas at Dallas and the University of North Texas) which have large Asian student populations, we will be able to connect with these students and build relationships through language study, hosting dinners, and many other ways we haven’t even discovered yet! This decision making process has been a wonderful experience for both of us in truly understanding what it looks/feels like to be led by Him. We never once felt like we were left to make this decision on our own, and we are grateful for His presence and direction throughout this time. Thank you for the part you have played and will continue to play in His work among this special group of people!
Baby McCurdy—Just over 15 weeks along, Kristen and Baby McCurdy continue to do well—and Dave is doing well too! Our next doctor’s appointment will be in Beijing in mid-April, at which time we will find out if we’re having a boy or a girl! Thank you for all of your words of encouragement during this time. It is so special to have so many people share in our joy and excitement!
Chinese New Year Travels—We (and four of our other teammates) had a wonderfully refreshing time on our Chinese New Year trip! We were able to connect for a couple days with some former teammates who recently moved to Singapore, and then we flew to Thailand for a few days to enjoy a nice time of relaxation and fellowship. Just as you asked, the Father made us sensitive to the people we met along the way—specifically a young man named Shaun, a Chinese student studying for his PHd in Engineering at a university in Singapore. Shaun, who we met on our flight from Beijing to Singapore, had returned to China to visit his family for the Chinese New Year and was returning back to Singapore for his studies. As we started chatting with him, it came up that Kristen was pregnant (we’re so excited about it—how could it not?!), and he proceeded to then ask us how many children we wanted to have. As part of Kristen’s response, she said that we were just thankful to the Father for giving us such an incredible opportunity to be parents! Shaun immediately asked, “So, are you a Chrst’n?” This led to a wonderful conversation in which we were able to share the Good News with Shaun and give him an opportunity to ask questions. Near the end of the flight, Shaun mentioned that he had a couple friends at his university who were Chrst’ns, so we are asking that they would step forward to water the seeds in Shaun’s heart that were planted on that plane!
Please remember us this coming month:
Decision—Although it is such a blessing to have the decision made, please ask that we will be diligent and focused in making the most of our time left here, and that the Father would give us wisdom in knowing what details are important to take care of from here regarding our move back to Texas and which ones can wait. As specific needs arise that you may be able to help with, we will definitely let you know.
Building Relationships—
“Good Book” Study: Since October, Kristen has been hosting three girls at our apartment for a study of the “Good Book.” One girl had a scheduling conflict early on so she is no longer able to attend, but the Father has brought Jean, who, when Kristen first met her, was a “seeker” of the Truth. However, we are excited to announce that as of today (Monday, Feb. 26) Jean has become a Believer of the Truth. We are so excited to welcome her into the Family! Kristen was able to share the Good News with her over the last two times that they met one-on-one. When Jean realized that the J wanted a relationship with her just as she was and that she didn’t need to be good enough or know everything about the “Good Book” before entering this relationship with Him, she was eager to invite the Him to have control of her life, mind, and heart. Jean will attend her first “Good Book” study with our group next week, as Leah and Rachel (the other two members of the group) will be back from their Chinese New Year break. Please ask that the group dynamics would be comfortable and that we would be able to love and minister to Jean as a group as she grows in her faith. Please also ask that Jean would grow strong in her faith as she studies the Good Book and that she would be bold in sharing with others about this new relationship she has.
Lulita and Atom: You may remember Lulita and Atom who were married just a few months ago (after a very short time of knowing each other). We met Lulita this past August when she left a note on our door asking if Kristen could spend some time each week teaching her English. Recently Kristen went to visit Lulita to ask her how her and Atom were doing and how she was enjoying married life. Kristen was disappointed to hear Lulita say that she really felt like she did not love Atom, but rather, only liked him. Although she realizes that Atom treats her very well and makes her feel special, she is lacking the feeling she expected would come with marriage. Please ask that Lulita and Atom would turn to the Father as the center of their marriage and that He would fill the empty places in their hearts and their marriage with His love.
JJust for Fun!J
Recently, while Dave was in America, Kristen invited our Chinese teacher, Belinda, over for dinner…with one twist. Kristen suggested that Belinda do the cooking and teach Kristen how to cook Chinese food! When Belinda arrived and started cooking, Kristen wanted to make sure to write down how much of what ingredient to use (in America, we call this a recipe!!). Kristen soon realized that this would be a hopeless task. You see, the Chinese people have a different style of cooking that we like to describe as “a dash of this, a pinch of that, and a fistful of whatever else looks good.” Although Kristen left the cooking session with a few scribbles on a small piece of paper, the meal was delicious and they had a wonderful time of visiting—in Chinese and English, no less! It doesn’t get any better than having a Chinese cooking class and a Chinese language class rolled into one!
As always, please let us know if there is anything we can be lifting up on your behalf, and we look forward to updating you again next month. **The attached picture is of us at the Singapore Botanic Gardens.**
In His Love,
Dave and Kristen
Ps. 63:1-5
McMemo: Special "Addition"
We are so excited to share with you that we have a Baby McCurdy on the way! Kristen just completed her first trimester and continues to feel great! We are thrilled and humbled at this opportunity and blessing the Father has given us to be parents! Due on August 20, our next appointment is in April in Beijing, and we will be able to find out the gender of the baby at that time! We can’t wait to share that with you as well!
Also, thank you for continuing to pr’y for our upcoming decision. The Father has been so faithful to give us a clear direction in this area, but there are some details still to be worked out. Please pry that the details would come together, and stay tuned for the “official” decision in the McMemo at the end of this month.
Thank you for sharing in our joy,
Dave, Kristen, and Baby McCurdy
P.S. We will be out of town for Chinese New Year Feb. 11-19, so if you e-mail us during that time, please have a little extra patience concerning our response time.
Also, thank you for continuing to pr’y for our upcoming decision. The Father has been so faithful to give us a clear direction in this area, but there are some details still to be worked out. Please pry that the details would come together, and stay tuned for the “official” decision in the McMemo at the end of this month.
Thank you for sharing in our joy,
Dave, Kristen, and Baby McCurdy
P.S. We will be out of town for Chinese New Year Feb. 11-19, so if you e-mail us during that time, please have a little extra patience concerning our response time.
McMemo: January 2007 Edition
HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR FROM THE MCCURDYS!
Please rejoice with us this month:
Special Time With Rose—As you may know from our last McMemo, the Father recently led us to open our home and hearts to a precious four-year-old Chinese girl named Rose who came to live with us for three weeks (December 23-January 14) while her new foster family (another couple on our team) was in America. What a special blessing she was to us (and still is, as we get to see her quite often!). We can’t thank you enough for your pry’rs on our behalf during this time! We definitely saw the Father working in wonderful ways as a result of them! It was amazing to experience Him being made strong in our weakness (and tiredness!) and granting extra measures of energy, patience, and abounding love for this special child of His! Regarding specific requests we had mentioned, Rose’s transitions (both to our home and back to her foster family) went amazingly well! I guess you could say it was “beyond what we could ask or imagine.” Also, her ear infection/fever went away shortly after she came to us, she only had bad dreams for two nights of the three weeks she was with us, and she has been able to meet with a lady on our team twice a week who has a background in counseling (this has been extremely helpful for Rose). Praise Him for hearing and answering pry’r! Please continue to remember Rose with us as we pr’y that “the Father would watch over her and be her shade at her right hand, that He will keep her from all harm and watch over her life, and that He will watch over her coming and going both now and forevermore (Psalm 121:5-8).” We have attached a picture with this McMemo of us and Rose, but you can also click on the link below to view more pictures of our special time together!
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=2BZNmLds1YsJO
Dave’s Travel to America—Thank you for lifting up Dave’s travels to America these past two weeks. Although he will not return until this Thursday, Feb. 1, we thought we would share with you the answers to pry’r thusfar. His flight to America was great—on time and even an extra seat between him and the man next to him on the plane! That extra half a seat can make a big difference on a 13 hour flight! His tax conference in Dallas, meetings at our U.S. headquarters in Atlanta, and connecting with family and friends also went very well! Thank you again for your pry’rs! Please continue to remember him as his return flight to China departs from Dallas this Wednesday at 8:05 a.m. (your time). Kristen is very excited for his return! J
Please remember us this coming month:
Upcoming Decision—Please continue to remember us in the coming couple of weeks as we seek the Father’s leading in where He wants us for the future. Our contract with LDi officially ends this summer, and although we will be back in America either way at that time (to visit or to stay), we are considering what the bigger next step should be. Please continue to ask that His Word would be a lamp to our feet and a light to our path, that we would sense a clear leading one way or the other, and that we would have a united heart in the decision that is made. We would like to be able to make a firm decision by early Feb. once Dave returns from America. We will update you ASAP.
Chinese New Year, Feb. 18, 2007—It’s time to celebrate the Year of the Pig!! Legend has it that in ancient times, Buddha asked all the animals to come and meet him on Chinese New Year. Twelve animals came, and Buddha named a year after each one (so every twelve years, the cycle of animals starts over)! Chinese New Year is also called “Chun Jie” which literally means “Spring Festival,” and it is a festival celebrated by Chinese people all over the world! It is the longest and most important celebration in the Chinese lunar calendar and has the same level of importance and excitement for them as Christmas has for Americans. In China, people may take weeks of holiday from work to prepare for and celebrate the New Year. Because this festival marks the beginning of Spring according to the lunar calendar, many Chinese will clean their houses thoroughly to rid it of bad luck or evil in preparation for the New Year. Also, on New Year’s Eve (Feb. 17), many generations of family members will come together for a feast at the family home. They will work together to make “jiao zi,” meat and vegetable filled dumplings. At midnight they will set off fireworks in order to scare away any bad luck or evil spirits for the coming year. After the fireworks, they will all come inside and eat the dumplings. The children will receive small red envelopes with “lucky money” inside. Also, red paper cuts of the animal that governs that year (Oink! Oink!) will be posted on the doors of houses, along with red paper cuts of the Chinese character for blessing (the character is hung upside down to symbolize that blessing will be poured out on the family/home). The red color symbolizes fire, which according to legend can also drive away bad luck. Please ask that people will recognize our Elder Brother as the One from Whom true blessing is poured out; that people would trust only in Him as their source of protection and peace in the coming year; and that we may be a light to those we spend time with during this special Chinese holiday.
Chinese New Year Travels—Among the masses of Chinese people returning home for the holiday, we will also be traveling in Asia with four other people from our team to celebrate the Chinese New Year! We are looking forward to a good time of fellowship with our teammates, a time of refreshment, and seeing a new part of Asia! Please ask that we would have safe travel and as well as sensitivity to those opportunities He may give us to share with people we meet along the way!
Building Relationships—
Aaron: You may remember our neighbor, Aaron, a single guy in his late 30’s from Australia who moved into the apartment building across from us back in June. When we first had him over for dinner, he was interested to know about what we believed and was anxious to tell us about what he believed as well (we found out that his past experiences with Christn’s have not been very positive). We recently learned, through a conversation that Kristen had with Aaron, that he is very interested in becoming Budd’ist, and has been learning about Budd’ism by reading books and even visiting a few of the temples in town. He said that his “search for peace/security” has been brought on by the fact that he will turn 40 this year and wants to find some answers to what life is all about. Kristen was able to share the Truth of what our Elder Brother did for us and how much He loves us. When Kristen asked if he had a Good Book, Aaron said that he had one in Chinese that he is able to read if he wants (due to his Chinese studies, he really is that skilled in understanding the language). Just before Christmas, Kristen saw him outside again and invited him to the Christmas Eve service taking place at the international fellowship we attend on Sundays. He politely declined, and said he knew he was a “bad person” for not going. Again, Kristen had the opportunity to address this misconception he had. Please ask that Aaron’s heart would be softened to accept that “trying to be good” is not what life is all about, and that he would turn his life over to our Elder Brother.
JJust for Fun!J
During Dave’s stay at the hotel where his conference was held, he needed assistance from housekeeping for a fairly urgent matter in his room. When the front desk wasn’t sending anyone up, he noticed a housekeeping lady in the room next door to his. Being the smart man that he is, Dave was quick to figure out that she only spoke Spanish, but as he tried to communicate with her, the only foreign language he could produce was Chinese! After a bit of hand gesturing and some Spanglish here and there, he was able to get the matter taken care of! As the saying goes (or sort of goes): You can take a foreigner out of China, but you can’t take the China out of him!
As always, please let us know if there is anything we can be lifting up on your behalf, and we look forward to updating you again next month.
In His Love,
Dave and Kristen
Ps. 63:1-5
Please rejoice with us this month:
Special Time With Rose—As you may know from our last McMemo, the Father recently led us to open our home and hearts to a precious four-year-old Chinese girl named Rose who came to live with us for three weeks (December 23-January 14) while her new foster family (another couple on our team) was in America. What a special blessing she was to us (and still is, as we get to see her quite often!). We can’t thank you enough for your pry’rs on our behalf during this time! We definitely saw the Father working in wonderful ways as a result of them! It was amazing to experience Him being made strong in our weakness (and tiredness!) and granting extra measures of energy, patience, and abounding love for this special child of His! Regarding specific requests we had mentioned, Rose’s transitions (both to our home and back to her foster family) went amazingly well! I guess you could say it was “beyond what we could ask or imagine.” Also, her ear infection/fever went away shortly after she came to us, she only had bad dreams for two nights of the three weeks she was with us, and she has been able to meet with a lady on our team twice a week who has a background in counseling (this has been extremely helpful for Rose). Praise Him for hearing and answering pry’r! Please continue to remember Rose with us as we pr’y that “the Father would watch over her and be her shade at her right hand, that He will keep her from all harm and watch over her life, and that He will watch over her coming and going both now and forevermore (Psalm 121:5-8).” We have attached a picture with this McMemo of us and Rose, but you can also click on the link below to view more pictures of our special time together!
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=2BZNmLds1YsJO
Dave’s Travel to America—Thank you for lifting up Dave’s travels to America these past two weeks. Although he will not return until this Thursday, Feb. 1, we thought we would share with you the answers to pry’r thusfar. His flight to America was great—on time and even an extra seat between him and the man next to him on the plane! That extra half a seat can make a big difference on a 13 hour flight! His tax conference in Dallas, meetings at our U.S. headquarters in Atlanta, and connecting with family and friends also went very well! Thank you again for your pry’rs! Please continue to remember him as his return flight to China departs from Dallas this Wednesday at 8:05 a.m. (your time). Kristen is very excited for his return! J
Please remember us this coming month:
Upcoming Decision—Please continue to remember us in the coming couple of weeks as we seek the Father’s leading in where He wants us for the future. Our contract with LDi officially ends this summer, and although we will be back in America either way at that time (to visit or to stay), we are considering what the bigger next step should be. Please continue to ask that His Word would be a lamp to our feet and a light to our path, that we would sense a clear leading one way or the other, and that we would have a united heart in the decision that is made. We would like to be able to make a firm decision by early Feb. once Dave returns from America. We will update you ASAP.
Chinese New Year, Feb. 18, 2007—It’s time to celebrate the Year of the Pig!! Legend has it that in ancient times, Buddha asked all the animals to come and meet him on Chinese New Year. Twelve animals came, and Buddha named a year after each one (so every twelve years, the cycle of animals starts over)! Chinese New Year is also called “Chun Jie” which literally means “Spring Festival,” and it is a festival celebrated by Chinese people all over the world! It is the longest and most important celebration in the Chinese lunar calendar and has the same level of importance and excitement for them as Christmas has for Americans. In China, people may take weeks of holiday from work to prepare for and celebrate the New Year. Because this festival marks the beginning of Spring according to the lunar calendar, many Chinese will clean their houses thoroughly to rid it of bad luck or evil in preparation for the New Year. Also, on New Year’s Eve (Feb. 17), many generations of family members will come together for a feast at the family home. They will work together to make “jiao zi,” meat and vegetable filled dumplings. At midnight they will set off fireworks in order to scare away any bad luck or evil spirits for the coming year. After the fireworks, they will all come inside and eat the dumplings. The children will receive small red envelopes with “lucky money” inside. Also, red paper cuts of the animal that governs that year (Oink! Oink!) will be posted on the doors of houses, along with red paper cuts of the Chinese character for blessing (the character is hung upside down to symbolize that blessing will be poured out on the family/home). The red color symbolizes fire, which according to legend can also drive away bad luck. Please ask that people will recognize our Elder Brother as the One from Whom true blessing is poured out; that people would trust only in Him as their source of protection and peace in the coming year; and that we may be a light to those we spend time with during this special Chinese holiday.
Chinese New Year Travels—Among the masses of Chinese people returning home for the holiday, we will also be traveling in Asia with four other people from our team to celebrate the Chinese New Year! We are looking forward to a good time of fellowship with our teammates, a time of refreshment, and seeing a new part of Asia! Please ask that we would have safe travel and as well as sensitivity to those opportunities He may give us to share with people we meet along the way!
Building Relationships—
Aaron: You may remember our neighbor, Aaron, a single guy in his late 30’s from Australia who moved into the apartment building across from us back in June. When we first had him over for dinner, he was interested to know about what we believed and was anxious to tell us about what he believed as well (we found out that his past experiences with Christn’s have not been very positive). We recently learned, through a conversation that Kristen had with Aaron, that he is very interested in becoming Budd’ist, and has been learning about Budd’ism by reading books and even visiting a few of the temples in town. He said that his “search for peace/security” has been brought on by the fact that he will turn 40 this year and wants to find some answers to what life is all about. Kristen was able to share the Truth of what our Elder Brother did for us and how much He loves us. When Kristen asked if he had a Good Book, Aaron said that he had one in Chinese that he is able to read if he wants (due to his Chinese studies, he really is that skilled in understanding the language). Just before Christmas, Kristen saw him outside again and invited him to the Christmas Eve service taking place at the international fellowship we attend on Sundays. He politely declined, and said he knew he was a “bad person” for not going. Again, Kristen had the opportunity to address this misconception he had. Please ask that Aaron’s heart would be softened to accept that “trying to be good” is not what life is all about, and that he would turn his life over to our Elder Brother.
JJust for Fun!J
During Dave’s stay at the hotel where his conference was held, he needed assistance from housekeeping for a fairly urgent matter in his room. When the front desk wasn’t sending anyone up, he noticed a housekeeping lady in the room next door to his. Being the smart man that he is, Dave was quick to figure out that she only spoke Spanish, but as he tried to communicate with her, the only foreign language he could produce was Chinese! After a bit of hand gesturing and some Spanglish here and there, he was able to get the matter taken care of! As the saying goes (or sort of goes): You can take a foreigner out of China, but you can’t take the China out of him!
As always, please let us know if there is anything we can be lifting up on your behalf, and we look forward to updating you again next month.
In His Love,
Dave and Kristen
Ps. 63:1-5
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