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
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