Time flies when you’re having fun
When Stephanie and I launched this site, we imagined regular and easy updates. Yet here we are in April, realizing how much time has passed since our last one. So I wanted to take a moment to bring you up to speed on the past couple of months.
We have truly settled in at Songtan Central Baptist Church, and the Lord continues to provide testimony after testimony of what He is doing in our church. In January, we had 18 individuals complete our new members class, and in February they were joyfully welcomed into membership. At the beginning of March, we also appointed three new deacons to serve the church.
This weekend, as we celebrate Easter, we will gather for a sunrise service at 6:00am, followed by our regular 10:00am service, and a joint baptism service with our Korean congregation. At that service, three believers from our English ministry will publicly profess their faith through baptism. Praise God for this wonderful news!
In March, our family had the opportunity to travel to Okinawa, Japan, for the Asian Baptist Network Conference. This network consists of 12 Southern Baptist churches across Asia that partner through the Hawaii Pacific Baptist Association. The conference was hosted by Koza Baptist Church, and it was a great encouragement to connect with pastors and IMB missionaries who are faithfully working to share Christ throughout Asia. We also enjoyed exploring Okinawa—including a visit to the aquarium—and appreciated the warm weather.
June and Joanna are both doing very well in school. Joanna attends a Korean 어린이집 (daycare), where she has begun making friends and learning the language. June attends a 유치원 (preschool) and has grown significantly in her understanding of Korean language and culture. We are also homeschooling June, teaching her to read in English, and are grateful to be part of a wonderful homeschool co-op here in Songtan (shoutout to our CC family!).
This week, as we prepare for Easter, our Korean congregation has been hosting special evening services each night. These gatherings have deeply encouraged my soul as we pray together and seek to grow in Christlikeness in preparation for celebrating the resurrection.
Lastly, I want to share how proud I am of Stephanie. From the moment we arrived in Korea, she has modeled strength and grace through the challenges of an international move. She has been intentional in evangelism, inviting many English speakers to our church. In recent weeks, she has also begun serving alongside church members to care for local mothers and children in need.
How Can You Pray for Us?
Pray for James as he continues to lead and shepherd the church.
Pray for our whole family as we grow in Korean language learning.
Pray for Stephanie as she homeschools and serves faithfully.
Pray for June and Joanna as they learn to love Korea and understand our purpose here.
Pray for us as we miss dear friends and family back home.
Pray for English speakers in Korea to come to know Christ as Lord and Savior.
Pray for U.S. service members around the world—and those in our church—as they navigate the tensions of our world.
