Converge Goes to Southeast Asia

For Linda

2010-08-12T01:02:00.001-07:00

I wish I had been more intentional about taking pics of your beautiful boy. He's a sweet and happy little guy and seems to have adapted well in Malaysia and Vietnam.

Making Friends

2010-08-12T00:57:00.001-07:00

It’s easy to make friends in Vietnam. We’ve made friends with Tuy, our hotel receptionist. Cong, our taxi driver in Phu Quoc. A street vendor, (didn’t get her name) that we spent a good chunk of time talking to last night as we ate what I call banana jerky from her stand. She starts working at 8 in the morning and ends around 10pm. She makes an average of $2 (USD) a day, and only sees her family (that lives in the central part of Vietnam) for one month a year during Tet.

Though we’ve only been on our own for a week in Vietnam, I’ve seen just how easy it is to talk to people. (Well, for Hieu to talk to people, I need to really get this language thing down). But it still hits me hard knowing that in just a short time, one can only really have a surface level conversation. It’d take a considerable amount of time to get deeper. To know their joys and struggles and to share our hope, the truly good news, with them.

This trip is truly eye opening. Though I feel like I cannot really make much of an eternal impact this trip, I see so many needs. I see so many ways to pray. And I definitely see Hieu and I returning again in the future, for a much longer stay.

Goodbye Montezuma!

2010-08-09T18:51:00.000-07:00

Quick update-

I'm feeling a LOT better! Thnanks for your prayers. We're on the island of Phu Quoc right now. Don't have much time to update, but I just wanted to say thanks for your prayers. It feels so good to feel good!

-Katie

Montezuma's Revenge

2010-08-08T01:49:00.000-07:00

Two days ago, the team and us (Katie and Hieu) parted ways. They are in Thailand now while we're still in Vietnam, exploring and experiencing the city. Parting ways has been harder than I imagined it would be.

I was showing beginning signs of "Montezuma's Revenge" (google that if you don't know what I'm talking about) the day the team left. I felt so wonderful physically in Malaysia and the first few days of Vietnam that I dropped my guard. I started drinking tea with ice, putting vegetables in my soups and eating everything put in front of me. I figured that since we're in District 1 (the touristy district of Vietnam) that pretty much all food is safe.

Its been a few days now since my friend Montezuma joined me, and I'm wiped. I have waves of gurgles in my tummy that keep me in fear, a headache that wont go away, and total exhaustion. I'm trying to drink more water to stay hydrated, but its hard to feel thirsty in such a humid environment.

Right now I'm feeling down. It feels like once we parted ways with the rest of the SEAM team, we lost purpose and intentionality. We no longer have a schedule, we aren't meeting up with any brothers and sisters and we haven't even continued the devotionals. This is me just being authentic right now. I'm frustrated at myself because I feel like we could be doing SO MUCH MORE- visiting the tunnels, the Mekong delta, the countryside, if I had more stamina. We could be having more intentional conversations with people. I viewed this part of the trip being the "vision" part- where I get to really experience and absorb Vietnam, but my brain feels fuzzy and detached.

Despite all this, I am really enjoying Vietnam, believe it or not. Though I'm discouraged a bit, I'm thrilled to be here. I just wish my body could be as thrilled as my mind. Not to mention, Hieu has been incredibly understanding and gracious with me not feeling up to speed.

So I'm asking you all for prayer. Please please pray that I'll get back to feeling 100%. Please pray that though we aren't "doing missions" that we can still be intentional in how we interact with each others and the locals. And of course, please continue to lift up the rest of the team in Thailand. Pray that they will continue to love each other and be unified, that they will encourage the Thai brothers and sisters, that they will also be intentional in all they say and do.

Love you all, and thanks for your prayers!

-Katie

(Waving goodbye to the SEAM Team)

Spirit Led...

2010-08-06T05:06:00.000-07:00

Last night our group went out to a delicious restaurant that specializes in bun bo hue. Our server was quite possibly the best server we've ever experienced. He worked his butt off, making sure our drinks were always filled, bringing out dish after dish so quickly, smiling so much and making sure our large group had whatever we wanted. He was sweating and running and just... an awesome hard-working server. Like I said- quite possibly the best.

Our group tipped him generously- 200,000 dong (about $10 bucks U.S.) which is a lot- considering that A- most people don't tip waiters in Vietnam, and B- a nice paying wage in Ho Chi Minh is only about $200 a month ($6.50 a day.) He probably makes even less than that, since he's a server and not in a highly skilled position.

This afternoon we were thinking of a place to eat lunch with our Vietnamese brothers and sisters. Thinh didn't get to eat with us last night because he had a BBQ with his family, so he wanted to check out this bun bo hue restaurant. Though we had already gone there last night, we decided to go again- just for Thinh.

We went back to the restaurant and our server was THRILLED to see us again. Even the other servers and cooks peeked their heads out, surprised and happy. The server pulled Hieu aside and explained that last night, he rang up one of our tables, but forgot to ring up our other table. He had to pay his tip money to the restaurant and still owed $400,000 dong ($40 bucks- a LOT of money!) to the restaurant. What a roller coaster night he must have had- first happy that he got a very nice tip, and then devastated that he ended up in debt to his employers.

So when we came back, you can imagine the excitement not only from him, but every worker in the restaurant. They couldn't believe we came back! What are the odds when there are so many delicious restaurants all over Ho Chi Minh?! We ate another delicious meal, payed the money owed from last night, payed back his tip from last night, and gave him another tip for his once again amazing service.

We've never seen a happier kid. He ran back and forth serving us, almost dancing as he ran. His smile never once left his face. Hieu told him that is was Jesus that brought us back to the restaurant today. As we left, some of the cooks and servers and even the manager came out, smiling, bowing and shaking our hands.

It is no lie that the Holy Spirit brought us back to the restaurant. We could have gone to another place but for some reason we were drawn back to this particular restaurant. He could have not been working today, or had an evening shift, but he was there.

A seed has been planted. God's care and faithfulness has been displayed. We pray that our will notice and experience Jesus Christ's love and faithfulness even more in the days/weeks/months to come.

^ the girls and our happy server ^

Highlights of Vietnam

2010-08-05T06:45:00.000-07:00

Here are a few visual highlights of our trip so far while in Vietnam:

1. Traffic. Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?

2. Worship. Such passion, joy and excitement!

3. Our "hotel" at the beach (we like to call it a "Bed and Breakfast", minus the breakfast- so it was really just a Bed) Hanging out on the roof, where Hieu and I decided to sleep for the night.

4. Our brothers and sisters! Their testimonies are so powerful!

5. Food!!! We are definitely well fed on this trip!

6. Mom. She is awesome and is taking care of so many of us! Here is a picture with her sister and Oliver. Ollie is doing great by the way. Happy, exploring, and becoming more comfortable being passed around.

7. Praying over Mom's plot of land. We prayed and sang songs in Vietnamese as a dedication for this land to be used for God's purposes. She envisions this place to one day be a retreat center for Vietnamese Christians to deeper in their faith, fellowship with other Christians and be trained further in the gospel.

8. View from the roof of Mom's old house. Absolutely stunning.

9. Motor bikes. Fun and exciting way of transportation.

10. Meeting Sabastian's family. Awesome.

There's just so much more. We're having a great time, thanks again to all you that are praying!

what song is this in english?

2010-08-05T03:59:00.000-07:00

TRANSFORMATION, is it possible???

2010-08-04T20:52:00.000-07:00

TRANSFORMATION!!!!

In the early 1970s, Werner Erhard introduced the breakthrough notion of "transformation":

“A clear distinction between change within an existing world view or frame of reference, and creating an entirely new world view.”

How long does it take for “change/transformation” to happen? Is it gradually then suddenly? Is it in a blink of an eye?

I have learned to reframe my question on this trip! It’s no longer how long does it take. Its, “for who is the change/transformation for?”. Then timing is not the issues, it can happen in a blink of an eye, as were experiencing here in Asia. The issue then is will you invite personal transformation and the pain of it for someone, something, somebody, a purpose greater then yourself?

Transformation is painful because you will no longer be operating out of the same old system. You will be fumbling through a new system that is being created the deeper you go into the transformation. (more on this at another time).

I have seen this happen over and over with the team.

First, Thinh has broken through a challenge I have challenged him with for a while now. To be abandon and not care what others think? He made the “Kids” were serving bigger then himself and he abandoned himself for their sake. Thinh spoke in broken Vietnamese and wasn’t self-conscience about their thoughts of him. That gave him more intimacy with them as he broke through the simple, what’s your name, when are you going back to Vietnam from KL, how old are you, etc. Now Thinh, in his humility, through broken Vietnamese heard their pains, hope, dreams, he heard “them”. So much more….

Second, Hieu in a moment of trust and vulnerability shared how its easy for him to see the dark side of any situation. In fact, he had his “dream” come true and it turned into a “nightmare”, his words. He led a very creative bible study and it started going south as he asked dark questions that brought down the room’s energy. Vietnamese people like to play and laugh, Hieu got them to become more pessimistic and dark, what a gift he has!

I gave him feedback on my experience then another opportunity to share at the next speaking opportunity. Hieu made it about the Vietnamese “Kids” were sharing to and Hieu shifted to become this funny person with energy that captivated the group and they received his point with applause! It did take time for Hieu to shift, it took a commitment to others, something greater then himself for him to abandon comfortbility.

Third, Katie! Wow, so much transformation in such a short time. Leading worship with a bunch of off key, tone deaf, and lyrically challenged team members. I can write pages on Katie’s shift. Due to time, I’ll touch on one part. I’ve seen her shift from having to “know” what is going on, when its going on, how its going on, etc. she went to “He knows” and she surrendered. This is not an easy transformation, to give up control. And I saw Katie you this more each day as the team, “Kids”, and others become bigger then her.

Lastly, Kaleb has miraculously transformed in a blink of an eye. He is choosing to spend time with uncle Thinh, who he hasn’t ever desired to before. Kaleb would normally like to spend time with the “fun” uncles and play and make life about himself. I see he is choosing uncle Thinh because Thinh is our leader. Thinh is putting himself out there serving us and Kaleb’s natural leadership gifts are coming out. Kaleb is absorbing our bible studies like and adult would. Kaleb’s answers are profound and deep not for a 10yr old but for even adult to have! He is serving when opportunities arise and doing things for others that he normally ask he brothers to do for him. He is choosing to talk about others, the circumstance and what God is doing instead of himself and what he wants to do. It is frightening to see is instant maturity and still see they boyish characters in him.

One night I was crying as I shared my testimony in Vietnamese for the first time. Kaleb got up not caring what others thought, made his way through the crowd and stood by the stage ready… Uncle Thinh asked Kaleb what he was about to do, Kaleb said, “I felt my dad needed a hug” and he was standing at the bottom of the stage ready with all the peoples eyes on him and he not caring what others thought. This is big for Kaleb as he is a “socializer” and normally concerns about others approval.

Transformation can happen gradually then suddenly, immediately, over an extended amount of time. The length of time is not the issue; it’s the commitment to transformation. Commitment to make others, a vision, an opportunity, something to be bigger then your self, your self-preservation!

Then you will be able to experience:

“A clear distinction between change within an existing world view or frame of reference, and creating an entirely new world view.” Werner Erhard

sorry got to run, edit it later... SABASTIAN

2010-08-04T03:17:00.000-07:00

everyone having a first experience! this time it is singing in Vietnamese, at least that is what they said they were doing?

i preached for the first time in Vietnamese, at least that is what came out of my mouth,i think? not sure if they were crying because the message was so powerful or my Vietnamese hurt their ears. the later is probably more realistic!

most incredible experiences when were willing to be vulnerable and dive into new opportunities as we serve others! sabastian

Owen's thoughts

2010-08-03T15:28:00.000-07:00

I saw Jesus in my brother Thong. He is a man of God! God has blessed him with testimonies after testimonies to share with others and to bless others with them! I believe it's Thong's faith that makes others see Jesus in him. I can say that I was truly blessed by my brother! I 'll share how I saw Jesus in him @ report night and I want to share this with you before I sign off. He traveled 40+ hours by bus to come to see us from Hanoi and he'll make the same trip back after we leave! It touched me so much and I wondered when was the last time that I did that for a friend that I only met twice before? I don't think he makes $100 US a month and he wanted to pay $30 US for our taxi ride from airport to show appreciation for us to come to see him and the brothers and sisters in Saigon! He doesn't have much and he is giving all he has! Can't wait to spend more time with him today and get to know him even more!

Touchdown

2010-08-03T03:16:00.000-07:00

We arrived with relatively smooth travels to Ho Chi Minh yesterday evening. We got to explore the cỉty a little today, and will be leaving for a service in just a few minutes. Don't have time to update much, but I thought I'd touch base with you all so you know we're safe and sound.

Praise God:

-Josh's rash is GONE!
-Vincent is able to make quite a few great connections at the conference he's attending- he's hoping these connections will help to serve the Vietnamese migrant workers in Malaysia looking for work when they return to Vietnam

Pray:
-Kaleb is starting to get a rash that looks similar to what Josh had
-We only had a short time in Vietnam, pray that in this short time, we can build relationships and encourage our brother's and sisters
-I (Katie) have been experiencing a little bit of anxiety since arriving in Vietnam. Not full blown anxiety attacks, but definitely a feeling of angst.

Will update more soon.

Photo Opportunity

2010-08-01T09:44:00.001-07:00

Julie and I wanted a picture together outside of the restaurant we ate at for lunch. We were about to take the picture when we decided we needed something "Asian" in the picture... Our new friends! We grabbed a few and got in a group shot.

After that shot, a few more wanted in on the action...

Suddenly, everyone from every corner started running up, jumping out of their car and wanting to get in on this photo op...

Never has a group picture been so easy or so fun.

Joy

2010-08-01T08:38:00.000-07:00

Today's theme word: JOY.

Since I last updated, we've participated in 3 church services. The pure joy, excitement and passion we've experienced is beyond the scope of what I can put into words. It's overwhelmingly fun to see and participate in the completely abandoned worship with these Vietnamese migrant believers. It'd take me way too long to detail each of the services, so I'll stick to one.

Last night was our first service. As I mentioned in our last post, I was asked to lead a few songs in English before I handed off the guitar. I chose songs that I assumed would be known in Vietnamese as well- Lord I lift Your Name on High, Awesome God, How Great Thou Art and Above All (Mom made us learn that song in Vietnamese while we were still preparing in the States.) As we began to worship, I was blown away by the joy and participation of everyone in the room. I sang in English, but the rest of the room overpowered me, singing and worshiping in Vietnamese at the same time. It was amazing. I could literally feel the presence of the Holy Spirit heavy in the room, and I even had a hard time singing the last song because I was filled with so much emotion. It was beautiful. I didn't think anything in the world could get much better than that moment... I had no idea what more was in store.

When I handed over the guitar to the Vietnamese worship leader, it felt like the room exploded. As he began to play and sing worship songs, the room filled with loud and passionate praise and dancing. People were singing at the very top of their lungs, jumping, dancing, clapping, raising hands in love for Jesus. Every face had the HUGEST smile I had ever seen. Although we didn't understand the words, we knew we were all worshiping Jesus together. It felt as though heaven had descended on earth for this time of worship. Every one of us on the SEAM team learned a little something about what it means to have childlike faith, and to "dance as David danced" last night. Never have I been so carefree, abandoned and excited in my worship. Never have I danced and sweat so much in worship. Their passion for worship transformed me, and I will forever cherish last night's experience.

After worship, Hieu practiced the "playground principle" by leading the study. (For non-"Convergers" that don't know our jargon, the playground principle is that we can experience and try something new, and even if we fall, we get back up and keep playing.) You could tell at first he had some jitters, but he did an excellent job and really got everyone involved. Julie and Vincent lead the way by sharing their testimonies. Others came up and shared stories of leaving Vietnam for Malaysia to work, missing their family, their disappointments, and also their gratitude for the opportunity to hear about Jesus and come to know him here. It was an awesome time of sharing.

Praise:
-In this evening's church service, Sabastian preached and several gave their life to Jesus for the first time!! Many other believers also decided to rededicate their lives.
-Many of us have had some wonderful conversations with these Vietnamese migrant workers- not only have we encouraged them, but they've really encouraged/enlightened us (I think Thinh may be blogging soon...)
-We've all stayed well! Josh's rash is continuing to run its course, but other than that, no major illnesses that have taken anyone out of commission
-No fighting! We're tired and sometimes irritable with each other, but thanks to your prayers, we are able to set this aside and respect and love each other. (On a side note, the first "fight" goes to Josh and Hieu! Haha. Hieu said Josh's Vietnamese middle name means pink, and started calling him "pinkie." Josh wasn't amused, and told Hieu he lost his rank as a favorite uncle. He kept falling lower and lower on the "list" until Josh exclaimed he wasn't even on the list anymore. Ouch! But, they made up and enjoyed some fun time in the pool and eating ice cream. Hieu's back on the list again. For now.)

Prayer
-Several people gave their life to Christ tonight! Pray they will stay connected with other believers and grow in their new faith
-Tomorrow evening we take off for Vietnam. Please pray for safe travels
-Josh's rash is continuing to run its course, but its still around, and the heat and humidity is making it particularly itchy and uncomfortable.
-Pray for continued unity and health. We're starting to see cracks of exhaustion creep in- which can affect both emotional and physical health.

Love you all! Thanks for reading, praying and commenting! (Eric and Ange, your comments have been super encouraging to us!)

Here we are!

2010-07-31T01:05:00.001-07:00

It's Day 2... Or is is Day 3? I'm still a little confused to what day it is, how long I've been traveling, and what time I should be eating (all the time, preferably)

The first leg of the trip went wonderfully smooth with very little hiccups. Hieu and I were offered emergency exit seats so we got a lot of leg room. Hieu konked out and slept a solid 8 hours or so, while I switched back and forth from sleeping and reading The Shack. The rest of the team seemed to get rest here and there, and little Oliver seemed to stay happy the whole time. He's such a great little traveller! The Huynh boys didn't get much sleep- definitely enjoying the games and movies the airplane had to offer.

We arrived in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia late in the afternoon, and got to enjoy a bit of time at the hotel- showering and feeling very refreshed. That evening we went over to Mom's house (a safe house for Vietnamese migrant workers to live while in transition) and enjoyed a delicious meal of curry prepared for us. We were all completely exhausted- with people fighting to stay awake to enjoy dinner and conversation.

This morning we returned to Mom's house for a time of worship and devotions. I think this has been the most beautiful part of the trip so far. We all talked about ways we avoid God and community, and what it would look like if we draw near to him and not allow fear or shame to dictate our relationship with him. We went in a circle and shared, and when it came time for some of the Vietnamese guys at the house, they just lit u p the conversation with passion and fire. We have 4 "Vietnamese" speakers- Thinh, Hieu, Sabasatian and Donna, and between all them, we pretty much got the jist of what they were saying. I'm sure a lot was lost in translation, but what wasn't lost was their sense of passion, love and excitement for God. What an example they are to us!

We were then treated us to another delicious meal. We enjoyed crab, rice, soup, fried pork and fresh green beans. It's humbling to us that though they don't have much, they so dearly want to bless us with an abundance of wonderful food.

This evening we will be holding a church service. This is going to be a fun and exciting night! Hieu will be leading a Bible study, Vincent and Julie will be sharing their testimonies, and I will be leading worship- with the kids bringing up the energy level with hand motions. We'll do some high energy songs in English, then one or two bi-lingual worship songs, and then pass the torch (or guitar) for one of the guys to lead in Vietnamese.

We pray that this will be a time that immensely blesses and encourages them. Though there are language and cultural barriers, we worship the same God. Christ is working in our lives, and in theirs, and for that, we can celebrate together!

Please pray that we can continue to build relationships and spur one another along in the faith.

Praise God for:

-Smooth travel

-Safety

-Health (Josh woke up the day of his trip with a rash all over his face. The doctor said he isn't contagious, and the rash will have to just run its course. It's gone from his face now and is on his back and legs. We were thinking it'd be about 2 weeks for it to run its course, but it seems to be going much faster! Pray that it continues to flush itself out, so Josh can enjoy the trip without much discomfort)

-Awesome time of building relationships

Thanks for following along and praying!

Katie

Vincent's Thoughts

2010-07-31T00:17:00.000-07:00

Vincent here, summarizing the first leg of the trip...

Southeast Asia Mission Day 1:

The group parted ways with Owen and Winnie as we landed in Taipei. They will rejoin us in Saigon after being part of Stream of Praise Taipei Concerts. The rest of us enjoyed fresh made dumplings at the airport at 7am, then boarded our flight to KUL. The demographic mix on this flight is very different than the first leg of LAX-TPE. There were many Vietnamese on the first leg as they connect in TPE to Vietnam. TPE-KUL was filled with Taiwanese on tour group to Malaysia. The team is noticeably tired from the 20 hour journey.

I'm eager to see Luong and others as this has been the longest break I've had between visits since summer break. Mom and I visited in December of last year and I remember how neat it was seeing the young leaders take care of everything Mom used to do. She is gifted at evangelism and discipleship. She also demonstrates love and wisdom as a grandma. Oliver, her grandson, is with us, and I get tired just watching all his energy. Mom is able to keep him distracted from crying and he's stayed relatively manageable through the whole trip. I'm marveled at God's plan- He used a near death illness to bring Linda, Ollie's mom, back to Him. And in the process, changed Mom's role from field missionary to grandma, taking care of her son's family. It has allowed me to see her frequently by driving 10 minutes, instead of flying over half the world. He also used this time to lead Chiffon back home, via mom's detailed answering of all her questions. Now Chiffon is on her first trip, and she is not even baptized! Praise God!

Taiwan SOP Concert

2010-07-30T13:05:00.000-07:00

Owen and Winnie here from Taipei =)
It is just amazing what God is doing in Taiwan! I know just about a year ago the idea of SOP (Stream of Priase) Worship Ministry holding a concert in Taipei Areana seemed impossible! It costs quater of a million US $ for a day! Yesterday Winnie and I finished our prayer walk through the arena and as we stood on stage, it seemed just so surreal to us. With God, nothing is impossibe, Amen? Today, 20,000 people including both sets of my parents, my aunt and grandma will either strengthen their relationship with Jesus or make a decision to come to know Christ! It's going to be a 12+ hour day for Winnie and I and the whole SOP team, pray for strength, high energy, hearts to align/serve and above all else, pray for God's will to be done!

How's the SEAM team doing in Malaysia? See you in couple of days in Vietnam!

Here we go...

2010-07-28T19:48:00.000-07:00

Man, this trip came up fast!! Tonight we'll go to sleep in LA and wake up in Taiwan. (13 hours and 20 minutes later). We'll try to find something to entertain us for 3 hours in the airport and hop on a plane to Kuala Lumper, Malaysia. 4 hours and 35 minutes later we'll land and the fun begins.

Please pray that we have a smooth flight, that we all get rest and our luggage meets us at the same time we arrive in Malaysia. We're spending such a quick stint in Malaysia that lost luggage would be quite an... adventure.

Please also pray for Oliver. Oliver is about 2 years old and is "mom's" grandson. He'll be joining us during the trip- which means he'll be away from his mom, dad and older brother. He has a special bond with mom, but it still may be quite an adjustment for him to be in a very new, very different environment (+ a VERY long flight!) without the rest of his family. While you're at it, pray for his family too- I'm sure they will miss him a lot (especially his mom!)

Thanks again to so many of you that are making this trip possible through financial support and prayer coverage. The next post you get, we'll be in ASIA!!! WOO YEAH!

Support Letters: More Than Just About Money

2010-07-27T02:04:00.000-07:00

Julie here...

From a scale of 1 to 10, I can honestly say I am only putting in 5 with my effort to raise for support. I hesitate to send out letters, and I definitely feel uncomfortable asking for financial help. Today, I learned that support letters are more than "support-me-letters". They actually invite the non-Christians to ask me (and challenge me) questions about Christian faith.

I met up with my cousin and best friend over lunch today. They are both non-believers and asked me questions about the missions trip. As a result of them being inquisitive, I began sharing the freedom and forgiveness I am experiencing in my life and that Christianity is not about performances like most other religions. I clarified with them, to the best of my ability, missions trips are not like any other volunteering trips because we're not there to fix people or tell people what to do, we're there to share how bad we are but God still loves us!

I'm sad that we Christians today are known to judge, known to exclude, and known to say only the no's, but what an awesome conversation!! Who knew my support letters would invite them to talk about God? Who knew sharing about my own testimony would help them remain intellectually honest about religion?

My heart just overflows with joy and amazement! Philippians 4:13!!

Love,

Julie

*Mackenzie Thrope Art

Above All in Vietnames, WE HOPE?

2010-07-27T01:05:00.000-07:00

LISTEN AT OUR OWN RISK!!!

Lemonade for Sale !!!

2010-07-27T00:54:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone -- this is Donna.

My kids have been wanting to help raise money for us to go on this Missions trip too. Especially after seeing the Fundraiser the night before. They were super excited. I have to say that after a fun night I was tired and didn't want to do anything the day after. I knew that I would be the one doing most of the work. But I realized that this would be the last weekend before we leave for our trip --where has the time gone? We made lemonade and cookies to sell in front of our house and it was AMAZING !!! My oldest son Kaleb went around the neighborhood and gathered neighborhood kids to help. They set up a table, made signs, and was able to tell all the people about our Missions Trip. They raised $31 towards our trip. It's not the $31 that made it so amazing but their hearts. And their ability to share with people with confidence about the Missions Trip. I'm sooo blessed to be able to share this experience with them -- from Fundraiser to Serving. Please continue to pray for our family.

SEAM's Too Good To Be True

2010-07-24T13:15:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, this is Thinh. Below are some pictures from last night’s Vietnamese Dinner/Poker Fundraiser, and my five favorite things about this missions trip…so far.

1. Worship – I love the worship time. We sing songs, really get centered on God and why we would even go on this trip in the first place and Katie is an awesome worship leader, not to mention old school, which means we get to rock out to “Awesome God” and “As the Dear” and “Shout to the Lord.” We’re bringing back Rich Mullins, yeah!!!

2. Fundraising – Or as we like to call it “fun-raising”. Below are pictures of our Vietnamese Dinner/Poker Fundraiser. It was incredibly fun (needless to say), connected a lot of our Converge community with different communities, the conversations (which are the relationship) lasted until 2:00 AM, and really provided a shot in the arm for team unity…and this is just our pre-trip fundraising, wait till we get back! There will be post-trip fundraising report night as well…Silent Auction? I don’t think Sabastian could participate in this! Poker Night Part II? SEAM Team Swimsuit Calendar? You’ll have to wait and see!!!

3. Converge – I want to say that Converge folks have really, really, really stepped up to support us. I’m not just talking financially, although that has been HUGE!!! Tiffany has cooked us a couple of DELICIOUS meals and Esther has been at our meetings, training and preparing us for conflict resolution (with Sabastian). She helped us write our testimonies, she’s putting together a prayer chain and collecting our emergency information. You two are an integral part of this team, and even though you won’t be traveling with us, I appreciate your contributions so much. Thank you.

4. The SEAM Team – Ya’ll have really stepped up. I had my doubts in the beginning, but ever since Winnie, our prayer coordinator made a prayer request regarding team unity, I really feel us starting to gel. We laugh so much together that Katie can’t stop smiling. She’s even created this blog so we can share our thoughts with you all. Thank you to Donna, the ultimate host, and Sab for pointing me in the right direction, leading devotions on the trip and for taking care of Thailand logistics, Hieu for helping out at the fundraiser and being the videographer, and really everyone, Vincent, Mom, Owen, Julie, Chiffon, Seth, Josh & Kaleb who are doing their part, but even more than that, I feel are willing to do whatever it takes, an attitude that will come in quite handy when we’re off doing God knows what!

5. Supporters – Holy crap! I wanted anyone and everyone to know what God is doing in SE Asia, and so I sent anyone and everyone a support letter. And ya’ll have responded in a huge way. I don’t take lightly being a great steward of what ya’ll contribute to what God is doing in SE Asia and I promise you’ll have a full report on my return. I am humbled by your generosity, I feel loved, and beyond this trip, I feel confident in stepping out from behind myself into even bigger things that God is calling me into because of the support of you all, my community. I love you guys.

Poker Night - Oh What a Night!

2010-07-24T12:01:00.000-07:00

SEAMERers,

Thanks to everyone who made Poker Night a success. We had over 30 guests show up and generated over $800 dollars in donations. Good job to those who came early to set up, the garage had plenty of room for 20+ players. Though Winnie & Owen could not have made the event, they still came a day prior to help set up the garage. Thank you guys for helping however you could. You guys are great!

Donna, you always amaze me by continually opening up your home as a safe-haven for Converge to experiment new ideas. This event couldn't have been such as a success without your willing heart to make your home available. You are awesome!

Thank you to Tiffany for ordering, picking up and distributing of the Vietnamese food. Before everyone left, most of the leftover food was gobbled up. So all your hard work and even frustrations with the eggrolls paid off in the end. Thank you Sabastian for being your social self, making people feel comfortable and at ease. I know that all my Midway friends had a blast... even Christina (the white girl) who lost all her poker chips to you. You make a good pitboss, but a better casino player. :)

Thanks to Joshua for being an awesome security guard. He was ruthless, lot letting people leave and come back, unless given permission by him. He guarded the money and the netbook with his life. He is a force reckon with... dont mess with Joshua!

I want to give a special thanks to Thinh, Julie & Katie for going the extra mile to dress up and act the part of dealer and waitress. You helped make the event more fun for our guests by acting your part and just being willing to let go of your inhibitions. Thinh, you were a great sport by wearing that dalmatian vest and sexy bow-tie. Katie & Julie, you two looked great in those ao dais, and really brought the Vietnamese flava into our casinos.

And last but not least, thank you to Esther who kickstarted this poker night. Your availability to help the SEAM team out whenever you can is inspiring. You were there from the beginning planning until the end. Thanks for just being who you are.

I really think that this event drew our team closer together as we all did our parts for the whole of the team. Yes, there could have been many chances to complain, but we all had positive attitudes and remained calm during times of stress. Thanks again for everything!

-Hieu

Katie here...

2010-07-22T12:34:00.000-07:00

This time next week, we will be en route to Malaysia. I can’t believe how fast this trip it coming up! I had a shopping spree at Target yesterday and now I’m stocked on wet wipes, face wipes, hand sanitizer, and a bunch of other small travel goodies. I’m getting really excited, but of course, also a little bit nervous.

What is it that I’m nervous about? There are a few things- having a bad reaction to food, getting one of my signature anxiety attacks where I cramp up and have to go to the bathroom right away (tmi, I know…) but it all boils down to this:

The squatty potty. I’m so nervous about this. I have a particularly difficult time balancing in the squat position. I have a short Achilles tendon in both feet. It used to be so bad when I was a kid that it hurt to have my feet flat even when standing up. Months of physical therapy got me properly able to walk “heel-toe”, but I cannot squat without balancing on my toes. My fear: losing balance in the middle of my business. ::Shudder:: So you can keep that in your prayers if you are so inclined, “Dear Lord, please help Katie to be able to balance in the squatty potty.”

Moving on… Most of the team is continuing on to Thailand after spending time in Vietnam. Hieu and I, however, decided we want to spend a little more time in Vietnam, so we get a whole week to ourselves to do a little bit of exploration. Hieu asked me last night if there is anything I want to make sure I see or experience or eat. I thought to myself, and surprised him with my answer. I’d like to try…. dog.

(I was going to put up a picture, but I thought I’d spare the faint of heart…)

A whole new meaning to “hot dog.” When I was young, my parents taught me that I can’t say something is gross unless I’ve tried it. So now I’m on a prideful quest to be able to say “Oh, I’ve tried that.” A few years ago I started small; pigs feet, tripe, tongue, squid… After marrying Hieu I stepped up my game- balut (yum!), pigs blood, thousand year old egg (yum!), durian… I’ve also eaten chocolate covered crickets and spicy flavored meal worms. Few things have actually been gag-worthy. But there is still so much out there left to try. Most people shudder at the thought of eating dog. Mentally, it is sad to me, but I have to separate my mind from my taste-buds. So if I get a chance, I’ll let you know how that goes.

One more week! Thanks for following and keeping us in your prayers!

What we need the most

2010-07-19T08:58:00.000-07:00

Holy smokes! We're leaving in 11 days! While we're busy with last minute details- arranging for visas, booking flights within Asia, getting all necessary items together, raising funds, planning our poker night, and about a thousand other small things along the way, we don't want to forget our reason for going to Asia in the first place. This isn't a vacation (though there may be elements of rest and relaxation in the later part of the trip). We are going with the specific intention to join in what God is doing in Asia. We'll be meeting many people from Mom's ministry, encouraging believers, holding a few services, sharing testimonies, and making the invisible God visible. We're going with the intention to be God's hands, feet and mouthpiece. So what do we need more than anything else from you guys?

Prayer. Everyday. Every hour. Every time any one of us pops into your head. We need it. Without it, we are going into a battle unarmed. With it, we are being sent out fully guarded, armed and equipped. So please, consider committing to us and to God's work in this way over the next several weeks preparing for and being in Asia.

Here are a few general and specific prayer requests from members of our team:

-Pray for unity, humility, patience and forgiveness in the heart of every member of our team
-Pray that God supernaturally blesses our health- before and while we are in Asia
-Pray that we grow closer to God and to each other
-Pray that we are led by the Holy Spirit in everything we do and say
-Pray for the hearts of every person we meet
-Pray that we will be broken and have a learner's attitude
-Pray that all financial support will come in so no one has to worry about finances and we can be a blessing to others
-Pray for good communication within the team

Mom
-Mom has been feeling sick the last few days. Pray for her health and a quick recovery. Pray also for little Oliver because he's on the team too!

Julie
-This is her first mission trip! She asks that you pray that she will continually surrender her will and comfort to God's will

Donna
-Feeling stressed and tends to withdraw under stress

Sabastian
-Pray for Donna when she's under stress! Saba feels overwhelmed... getting Converge ready for He and the team will be away for this mission trip for 2 weeks.

Huynh Boys
-Pray that God will reveal to KK, Josh and Sethie what missions is truly about

Katie
-Katie sometimes experiences anxiety attacks that can be very painful/uncomfortable physically as well as mentally/emotionally. Pray for God's peace and protection from these anxiety attacks

Hieu
-Hieu will be one of the interpretors for the team! Pray that God bless and increase his understanding and ability to speak the language even more than he can now

Thinh
-Thinh has been feeling overwhelmed and nervous about the logistics of the trip, on top of coaching/work/ministry

Owen
-Pray for financial support!!

Winnie
-Pray that we are able to function as one body of Christ, and that we love and appreciate the diversity of the team

Chiffon
-Pray that she is able to have an open mind to see what God is doing

Vincent
-Pray that God provides amazing opportunities and Christian contacts as he attends the Christian worker conference in Vietnam

~~I would say "that about covers it" but it really doesn't. We need prayer in every area, and this just scratches the surface. So please, please bless us with your prayers as we go into this trip! God will do mighty things through you!~~

Poker Night FUNraiser!

2010-07-15T14:52:00.000-07:00

Hi Everybuddy,

Want to win a brand new NETBOOK? Read on...

We are having a fun-raising event to 1.Raise awareness of what our friends are anticipating God will do through this trip 2. Raise funds to help support the costs of this trip 3. Have fun doing it.

Your donation of $50 per person will cover a SE Asia-themed dinner and a raffle ticket towards winning a netbook (see below)! If you've always wanted to get one, increase your odds by buying additional tickets for $10/each.

Why win a new NETBOOK?To keep up with the Southeast Asian Mission Team: http://convergemissions.blogspot.com/

We will have two tables set up for poker - one playing without money for newbies and one with money for the more seasoned players. Come enjoy great company, delicious food, and a chance to learn and play poker!

When: Friday, JULY 23 @ 5:30PM
Dinner 5:30-6:30pm
Poker 7pm
Netbook raffle drawing 8:30
Where: Huynh's place (13462 Eton Place, Santa Ana, CA 92705)
Cost: $50/person

Please RSVP to Esther by Tuesday, July 20th at the latest. Space is limited to the first 30 people so RSVP TODAY!

See you there!
SEAM Team

Huynh's Update

2010-07-15T14:07:00.000-07:00

2010-07-15T14:02:00.000-07:00

Meet the "SEAM" team

2010-07-13T10:10:00.000-07:00

Now introducing Converge's first ever South East Asia Missions Team! We are all excited about what God has in store for each and every one of us on this trip. So without furthew adieu, meet the DREAM team (I mean SEAM team... same thing, right?)

Winnie and Owen here! We met Christina "Mom" three years ago and have since been to Malaysia three times to visit her and her ministry of helping the marginalized young Vietnamese workers. Through her, we met many brothers and sisters that had already made the transition back to Vietnam after working in Malaysia. We are super excited to go visit them in Vietnam this summer.

Julie Chen- "In this season of my life, I'm learning to say yes to God by surrendering. I know I have a unique life message based on my gifts and experiences, especially the painful ones. On this trip, I want to share my testimony with others and to be broken for all the brokenness of this world. Honestly, I don't know what to expect, but Mom said my presence there will make the invisible God visible. I expect to make some sort of impact and draw myself closer to God through this process."

Thinh Nguyen. "After reading "The Hole in our Gospel," I really wanted to go to Africa, however, it was beyong my bandwidth this season. I thought of the words of Bob Pierce, foremer president of World Vision, "Don't fail to do something just because you can't do everything." Next thing I know, the opportunity to lead this team was in front of me. I do love the people of Thailand, Vietnam, and look forward to getting to know those Mom serves in Malaysia. I'm looking forward to being stretched, building relationships with my overseas brothers and sisters, growing with my Converge community and having a lot of fun... basically, enjoy the fruit of serving the one true God."

Hieu and Katie Nguyen. We met at a Perspectives (missions) class at the beginning of 2006 and ran into each other again at the Urbana conference the end of that year- we were married a year and a half later. We both have a heart for missions and desire to be a part of God's work in Southeast Asia. Hieu was born in Saigon and this will be his second visit back to his homeland. This will be Katie's first time in Asia. We're looking forward to experiencing what God is already doing in Vietnam and hope that in the short time we have to meet and encourage Vietnamese believers, we will be blessed and be a blessing to others.

Vincent Huang I am going to KL and Saigon to continue to see the work God is doing there through mom. It started in 2006 for me when I went to Saigon and KL for the first time. In Saigon I saw how young people were focused on making more money. Then I met the group of young men and women in KL who are being discipled by mom. They went there from different part of Vietnam for better wage, most end up not even able to cover the loan they borrowed to get themselves there in the first place. Yet there is an overwhelming joy that flows from them as they display their love in the Lord. Ever since then I have been going back there regularly to be encouraged by their journey and witness all He is doing.

Chiffon Chang (picture and bio coming soon)

Sabastian, Donna, Kaleb, Josh & Seth Huynh (picture and bio coming soon)

Mom's Ministry

2010-06-23T09:11:00.000-07:00

A quick snapshot of mom's ministry and how we'll be partnering with her (plagiarized directly from Thinh's support letter) ...

The majority of the time we are in Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand, we will be supporting Christina or “mom” as she is fondly referred to.

Mom has an incredible ministry of love, doing whatever is needed in the moment. That is why mom is often called the Vietnamese Mother Teresa. Mom provides safe houses, hot meals and hospital care for Vietnamese migrant workers who are often exposed to unsafe working conditions, held without pay, raped, beaten and abused by their employers, refused medical treatment, stripped of their rights and documents and tricked into slavery and prostitution. Many of them are driven to a distant forest, dropped off and left to die when their contract periods are up.

Mom helps these young men and women pay medical bills, hires lawyers to sue for lost wages, provides new visas so they can work at a different company or go back home. She intercedes for those who can’t speak the language of Maylay, by pleading with government officials on their behalf. For over 25,000 Vietnamese migrant workers, she has been the voice for the voiceless, thousands of whom have come to know Christ.

In addition to helping migrant workers, mom has a prison ministry where she works with local governments to obtain the release of Vietnamese fishermen who have been detained as they become lost at sea and are imprisoned for fishing in neighboring waters. Many women from these fishing villages seek out mom as their only hope to restore their community.

While in SE Asia, we will be building relationships, training and encouraging many returning migrant workers who have been ostracized by their family for their new found faith, we will support several small house churches and a celebration gathering of 200 plus house churches. We will pray over a plot of land where mom has dreams of building a retreat center for Vietnamese leaders and pastors, and Sabastian will be preaching an evangelistic message August 1st. Lord willing we will be able to baptize many afterwards as we did in 2008 when we baptized 29 people after the Christmas message! In addition to giving them the Word, we will be meeting with local business owners to help find self-sustaining work for these leaders, similar to microfinance projects that restore dignity to Vietnamese families by helping them start businesses with as little as $25.

We're excited about what God is doing through mom in SE Asia. We're looking forward to experiencing his mighty work first hand and being used in whatever capacity God chooses for us. We cherish all your prayers, support and encouragment!

Love, Converge "SEAM" Team
(Southeast Asia Mission)