Our last day in Seoul. Worship in the morning, and then for me, the long stretch from lunch to midnight and my red-eye flight back to Kuala Lumpur. Worship at International Lutheran Church was a great experience. The community is warm and welcoming. I was asked to preach and lead the Bible study before worship,… Continue reading Sunday in Seoul
Planning – Day 2
A second day of planning. The main difference being that overnight it snowed! Not a lot of snow, and most of it melted away by mid-morning, but it was still beautiful and impressive. Our meeting concluded well. After thorough discussion on every area of the region, the next step will be to assemble a budget… Continue reading Planning – Day 2
Planning – Day 1
Asia Leadership consists of an executive and more general level. The executive level positions – Regional Director and Regional Business Manager – are currently vacant after some changes last year. In their stead we had Rev. Dr. Brian Gauthier joining us. Normally he manages all four of Office of International Mission Regional Directors, but he’s… Continue reading Planning – Day 1
Planning in Seoul
To kick off the new year, Asia leadership gathers in Seoul, South Korea to plan for two days. This is my first time to South Korea. Or Seoul. And though it took the entire day to get here from Medan and arriving close to midnight I couldn’t see very much on the hour-long taxi ride… Continue reading Planning in Seoul
And We’re Off!
Happy New Year. Merry Christmas. All of that seems so long ago already. We pray your Christmas and end-of-year/new year celebrations and observations were blessed in the light of the angelic announcement – unto you is born this day in the city of David a savior, who is Christ, the Lord! Christ is indeed Lord… Continue reading And We’re Off!
2025 Home Stretch
As with most of you, the sprint towards the end of the calendar year has begun, and there are plenty of things to do before then, not the least celebrating the birth of our Savior as we look forward to his promised return! Our last joint trip of the year was to Hanoi, Vietnam to… Continue reading 2025 Home Stretch
Flooding Follow-Up
Thank you for prayers and inquiries about the Thanksgiving flood in Medan. We woke the next morning and, thank you God, the rains had abated and the floodwaters had dropped. Our street looked as if nothing had happened. Other than the sight of neighbors shoveling mud out of their homes, the first step in returning… Continue reading Flooding Follow-Up
Happy Thanksgiving!
It’s Thanksgiving evening here in Medan, Indonesia. We had plans to gather with some other ex-pats to share turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, pumpkin pie, and most of the accoutrements we’re used to as Americans for Thanksgiving. My friend Kyle and I secured a turkey in advance. For the sake of simplicity, let’s call… Continue reading Happy Thanksgiving!
Early Mornings….
After four years of nearly full-time travel, I’ve learned a few things about how to mitigate the inevitable exhaustions and inconveniences of travel. For example, I avoid early, early flights. While it might seem like a good idea to schedule an 7am flight, it’s less desirable if I arrive too early to check into my… Continue reading Early Mornings….
Home Service Planning
It’s hard to believe that it’s time to start planning for our next Home Service in 2026. Every two years (or three years in unusual circumstances) overseas workers return to the US to visit their partners in ministry. Six weeks of visiting with partner congregations and individuals, and two weeks of reconnecting with family and… Continue reading Home Service Planning
The Nelson Family Indonesia 