This is from Gena, based on her recent experience in a rural area of Cambodia. I found myself standing in front of a small simple hut outside a village with a group of others under the intense afternoon heat of a Cambodian dry season day.. A man stood before us with his hands tucked self-consciously… Continue reading Grateful
Fear
There was a murder in our neighborhood last night. My colleague JP had just taken his 6-year old son Isaac to the bathroom. I was left at the outdoor table with Lin, Isaac’s 10-year old Cambodian neighbor buddy. We are out on a lunch together while our wives are away in the villages doing ministry… Continue reading Fear
Rarely Bored for Long!
As Christmas came and went I thought January and February were going to be pretty quiet and uneventful months. I’m constantly looking for ways to be useful in my duties here and the prospect of not having ways to do so laid out in advance tends to make my palms sweat. I should quit worrying! The… Continue reading Rarely Bored for Long!
Concordia International School – Hanoi
The final leg of this two week journey is Hanoi. Here I visited with the leadership of Concordia Interantional School Hanoi (CISH). It’s always a joy to visit here as the staff is truly world-class, serving Christ by witnessing to the love of Christ through their care and teaching of their students. While there are strict rules that… Continue reading Concordia International School – Hanoi
Detour to Taiwan
With a baptism in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and a visit to the LCMS international school in Hanoi already planned, I was a bit surprised when the week before departing I was contacted by our Regional Business Manager, Sam Borgwardt. He asked if I could come to Taiwan the following week – in between my two trips. … Continue reading Detour to Taiwan
Baptism!
My parish congregations in the US were predominantly comprised of retirement age folks and beyond. I did far more funerals than I could have ever imagined realistic, but only what seemed like a handful of baptisms (and fewer weddings!). So baptisms are an exciting thing for me still. Which is good, because James was excited for his… Continue reading Baptism!
Nearly New Year in Singapore
When the regional gathering came to a close, I volunteered to accompany the visiting pastor – Rev. Roger James and his wife Amy – on the first leg of their long journey home to the US. They had a nearly ten hour layover in Singapore and offered to conduct or join in worship with our small… Continue reading Nearly New Year in Singapore
Regional Gathering
Each year (as of post-Covid) the Southeast Asia Region gathers as a family. Not just called workers but spouses and children all meet up together for a time of reunion and reconnection. Each year it’s in a different location. Our first one – last January – was in Cambodia. This time it was in our home town of Medan.… Continue reading Regional Gathering
Gathering!
This week was more than a little unusual. It was our second-annual Regional Family Retreat. All the workers from the entire region (along with their families) convened together for fellowship, Bible study, and updates from LCMS headquarters. Last year it was held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. This year, it was held in Medan, Indonesia! Rev. Matt & Kali Wood, our… Continue reading Gathering!
Tastes of Home (Sort of)
You meet a lot of people overseas. Part of this is due to being a foreigner and in Indonesia and particularly in Medan, locals are fascinated by orang putih atau bule (white people or Westerners) because it’s not a major tourist city and there are so few of us. Another reason for meeting people is the natural… Continue reading Tastes of Home (Sort of)
The Nelson Family Indonesia 