Joining God's Mission Together
Gil & Joyce Suh
 Sep-Oct 2020
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Navigating Uncertainty as a Family
Last weekend we launched Mary into the next stage of young adulthood as she moved into the dorm at Calvin University. There is a lot of uncertainty around that move. Calvin is planning for on-campus learning with many modifications and accommodations. It affects Isaac as well—he’s moved into shared off-campus housing with some other students, but how will his junior year take shape? The story of what’s happening on other campuses is in the back of our minds.
We are required to exist in a space where there are many unknowns. How do we face uncertainty? Our family has wrestled with the desire to seek and create more security than the situation allows. It’s almost like we are afraid we will miss out on a more secure and stable situation if we don’t do the right thing now: “If I don’t do x, y, or z now, it’s not going to be okay, I’m not going to be okay—How can I act now to make it as okay as possible.”
We recall that Israel had this kind of fear. It’s recounted in 1 Samuel. The times were uncertain, chaotic, violent: “everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” Israel’s longing for security and stability led them to demand a king like other nations. They were even willing to make significant compromises, trade off freedom, and sacrifice life for that. God, however, was calling them not to be like other nations, to live in a different way. They were being called to exist in a space of radical trust that--with him—all would be well. Actually, grasping for certainty is an idolatry that doesn’t end well.
We feel that our family has experienced a deeper connection around uncertainty that we might have had we simply had situation normal. We’ve had to enter this uncertain space together and connected at the point of our humanity, our human condition, rather than our culture and preferences. The challenge is to hold God in this space, too—even when it seems like he’s not here. Rather than worrying about what might happen, let us hold instead to hope--“let’s see what our God is going to do.” |
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Ministry ContinuesIn a recent Town Hall meeting, all CRCNA staff were urged by the interim Executive Director, Colin Watson, to “stop working 110%.” It might seem like a strange request, but it recognizes that we’ve been working hard as an organization and as personnel. For us, we have continuing work both overseas and in roles in North America.
Gil will be teaching a mission course at Calvin Seminary solo and will have to prepare for both in-person and online teaching. As noted in our last prayer letter, Gil has been creating and leading transition webinars for mission workers in transition. Coaching and discipling of Cambodian leaders has continued as well.
Joyce has been active in both leadership and ministry from the ground to the region to global areas. We are so grateful for your continuing prayers and support in this somewhat unique season.
We also want to highlight that our national partners too remain hard at work. Our strategy has been to come alongside of national churches and leaders, to encourage and develop their faith and capacity. Their work has been intense too. Yet they continue to visit (safely) church members and people in their neighborhoods, develop Reformed resources (like the Heidelberg Catechism) in their language; train how to plant churches better; in small groups study scripture; prepare messages and devotions and preach online.
As well as coaching and training, Resonate also provides some support and grants that allow these churches, organizations and individuals to do what God is calling them to do in these troubled times. When you give to Resonate, you continue to support this gospel witness as well. |
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Praise & Petition
* Transition webinar has been a surprising success, helping many Korean Cross-Cultural workers in significant life and ministry transitions. 6th and 7th Cohorts will run in September and October with a new team of volunteers who haven’t met in person yet. Pray for God's guidance.
* Pray for Mary’s dental operation. Because of Covid 19, we could not schedule needed surgery for removal of her impacted wisdom teeth until this week with first few days of school, not good timing.
* Pray for Isaac to adjust well to new shared housing and be able to get a good rhythm of study.
* David is busy working 2 jobs to support himself independently. He is 21 and a responsible young man. We see him regularly and have good relationship. Pray for David to continue grow to be a man after God’s own heart.
* We are looking for subletters for our rented house in Cambodia while we are in the States. We prefer not to leave it unoccupied or have our belongings to be packed away. Pray for a good solution.
* A national church leader from Myanmar wrote us about Sami people in Chin state fleeing their villages due to a civil war. Pastor Sanga and other leaders seek to reach out to them in Christ’s name. READ MORE Pray for our national partners and gospel workers like Sanga for their people. |
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