Our family headed back to the States late June for our first furlough after 9 months in Thailand. We're so thankful for the opportunity and finances to have been able to see family, church family, and dear friends. It was a wonderful time of reconnecting, fellowshipping, and simply loving. We stayed for about 5 weeks and had more than 35 get-togethers with our supporters! A big transition for us when we moved to Thailand was the shift from ministry in the home to outside of the home. We went from meeting up with people sometimes 5 times a week to just our family the entire week. When we first arrived, Ian would ask, "How come no one's coming over?" When we go out to dinner, he still asks, "Who's coming with us?" So our time in the States was such a treat. We loved every minute of our time spent with everyone.
For Alli, it was her first time in the States. The flight there was a challenge with Alli being unwilling to nurse while covered. So the only thing that would work was taking her into the bathroom to feed her. Just thankful that there was at least one option. One time when she had a crying fit, I was escorted to the back of the plane, and I calmed her down there.
Here she is sleeping in the bassinet:
My first meal off the plane was In 'N Out, then I threw it up when I got to my sister Swan's. From then on, I could only eat small portions.
Sweet Shelby made a sign for us:
Uncle Charles holding Alli for the first time:
Eli jetlagged:
Still jetlagged:
My mom came down from NorCal to see us. Here she is reunited with Alli:
Still jetlagged:
Lego fun with their cousins:
Backyard play:
Ian loved baking with Uncle Charles:
I loved it too:
Charles would ask me, "What do you want tonight?"
So thankful for my sister Swan's family, as they take care of all our needs in the States for us. They turned their playroom into a guest room for us to stay for weeks. They're the best!
Auntie Sung came all the way down from NorCal to meet her new niece...so thankful for their love and support:
I have the best sisters...Swan is borrowing Charles' glasses to fit in:
With Cousin Justin and our family friend:
Catching up with the Chous, from whom we heard about ZOE:
A visit from dear friend and ZOE supporter Stella. We've been friends since high school:
The kids:
Everyone wanted to feed us red meat:
Korean BBQ at Paul's:
Forgot the baby carrier:
Pastors of our sending church, IBC, reunited:
How I've missed our pastors' wives:
Ian reunited with his sweet buddy Noah:
More meat...yum!
The whole gang:
The Changs drove out to meet up with us. So great to catch up and share about ZOE. So thankful for their support:
We ate lots of meat:
The Phungs...I've so missed my sweet times of fellowship and processing life with dear Felicia. Thankful we have email to stay in touch:
Met up with The Master's College interns who served at ZOE right before we left Thailand for the States. The boys were thrilled to see them again:
Worshipping at IBC again:
David got to share more in-depth about what ZOE does:
So blessed...for Ian's 6th birthday, our families gifted us a trip to his favorite place:
Got to meet up with college roommates/bridesmaids/dear friends Terry & Grace. Grace was one of our first visitors in Thailand and Terry's family is a ZOE supporter:
We stayed with David's brother George's family too...such a great time. They fed us well. So thankful for their love and support as well:
Water play with the cousins:
Got to visit David's cousin's family, the Phams. Thankful for their example, love, prayers, and support:
Met up with the Nams:
We met Amy (on the left) when she visited ZOE with Wintersburg Church. It turned out that her husband Sam went to church with David when they were kids. Then we learned that their family knows David's good friend Gary's family from a sports league. So we all met up. Talk about a small world:
The Yoos were gracious enough to let us stay at their place for weeks! Blessed with their friendship and support. The boys loved watering the plants with Auntie Catherine:
The traveling finally took a toll on Eli:
Both these girls' families support us in Thailand...the girl on the right was our flower girl! The girl on the left goes to Onnuri Church in Korea, which is a ZOE supporter and ended up sending our new missionary Elizabeth to ZOE:
Ian loves playing at their house:
Ian learns how to be a good older brother from this guy:
So great to be back at one of our favorite places...the Santa Monica Farmers Market:
Why Ian's palate is spoiled:
Our family photographer Henry. We used to regularly meet up with him at 3rd Street Promenade when he used to work here:
Santa Monica Place mall:
The boys sought attention from whomever they could:
A ride on the ferris wheel at the pier...Eli's scared:
Alli's first time:
The boys didn't get used to Alli's screaming every time we got in the car:
Swimming in Uncle Paul's ice-cold pool:
Thankful for the Chius who are also ZOE supporters:
Catching up with friends:
The Yoos were so kind to open up their home so we could catch up with church family:
The wonderful Pans who are faithful ZOE supporters:
One of my besties Ann:
More visitors...my former youth group student Dan and his family. He's now a pastor at a church that supports one of our other ZOE missionary families. Thankful for their support:
Karen organized a meetup with some of the ladies at Cheesecake Factory. So fun:
The Songs have always been great supporters of us through every season of life. Eating at our favorite sushi place, Sakura:
College friend and ZOE supporter Elaine...so great to see her living her dream as a writer for a successful tv show:
Dear friends and more ZOE supporters. Grace has a beautiful fine jewelry company Grace Lee Designs. She was so generous to make a brass charm for necklaces and keychains to give our donors before we moved out here. We continue to use them to thank our supporters:
So happy not to miss Joshua and Josephine's birthdays:
Met up with one of Ian's preschool buddies. We got to share with his family about what we do in Thailand:
The little ones got to have a playdate too:
The boys loved hanging out with the Kim boys. Hopefully we'll be able to see them in Korea:
Love the Pawleys, one of our church elder families:
Cooper was not in the mood for pictures:
My former bosses and dear friends came to visit. They saw me transition from single adult, to dating internationally (David would send me and the agency flowers and gift baskets when he lived in Japan over 2 years!), to married woman, to mother. Learned so much from working at CHS with them for over 10 years! We were the remnant social workers left at the agency. Was great to share about ZOE, as they have been so supportive. Before we moved to Thailand, the agency invited us to their Board Meeting to share about ZOE with all the board members:
With their hubbies:
Had Alli's 100-day celebration at Paul's. We catered Korean food. Yum!
Back at Swan's to pack up the rest of our belongings. Ended up being about 30 boxes.
One of the best parts of our visit was participating in our church's very first VBS (our church is a commuter church with families nearby in Santa Monica and as far away as Orange County). They did such a great job. And they had a wonderful missions awareness element where they taught the kids about ZOE and other missionaries. They challenged them to get involved. It meant so much for them to understand why we are no longer at church with them.
Our pastors did a skit for the kids every morning. Can you tell which is David?
Betsy, from the ZOE USA office, and Hero the Frog taught the kids about ZOE and how they can help the children in Thailand:
The kids learned about what raising $15 could buy for a child in Thailand:
The kids ended up raising more than $450 in a few days for ZOE:
It was such a wonderful time with our church, family, friends, most of whom are ZOE supporters. We are incredibly blessed to partner with so many loving families, with whom we would not have the privilege of serving out here. We thank God daily for all of you!
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