Greetings all as you begin to celebrate the birth of our Saviour. We’ve been looking back over what God has done this year and praise Him for His work in Asia. Thanks to your prayers and gifts, here’s where we’ve had the opportunity to see God use us since summer:
JULY:
Seeing the thousands gathered for the Korea CCC Summer staff conference and seeing so many students respond to a call to go to the mission field where “the fields are white for harvest”. Stella says the night light shows and gifted musical performance by a blind band were particularly memorable.
Phil had the opportunity to attend US CCC National Staff Conference (Ft Collins, CO) and Power to Change National Staff Conference (Whistler, BC, Canada) representing 7 Asian countries for building new partnerships
AUGUST:
Stella had the privilege of auditing the Mongolia CCC ministry (audit + training) as well as attending the Mongolian CCC National Staff Conference for 2 days. Phil also got to work with them in Ulan Bataar for the first time as “Area Point Person” which has proven to be a true blessing. It’s been an honor to see God provide for these relatively young believers in a “first generation” church.
Something personal we got to trust God with: the day Phil traveled to U.S.A. and Canada for partnership meetings (planned months before), Stella was admitted to the hospital in Seoul for surgery to remove a Baker’s cyst. Through the love and kindness of fellow colleagues taking turns to be at the hospital the first week of her 2-week stay at the hospital, she had a pleasant time at the hospital even with wheelchair and clutch experience.
The day Stella was discharged from the hospital was the day Phil returned from Canada (just in time to take care of Stella since her movement was not too good). God’s timing was, as always, perfect. Due to the internal financial audit of Mongolia (12-17 Aug), Stella’s medical leave was shortened from one month to 10 days. Stella says she is still feeling the effects of the surgery, but she’s still improving every day.
SEPTEMBER:
In Japan, Phil saw God work in the improvement of missions sending and receiving systems. Mainly what was accomplished was getting missionary leaders in Japan to talk more, as well as clarifying “who’s in charge of what”. They’ve had multiple leadership transitions over this last 16 months and communication challenges are always present during such events. Though he was tired from all the trips being so close together, Phil said it was fun to be in the right place at the right time “to help” people who already do their jobs with excellence.
SEPT merges with OCTOBER:
The whirlwind travel began and ended with awe at what God did! On 15 September Phil traveled to Singapore for training Casey, the SCCC Mission Coordinator, as well as attending multiple meetings with CCC leaders from SCCC, Agape International Training (AIT) and our Vice President’s office.
After taking a break with his brother Paul to attend the Formula 1 Night Race in Singapore (WOOWHOO!), he flew to the Australia CCC Staff conference to network with partnership leaders there. (He also found himself standing on the beach at Botany Bay following a tsunami off the coast of Fiji). He proceeded to Auckland and Christchurch, New Zealand (1-6 Oct) too to develop partnerships with them and the Pacific Islands region. He joined Stella in Singapore for supposedly 2 nights of rest in Singapore. Those days were completely filled with meetings before catching a flight back to Seoul on 8 October.
Stella was in Singapore to conduct an internal financial audit of East Asia School of Theology (EAST), 7-15 October. The last audit was in March 2006. One of our objectives is that all our ministries will be audited every 2-3 years. It has proven very encouraging to us as well as our national ministry teams recommending operational improvements for our ministries by looking into their financial operating systems. The last year has yielded a lot of positive feedback regarding audit findings.
NOVEMBER:
Phil made a trip to the Middle East to gather with some of our area’s leadership. It was an opportunity to meet up with their leaders and improve our partnership with our friends there. Phil came back with one very fruitful match that should yield some good fruit in the future, but because the country falls into the “creative access” category, no details can be written. See Phil in person for details!
While Phil was in the Middle East, Stella was in Japan conducting an Internal Financial Audit of our ministry there. Added to the fact that the last audit took place March 2007, there was a change in the top leadership. The Japanese Finance Director sent both of us a special note of encouragement and thanks for the work Stella (+ two other accounting personnel) contributed over the last two years in improving the financial accounting and donation system for Japan CCC. Always nice to hear “thanks” from those you’re trying to help.
Stella also had a great time on the trip back on the plane. She was upgraded to Business Class and she had the opportunity to share the gospel with a Japanese lady who sat beside her. The lady was open to the good news, but she wanted to consider this a bit more. She said she realized that accepting Christ as her Savior would change her whole life. Please pray for this woman whom we hope to see in heaven.
DECEMBER
This month will be more rest for us than work. Phil and Stella are about to spend the next few days with two of her siblings and family visiting Korea. They are in Seoul for vacation and have extended their stay to spend some time with us. We will be shopping till we drop.
We depart for U.S.A to spend Christmas with Phil’s family on 14 December. Pray for Stella to be able to enter the country without any difficulties. Her multiple-entry visa was rejected due to her inability to fly back to the states for finger-printing last February (long story and long fight with the government this year as the annual fingerprinting was a new “surprise” addition to the process). Stella now faces the probability of losing her U.S. Green Card (Permanent Residence), but that doesn’t concern us as much as her ability to cross the border for Christmas with the family. Please pray as we’re still trying to find out if she can cross, but we have the “mileage” ticket anyway as that had to be booked months ago.
‘Tis the season to wish you all a “Merry Christmas!” We will travel to Myrtle Beach, SC this December to be with Phil’s family for Christmas (not to mention more eating, shopping, eating.… ). Thank you once again for your faithful partnership. Indeed we are very blessed to have you on our team.
On the web: www.ccci.org

Map of Singapore