Heart heavy day… We went to our fifth prison today, the largest women’s prison in Thailand, with 6000 inmates. Nikki and Maureen shared their powerful testimonies; and the team as well as the inmates were deeply moved. There were over 300 inmates in the service; Kathryn lead the team in worship and the inmates knew the […]
One God, The Father of All
Greetings from Thailand!As I sat down to write this quick update, I thought about checking in with some of our faithful worship department staff holding down the fort this Sunday morning- just a quick text to say “Thanks and praying for you!” Then I remembered that even though it’s 8:00 in the evening here and […]
Cuteness Overload
DAY ONE in ThailandAfter a long two days of travel we woke up to toddler’s voices outside our room and found that they were being bathed by their caregivers from the House of Blessing at an outdoor shower. We immediately experienced cuteness overload! Our team spent the morning with Pastor Soonthorn sharing the past, present, […]
I Was Embarrassed!
The other day, Cyndi was in the attic looking for pictures, and she came across letters from the early months of our courting. She was living in Detroit at the time—training with Northwest Airlines—and later in Boston where she was based. I was in the first year of my ministry at Chapel Hill. “Let’s read […]
Thailand Team Is Set To Go!
The team is set to leave early Wednesday, February 3rd. Team members include (from left to right): Lori White, Margie Dickerson, Kathryn McIver, Nikki Davidson, Dawn Muench, Tan Jenkins, Noel Jenkins. Not pictured: Desiree Jordan, Laurie Dawson. Just a reminder to be praying for our Thailand Go Team Prison Ministry team as they head to […]
Is Coming to Church Like Assembling Furniture?
It’s always an adventure when we get IKEA furniture. There’s something terrifying about opening the box wherein our new furniture lies, only to find millions of seemingly random pieces falling out. I want to sit on our Stüpgørn, but all it looks like at first is a bunch of shiny particle board and random screws. […]
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Love Is In the Air
Do you remember some of the crazy things you did when you fell in love with your spouse? • Marathon conversations on the phone (landline or cell!) at ridiculous hours of the night… • Romantic gifts of chocolate, flowers and cards dripping with mushy sentimentality….• Romantic getaways to fun places…. • Four-hour drives to take […]
Reflections on Facing Race
Do you, like me, have a list of issues that not only do you hope are not brought up at family gatherings but that you hope you don’t have to deal with personally? Obviously I don’t shy away from religious conversations, but… political ones?… not my favorite. Especially issues of race. I spent most of […]
Understanding Islam
What do you think when you hear the word, “Muslim?” Perhaps the horrific images from Paris or San Bernadino come to mind. Or the unrest in Israel. Perhaps the videos of an angry Mullah or of Isis fighters beheading Christians on a beach. I understand. This is a year when these unsettling images have dominated […]
Signs and Wonders
Happy New Year, Chapel Hill! When I was living in Spokane, WA, I had a love-hate relationship with January. I loved that the calendar was new and blank, waiting to be filled with plans and adventures. I hated that Christmas was over, that the snow no longer seemed magical—it’s just what we were left with until spring […]