Tasting Heaven On Earth?
January '25 Newsletter
(After some bad sicknesses and some travel, here’s our delayed January newsletter!)
If you were to somehow experience heaven on earth, what would you expect it to look like?
A beautiful setting with perfect weather?
Delicious all-you-can-eat food?
Surrounded by supportive and loving friends and family?
Studying the Word, spending time in prayer, and singing praises non-stop?
That'd probably be my list. And if that's the case, I think I've tasted it!
This past month, we had our annual missionary retreat in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Attendees included Friends Network evangelists throughout Asia, Friends Network staff and board members, WELS missionaries throughout Asia, as well as members of Kingdom Workers and other Asian ministries. And well… it was pretty close to perfect.
Staying at Horizon Village Resort in Chiang Mai was an absolutely beautiful setting with perfect weather. CHECK (1/4).
Delicious all-you-can-eat fo— …okay, I was more so referring to the buffet at the resort… but I don’t have a picture of that. So here are pictures from a Thai barbeque restaurant we all went to where you cook your own food on these mini-cauldron grills. Most unique birthday dinner I think I’ve ever had! CHECK (2/4).
We were surrounded by supportive and loving friends and family at all times. It’s so refreshing coming from our individual mission fields and then seeing everybody all at once. CHECK (3/4).
And, of course, we were studying the Word, in prayer, and singing praises practically non-stop. CHECK (4/4).
At one point while a couple of us were talking, I blurted out, “Man… there are so many family and friends I’m thinking of whom I wish could experience what we get to experience here.”
While we’re outside living our individual lives, the struggles, attacks, and enemies facing us in our journeys of faith are myriad. It can be… exhausting. Therefore, it’s such a beautiful thing when being within such a great cloud of witness is a refuge and a resting place—when your church family builds you up and reequips you to go back out into your respective mission fields. Now that—that can be… exhilarating.
Praise God that many of you know exactly what I’m talking about.
However…
I also know there are many of you that would not identify this as your experience.
Many of you leave gatherings with fellow Christians feeling much more frustrated, tired, and even angry. A more apt description would often be exhausting rather than exhilarating.
First, I empathize with you. That was my own experience for a long, long time.
But second, I challenge you. Simply wishing things were different will usually result in simply recurring disappointment. What you can do is begin by giving yourself an honest look, spend some time in prayer, and then seek to be the immediate answer to your own prayer—striving to be the difference you wish to see around you. Be the refreshing presence of Christ for others that you desire to experience from others. Ask someone quiet “How are you?” in a way where you’re actually asking how they are, then be quiet and listen. Take someone aside and pray for them—yes, right there in person. Bless a stranger. Look a friend in the eye and smile. A culture of gospel-fueled refreshment starts with you.
I wish that everyone would get to taste the heaven on earth we got to experience at our missionary retreat, and with you walking around with the very light of Christ shining in your heart, dear Christian, I know that they will.
We have so many ministry updates that we are excited to share with you all, but after such a crazy month, I decided to narrow the focus of this newsletter just to our retreat and travels.
Stay tuned for another newsletter in just a few weeks keping you up to date with other mission related details.
Swinging through Singapore
On the way back to Manila from Thailand, we swung through Singapore with the Steinke family. IT WAS AN AMAZING CITY.
Because we both have kids, we travel at a much slower pace than our fellow missionary friends. It was nice to have travel partners who understood and didn’t feel dragged down by us. (Especially because Asher was sick for much of the trip—we had to take him to the hospital in Thailand for a viral infection, rash, and fever he picked up.)
Please excuse the long list of pictures. It was too hard to narrow them down further than this. Here are some of the highlights of where we went.
Back At It
Now that we’re back home and Asher is all healed up, we’re back at it! The routine continues, Bible studies have started back up, and we’re crafting bigger and bigger plans! Stay tuned for our next newsletter in a fews weeks.
Thank you, Lord, for all these amazing blessings! We are so grateful for each and every day.
- Micah, Christina, and Asher
