Home Assignment 2024-2025
Hello, Dear Friends!
We are very excited to bring you this update regarding our ministry and movements. To quickly bring you up to speed, Lisa and I started Home Assignment (furlough) in mid-August after a two-year term on the field (Aug 2022-Aug 2024). We are currently staying in Deerfield, IL (a suburb, North of Chicago). We will be transitioning down to Phoenix on the 17th of December. From there we will return to Thailand on the 25th of February 2025.
THANK YOU for your faithful prayers and support over the last year. Lisa and I both are doing very well. I daresay we've never felt so well and encouraged.
In August 2024, we finished our third term on the field very strong. In fact, we felt like a "shift" had taken place somewhere in the year 2024. Typically, when we pack up at the end of a term we are exhausted and can't wait to get some rest. But in August it felt strangely difficult to turn away from the work and go home. It was almost like we had "turned a new corner" or the "tide had changed" somehow. Surprisingly, the burden of ministry had started to feel lighter and the daily routine more enjoyable. We felt like a new, deeper energy was beginning to rise up inside.
We will be sharing more details about this soon in our next ministry update covering Jan-Aug 2024. We hope to have that out shortly.
The purpose of this update is to share our goals and movements while we are here in the US for furlough.
Weston Starting Masters Degree
One of the major goals for this Home Assignment is Weston starting a Masters of Divinity degree at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (TEDS) in Deerfield, IL.
I have been praying about pursuing some additional education for some years now. Over the past five years in particular I have been feeling that I need more theological training as most of my responsibilities on the field are related to teaching, preaching, and Christian leadership but, increasingly, I've felt that there are some holes in my understanding and competency. I have been trying to self-learn on my own, but it's been pretty slow going.
In 2021 (on our previous furlough) we spent some time looking into various schools and decided to apply to TEDS because of its high academic standards and international focus. I settled on the Masters of Divinity degree because it's a well-rounded ministry and academic degree which, beyond theological training, includes courses in church history, counselling, church and organizational leadership, missions, and evangelism. The rough plan is to complete the degree in eight years over the span of two terms on the field by taking one class at a time (online) while we are serving in Thailand and a full-time load while we are in Chicago for furloughs.
So, in mid-August after returning from Thailand, we moved straight into student housing at the seminary and I started my coursework on August 26th. It's hard to believe but we are already getting close to finishing up the semester. The coursework has really stretched me academically, but it has been an incredible experience to be totally devoted to God's Word for this brief season. God's been teaching me so much in exactly the areas I was hoping to grow in.
In addition to being further equipped, having others pour into us has been a huge refreshment and encouragement. On the field most of our time is spent pouring into others. But living on campus has enabled us to be part of student activities, special events on campus, and weekly chapel services. There's was also a student-led campus preaching club that I joined for the semester. We've met so many new friends!
While I've been studying, Lisa has been taking care of the house, getting some much-needed rest, spending time with her family and friends, and connecting with our church in Chicago. She's also been teaching English to some of the wives of international students. So far, this furlough has been a dream come true for us. We just praise God!
Ministry Presentations
Another one of our goals while we are in the States is to update you all on the big picture of our work in Thailand and how the church planting work is progressing. We are approaching our ten-year field anniversary and our team has been reassessing and reformulating our mission plan. We want to share the fruit of that planning with you.
We have been working on a new presentation titled Strategic Church Planting: Challenges and Opportunities. In this presentation we will be examining the enduring obstacles we face in church planting. We will also be discussing the open doors for gospel work that are standing wide before us. Our hope is that you will walk away with a more in-depth understanding of how we are approaching our church planting work so that you can pray most effectively.
Between now and February we will be organizing a few presentations for those who live in the Chicago and Phoenix metro areas. Also, if you would like to invite us to present at a church or small group we will do our best to make that happen also. Just reply to this email and let us know.
Presentation #1: December 7th @ 5:30pm in Chicago
Our first presentation will be held on December 7th, 2024, at 5:30pm at Lisa's church in Chicago. Anyone in the Chicago area is welcome to attend. The presentation will be in English with Cantonese translation. The church has generously offered to serve dinner after the presentation. For location information and to RSVP please email us at westonlisaorg@gmail.com by December 1st. We're looking forward to seeing you!
Once additional presentations have been scheduled we will send out another email to let you know the dates and locations.
Home Assignment Schedule
Chicago Area: Aug 16th - Dec 17th
Phoenix Area: Dec 17th - Feb 25th
Return to Thailand: Feb 25th, 2025
Thank you!
We just want to close by saying thank you for your prayers and support. We are so grateful for the privilege of serving Jesus and partnering with you. We are looking forward to seeing you face-to-face in the coming months. May God be glorified among the nations!
Love, Weston & Lisa
