Stories & Events (2006)...

June 25, New Hope CRC missions trip: Rev. Gil Suh and a four-member team from New Hope's English Ministry went on a two-week missions trip to northern Thailand. They will minister in an orphanage run by a Korean missionary and do works of mercy and evangelism in villages nearby. Pastor Gil and his young congregation pray God will bless and use this missions exposure to open their hearts and resources to further missions work locally and overseas. Come back for more stories and photos from Thailand!

June 23-25, Gary Teja visits Asian CRCs in the SF Bay Area: Dr. Gary Teja, formerly Hispanic Ministry Director and now professor at Kuyper College and CRC Home Missions' consultant to the Southeast Asian churches, met with pastors and church leaders of the Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, and Filipino churches in the Bay Area. He also met with Pastor Daniel Moua of the Hmong CRC in Fresno. In the 90s, Gary worked closely with the Laotian and Cambodian CRCs. The personal contacts and church visits in the Bay Area led him to a deeper understanding of the status, potentials, and challenges faced by other Southeast Asian churches. Gary's final meeting before he returned to Grand Rapids was with Mike Vander Pol, currently interim pastor with the Golden Gate Chinese CRC. Gary and Mike both serve as advisors to the AAPM. Gary thanked all of us in the Bay Area for a well planned and highly productive itinerary. Click here for photos.

June 11-12, Fernando and family visit Holland and Grand Rapids: After a family gathering in Bloomfield Hills, Fernando and family drove eastward across Michigan. Sunday: Fernando preached at Pastor Socheth's Cambodian church in Holland. In the afternoon, he met for the first time one of three new members of the AAPM, Rev. Somsay Inthisorn and his wife, Seune. Vickie enjoyed meeting the two pastors' wives, Lynn and Seune, and urged them to join the coming meeting in Wisconsin. Later in the day, a trip to the shores of Lake Michigan and Holland's Dutch town were most appreciated. Monday: Fernando visited Kuyper College and discussed with Gary Teja the facilities and logistics the school has to run the planned "All-Asian CRC Leadership Conference" in June 2007. Next was a tour of Calvin College's Fine Arts Auditorium where Synod met. However, the floor was empty then with delegates in committee sessions. Fernando left some of the AAPM brochures at the SPE exhibit for Synod delegates to pick up. The family met with the staff of the Entrada 2006 program which Nicole (youngest daughter) will be attending. Lunch (and catching up since our days in the Philippines) at the home of Joel Navarro, professor at Calvin College's music department, was a real treat! Amy, Joel's wife, cooked a combo of Thai and Filipino delights! Over lunch, Joel impressed upon us the longterm values and benefits of studying at Calvin College. (Nicole is inclined to pursue a music career.) Before leaving Grand Rapids: we had to step inside the portals of the denominational office! Fernando and Vickie briefly met with Lis Van Harten about none other than SPE (you guessed right). On the way back to Detroit, Fernando stopped at Lansing to meet with another new member, Pastor Nathan Neng Hua Vang of the Hmong CRC in Grand Ledge. Both Somsay and Nathan were very enthusiastic in becoming members of AAPM. That weekend was a gruelling but safe cross-state travel, so productive because all that Fernando planned to do was accomplished with good results! Praise God! Click here for photos. 

May 18, Cambodian Fellowship CRC organized: Classis Holland, upon recommendation by Central Avenue CRC, granted organized church status to the Cambodian Fellowship CRC. Pastor Socheth Na said the congregation will commemorate this milestone in their church's history during their 15th anniversary in September. Praise God for the faithfulness and witness of the leaders and members of this church in the Cambodian community.

Apr 16, God's protection during Cambodian New Year: At first, Pastor John Kim couldn't understand why they were prevented from joining the larger Cambodian New Year celebration at the Holiday Inn in Aurora, CO on Saturday evening. The next day, the sad news was out. At the Holiday Inn parking lot the night before, two young Cambodian men were fatally shot after trouble erupted during the party attended by most of the Cambodian community in Aurora and nearby cities. What was to be a joyful celebration of the Cambodian New Year turned out to be a police-imposed lock-down inside the hotel as the crime scene investigation went on. Pastor John and his members realized God protected them from harm. On Sunday, Pastor John's congregation celebrated the New Year in the safety of their church premises. (Read more about this sad event at the Rocky Mountain News website.)

Apr 8, Joyce Suh commissioned as Educational Ministry Coordinator: In a commissioning service held at the San Jose CRC, Joyce Suh officially began her ministry as parttime staff to Peter Schuurman, Educational Mission leader of the CRC Campus Ministries. In his message, Rev. Bill Van Groningen reminisced how Joyce effectively 'ministered' to his young daughters when she stayed at the campus ministry center at Queen's University. That early, Joyce demonstrated the heart and competence for what she is about to do in support of today's campus ministries in Canada and the U.S. She and her husband Gil Suh, currently pastor of the English ministry of the San Jose New Hope CRC, served as missionaries to Nigeria. Read more...     

March, Pastor John & Channary Kim's Mission Trip to Cambodia: Pastor John Kim and his wife Channary visited their hometown in Battambang City, Cambodia bringing with them money to purchase new computers, printers, desks, and provide tuition assistance for students in the Neth Yang Public High School. View photos (Photo Gallery) of Pastor John sharing the reason behind the donation - the Gospel of Jesus Christ - to more than 2,000 students and teachers. Also present during the ceremony was the Lieutenant Governor. (Don't forget Pastor John was speaking about Christ's love and forgiveness in the same place where some twenty years ago he was running away from ruthless people who wanted to kill him because of his stand for freedom and justice.)

How did Pastor John raise the money? There was his father-in-law, and folks from his congregation and mother church, Third CRC of Denver, whom he challenged to give thanks to God by financially helping poor but deserving students from his hometown who cannot afford their own school tuition. For these givers, it was hard-earned money for a worthy cause in their homeland. All in all, funds were enough to purchase 17 new computers, 2 new HP printers, and computer desks! (I think Pastor John and Channary did better than Bill and Melinda Gates!) Praise God for Pastor John and all who shared a portion of their blessings to the youth of Battambang City, Cambodia. May the preaching of the Gospel by Pastor John plant seeds of faith in Jesus Christ among the students, teachers, and government officials. Glory be to God!

Where is Battambang City? It's on the northwestern side of Cambodia. Click this and see it on the left-hand side of Cambodia's map.

Feb 28, AAPM held 4th Semiannual Meeting: In the two years AAPM existed as a peer learning group with the SPE program, this fourth face-to-face meeting was so much different from the previous three. First off, the group started at the foot of the Cross! Then, ten pastors and four spouses faced the likelihood of a proven and fruitful learning process stopped due to lack of resources. At the end of a 12-hour long meeting, the group moved towards hope and optimism for a bright future. With the able and sympathetic guidance by Rev. Jerry Dykstra, the group was encouraged to see what can be done gradually in support of the Asian CRCs. From what he had seen and heard, Jerry concluded AAPM had become a viable group for sustaining pastoral excellence and church health. This meeting was so different because the group's mission and future were affirmed and made even clearer. Read more from the meeting's Report.

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