Hello, everyone! I trust that this new update finds you all in good spirits and health. It has certainly been a busy couple of weeks since our last update. We've been busy trying to keep all the current ministry/work balls in the air concerning church, home-schooling, and bus driving, while continuing the process of preparing for the move to Florida. It certainly has neither been, nor does it seem that it will get, easy in any way, shape, or form. But we are still pressing forward towards the mark.
Home-schooling is all but done for our family. Katherine has already finished all of her schooling, and the boys are close behind her. Dulcy allowed Katherine the joy of taunting her brothers by a somewhat ceremonial disposal of all her 1st grade books...at least the ones that were consumables. She got a real kick out of that! Dulcy just has to grade the remainder of her work to send in and all will be done. The boys only have a couple days more to do, and they will then be in the same boat. It has been a long haul for Dulcy and the kids, but I think it was good for them simply because now they know they can do it. They've all done very well, and I'm very proud of them.
Dulcy's pregnancy still continues to go well without any further complications. Her most recent doctor visit had some more news. The baby is still very healthy and in great shape, PTL! The doctor did say that she will have to have a C-section, and there's no doubt about it. I believe I shared that with you last time. But the news is that she may also need to have a hystorectomy (sp?) afterwards, because of the possiblity of the placenta growing into the cervix. So, that is a matter of prayer that we would ask that you bring before our Mighty God. She isn't on bed rest or anything, but has been given a short list of activities which should be considered taboo for her until the delivery.
Along these lines, I recieved a fax today from South Dade Baptist Church concerning the health insurance plan that will be offered for teachers and their families at Colonial Christian School. It looks like a very good plan, as it includes health, vision, dental, and maternity coverage. The deductible is the same, but the premiums are less than what we are currently paying, and the coverage is better. Now, we are just waiting to see if they will be able to enroll us in July instead of having to wait until August. This is another matter of prayer that we would ask you to join us in bringing before our Loving Father.
We have decided to go with renting a truck to move ourselves. We just haven't had any peace about the use of a moving company for various reasons. What it boils down to is this: even though moving ourselves will only save us a little comparatively, it still saves us something, and that's what's necessary. Renting the truck is going to cost us (including an approximation for fuel) $2962, which is about $500-600 less than the lowest moving company estimate. I have approximated that our food/lodging expenses will be in the neighborhood of $600 ($50/night for lodging and $50/day for food), and fuel for our car in the neighborhood of $600. So, that brings our total expenses for the actual move in around $4200. So far, two family members (two couples) have sent in a total of $1000 for the moving expenses, and we give God praise for their generosity! But we are still $3200 in the hole with just 16 days until the day for which I reserved the truck. I mention these approximations and amounts so that you have the details necessary to go before the throne of God in specificity and boldness.
Well, that's about all I have the time for right now. It's time for me to get back on my bus route for the afternoon. Please pray for those thing I've mentioned in this update, and ask God to continue to provide for our need during this transition.
In His Service,
Sam, Dulcy, Michael, David, Katherine, and "Male 3.0" Healey
Mark 10:45
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010
Another May Update...
My apologies for it being longer than some of you (and I) expected between updates. Time flew this month, and not to our liking. We had a few ups and downs this month which will be the main course of this update. All in all, we are doing well, and while the progress we are making towads our move at the end of next month is slow, it is still progress.
I have finished my training for being qualified to drive the larger buses with dual air-brake systems. I took my driving test with CHP last week and passed. So, I am now a fully-qualified bus driver.
Dulcy recieved some unwelcome news after going to have an ultrasound to find out the sex of the baby (It's a Boy!, by the way). While we were at a friend's home for dinner the evening of, she got a call from the nurse practitioner that they found out that Dulcy has placenta previa. Now, before you all jump on the internet and find out how terribly bad this is, Dulcy is fine. They have given the baby a totally clean bill of health and Dulcy has just been told to "take it easy". She isn't on bed rest or anything like that. She has been told by this group of doctors that she will need to have the baby by C-section. But even that isn't completely for sure because Dulcy has talked to a few other ladies who had the same condition but the placenta moved and they were able to give birth naturally. So, please pray that Dulcy will be able to "take it easy", that the placenta will go back to where it's supposed to be, and that the condition won't worsen.
We received a letter from the IRS stating that instead of getting a refund of about $1200, we actually owe $800. The reason, according to the letter, was that we didn't qualify for Earned Income Credit. Upon recieving the letter, I jumped on the IRS website, and did a little research. I saw that one cannot claim EIC and the Foreign Income Exclusion at the same time (which is necessary because of the half-year we were still in Korea). So, I contacted the organization that prepared our taxes this year, and they told me to fax them the letter and they would look into it. Well, I recieved another letter back from this organization stating that the IRS was wrong because I lived in the US for at least 6 months in 2009, which qualifies us for EIC. They supplied me with a letter of explanation to send back to the IRS, and it looks like we will be getting a refund after all (PTL!). Now, if it would just come through before we leave...
We've had, in all, 4 moving companies come by and give visual estimates for how much it will cost to move our things to Florida. They have ranged from $3550 to just over $4100. There have been other email and phone estimates given by other companies that were much lower, but they can't or won't send any one out to the house for an estimate (red flag), which for me, isn't acceptable. We have one other company coming on Tuesday, and after that we will make the decision on what we're going to do. At this point, Mayflower is the lowest estimate, and if the estimate on Tuesday isn't lower, we'll probably be going with them. I say that, though, not having $3550 to pay for it.
We've had $600 come in from some family members to go towards our moving expenses! This is a great thing and worthy of our thanks and praising the Lord! We are still far away from our goal of at least $3500 (currently). I say $3500 because whether we go with a moving company or some other self-moving option, that's about what we're going to need. We've entertained the idea of trying to sell what we have and use the money to replace things once we arrive in Florida, but we don't see that as entirely feasible what with the lack of time. We're also thinking about lessening the number of things we move, in order to lower the weight and price. So, please rest assured that we are not trying make this decision arbitrarily. Would you prayerfully consider if God would have you help? God gives the provision, but He often chooses to do so through His people.
I have been in contact with those in Homestead about many of the concerns that we have, and I'd like to share with you part of the latest email I recieved from Pastor Long:
So, it would seem that God is indeed working in hearts and minds concerning not only our move, but also our ministry once we arrive. The local businessman that has offered a job owns a landscaping company. I mentioned that I would like to get a job during which I could also get some exercise. So, God has answered that prayer already, too.
Well, that's about it for now. I am going to begin doing these updates at least bi-weekly. But as new things develop, I will keep you all up-to-date.
In His Service,
Sam, Dulcy, Michael, David, Katherine, and "Male 3.0" Healey.
I have finished my training for being qualified to drive the larger buses with dual air-brake systems. I took my driving test with CHP last week and passed. So, I am now a fully-qualified bus driver.
Dulcy recieved some unwelcome news after going to have an ultrasound to find out the sex of the baby (It's a Boy!, by the way). While we were at a friend's home for dinner the evening of, she got a call from the nurse practitioner that they found out that Dulcy has placenta previa. Now, before you all jump on the internet and find out how terribly bad this is, Dulcy is fine. They have given the baby a totally clean bill of health and Dulcy has just been told to "take it easy". She isn't on bed rest or anything like that. She has been told by this group of doctors that she will need to have the baby by C-section. But even that isn't completely for sure because Dulcy has talked to a few other ladies who had the same condition but the placenta moved and they were able to give birth naturally. So, please pray that Dulcy will be able to "take it easy", that the placenta will go back to where it's supposed to be, and that the condition won't worsen.
We received a letter from the IRS stating that instead of getting a refund of about $1200, we actually owe $800. The reason, according to the letter, was that we didn't qualify for Earned Income Credit. Upon recieving the letter, I jumped on the IRS website, and did a little research. I saw that one cannot claim EIC and the Foreign Income Exclusion at the same time (which is necessary because of the half-year we were still in Korea). So, I contacted the organization that prepared our taxes this year, and they told me to fax them the letter and they would look into it. Well, I recieved another letter back from this organization stating that the IRS was wrong because I lived in the US for at least 6 months in 2009, which qualifies us for EIC. They supplied me with a letter of explanation to send back to the IRS, and it looks like we will be getting a refund after all (PTL!). Now, if it would just come through before we leave...
We've had, in all, 4 moving companies come by and give visual estimates for how much it will cost to move our things to Florida. They have ranged from $3550 to just over $4100. There have been other email and phone estimates given by other companies that were much lower, but they can't or won't send any one out to the house for an estimate (red flag), which for me, isn't acceptable. We have one other company coming on Tuesday, and after that we will make the decision on what we're going to do. At this point, Mayflower is the lowest estimate, and if the estimate on Tuesday isn't lower, we'll probably be going with them. I say that, though, not having $3550 to pay for it.
We've had $600 come in from some family members to go towards our moving expenses! This is a great thing and worthy of our thanks and praising the Lord! We are still far away from our goal of at least $3500 (currently). I say $3500 because whether we go with a moving company or some other self-moving option, that's about what we're going to need. We've entertained the idea of trying to sell what we have and use the money to replace things once we arrive in Florida, but we don't see that as entirely feasible what with the lack of time. We're also thinking about lessening the number of things we move, in order to lower the weight and price. So, please rest assured that we are not trying make this decision arbitrarily. Would you prayerfully consider if God would have you help? God gives the provision, but He often chooses to do so through His people.
I have been in contact with those in Homestead about many of the concerns that we have, and I'd like to share with you part of the latest email I recieved from Pastor Long:
Here are some current events taking place here at SDBC. There is a mother of a teen here who is thrilled with the prospect of a Sr. youth pastor. She has taken it upon herself to rally several teens to begin attending the morning services here at SDBC. This past Sunday there were about 10 teens present in the morning service. This is a major event because 7 of them attend a local Christ Fellowship church that has its own youth worship service. She has been working on these young people by asking them to come in and 'give us a chance' by their presence, so that when other young adults show up to visit they will see others there of their own age. Some of these kids are entertaining the idea of transferring out of CCS to local 'magnet' school who specialize in an elective. She has seen the outcome of these false promises by the schools and also the environment they create and is acting as a parent advocate to convince the students to remain in the God centered milieu of Christian education.
This is very encouraging because we have never had this kind of promotion to youth since I have been here. A work of God only! This is your group we are talking about an already there is a groundswell building in preparation for a youth ministry. Be encouraged by what God is doing, especially when it happens in this way and at this level.
Concerning the moving expenses I am working with the deacons and the church family to help you make the transition. Along the same lines of thought there are 3 men who God has raised up (apart from any persuasion on my part) who are interested in purchasing homes to use as rentals for the new youth pastors. Another business owner has made a commitment to provide work for one of the newcomers. Brother, God is making things ready for your ministry here so keep praying, planning and trusting, He will provide as needed and in His time.
So, it would seem that God is indeed working in hearts and minds concerning not only our move, but also our ministry once we arrive. The local businessman that has offered a job owns a landscaping company. I mentioned that I would like to get a job during which I could also get some exercise. So, God has answered that prayer already, too.
Well, that's about it for now. I am going to begin doing these updates at least bi-weekly. But as new things develop, I will keep you all up-to-date.
In His Service,
Sam, Dulcy, Michael, David, Katherine, and "Male 3.0" Healey.
Friday, April 30, 2010
May Update...(a couple days early)
This time last year we were looking forward to a new ministry at Bethany Baptist Church. As the school year was coming to a close at ICS-Uijongbu, we had a lot of 'what-if' questions in our minds, and God was continually answering each of those one right after the other. We were preparing to leave our lives and ministries in South Korea to begin anew in California. We were praying and asking God's provision and we were excited time and again as prayer after prayer was answered. Many of you joined with us in those prayers and some of you were led to help financially. God worked in a mighty way to get us back across the Pacific, and we were amazed. And now, after three months of looking for God's will for our family, we find ourselves in a very similiar position as last year.
In my last update, I asked everyone to pray that the congregation's vote on the financial package from South Dade Baptist Church would be indicative of what God would have us do concerning the future of our family. I asked you all to pray open-endedly on purpose, as we were desiring confirmation of God's will. The vote was unanimous to accept the financial package and commit to growing the ministry at SDBC. On Monday afternoon, I received a contract offer from Colonial Christian School. I went to Pastor Rushing to explain to him our feelings and belief that this was God's will for our family, and he advised me to sit on it for a couple days to simply see if any last-minute miracles occurred, which would allow us to stay in the area. On Wednesday morning, we met again, and I confirmed for him that this is still what we believed to be God's will for us. On Thursday morning, I signed the contract and faxed it back to the school, accepting the position with the school and church. So, God has called us to Homestead, FL, and I will be the HS Bible Teacher at CCS, and the HS Youth Pastor at SDBC.
Those are the facts. The decision to go to Florida has been made by faith that this is God's will for our family. Over the past few months, I have contacted, in various ways, no less than 20 schools in the area concerning employment for next year. Only three showed any interest, but one eventually said they wouldn't be able to hire me, and the other two haven't responded to any subsequent contacts. With the help of my Dad, I placed resumes in for 20 government jobs, two that were in the area and the rest nationwide. No positive responses came back from any of them. I also persued two pastoral positions, one in the area, and another in New Jersey; both of which have grown silent over the past few weeks. I also contacted 3 other schools outside the area, one in Arkansas, one in Hawaii, and the one in Florida. Our faith belief in all this is simply that if God wanted us to stay where we are, something would've surfaced in the area along the lines of the ministries to which He's called me (teaching and youth work). Scripture tells us that if we delight ourselves in the Lord, He will give us the desires of our heart (Psalm 37:4). By faith, neither I nor Dulcy believe that God has given me such a strong desire to teach to simply have it sit idle.
So, at the end of June, we will be moving to Homestead, Florida, to join ourselves to the ministries there. This time last year the decision to go had already been made for four months. We now stand in front of a timeframe half that long. We are confident that God will provide, but we have no idea how or from where. According to recent research, which I am going to be expanding upon as quickly as possible, we are going to need in the neighborhood of $5000 for the move. This is an educated estimate based on contacts I have already made to a few companies, and includes gas for the trip, a moving company and supplies, hotel/motel stays on the drive down, and what I percieve to be minor set-up costs in Homestead. I am hopeful that it is a high estimate, but I am fearful that it isn't. My first paycheck from the church will be ready for us when we arrive, but my first paycheck from the school will not be until August 27th. So, that has already been a topic of discussion with the pastor and director there, and they have said that they will begin looking for a job for me to fill in the gap until I begin work at the school. I'm trying to paint a picture here that will hopefully help you all understand our situation. We have been paycheck to paycheck since we have settled in here in California, and have very little savings (only about $500). So, in many ways, this leap of faith is much scarier than the one we made last year. Last year, I knew we would have the equivalent of about 1.5 months pay from the school when we left, and that was after airfare had been paid. I also knew that I was going to have a hefty pension paycheck arriving shorlty after we did from the Korean government. The exact opposite is true now. We believe that this is God's will for our family, and in order for it work, He has to provide just as He has before. We know He will, but we don't know how.
So, this brings us to the prayer request section.
1. PRAY that Dulcy and the kids will finish their homeschooling on-time. They are scheduled to be done the second week in June, two weeks before we are planning to leave.
2. PRAY that I will finish strong in my ministry here at Bethany Baptist. We aren't leaving until the end of June, so I don't want to "check-out" until then.
3. PRAY and ask God to provide for our moving expenses. $5000 is a HUGE amount of money for us, but it's pocket change to God. Would you also prayerfully consider if God would have you help financially? Please also understand that I completely understand how tight today's economy is, and how strapped many people are these days, and not just ourselves. Just please ask God how He would have you help.
4. PRAY for Bethany Baptist Church, and the growth of the ministry here. Even though we will not be a part of it after June, we still desire to see God's family grow, and for a Bible-believing church like this to be a beacon of light in this community.
5. PRAY that we will have practical wisdom in deciding waht we take with us, and what we choose to try and replace once we get there. 'Things' can carry sentimental value and be difficult to let go, but we don't have the time or money for such things. Dulcy is much better at axing things than I, so pray that God will allow me to keep my mouth shut.
6. PRAY that Dulcy will continue to remain healthy during her pregnancy. Everything is going just fine with absolutely no hitches, by the way. Along with this, though, is the question of health insurance in Florida. Pray that God would have His hand upon those at SDBC who are looking into this for us. This has also been a point of discussion aleady, and they are working on it.
7. PRAY for those at SDBC who are looking into a housing arrangement for our family. Pray that God will lead them to the exact property He has for us, and that it would be as inexpensive as possible.
And I think that's it for now. I will be updating you all with new information as soon as I have it. We are in a peculiar place to be right now. On one hand we wonder why God didn't work things out for us here, and sorrowful with leaving our new friends behind; and on the other, we are excited by being led further into His will for our family.
More to come...
In His Service,
Sam, Dulcy, Michael, David, Katherine, and "Point-five" Healey.
Mark 10:45
In my last update, I asked everyone to pray that the congregation's vote on the financial package from South Dade Baptist Church would be indicative of what God would have us do concerning the future of our family. I asked you all to pray open-endedly on purpose, as we were desiring confirmation of God's will. The vote was unanimous to accept the financial package and commit to growing the ministry at SDBC. On Monday afternoon, I received a contract offer from Colonial Christian School. I went to Pastor Rushing to explain to him our feelings and belief that this was God's will for our family, and he advised me to sit on it for a couple days to simply see if any last-minute miracles occurred, which would allow us to stay in the area. On Wednesday morning, we met again, and I confirmed for him that this is still what we believed to be God's will for us. On Thursday morning, I signed the contract and faxed it back to the school, accepting the position with the school and church. So, God has called us to Homestead, FL, and I will be the HS Bible Teacher at CCS, and the HS Youth Pastor at SDBC.
Those are the facts. The decision to go to Florida has been made by faith that this is God's will for our family. Over the past few months, I have contacted, in various ways, no less than 20 schools in the area concerning employment for next year. Only three showed any interest, but one eventually said they wouldn't be able to hire me, and the other two haven't responded to any subsequent contacts. With the help of my Dad, I placed resumes in for 20 government jobs, two that were in the area and the rest nationwide. No positive responses came back from any of them. I also persued two pastoral positions, one in the area, and another in New Jersey; both of which have grown silent over the past few weeks. I also contacted 3 other schools outside the area, one in Arkansas, one in Hawaii, and the one in Florida. Our faith belief in all this is simply that if God wanted us to stay where we are, something would've surfaced in the area along the lines of the ministries to which He's called me (teaching and youth work). Scripture tells us that if we delight ourselves in the Lord, He will give us the desires of our heart (Psalm 37:4). By faith, neither I nor Dulcy believe that God has given me such a strong desire to teach to simply have it sit idle.
So, at the end of June, we will be moving to Homestead, Florida, to join ourselves to the ministries there. This time last year the decision to go had already been made for four months. We now stand in front of a timeframe half that long. We are confident that God will provide, but we have no idea how or from where. According to recent research, which I am going to be expanding upon as quickly as possible, we are going to need in the neighborhood of $5000 for the move. This is an educated estimate based on contacts I have already made to a few companies, and includes gas for the trip, a moving company and supplies, hotel/motel stays on the drive down, and what I percieve to be minor set-up costs in Homestead. I am hopeful that it is a high estimate, but I am fearful that it isn't. My first paycheck from the church will be ready for us when we arrive, but my first paycheck from the school will not be until August 27th. So, that has already been a topic of discussion with the pastor and director there, and they have said that they will begin looking for a job for me to fill in the gap until I begin work at the school. I'm trying to paint a picture here that will hopefully help you all understand our situation. We have been paycheck to paycheck since we have settled in here in California, and have very little savings (only about $500). So, in many ways, this leap of faith is much scarier than the one we made last year. Last year, I knew we would have the equivalent of about 1.5 months pay from the school when we left, and that was after airfare had been paid. I also knew that I was going to have a hefty pension paycheck arriving shorlty after we did from the Korean government. The exact opposite is true now. We believe that this is God's will for our family, and in order for it work, He has to provide just as He has before. We know He will, but we don't know how.
So, this brings us to the prayer request section.
1. PRAY that Dulcy and the kids will finish their homeschooling on-time. They are scheduled to be done the second week in June, two weeks before we are planning to leave.
2. PRAY that I will finish strong in my ministry here at Bethany Baptist. We aren't leaving until the end of June, so I don't want to "check-out" until then.
3. PRAY and ask God to provide for our moving expenses. $5000 is a HUGE amount of money for us, but it's pocket change to God. Would you also prayerfully consider if God would have you help financially? Please also understand that I completely understand how tight today's economy is, and how strapped many people are these days, and not just ourselves. Just please ask God how He would have you help.
4. PRAY for Bethany Baptist Church, and the growth of the ministry here. Even though we will not be a part of it after June, we still desire to see God's family grow, and for a Bible-believing church like this to be a beacon of light in this community.
5. PRAY that we will have practical wisdom in deciding waht we take with us, and what we choose to try and replace once we get there. 'Things' can carry sentimental value and be difficult to let go, but we don't have the time or money for such things. Dulcy is much better at axing things than I, so pray that God will allow me to keep my mouth shut.
6. PRAY that Dulcy will continue to remain healthy during her pregnancy. Everything is going just fine with absolutely no hitches, by the way. Along with this, though, is the question of health insurance in Florida. Pray that God would have His hand upon those at SDBC who are looking into this for us. This has also been a point of discussion aleady, and they are working on it.
7. PRAY for those at SDBC who are looking into a housing arrangement for our family. Pray that God will lead them to the exact property He has for us, and that it would be as inexpensive as possible.
And I think that's it for now. I will be updating you all with new information as soon as I have it. We are in a peculiar place to be right now. On one hand we wonder why God didn't work things out for us here, and sorrowful with leaving our new friends behind; and on the other, we are excited by being led further into His will for our family.
More to come...
In His Service,
Sam, Dulcy, Michael, David, Katherine, and "Point-five" Healey.
Mark 10:45
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Prayer Request Update...
Hello, everyone! This is a special update, as it involves a specific prayer request. As most of you should know by now, I have been looking for a job for the last couple of months because the church where I am currently serving has fallen upon rough times financially, and will need to lower my pay to $1000/mo. beginning July 1st (a 2/3 reduction). I've placed many applications/resumes, both near and far, in the last couple of months and most of them have either come back negative or not at all. A few have requested further contact, and I have followed through.
Just to recap, those that have requested further contact are as follows: 1) Berkeley Chinese Baptist Church in Berkeley, CA. They are seeking a full-time pastor for their English-speaking congregation. 2) Cornerstone Christian School in Antioch, CA. I am still unsure what exact position they are trying to fill, as they haven't responded to my questions toward that end...but they asked me to send in my cover letter, resume, and application. 3) Calvary Christian School in Forrest City, AR. They are seeking a HS Bible teacher. 4) Maranatha Baptist Church in Bridgeton, NJ. They are seeking an associate pastor to come under the senior pastor in order to take over the pastorate when he retires in the near future. 5) Colonial Christian School and South Dade Baptist Church in Homestead, FL. They are looking for a HS Bible teacher and HS Youth Pastor.
So, these are the strongest prospects I have had in the past couple of months, and to be frank, they are all still on the table as none of them have come back with a negative response. The reason for this update, however, focuses on the fifth prospect above, Colonial Christian School and South Dade Baptist Church in Homestead, FL. As things have progressed in our conversations, a mutual desire to continue conversations has grown. Last Sunday evening, the pastor of the church and the director of the school took a financial package before the church congregation. This package is meant as a supplement from the church to two men (myself and another), hired by the school as teachers, to work in the youth ministry of the church. They have not brought our names before the congregation, as Pastor Long's vision is that this is a "statement of commitment from the congregation to be thoroughly engaged in duty to grow the work." This Sunday evening, the congregation is to vote on whether or not they will approve that commitment.
This is where the specific prayer request comes in. We are not asking you to pray that God would have us go there. We are asking you to pray that the congregation's vote would be indicative of what God desires for our family, whatever the vote may be. As I've said, the situation is what I've been looking for, but we sheep allow our enthusiasm and excitement to get in The Shepherd's way sometimes, and that's not what any of us want.
I have another Skype video chat scheduled with the Pastor and Director this afternoon, just to touch base, as they want to be as transparent as possible with what has transpired in meetings with the deacons and the congregation, and to give me the chance to ask any further questions that may have risen since our last conversation.
Ultimately, please PRAY that God would confirm to us His will for our family this weekend.
In His Service,
Sam, Dulcy, Michael, David, Katherine, and ".5" Healey
Mark 10:45
Just to recap, those that have requested further contact are as follows: 1) Berkeley Chinese Baptist Church in Berkeley, CA. They are seeking a full-time pastor for their English-speaking congregation. 2) Cornerstone Christian School in Antioch, CA. I am still unsure what exact position they are trying to fill, as they haven't responded to my questions toward that end...but they asked me to send in my cover letter, resume, and application. 3) Calvary Christian School in Forrest City, AR. They are seeking a HS Bible teacher. 4) Maranatha Baptist Church in Bridgeton, NJ. They are seeking an associate pastor to come under the senior pastor in order to take over the pastorate when he retires in the near future. 5) Colonial Christian School and South Dade Baptist Church in Homestead, FL. They are looking for a HS Bible teacher and HS Youth Pastor.
So, these are the strongest prospects I have had in the past couple of months, and to be frank, they are all still on the table as none of them have come back with a negative response. The reason for this update, however, focuses on the fifth prospect above, Colonial Christian School and South Dade Baptist Church in Homestead, FL. As things have progressed in our conversations, a mutual desire to continue conversations has grown. Last Sunday evening, the pastor of the church and the director of the school took a financial package before the church congregation. This package is meant as a supplement from the church to two men (myself and another), hired by the school as teachers, to work in the youth ministry of the church. They have not brought our names before the congregation, as Pastor Long's vision is that this is a "statement of commitment from the congregation to be thoroughly engaged in duty to grow the work." This Sunday evening, the congregation is to vote on whether or not they will approve that commitment.
This is where the specific prayer request comes in. We are not asking you to pray that God would have us go there. We are asking you to pray that the congregation's vote would be indicative of what God desires for our family, whatever the vote may be. As I've said, the situation is what I've been looking for, but we sheep allow our enthusiasm and excitement to get in The Shepherd's way sometimes, and that's not what any of us want.
I have another Skype video chat scheduled with the Pastor and Director this afternoon, just to touch base, as they want to be as transparent as possible with what has transpired in meetings with the deacons and the congregation, and to give me the chance to ask any further questions that may have risen since our last conversation.
Ultimately, please PRAY that God would confirm to us His will for our family this weekend.
In His Service,
Sam, Dulcy, Michael, David, Katherine, and ".5" Healey
Mark 10:45
Monday, April 12, 2010
April Update...
Hello, everyone! It's that time again for an update from the Healey family. April found us all in good health, and doing well. Dulcy is doing quite well with the pregnancy, and the baby is healthy, too. She has had her first ultrasound, heard the baby's heartbeat, and all that good stuff. I think I was more happy, though, to see that there was only one baby in there...:)
I have begun training to upgrade to the larger buses. If we stay in the area, this upgrade will give me more driving time during the summer months doing charter trips and such, when my regular school route won't be running. It also makes my license a bit more "marketable" as it will now include vehicles with air brake systems. The training has already come in handy financially, as they had me training for about 4 hours a day during Spring Break when I wouldn't have been getting any hours at all. So, God is good, and is continuing to provide.
Dulcy and the kids are still clipping along quite well in their homeschooling endeavors. The boys have started a California State notebook project for their Social Studies class. They are learning quite a bit more about California than I know. Katherine is becoming quite the little reader, now, too. Everything must be read, now...no word or group of words are too mundane. She reads them all! We're happy that she loves reading so much.
Concerning the hunt for a job...Leads are still very slim in the area. Frankly, they're slim everywhere. Presently, there are 5 leads that I am currently running down that are all decent prospects. One is in Homestead, FL, a church/school is looking for a youth worker/Bible teacher. Out of all the prospects currently on the table, this one is the most appealing to Dulcy and I. If God desires for us to leave the area, this is the one that seems to best fit our family. It also carries with it a possible reunion with some friends of ours that we've known since college and their family. Another prospect is in Forrest City, Arkansas, a school looking for a Bible teacher. The third is Berkeley Chinese Baptist Church, in Berkeley, CA. They are looking for an English Pastor to oversee their English-speaking congregation. A fourth is another school in Antioch, CA, who just contacted me this morning asking if I would fill-out an application and send in my resume. And the fifth is a church in New Jersey that is looking for an assistant pastor to take over when the senior pastor retires in the near future. Those contacts that I've made to this area's Christian schools have either come back negative, or haven't come back at all, with the exception of the one this morning. And of the 15 or 16 applications I've made to government positions, I've heard back from just 3. Two of the positions have been cancelled, and the third said that I was qualified, but that other applicants were more qualified.
Honestly, we don't know where God is leading us. We will go where He leads. That is our main concern. It would grieve us to have to leave the wonderful people at Bethany Baptist, but if that is God's will, so shall it be done. Offerings are actually lower than last year, now. Pastor Rushing doesn't understand it, either, because we haven't lost any people over last year. The only explanation we can figure is that the economy's effects have finally trickled down to where the church finances are feeling it.
Suffice it to say, though, that we have pretty much entered "crunch time". Our lease is up at the end of June, and while the lease agreement does allow for a month-to-month stipulation after the first year, we'd much rather have things figured out before then. If God is leading us away from here, there are so many preparations that would need to be made. We are not forgetting what God did to get us here, mind you. These things are simply on our minds.
Our requests this month are simple:
1. Pray that the pregnancy goes well, and that Dulcy and the baby stay healthy.
2. Pray that God would guide and direct us to His will for our family.
Thank you so much for your prayers for us. We are looking forward to seeing how God works all this out.
In His Service,
Sam, Dulcy, Michael, David, Katherine, and .5 Healey
Mark 10:45
I have begun training to upgrade to the larger buses. If we stay in the area, this upgrade will give me more driving time during the summer months doing charter trips and such, when my regular school route won't be running. It also makes my license a bit more "marketable" as it will now include vehicles with air brake systems. The training has already come in handy financially, as they had me training for about 4 hours a day during Spring Break when I wouldn't have been getting any hours at all. So, God is good, and is continuing to provide.
Dulcy and the kids are still clipping along quite well in their homeschooling endeavors. The boys have started a California State notebook project for their Social Studies class. They are learning quite a bit more about California than I know. Katherine is becoming quite the little reader, now, too. Everything must be read, now...no word or group of words are too mundane. She reads them all! We're happy that she loves reading so much.
Concerning the hunt for a job...Leads are still very slim in the area. Frankly, they're slim everywhere. Presently, there are 5 leads that I am currently running down that are all decent prospects. One is in Homestead, FL, a church/school is looking for a youth worker/Bible teacher. Out of all the prospects currently on the table, this one is the most appealing to Dulcy and I. If God desires for us to leave the area, this is the one that seems to best fit our family. It also carries with it a possible reunion with some friends of ours that we've known since college and their family. Another prospect is in Forrest City, Arkansas, a school looking for a Bible teacher. The third is Berkeley Chinese Baptist Church, in Berkeley, CA. They are looking for an English Pastor to oversee their English-speaking congregation. A fourth is another school in Antioch, CA, who just contacted me this morning asking if I would fill-out an application and send in my resume. And the fifth is a church in New Jersey that is looking for an assistant pastor to take over when the senior pastor retires in the near future. Those contacts that I've made to this area's Christian schools have either come back negative, or haven't come back at all, with the exception of the one this morning. And of the 15 or 16 applications I've made to government positions, I've heard back from just 3. Two of the positions have been cancelled, and the third said that I was qualified, but that other applicants were more qualified.
Honestly, we don't know where God is leading us. We will go where He leads. That is our main concern. It would grieve us to have to leave the wonderful people at Bethany Baptist, but if that is God's will, so shall it be done. Offerings are actually lower than last year, now. Pastor Rushing doesn't understand it, either, because we haven't lost any people over last year. The only explanation we can figure is that the economy's effects have finally trickled down to where the church finances are feeling it.
Suffice it to say, though, that we have pretty much entered "crunch time". Our lease is up at the end of June, and while the lease agreement does allow for a month-to-month stipulation after the first year, we'd much rather have things figured out before then. If God is leading us away from here, there are so many preparations that would need to be made. We are not forgetting what God did to get us here, mind you. These things are simply on our minds.
Our requests this month are simple:
1. Pray that the pregnancy goes well, and that Dulcy and the baby stay healthy.
2. Pray that God would guide and direct us to His will for our family.
Thank you so much for your prayers for us. We are looking forward to seeing how God works all this out.
In His Service,
Sam, Dulcy, Michael, David, Katherine, and .5 Healey
Mark 10:45
Friday, March 12, 2010
February/March Update...
First of all, I apologize for the relative silence that was February. It was a rough month for us, and we were just trying to hold on, much less get everything accomplished that we wanted to accomplish.
By way of back-tracking, we got some not-too-good news last month. Pastor called me into his office one day as we usually do each week to touch base and keep each other abreast of any news and schedules for the week and all. Long story short, the church isn't picking up financially as we hoped that it would. Offerings are just about the same as they were at this time last year. What this means is that simply in about 4-5 months the church will no longer be able to pay me what they are paying me now. Let me stop here and say that no one wants this to happen. Pastor told me that he is abssolutely pleased with what I've done, and the impact that our family has had on the church. We love the church and desire to stay, and that's what we are hoping happens.
We are faced with what we can see are four basic possiblities:
1. The church's finances turn around, and they are able to keep me on at my current rate or bring me on full-time. (best-case scenario)
2. I am able to procure a full-time teaching position at a local Christian school, and the church falls into more of a part-time role financially. (desirable alternative)
3. I am able to find a full-time position somewhere else in the country meaning that we would have to uproot and move again. (not-so-desirable alternative, but I'm willing to do it, if it means my family's needs are provided)
4. I am not able to find any kind of job that would sufficiently supply my family's needs, and we are forced (no offense to her family) to move in with Dulcy's family in Washington to start over from scratch. (worst-case scenario)
We are not sitting on our hands, here, and we need you all to join with us in prayer for God's provision. He's provided for us in the past, and He can and will do it again. I don't know how God would turn the church's finances around to enable the church to bring me on full-time, but I know that He can. PRAY. I have already recontacted the Christian schools in the area, and have two decent leads. We are waiting on letters of intent from the teachers to be returned to the principals/directors before we know anything further. Most schools require the letters of intent to returned by the end of March. PRAY that something will open up for me on this front. I really miss teaching, and this is what I believe to be a really good fit, as it will also provide the way for our kids to get back to a traditional Christian school setting. My Dad is helping me apply to as many federal government jobs as possible. I've already applied to seven vacancies that he has sent me in the last few days. I am quite unfamiliar with how the application process works with these government jobs, but I've followed all the directions. PRAY. If nothing avails itself within the next few months, we will more than likely have to move in with Dulcy's parents to start from scratch again. And sincerely, I do not mean to paint this in such a negative light. Russ and Mary have been very gracious and generous to put that offer on the table for us, and it is something of a safety net, so to speak. But from our point of view, this is not what we want to see happen for our family's sake. It wouldn't be bad to be near the family there, indeed, the kids would love it; but it carries with it a certain air of failure, for which I am willing to accept full responsibility. Long story short...PRAY.
I'm sorry to be dropping this on you all so suddenly. I have told some of you before this update of our current situation, but for most of you, this is the first you've heard of any real difficulty. Please also understand that, while we are struggling currently, we are fine in most respects. We are paycheck to paycheck, but we aren't starving, our clothes aren't ratty, our vehicles are running well, and we are generally safe. The difficulty is simply that our future is now once again uncertain. And it is a weary realization to find ourselves in that state after having come so far. But now that you all know our situation, please join us in petitioning our mighty God to intervene on our behalf. Really, any of the possibilities that I've mentioned before are things that I would willingly do to ensure my family's safety and provision. So, please PRAY that God will continue to work, and that He will show us what He wants us to do from day to day.
Now that the unfortunate news is out there, February also presented us with some good news. About two days after we found out about the church situation, we also found out that Dulcy is pregnant with our fourth child! Her due date is October 19th. She has another check-up scheduled for April 1st. Katherine, of course, is praying for a girl, and Michael and David, another boy. Dulcy and I aren't necessarily concerned with gender this go around. I'm sure Dulcy wouldn't mind another girl, and I'm with her on that one, too, after seeing how much easier a girl takes to many different things (not the least of which is potty-training). But no matter what the gender turns out to be, we will love and cherish him or her as we do all of our kids.
I will endeavor to send another update out this month to catch you all up on the other things going on. I would include them here, but I fear I've rambled too long already. Please feel free to contact via email or by phone if you have any questions of any kind.
In His Service,
Sam, Dulcy, Michael, David, and Katherine Healey.
Mark 10:45
By way of back-tracking, we got some not-too-good news last month. Pastor called me into his office one day as we usually do each week to touch base and keep each other abreast of any news and schedules for the week and all. Long story short, the church isn't picking up financially as we hoped that it would. Offerings are just about the same as they were at this time last year. What this means is that simply in about 4-5 months the church will no longer be able to pay me what they are paying me now. Let me stop here and say that no one wants this to happen. Pastor told me that he is abssolutely pleased with what I've done, and the impact that our family has had on the church. We love the church and desire to stay, and that's what we are hoping happens.
We are faced with what we can see are four basic possiblities:
1. The church's finances turn around, and they are able to keep me on at my current rate or bring me on full-time. (best-case scenario)
2. I am able to procure a full-time teaching position at a local Christian school, and the church falls into more of a part-time role financially. (desirable alternative)
3. I am able to find a full-time position somewhere else in the country meaning that we would have to uproot and move again. (not-so-desirable alternative, but I'm willing to do it, if it means my family's needs are provided)
4. I am not able to find any kind of job that would sufficiently supply my family's needs, and we are forced (no offense to her family) to move in with Dulcy's family in Washington to start over from scratch. (worst-case scenario)
We are not sitting on our hands, here, and we need you all to join with us in prayer for God's provision. He's provided for us in the past, and He can and will do it again. I don't know how God would turn the church's finances around to enable the church to bring me on full-time, but I know that He can. PRAY. I have already recontacted the Christian schools in the area, and have two decent leads. We are waiting on letters of intent from the teachers to be returned to the principals/directors before we know anything further. Most schools require the letters of intent to returned by the end of March. PRAY that something will open up for me on this front. I really miss teaching, and this is what I believe to be a really good fit, as it will also provide the way for our kids to get back to a traditional Christian school setting. My Dad is helping me apply to as many federal government jobs as possible. I've already applied to seven vacancies that he has sent me in the last few days. I am quite unfamiliar with how the application process works with these government jobs, but I've followed all the directions. PRAY. If nothing avails itself within the next few months, we will more than likely have to move in with Dulcy's parents to start from scratch again. And sincerely, I do not mean to paint this in such a negative light. Russ and Mary have been very gracious and generous to put that offer on the table for us, and it is something of a safety net, so to speak. But from our point of view, this is not what we want to see happen for our family's sake. It wouldn't be bad to be near the family there, indeed, the kids would love it; but it carries with it a certain air of failure, for which I am willing to accept full responsibility. Long story short...PRAY.
I'm sorry to be dropping this on you all so suddenly. I have told some of you before this update of our current situation, but for most of you, this is the first you've heard of any real difficulty. Please also understand that, while we are struggling currently, we are fine in most respects. We are paycheck to paycheck, but we aren't starving, our clothes aren't ratty, our vehicles are running well, and we are generally safe. The difficulty is simply that our future is now once again uncertain. And it is a weary realization to find ourselves in that state after having come so far. But now that you all know our situation, please join us in petitioning our mighty God to intervene on our behalf. Really, any of the possibilities that I've mentioned before are things that I would willingly do to ensure my family's safety and provision. So, please PRAY that God will continue to work, and that He will show us what He wants us to do from day to day.
Now that the unfortunate news is out there, February also presented us with some good news. About two days after we found out about the church situation, we also found out that Dulcy is pregnant with our fourth child! Her due date is October 19th. She has another check-up scheduled for April 1st. Katherine, of course, is praying for a girl, and Michael and David, another boy. Dulcy and I aren't necessarily concerned with gender this go around. I'm sure Dulcy wouldn't mind another girl, and I'm with her on that one, too, after seeing how much easier a girl takes to many different things (not the least of which is potty-training). But no matter what the gender turns out to be, we will love and cherish him or her as we do all of our kids.
I will endeavor to send another update out this month to catch you all up on the other things going on. I would include them here, but I fear I've rambled too long already. Please feel free to contact via email or by phone if you have any questions of any kind.
In His Service,
Sam, Dulcy, Michael, David, and Katherine Healey.
Mark 10:45
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
January Update...
Happy New Year, everyone! The year of change has ended, and so begins the year of...uh...I don't know what to call it. We seem to have settled in quite well here in California. There were, and I percieve that there still may be, some unforseen bumps in the road, but ultimately God has been absolutely and truly awesome in every aspect of our transition back to the States from Korea. We still have many fond memories of our time there, and we still miss all of those we left behind there, students and co-workers alike; but we are excited for what this year holds for us and our new church family here in Martinez.
Speaking of unforseen bumps, the new year started off on a somewhat negative note with the radiator in our little truck giving up the ghost. But with a little help from a church member, a little elbow grease, and about $130, she was back up and running in no time. At the very least, it happened to the truck, which I know I'm able to work on without having to take it to a mechanic. If it had been the Cadillac, we'd have been in some pretty hot water, what with all the gizmos and gadgets it has under the hood. Also, it presented a good opportunity for this man from our church and I to spend a little bit of time together. So, all in all, we'll chalk it up as a good experience.
We are about half-way through our first year of homeschooling. Dulcy and the kids are hitting their stride, so to speak, and getting a lot accomplished. She took the kids to the library downtown (only about a 15-20 minute walk from our house) one day last week to work on a report on George Washington Carver. Dulcy told me that the librarian said she couldn't remember the last time a parent brought their child to the library to work on homework. That's kind of sad, I suppose, as there is so much more in the experience of going to the library than the mere acquisition of knowledge. Everyone's grades are doing well, although we can't say the we agree 100% with how some of their work has been evaluated by ABeka. I guess that comes with the territory, though. Keep praying that Dulcy and the kids will continue to do a good job in accomplishing this task that was set before them by factors over which they had no control. And please also pray that there will be some way for the kids to return to a traditional school setting next year. Whether that means a teaching job for me, or a step-up in salary, or whatever means God chooses to use, please join us in praying towards that end.
Our church members have been taking a lot of hits lately. Pastor Rushing's father just passed away. Our head deacon's son-in-law passed away last month. Yet another church member's mother passed away last month. Another member had to go under the knife on Sunday for a growth on the back of her neck that has been causing her severe headaches. Another deacon's step-father is not doing well physically, and another member will be having hip-replacement surgery this Friday. It is becoming increasingly apparent that the evil one is at work, but He that is in us is greater than he that is in the world. Please pray that our church flourishes under this time of difficulty and spiritual oppression. But even during these trials, we had a visitor on Sunday that said she has been listening to the podcast that Pastor sends out, and has decided to come. So, God is at work, too! Pray that we will remain faithful and ready to be used by Him as He works.
The past holidays have presented a number of opportunities for fellowship. We had a game night on New Year's Eve that was a success. We had about 20 people there altogether, and we all stayed until about 1:30am. We just had another game night after the evening service Sunday, as many of our members didn't have to report to work on Monday because of MLK Day. And those aren't even counting the Christmas get-togethers that were had, and the youth activities. Fellowship is something that I believe to be especially important in the forming of strong bonds between the brethren. So, please pray that more of these opportunities will present themselves and that members would continue to join in the fellowship.
Well, that's about it, I think. As we've always said, we absolutely covet your prayers for us, and hope that you will share your requests with us, too, so that we may pray on your behalf.
In His Service in Northern California,
Sam, Dulcy, Michael, David, and Katherine Healey.
Mark 10:45
Speaking of unforseen bumps, the new year started off on a somewhat negative note with the radiator in our little truck giving up the ghost. But with a little help from a church member, a little elbow grease, and about $130, she was back up and running in no time. At the very least, it happened to the truck, which I know I'm able to work on without having to take it to a mechanic. If it had been the Cadillac, we'd have been in some pretty hot water, what with all the gizmos and gadgets it has under the hood. Also, it presented a good opportunity for this man from our church and I to spend a little bit of time together. So, all in all, we'll chalk it up as a good experience.
We are about half-way through our first year of homeschooling. Dulcy and the kids are hitting their stride, so to speak, and getting a lot accomplished. She took the kids to the library downtown (only about a 15-20 minute walk from our house) one day last week to work on a report on George Washington Carver. Dulcy told me that the librarian said she couldn't remember the last time a parent brought their child to the library to work on homework. That's kind of sad, I suppose, as there is so much more in the experience of going to the library than the mere acquisition of knowledge. Everyone's grades are doing well, although we can't say the we agree 100% with how some of their work has been evaluated by ABeka. I guess that comes with the territory, though. Keep praying that Dulcy and the kids will continue to do a good job in accomplishing this task that was set before them by factors over which they had no control. And please also pray that there will be some way for the kids to return to a traditional school setting next year. Whether that means a teaching job for me, or a step-up in salary, or whatever means God chooses to use, please join us in praying towards that end.
Our church members have been taking a lot of hits lately. Pastor Rushing's father just passed away. Our head deacon's son-in-law passed away last month. Yet another church member's mother passed away last month. Another member had to go under the knife on Sunday for a growth on the back of her neck that has been causing her severe headaches. Another deacon's step-father is not doing well physically, and another member will be having hip-replacement surgery this Friday. It is becoming increasingly apparent that the evil one is at work, but He that is in us is greater than he that is in the world. Please pray that our church flourishes under this time of difficulty and spiritual oppression. But even during these trials, we had a visitor on Sunday that said she has been listening to the podcast that Pastor sends out, and has decided to come. So, God is at work, too! Pray that we will remain faithful and ready to be used by Him as He works.
The past holidays have presented a number of opportunities for fellowship. We had a game night on New Year's Eve that was a success. We had about 20 people there altogether, and we all stayed until about 1:30am. We just had another game night after the evening service Sunday, as many of our members didn't have to report to work on Monday because of MLK Day. And those aren't even counting the Christmas get-togethers that were had, and the youth activities. Fellowship is something that I believe to be especially important in the forming of strong bonds between the brethren. So, please pray that more of these opportunities will present themselves and that members would continue to join in the fellowship.
Well, that's about it, I think. As we've always said, we absolutely covet your prayers for us, and hope that you will share your requests with us, too, so that we may pray on your behalf.
In His Service in Northern California,
Sam, Dulcy, Michael, David, and Katherine Healey.
Mark 10:45
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