Transition Update...

Greetings, once again!  Life is clipping along at a fairly quick pace for us right now as many things are beginning to come to bear.  I was able to preach in chapel this morning and brought a message entitled "The Road to Change: A Song of Remembrance" from Deuteronomy 31.  It seemed that many of the students in the audience were very attentive, despite some technical difficulties early on.  PRAY that God will bless the message conveyed, and that it will be an instrument of change in the hearts and minds of those that heard it.  

David is off on a field trip today at the Korean Folk Village.  It's a place that is comparable to a place like Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia, where people there are all dressed in traditionally tailored clothing and are tasked with showing visitors how things were done in the 'old days'.  The kids always have a great time.  Katherine went last week, and when she came back, Dulcy asked her where she went.  Katherine said, "...to the Korean Smoke Village...but I didn't smoke at all, Mommy!"  It brought a smile to our faces, to say the least.

A few points of interest from our last update:

1) Remember that our refrigerator was on the fritz and it cost us $190 to fix it?  Well, our headmaster, Rex Freel, was gone at his daughter's graduation from Liberty University when it happened.  Last night, Dulcy mentioned it in passing to Linda, Rex's wife, and both she and Rex said we shouldn't have had to pay for it to be fixed, since it belongs to the school.  So, we are going to be able to turn in the receipt to the school who will then reimburse the entire amount!  Praise the Lord!

2) In our last update, I believe I mentioned that we were looking into insurance for our two vehicles, and that Pastor Rushing was helping with his contacts with AAA.  My Dad, though, contacted me, and stated that we should also look into USAA, as he has been keeping our account with them open these past seven years.  So, I contacted USAA, and our insurance with them will be nearly half what is was going to be with AAA!  Praise the Lord!

3)  The $2500 check from Bethany Baptist has still not yet arrived.  We are currently looking into varying alternatives to rectify the situation.  Please PRAY that we will have wisdom in deciding what to do should the check not arrive soon, and that the check is safe, and has not fallen into the hands of the wrong people.

4)  I'm not aware of any decision that has or has not been  made concerning the house in Martinez and the situation there.  So, please just continue to PRAY that God's will be done, and that we will be patient in waiting for His will to come to fruition.

That's about it for now, I think.  Once again, thank you all so very much for all of your prayers and support.  The last couple of weeks have really been difficult on us, so please don't forget us in your prayers.  They TRULY make a difference.

In His Service,

Sam, Dulcy, Michael, David, and Katherine Healey.

Transition Update...

Another week has bit the dust, and we are ever so gingerly rocketing towards our June 30th departure date with great anticipation and excitement.  Things here at ICS-Uijongbu have hit kind of a lull, in that there aren't a lot of extra-curricular things going on in which I am involved.  However, Dulcy is working hard with both homeschooling Michael and helping coordinate the Kindergarten Graduation Reception.  Katherine has also been sick the last three days, and has missed school so far this week.  So, that has added a bit more stress to Dulcy's week.  Otherwise, it has been business as usual.

The movers will be at our apartment in no less than 16 days (WOW!).  This is cause for prayer for a number of reasons.  PRAY that Dulcy and I will be able to organize things in the apartment so that it's as easy a job for the movers as possible.  Additionally, Pastor Rushing has stated that the church sent the $2500 check to us here in Korea.  And a week ago, he said that it should be here soon, if it wasn't already.  So, it's due any day now, but it must get here before May 29th, as we need to come even with the movers on that day.  Please PRAY that God's hand of protection will be upon that check, and that it will arrive sooner rather than later.

To add a bit of 'excitement' to our lives, the compressor on our refrigerator's freezer decided to go on strike last Friday night.  It wasn't until Monday afternoon, for various reasons, that we were able to get someone to come look at it.  It cost us $190 to have it fixed, as the entire compressor was shot.  Additionally, it was too late for most of the food we had in there.  So, our fridge looks like a bachelor's, now, but at least it works properly.  A PRAISE the Lord is needful here, though, because were it not for a unknown $100 gift from the school that Dulcy and I received on Saturday at the annual NICS Banquet for our five years of service, we probably wouldn't have been able to afford the repairs.  So, it was a subtle, yet welcome reminder that God is in control.

No additional word from Martinez has been recieved concerning the fate of the house for rent.  To specify the situation a bit more, the landlord's family wants to sell the house, but since it's currently a buyer's market, they want to wait, and they can't come to an agreement on whether or not to rent it out in the meantime.  While this could be a bit nerve-racking, seeing as how we are so close to our arrival, Pastor Rushing made an entirely good point when he stated that God will simply use this event to either confirm that this is the house He has for us, or that there is another place He has for us.  So, while we are tempted to ask the proverbial "why?", we are taking rest in the fact that this didn't surprise God.  The car, however, is up and ready to go, thanks to the generosity of an anonymous member of Bethany Baptist.  Pastor said the only problem with the car now is the fact the we aren't driving it, yet...:)  Another PRAISE, though, is that we have been offered and have accepted a 1991 Mitsubishi Mighty Max from another anonymous church member.  I asked Pastor to check into AAA insurance for both the Cadillac and the pick-up together, and the price wasn't much more expensive than for just the Cadillac.  So, knowing that having two vehicles is very near a logistical necessity for a family of our size in the area, we are trusting in God's providence and thanking Him for it.  Please continue to PRAY for the housing situation, though.

Health insurance is shaping up to be our most significant concern.  The common carrier in our area is Kaiser Permenante, and the least expensive HMO plan that they have available is a $30 co-pay/$1500 deductible plan for $579/month, which doesn't include dental.  That's big chunk of change considering what our salary will be from the church.  They also have HSA plans that are cheaper, but we have been advised by multiple parties that HMOs would be the preferred kind of plan for our family's potential needs.  As we have been reminded again and again, though, God is in control.  And where He guides, He provides.  So, please lift this matter up to the Lord in PRAYER, and ask Him to continue to guide and direct us in the right way for our insurance.

I have only one interview with a school upon on our arrival in California for possible supplemental employment.  I say "only" simply because I was hoping to have a few lined-up.  One interview is definitely better than none, though, so don't get me wrong.  I'm delighted to have the one.  Our thought patterns on this front go something like this...supplemental employment as a teacher provides an affordable Christian education for our children, it could possibly solve the health insurance issue, and it's what I've been doing since college, too.  But those are simply our thoughts, and His thoughts are so much higher than ours.  Pastor Rushing has asked if I would be willing to work a secular (non-teaching) job, should the teacher route not come to fruition.  He has some possibilities that could be potential avenues, too.  And while I am willing to do whatever I can to help provide for my family, teaching in a Christian school is my first choice, by far.  So, I am going to be recontacting the schools from which I have recieved no further communication in the next few days in order to determine whether or not those doors are still open.  Please PRAY that I will hear back from them, at least.  You can also feel free to pray that what I hear back is positive...:).  Ultimately, though, PRAY that God will definitively guide us into His will.

That's about it for now, I think.  Thank you all so much for all your prayers and support throughout this transition.  As an aside, I fully intend to keep these updates coming even after our arrival in California.  The reason I mention this is simply a reminder that we always appreciate your prayers, and they will still play an integral part of our ministry in California, even after our arrival.  Prayer is and should always be an indispensible part of the Christian's life.

In His Service,

Sam, Dulcy, Michael, David, and Katherine Healey.

Transition Update...

Well, Children's Day was yesterday, and it was a welcome day-off in the middle of the week.  We took the family down to the Electronics Market in Seoul to pick up some birthday presents, take in a movie, and just have a family day out and about.  Children's Day is quite a big thing here in Korea.  Near the Electronics Market is a place called the I-Park Mall, which has a large courtyard-type area where many different kinds of events are held.  Yesterday was no exception.  A large carnival-ish event was going on, and the kids all had a great time milling about trying out some of the various activities.

By way of update, I recieved an email from Pastor Rushing this morning.  It had both good and 'potentially bad' news in it.  The good news is that he is getting the car tuned-up and ready to go.  He said that it drives very well, and that we will enjoy it for sure.  That went without saying as far as I'm concerned...:)  The 'potentially bad' news is that the heirs of the landlord from which we were going to be renting the house have voiced some disagreement with the decision to rent it out.  Pastor Rushing is going to be talking with those involved this week in order to try and smooth things out.  He said that no matter what happens, the church will still find us a nice place to live, and not to worry.  Please just PRAY that we (they) will be led to God's perfect place for us, whether it be this house or another.  Also, whatever the circumstance, please PRAY that everything works out before the movers come on May 29th, so that there is no confusion upon delivery.

My Dad, Jack Healey, is interviewing for an instructor's position at his place of work.  My Dad loves to teach, and this is a position for which he feels to be incredibly qualified, and one that he would take great personal and professional pleasure in fulfilling.  His initial interview went well, as the panel was pleased with his presentation, preparation, and forthrightness .  Please PRAY that God's will be done in this process.

We are 'down to the wire', so to speak here at ICS-Uijongbu.  We have two more regular weeks, then one review week during which no new material will be given, and then finals week.  Unfortunately, 'down to the wire' doesn't mean that our work is done.  We have a lot of things to bring together in a very short time.  AP tests begin this week, which determine whether or not the students will recieve college credit for the course.  These are the culmination of an entire year's worth of preparation for these students and teachers.  Please PRAY that the students will do the best they can, and that the teachers will not stress too much over the outcome.  PRAY also for all the other students who still have all those final exams coming in the next few weeks, that they will put the right amount of time into studying as needed. 

Our son, Michael, just had his 10th birthday on Sunday.  We had a small birthday party at the church with his friends, then took him to Toys 'R' Us in the afternoon for his presents.  I think he had a good time.  We bought him an ice cream cake from Baskin Robbins which he had been telling us he wanted.  All in all, he seemed to have a very good day.

Well, that's about it for now.  Please remember us in your prayers as we continue to barrel towards our move to California.

In His Service,

Sam.

Soccer team finished strong...

Well, the soccer season has finally come to an end. The tournament this past weekend was a wonderful experience overall. Our boys came out in a furious fashion on Friday, posting two shut-out performances against ICS-Pyeongtaek (3-0) and Gyeong-Gi Suwon International School (2-0), thereby earning themselves a place in the tournament championship game. Saturday, during the championship game, exhausted from their two games the previous day, they still came out and battled the first place team, Korea Kent Foreign School. The game started off with an uncharacteristic misjudgement by our goalie resulting in a goal against in the 2nd minute of the game. Our boys battled back, and scored an equalizer in the 25th minute, and we went to half-time tied at 1-1. The second half was a scoreless defensive battle on both sides of the field, sending the game into overtime. Two overtime periods later, the score was still 1-1, and we were forced to go into a shoot-out. At the end of the first round of shooters, we finally found ourselves on the short end of the stick, having two of our shots blocked, and none of theirs. We came into the tournament as the third seed and finished in second. Our goalie, Michael Freel, was voted by the coaches as the Best Goalie of the tournament, solidifying him a place on the All-Star team. Our defensive captain, Japheth DeVries (a freshman), was voted Best Defensive Player by the coaches. Our team was voted by the coaches and referees for the Best Sportsmanship Award. Additionally, 3 of our players recieved All-Conference honors, and 5 players received All-Tournament honors. And both Japheth DeVries, and our team captain, Min Lee (a senior), made the All-Star team.

Just a few more stats to try and exemplify just how far God has brought this team from the beginning of the season: Including the games we played in the tournament, we allowed just 5 goals in our last 10 games, including no less than 6 shut-out performances. Comparatively, in our first 7 games we allowed a whopping 35 goals (three games of which were against Division 1 teams). Offensively, in our last 10 games, we scored 28 goals, while in our first 7 games, we scored a mere 7 goals.

Once again, thank you all so much for your prayers on behalf of our team this season. As I hope you can see from today's post, God answered your prayers in incredibly good fashion. It has been a tremendous joy to have been the coach this year. Is was laborious and stressful at times, but ultimately, God blessed in a fabulous way.

More information concerning our transition to California will come in another post later this week. Until then, God bless.

In His Service,
Sam.

The soccer season is all but finished...

Finally, we have come to the end of another soccer season here at ICS-Uijongbu. Our last regular season game concluded last night in a 2-0 win over cross-town rivals, Indianhead International School. The win put us in 3rd place for the division, a tremendous accomplishment for a team that started the season with 3 losses and 1 tie. Our defense and goalie have not allowed a goal in the last 4 games. That's 320 minutes of play time! Additionally, our offense has outscored the competition 22-4 in our last 7 games! In short, God has answered your prayers and mine, in that the boys have come together and played as a single unit. Thank you so much for petitioning the throne of God on their behalf!

We now move on to the season ending tournament on Friday and Saturday. We are scheduled to play our first game on Friday at noon. If we win that game, we will play again at 3:30 in the afternoon. And if we win that second game, we will play in the tournament championship game on Saturday afternoon. Our boys still have a lot of playing time left, so please continue to lift them up in your prayers.

We signed a contract with the moving company on Monday evening, and they will be coming to pack-up our stuff on Friday, May 29th, which is also when the rest of the shipping cost ($2,180.49) is due. Bethany Baptist is sending $2500 to help off-set those moving costs, but we will also need a good amount of money when we arrive in California for various other start-up costs, not the least of which are car insurance, health insurance, groceries, gas for the car...and the list continues. We won't have a paycheck from the church until the end of July. So, while the moving costs have been provided for, there are still other things that require God's providence. Please PRAY that all these details will be worked out completely, and ask God how He would have you to help.

For those who may be interested, our address in California will be: 4515 Grothman Lane, Martinez, CA, 94553. It seems so surreal that we now have an address in the USA once again. It's been so long since that has been the case. Praise the Lord for His goodness and care for my family and I!

That's about all for now. More updates will come in the following weeks. One last prayer request, though. I am experiencing very strong "withdrawal" symptoms. What I mean by that is that as we draw closer to our departure, I am having a harder time focusing on the task at hand. I am mentally ready to begin the new ministry to which God has called me, but I know that I also need to finish well and strong here first. So, please PRAY that God will help me to complete this work in Uijongbu well, while still being receptive to the things He is teaching me for my new ministry in Martinez.

In His Service,
Sam, Dulcy, Michael, David, and Katherine Healey.

Back in the saddle...

We have nearly a full week under our belts, now, after Spring Break. It has been a really long week, but we are back in the saddle again. We teachers came back to school on Monday only to find that our network was down, and only a couple teachers had internet access on their computers…and it was hit and miss for them. This lack of internet accessibility at school, coupled with the internet connectivity woes that we experience from time to time on our worn-out laptop at home, is the reason I haven't been able to send out an update in two weeks. I meant to take a break last week during vacation, but I fully intended to send another message out earlier this week, and couldn't. So, I give my apologies to you all for that.

Concerning our transition to California, we plan to call the moving company back tomorrow in order to schedule a time to sign a contract. At that meeting, we will have to pay 10% of the cost as a down-payment. At current market conversion rates that's about $242.16, which will leave approximately $2,180.49 that will need to be paid on moving day. So, that's the number we need to PRAY for God to provide. As soon as I know the exact date that the movers will come to pack up our stuff, I will let you all know so that you can be praying all the more specifically. We do have some promises from fellow teachers to purchase some of the larger things we were not planning to take with us to California. So, God is providing avenues of revenue, but it’ll take more than what’s coming from the sale of these items.

The only news I have from Martinez is big news...at least for us. I just got an email from Pastor Rushing this morning stating that the house will already have a washer and a dryer. So, those are a couple of things that we won't have to purchase when we get there! Praise the Lord! I haven’t heard back from any other schools in the area with which I have had contact. God is in control, and we trust that whatever happens concerning supplemental employment will be His will for us and our kids.

The soccer season resumes for the team today with our Homecoming Game against sister school ICS-Pyeongtaek. We’ve been practicing all week, and the guys are ready for their game tonight. Tomorrow, we have another home game against Gyeong-Gi Suwon International School. And our last game of the season will be on Wednesday, a home game against cross-town rivals, Indianhead International School. Then, Friday and Saturday next week will be our conference tournament, after which the season will come to an end. We have the possibility of finishing in second place, if we win these last three games. PRAY that our boys will do the best they can to finish the season strong.

David and Katherine have been having a blast participating in Spirit Week here at school. Each day has a different theme to it, and the students are all encouraged to show their school spirit by dressing up to the theme of the day. They both were chosen as having the best outfit in their respective classes on Tuesday and Wednesday. Michael has been participating as much as possible, too, and having fun at it. Today is “Red, White, and Blue Day” (our school’s colors), and I’m sure Dulcy will be up to her ears in face-paint, and who knows what else by the time the kids make it to school in the morning.

We have purchased a new laptop since last I wrote. I decided to go with a Dell Inspiron 1545. It hasn’t arrived, yet, but it is on the way. This is the first laptop that we have purchased brand-new. A big thank you goes to all those who prayed that we would find a good deal. We were able to pay for it in cash, which is a blessing in itself.

My pastor, Tom Vasel, and I have been running board game events on a couple of the local US Army bases in the area for the past two years, and tomorrow afternoon we are having a Memoir ’44 tournament. Memoir ’44 is a simple 2-player strategy game that simulates many of the battles fought during World War II. I mention this because we haven’t yet received much feedback of interest. It would just be nice if we had a good group of participants. Please PRAY that we would have some soldiers come out for this tournament. On a related note, running these events provides us with base passes, and we recently had to renew them. Mine has not yet been approved, while the others have gone through. PRAY that my base pass would come through quickly.

We’ve had a lot of visitors lately at our church here in Uijongbu. It’s been a blessing to witness such an in-flux of people. PRAY that God will continue to bring visitors and new members into our church. There will be a lot of tithing members moving away this summer for good. PRAY that UBC will continue to be a blessing in this community.

Well, that’s about it for now, I think. I know I’ve probably missed something, and I’ll have to include it in the next update. Thanks so much for all of your prayers and support. Both are greatly and completely appreciated. If you have any questions about our lives here or what they will be in California…or if you just want to say ‘hi’, feel free to contact me at samuelhealey@gmail.com, or Dulcy at buttercuphealey@gmail.com.

In His Service,
Sam, Dulcy, Michael, David, and Katherine Healey

Transition Update...

So, here we are on the last Friday before Spring Break (for our school), and I have a good bit of information to pass along. This will be less devotional and more informational, so I apologize if it's not what you're used to...

I received an email from Pastor Rushing this morning stating that they have indeed solidified the house for rent in Martinez for our family. This, in and of itself, is a huge answer to prayer. So, praise the Lord! Concerning start-up costs for renting, the landlord is only asking the first month rent. So, there will be $2,500 left of the money the church is providing for relocation expenses to help get the car ready to go and to help off-set some of the shipping costs! If that weren't enough, he also said that the house will come with a dining room table and chairs, refrigerator, stove, 2 twin beds, and a queen-sized bed, and that some church members have set aside 2 recliners, a love seat, and an easy chair with a footstool for us. I was taken aback, to say the least. I never imagined that this much furniture would be provided for us!

So, I shot an email to the fellow that did the shipping estimate for our household goods, and told him that we wouldn't be shipping as much as we originally thought. About half an hour later, I recieved an email back from him with a new quote. Not shipping our dining room table/chairs, kid's bed, and king-sized bed knocked no less than $606 off our shipping costs, bringing the quote to $2,389.30! Another huge praise!

Additionally, we also recieved support checks from both my father and my grandparents in Texas. So, God continues to provide things at just the right time. Thank you all so much for your prayers for us as we continue to prepare for the trip back to the US.

Now, for some more prayer requests that have presented themselves recently:

1. Our school is sending out no less than 4 missions teams to different areas over Spring Break. One is going to help a couple UBC missionaries in Manila, Philippines, another is going to help a UCC missionary deep in the jungles of Palawan, Philippines, still another is going to Bangkhok, Thailand to help the Baptist Student Center there run a Vacation Bible School, and finally, one team is headed to an island off the eastern coast of Korea, named Ulleongdo, to minister in a number of different ways to the people who live on the island. All of these teams have multiple teachers going as chaperones and team leaders, not to mention all the students. In all, there are approximately 58 people associated with our school travelling to these different missions. Please PRAY that God's hand of safety will be upon them, that God's hand of power will be with them, and that these trips will be instruments of spiritual encouragement and rekindling.

2. This is a praise that I would like to join me in praising God. Our soccer team in the last two weeks have shot from 2nd to last place to 3rd place! We have won our last three division games in commanding fashion. I know that this is solely due to the prayers of you all reaching the ears of God, and His hand working in their hearts. The spirit of the team has done a complete 180 degree turn for the better, and they have finally decided to play together as a unit. It is, once again, a pleasure to coach soccer for my assistant and I.

3. About 2.5 years ago, we turned in our old desktop computer, and purchased a refurbished laptop to be used as our family computer. Well, the laptop is on the way out, now. It is still working, but the display is on the fritz, and we can barely read what it is that we do on it. I knew that we would have to replace the laptop soon, but I was hoping it would last until we returned to the US. It doesn't look like that's going to happen. Please PRAY that God will guide me to the perfect replacement.

Well, that's about it for now. Thank you again for everything that you all have done in prayer and support. It is entirely appreciated, to say the least.

In His Service,
Sam, Dulcy, Michael, David, and Katherine Healey.