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December 27, 2004

Ben's Birthday

Today would have been Ben’s 12th birthday. It’s a strange feeling to know that he was eleven, but will never be twelve. Dave and I found ourselves wondering whether birthdays are celebrated in heaven, and if so if the annual celebration is the birth date on earth or the anniversary of their arrival in heaven? What a lot we will learn when we get to heaven that Ben already knows. We found a quite place (rare in the Philippines!) and spent some time this morning remembering, and hope to watch videos of some of Ben’s birthdays later today, but first we have to get things ready for conference as we leave early tomorrow morning.

We enjoyed some special times with friends over the holidays, and for the most part it’s been a good holiday season. We know people are praying for us and it feels as though those prayers are between us and the pain of loss. And as we pass each milestone, we are reminded that just as God has seen us through in the past, so He will in the future. So we add to our pile of memories and reminders of His faithfulness as this year 2004 comes to and end. Thank you for supporting us through the past years.

Posted by David at 2:02 PM

December 6, 2004

December Prayer Bulletin


Dave & Karen Lampinen, 1354 Cambridge, Brookside Hills Subd., 1900 Cainta, Rizal, Philippines Tel. 632-655-7253

Dear Team,
We’ve done website updates, but thought we’d better send a prayer letter as well to assure you that we are safe and sound after the recent storms in the Philippines. I think sometimes your news coverage is better than ours! Thankfully Metro Manila, with a population of over 12 million, was spared a direct hit and there was very little damage done here. But elsewhere there was severe damage, many casualties and many left homeless. In times like this Filipinos are very generous and government agencies are prepared to take relief goods and other aid those in need. Thank you for your concern for us and the families of more than a thousand Filipinos who died in these storms.

After our turkey dinner as we read the story of the first Thanksgiving, , we were struck by how many lives were lost on the voyage to the New World and through the first winter. The Pilgrims weren’t lightly giving thanks nor did they take lightly the provision of God for them. They were hurting, yet also rejoicing. In September we asked you to pray for two struggling families, the Statlers and the Gianellis, where husbands had been diagnosed with cancer since we left the States. Both men have since died and that means the holidays will be difficult for their families. Diane Graham, also at Damascus Community Church, has leukemia (AML). She has a son and daughter close in age to our two and was diagnosed last April. Recent reports indicate she and her family need prayer just now.

Thank you for praying for Karen’s class on Teaching Principles and Practice. They are now in the fifth week of a 16 weeks course and Karen is beginning to wonder how to fit in all of the material she would like to cover. There are only six students, ranging in age from 18-28 with varying levels of ability in English. Quite a challenge!

There will be a very short service this Thursday, Dec. 9th to dedicate the things the Ben Lampinen Memorial Fund was used for at Faith Academy. That same evening is the PMA Christmas party! Not ideal timing, but a lot of things are not under our control.

Our house is decorated for Christmas, and we are into the second week of advent. Alongside Christmas concerts and parties we are working on the next edition of the PMA Post, and preparing for our OMF conference in Davao Dec. 28-Jan. 1. At the same time PMA is conducting the National Youth Missions Congress. Pray for the 500 youth who will attend. PMA’s Annual General Assembly, training meetings for Precepts and Condensed World Missions Course all take place in January, also our 17th wedding anniversary and Karen’s birthday. So 2005 starts with a full agenda.

We pray for you too as you seek to balance the important with the urgent, and the immediate with the longer term, and we wish you God’s peace as you read this and in the year to come,

Dave and Karen

Posted by David at 8:51 AM

December 6 Update

Wil’s wish for more time off school was granted. Not only was he off Monday and Wednesday last week for official government holidays, but Thursday and Friday as Typhoon Yoyong came through the country. But thankfully Manila was spared a direct hit and there was hardly any damage done here in Metro Manila. We had about three hours of strong winds and rain Thursday night and that was it. School could easily have been help both Thursday and Friday! So if you heard reports on the news, they were showing photos of other parts of the country. With over 12 million people here in Metro Manila it really is a matter for praise that this highly populated area was spared.

Thank you for praying us through the remembering associated with Thanksgiving. The early part of the week was pretty tearful, but God’s grace, always sufficient, enabled us to be thankful for knowing Ben for eleven years. We reread a helpful book called ‘The Empty Chair’ and have tried to be more deliberate in making plans for Christmas, Ben’s birthday on the 27th, and even the anniversary of his death on Feb. 2nd. We would like to have a simple service at Faith Academy on the 2nd when those who knew Ben here can gather to remember him and give praise for his life. But in the meantime, there will be a very short service this Thursday, Dec. 9th to dedicate the things the Ben Lampinen Memorial Fund was used for at the school. This will be in the elementary library from 2-2:15. We are trying to put together photo album pages of Ben’s school years for this. The photos were sorted chronologically after we got back, but until now we hadn’t been able to face actually making decisions about which to include in an album covering his life. Even the prospect of this short program is making our stomachs churn, so we’d value your prayers for the 9th. That same evening is the PMA Christmas party! Not ideal timing, but a lot of things are not under our control.

Posted by David at 8:49 AM