The ocean is fascinating and a little bit frightening—at a distance it’s mind-blowing and up close it’s awe-inspiring. From our living room window we watch enormous container ships and tankers that look like little toys out on the ocean. And while we love to swim and generally feel very confident in the water, we’re always a little extra cautious in the ocean: it’s definitely bigger than we are! The ocean truly is God’s powerful and artistic hand on display, as the psalmist says, “O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches. So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts” (Ps 104:24–25).

The past month has continued the challenges of isolation and separation from our church family, with the added challenge of a city-wide lockdown for the past week and a half and at least another week to go. We must secure a permission to leave the gate of our apartment complex, which we can get twice a week for three hours to get groceries. We are thankful for an apartment with lots of windows and beautiful views of the ocean and mountains. We are thankful for good health, and we are trying to maintain it with more creative ways to exercise: walking or running in the parking lot when we don’t think anybody is watching, climbing the stairs of our seventeen-story building, or doing cardio or bodyweight exercises in our living room. Please pray that we will continue to pursue Christlikeness and grow in our relationship with each other.

We have also been trying to find creative ways to minister to our church family through video calls, online Bible studies, and recording messages and music. We are thankful for good internet service! Our church was working on preparing the new building, fixing bathrooms, updating lighting, and ordering chairs. We are still looking forward to our first time to meet in the new building, even though we don’t know when that will be or what it will look like. Please pray for our church and its leaders as we navigate uncharted waters.

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, but looking out over the ocean teeming with creatures innumerable, we remember that God made and maintains all living things both small and great. How manifold are his works!

This is our May 2020 email update. You can sign up to receive our updates in your inbox here. You can download a printable PDF here.