Pagosa Springs, Colorado (November 2024)

We have been holding our family gatherings during the Thanksgiving week in various places, such as three times in Dallas, once in Cancun, once in Palm Deserts, and once in Medellin. This year, we agreed to meet in Pagosa Springs CO. 

We all had hiccups on the journey to the cabin I rented through Airbnb. The cabin was called "Moose Lodge. And there were a lot of moose-related paintings, statues, and decorations.

Joyce arrived early in Durango on Monday and rented a car to reach the cabin first. I arrived late on Monday and rented a minivan. It was snowing and driving on the unfamiliar road at night was challenging. But I arrived safely. Kristin who was scheduled to arrive at the same time as I got her flight delayed and had to take an alternate flight to Denver instead. She slept overnight at Amanda's and they drove six hours from Denver on a snowy day. It was a treacherous drive, but they arrived safely also.

The snow painted all nature white making the colorful photo the same as black and white. But, the scenery was tranquil and beautiful. 

The next morning, Kyle and Myles went outside and made a snowman. I am sure it was the first snowman Myles ever made.

Myles is now one year old and is going to become two years old in February. He is becoming cuter as he is growing up. Of course, I am biased.

Joyce is photo-shy and I had to take her family photo naturally. Kyle is really good at taking care of Myles since Joyce has to work.

Amanda is not shy about taking photos. She is actually good at posing for the photos. Eli and Gabe were now four and two and a half years old, respectively. Gabe is a lot bigger and taller than his peers, so Eli looks relatively smaller. However, he still remained in the 90 percentile with his peers. Ray was good at playing with the kids.

I tried to take a photo with two boys and it was not easy to keep them still. But I was happy to hold them together. Kristin enjoys playing with the grandkids.

Keeping the little ones still is a big challenge, but Amanda managed to keep them still and took a photo. They were wearing shirts with their names on them. How cute they are! You guys look beautiful, Myles, Eli, and Gabe!!!

Kristin, Amand, and Joyce all took part in creating the Thanksgiving Dinner. They look really good together. I am proud of them.

Although short, our gathering came to an end and we had to go on our own way. Amanda and Ray will drive home; Kristin and I will fly to Mazatlan for a 3-week vacation;  Joyce and Kyle will stay until the evening with the rent car and fly back home. 

We agreed to meet twice in 2025, but the plan was later changed to once again in light of the burden of two trips that they will have to make for two gatherings. We will meet in Mazatlan with All-Inclusive meal and drink plans. Until then, we will stay in touch through video calls. Thank you, Lord, for keeping us connected. - Jeffrey

Yangon, Myanmar (October 2024)

After the BAM Field Trip to Danang and Hanoi, Vietnam, I traveled to Yangon, Myanmar. The primary purpose of this trip was to explore the possibilities of visiting one of the BMT graduates, who is now running a Korean language institute. Also, I wanted to meet other BAMers by offering a seminar for those who were interested. 

The seminar attendees were limited to 10. It was small, but all attendees were quite responsive to the lectures. We had a fellowship over a meal.

The greatest outcome of the seminar was meeting two couples who were authentically interested in walking on the BAMer's way. The three couples agreed to start a Myanmar BAMer Network in Yangon. I am looking forward to witnessing what the Lord has in store for them.

I also met a businessman who seemed to own and operate a few significant size businesses. Although he did not participate in the seminar, he could play a catalyst role in building up the BAMer Network. May the Lord open his heart for more collaboration.

The hotel I stayed used to be a five-start hotel where the international VIPs were staying. Now it is a 4-star hotel that offers a reasonable price. Its facility and proximity to a river still attract many significant events, such as big-scale wedding ceremonies. I witnessed one.

 

I attended a Burmese church with Ernest Chung's couple. It was encouraging to see their lively worship in a socialist nation. I met a Korean minister who has been living in Myanmar for decades.

We had dinner one night at Jeff's Kitchen. Hmmm... It was fun to see my name in the restaurant name.

I invited Ernest Chung to be part of SfK MB Community and sent the Code of Conduct for his consideration. Myanmar became the 105th country for me to visit.  - Jeffrey

Hanoi, Vietnam (November 2024)

 After Danang, we flew to Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam. The first place we visited was TG Food, a business established to serve orphans and widows. TG stands for Trees of Goodness or Thank God.  We invited several people who are part of BAMer Network in Hanoi. TG Food owner Sue Kim gave us a presentation and had dinner.

I met a Vietnamese pastor who seems to play a pivotal role in equipping and empowering young Vietnamese pastors.

A sightseeing has never been part of BAM Field Trip, but due to a time gap, we went to experience the beauty of Trang An, a river park with temples and caves. We thoroughly enjoyed the boat ride.

We visited FUWA3E, a manufacturer of organic cleaning materials. It is not a BAM, but Caleb was trying to save them with insights of running a missional business. 

Although we offered to treat them with lunch, they insisted on their treating us. It was very nice of them. We later set aside a budget to express our gratitude in a different format.

We visited a Christian book store, started by a minister years ago and now run by a couple Vietnamese people. We all purchased some goods to help the business.

In Hanoi, our group members were split into four groups to visit and consult Korean-owned businesses. The time was short, but I prayed that the gatherings were useful for them.

TG Food

Vonadu Bakery Cafe

Hye Seung Accounting

Nae Eun Lee

We had lunch at Vonado Bakery Cafe and took a group photo.

Two of our BAM Field Trip members were a couple, and their 40th wedding anniversary was during our trip period. So we celebrated their wedding anniversary while we were visiting Vonado. Happy anniversary, Mr. and Mrs. Kang Rak Lee! Kang Rak Lee serves as a member of BMT and SfK Korea board.

Another business we visited was a coffee roasting business, owned by a Vietnamese Christian business group. It was quite encouraging to see Vietnamese Christians with a greater purpose of serving God despite many challenges they face. Praise the Lord!

We took a visit to the warehouse that stores green beans.

At the end, we took part in the coffee tasting.

We visited a place where people with various disabilities were making gift products with paper. The leader of this 15-people group was a lady in her 40's, who had no legs, thus constantly lying on the floor. Her joyful attitude and cheerful voice were so apparent, making us all feel humble. We all bought their products of high quality. We prayed for God's grace upon them. 

The leader is lying down at the center

We had a brief break time at an icecream place downtown Hanoi. 

Before we departed Hanoi, I was introduced to Son Tran, a businessman who runs an It outsourcing company with over 300 employees in Hanoi as well as in Tokyo. He studied at Tokyo University and lived in Japan for 20 years. We explored the possibility of working together down the road for ITAM USA and ITAM Thailand. 

Overall, SfK BAM Field Trip 2025 was a great success. Thank God for His guidance and grace upon us all throughout the trip. We all agreed to shift our trip focus from Southeast Asia to Central Asia. - Jeffrey