Greetings from the Lim Family. We want to say a special thank you to our prayer warriors, ministry supporters, and all the family and friends that sent special Christmas messages, cards and monetary gifts (both kids got to buy toys they have been longing for). There was a huge turn-out at the December Christmas celebration at the Vietnamese ministry and we hope that some meaningful seeds were planted in people’s hearts towards seeking Jesus in the future.
After the busy Christmas season, our family had the immense blessing of visiting Canadian friends currently living in Taiwan. Our family had a wonderful time in Kaohsiung exploring the interesting sites and devouring a wide range of asian food. It was also an uplifting time of fellowship as we dialogued about overseas ministry and sought adventure with the Lee family, the Lu family and Katsaire (all from Toronto)! The kids have many fond memories with their new friends but there were some sad tears when we said goodbye at the airport.
We are also thankful that God has been taking care of our medical needs because this trip provided an opportunity for Carol to get prescription medication that was out-of-stock in Cambodia and for Marcus to get a thorough allergy blood test. Marcus had many minor allergic reactions over the last few months and it was difficult for us to narrow down the cause. The test results came back from Taiwan and determined he is highly-allergic to dust mites. We will need to take extra care in keeping our living space clean; this will be a challenge especially during dry season in Cambodia which is characterized by dust and heat. (Feel free to share with us any tips and pointers if you have experience with dust mite allergies.)
7 kids and counting? 
Lees, Lims, & Lus
With this new year, we feel challenged to proactively set goals for our spiritual well-being especially as we care for the spiritual needs of others. We heard a pastor share recently about how he observed that in the western world, currently the moral standard is based on your level of healthy living and physically fitness. People are likely to view a vegan avid runner to be more moral than a meat-loving homebody. As Christians, we need to strive to be “fit for godliness”. I’ve noticed in Cambodia, women will easily spend money on the latest remedies such as vitamin drinks or body creams hoping to lose weight quickly without too much effort. But we know that to achieve fitness, you need to have a good diet regiment and workout plan. Kevin and I are working on carving time to make sure we have a spiritual workout plan that includes praying, listening to God, studying the Bible, and engaging in purposeful spiritual relationships. We want to be diligent in trusting God and continuing to re-orient our lives to what God’s moral standards are in order to do ministry work with discernment, wisdom and faith.
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2
In the Vietnamese ministry, most families are taking time to go back to their hometown this week before Tết Vietnamese Lunar New Year in order to visit relatives and pay respects to their ancestors. They will sweep the gravestones of their ancestors, give offerings, and pray to the deceased hoping that these spirits will help them have success and happiness throughout the next year. We pray that God’s spirit will work within this community to help them come to know Christ as being their Saviour and understand the truth and promises of the Bible. We want to share with them that all good things come from our Lord and not through ancestral worship.
Mack with Auntie Katsaire 
Praise:
- The Lord has been caring for our medical needs.
- The Lord gave us a restful and encouraging visit to Taiwan.
Prayer:
- Pray for us to be able to manage Marcus’ allergies and for God’s healing.
- Pray for Kevin and Carol to be keep up their spiritual workout plan (feel free to check-in with us to keep us accountable).
- Pray for the opportunity to build deeper relationships with the Vietnamese families in the community in Jesus’ name. We will be hosting a special Lunar New Year program at church on Jan 26.