Emmaus Heartburn: A Christ-Centered Journey

Over the past two months, I have been working with Pastor John Sittema of Uptown Church (where I am currently serving as the adult education intern) to develop a weekly Bible reading program for 2021 based on the mobile app Read Scripture. The above is a sample of the weekly encouragement video to "entice" church members to be diligent in reading through all of Scripture as we allow Jesus to explain to us all things concerning himself in all the Scriptures (Luke 24:27). It is our goal that our hearts will burn within us just like the two disciples on the road to Emmaus as we read of Christ from every page of Scripture. Check out the blog on a weekly basis if you are interested to journey along with us - https://emmausheartburn.blogspot.com/

This winter season here in Charlotte has been cold and wet, with the coronavirus cases for North Carolina reaching about 674,000 cases. Vaccination is now being rolled out for those who are at least 65 years old. Do pray for the US as not only are we going through a health crisis but the political situation is not improving either - with the upcoming presidential inauguration on Jan 20th, security alert is at an all-time high for potential domestic terrorism and violence. Health-wise, all of us are keeping well (appreciate my wife for building into us the habit of consuming daily supplements!) and we are utilizing this winter break to ready ourselves for the upcoming spring semester starting next month. Had quality catch-up time with Eliza when she was with us last month and Eunice is still with us before heading back to Union University end of January.

Here are the subjects I will be taking for spring semester (Feb-May 2021).

1. Personal Sanctification
2. Pauline Epistles
3. Poets 
4. Christology, Soteriology, Eschatology
5. Christ, Culture, and Contextualization
6. Preaching Lab 1

Debra will be taking all of the above classes as well (except Preaching Lab 1) as an audit student - we are truly appreciative to RTS for offering the opportunity for couples to attend classes together! As of now, classes will still be held in-person and we pray that the situation will continue to be so. Being in a "live class" (with social distancing measures) certainly makes a lot of difference! Praise God for His grace in bringing us through three semester thus far and I am starting to enjoy the studying process (after an initial tough first semester when we first landed here in July of 2019). Have to constantly remind myself to be in conversation with the God of the Word as I study the Word of God. My main area of struggle is studying Greek and Hebrew - one of my new year resolution is to be comfortable in utilizing more software tools towards this end. 

I am thankful that for the past three months, there has been an uptake of online corporate coaching and workshops - this has been a timely financial relief for us. Do continue to pray that there will be continuous client interests for the year of 2021. For Debra and myself, pray that we will continue to be in a listening-mode with the Lord - we find that the further along we travel on the path of discipleship, we begin to plan less because we need to make more leeway for the Spirit to direct our steps (Prov 16:9, Gal 5:25).

Do let us know how we can pray for you and your family.

Thanks for partnering with us in this journey of joy.

Joseph, Debra, Eliza & Eunice Tan.

Honeymoon 2.0 a.k.a. Empty Nest

With Eliza working in Georgia  and Eunice studying in Tennessee, the both of us now in North Carolina have officially started our season of Honeymoon 2.0 with mixed emotions - a sense of hopeful anticipation of the days ahead and yet feeling kind of empty-in-a-thankful-sort-of-way. This is so strange, we have always worked towards our daughters' independence and now, that it is here, it is kind of surreal. The saying - letting go and letting God - doesn't seem so cliché anymore.

Time flies - I started on my 2nd M.Div. year last month and am grateful to the Lord for sustaining me through the last academic year in RTS. "Morning by morning new mercies I see; all I have needed Thy hand hath provided - Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me". Praise the Lord for providing a number of online coaching projects which gave some measure of financial relief and also kept me in touch with what's going on with my client base back home. I always find it refreshing to talk to people back home (feel so much more relaxed in my Malaysian English accent and jokes!).

Please pray for the outworking of what it means when Paul instructed Timothy to "fulfill your ministry" (1 Timothy 4:5) especially for both Debra and myself as a couple. We so need to be sensitive to the Lord's guidance so that we are mindful of His holy calling - "not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity" (2 Timothy 1:9). Please pray for the outworking of His purpose and for His glory in our lives. More than the honeymoon, we desire the better option - honey-from-the-Rock! (Psalm 81:16). Amen.

Do let us know how we can pray for you and your family.

Thanks for partnering with us in this journey of joy.

Joseph & Debra Tan.

Merdeka! End of Year 1 @RTS

Submitted my final paper yesterday evening, and finally...today I can spend a free and easy day without the "seminarian guilt" of not reading, writing, memorizing and making 3x5 cards 😅

As this is the conclusion of my first year in RTS Charlotte (one down and two more to go), it is an opportune time to reflect on God's faithfulness and providence (and what a season it has been!). Ever since we touched down in the US on July 12 last year, it has been a faith journey for my whole family - I still have times when I ask myself - "What am I doing here, thousand of miles away from familiar and stable environments at home, putting the business on hold while squeezing my brain cells as a student after all these years!?" It all seemed so adventurous when we were planning to come to RTS but reality has a way of setting in at various unexpected places.

With 13 subjects completed in RTS this year, I have picked up certain study skills and tips along the way (with significant help from my wife) - this old dog still need to learn new tricks lah! Yet, I am still working to be more efficient and strategic in my study time management so that my scheduled is more holistic and not just scholastic. On another note, it was interesting that all four of us are attending classes online this semester! (A family that studies together, stays together).

Grateful that both Eliza and Eunice are graduating this year - one from the Asbury University and the other from TPS High School = the graduating class of 2020 is certainly in a unique situation! While Eunice will be graduating virtually, Eliza's session has been postponed to October because the Uni President prefers a physical celebration. Eunice will be starting her freshman year at Union University this Fall in August. The Lord is faithful. Please do pray for Eliza as she seeks for a suitable job here in the US.

One transition for us this summer is that we will be moving to another apartment - located further away in Concord - for a much reduced rent. In return, we will be working with the apartment management to organize regular social events for the apartment complex to ensure higher lease renewals. This is a great chance for us to "formally" connect with others and practice the second greatest commandment. Do pray for our move and also for God to "move" in our hearts as we embark on this new "apartment ministry". Date of move is June 20.

This summer is a precious window God has afforded for us to spend time with Eliza and Eunice before one heads off to the working world and the other to college world. Never in my wildest imagining would I have thought that the four of us will be spending summer of 2020 here in North Carolina together under one roof! Do pray for me to play an active role in facilitating meaningful conversations and to "tie heart strings" so that we continue to be open in our communications.

Thank you for your prayers and support. If it was not for the Lord's presence and His promises, getting through the day (with all the craziness that is happening right now) will be such dry drudgery. "For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust." (2 Peter 1:4).

Do let us know how we can also pray for you and your family.

Thank you for partnering with us in this journey of joy.

Joseph, Debra, Eliza & Eunice.

Thankful for the CDPC Family

It was our first time joining the CDPC Puchong online worship service yesterday and it was a wonderful reunion as we see familiar faces, all united together despite the present pandemic. Absence do make the heart grow fonder as we have been away from Malaysia for about 8 months now and we desperately miss the three Fs .... Family, Fellowship and ...Food.. (Having Pastor Micah using the curry mee illustration during his sermon certainly reignited my taste buds!).

I am reminded of the group of pastors, elders and deacons in CDPC who were instrumental in our local church life and the eventual decision to come to RTS here in Charlotte. Thank you for your investment into our lives and the Sunday service yesterday was a precious recollection of our moments of fellowship and service together for the Kingdom. Truly, he who loves Christ will also love the Body of Christ. When individual talents come together for the common cause of the Kingdom (especially in the present trying season), the world will "see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). 

CDPC Puchong, you have been a blessing to us and we pray that our covenantal God will work through you all and "in you all the familes of the earth shall be blessed" (Genesis 12:3). 

Thank you for partnering with us in this journey of joy.

Joseph, Debra, Eliza & Eunice.

Fall Semester is Done and Dusted!

Whew! The final exams for the Fall semester ended 9.00pm, Dec 10th and it was a huge relief at the end of an arduous trek of reading assignments, theological papers, quizzes and written exams which started since August. Yet, this is only 1/6th of my journey here in RTS and there is more to come! However, I thank God for His daily sustenance and the opportunity to "be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15, NASB).

The day after the finals, we had a sumptuous Taiwanese lunch in the home of a couple who are our fellow RTS students. It was a delightful day of fellowship, playing games and sharing seminary studying tips. 

Yesterday, we drove to Atlanta and reunited with Eliza at Grace Church where she helped conduct a workshop on cultural diversity - it is wonderful to be complete as a family again (she also just completed her exams!) and we will be taking the next few weeks to travel, visit friends, chill and be touristy. We are thankful for the connections Eliza made during her internship in Atlanta last summer.

Over the weekend here in Atlanta, we are staying in the home of Tom and Marilyn Reese - our long time friends through AiG (Anwers in Genesis - www.answersingenesis.org). They hosted Eliza for her first Thanksgiving here in the US three years ago when she was a freshman - we are grateful for their heart of ministry and commitment to Kingdom building. 

Please pray for us

We will be on the road for the next week or so. Do pray for safety and favorable weather as we travel. In the midst of having fun, we are also seeking the Lord's direction for Eliza and Eunice as next year, one will graduate and the other entering college.

I have been given the opportunity to preach in Uptown Church on Dec 29th on Jonah 4:5-11. Please pray for my period of preparation that I may exegete true to the meaning of the text and be relevant in the application. 

Will be taking three classes during the Winter break starting Jan 6th.

Thanks for partnering with us in this journey of joy.

Joseph, Debra, Eliza & Eunice. 

A List of Thanksgiving

We had a wonderful time of Thanksgiving lunch fellowship yesterday with friends from Eunice's speech and debate club. Besides the sumptuous array of food (turkey, ham, chocolate turtle cheesecake, pumpkin pie, etc), we also enjoyed the conversation, the short hike around the neighborhood and opinions about American politics! We are truly the recipients of refreshing Christian hospitality, for this we are grateful (especially after a sustained period of studies and paper preparation!).

Since landing in Charlotte on July 12, we certainly have a lot to be thankful for:

1. Friendship with Tommy Fuller who helped us to settle down in the first two weeks.
2. The band of brothers from Uptown Church who helped us with the move (heavy duty lifting up to the apartment). Also, for the gifts of household items and furniture to get us started.
3. The flexibility provided by RTS in allowing for my wife to audit the classes - it is such a wonderful blessing to have her as my classmate!
4. Eunice was really diligent in her preparation for SAT exam here in the US. Praise God for her good scores.
5. Opportunity to meet up with Eliza and connecting with her friends at Asbury University.
6. We have a car on loan to us for use till March next year.
7. Men/women mentoring groups at Uptown Church for my wife and I.
8. Uptown Church women bible study group for my wife.
9. A like-minded speech and debate student community for Eunice. 
10. Opportunity for a corporate training program in KL. I now have one online coaching client.
11. Learning community and culture in RTS - have helped deepen my love for Word of God and the God of the Word.
12. Studying here in the US together with the family is fun! Can't imagine having to attend seminary on my own. The presence of my wife and daughter here is precious!

Please pray for us

I am now in the final two seeks of the Fall semester - that means paper submissions, reading assignments and exams! Feel like running in the last leg of the marathon, tired but looking forward to crossing the finishing line. Please pray for endurance, good health (lost my voice a week ago) and a sound mind.

We will be doing a few campus visits with Eunice next month. Do pray for wisdom in selecting the right university for her to attend next year. 

Thank you for partnering with us in this journey of joy.

Joseph, Debra & Eunice.

Dr. Bill Mounce - Teacher & Translator

We had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Bill Mounce today who is a teacher and translator extraordinaire:

• He is the author of my Greek textbook in RTS.
• He is the founder and president of biblicaltraining.org
• He is on the committee of Bible translation (NIV)
• He was the New Testament chair of the ESV translation.

Yet, he spoke with the humility, like the heart of a shepherd who cares for his flock to be grazing on the words of truth and life. He challenged us - "why are you in seminary?" - your goal should be that when you leave seminary, you have a deeper love for Jesus Christ. I like how he summed up the outcome of seminary studies - it should lead me to have an informed love - growing to love the Lord with all of my heart, soul, strength and mind. (By the way, be sure to check out the FREE biblicaltraining.org website - it is a fantastic teaching resource!)

After speaking at the RTS Chapel, Dr. Mounce went on to share deeper insights on his role as a Bible translator. That left me with a greater appreciation for the various English translations out there and the different philosophy of translation (formal, function or natural). It is an amazing demonstration of how God inspires His Word through the means of using real people with real language and cultural context. Managed to be "thick-skinned" enough to raise my hand for a free copy of a personal sized Bible for my wife!

Please pray for us

Thank you for praying for Eunice - we are pleased and thankful for her results. She just submitted her university applications and we plan to go on a campus visit road trip soon. Do continue to pray for wisdom in selecting the right university with the right environment for her to grow not only intellectually but more importantly in her faith and worldview.

The month of November is the last lap of this semester for me with a pile of research papers to write and exams to prepare for. Please pray for this 51-year-old-long-time-no-study-type-brain to be able to rise up to the occasion and do my best not to compete but to complete it for God's glory and because I want to love Him with all of my mind!

Do pray for all three of us to be in good health as the cooler season approaches. We miss the warm fellowship with you guys at home!

Thank you for partnering with us in this journey of joy.

Joseph, Debra & Eunice.

From Theology to Doxology

In the midst of quizzes, exams and research papers, it is easy to focus on completion rather than contemplation, work rather than worship. Am I stretched with the academic load here in RTS? Of course! However, the deeper question is - Are my studies leading me to a closer relationship with what I am studying or with Who I am studying? There is the temptation that since what I am reading is largely theological in nature, then I should be in good spiritual shape, right? Wrong.

But his delight is in the law of the Lord .. (Psalm 1:2). In your presence, there is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11). Recently, I sense a real tug in my heart to begin delighting in the presence of my Creator, my Savior, my Comforter. Yes, there are the deadlines and assignments but am I operating from a position of rested joyfulness or restless juggling? When delight gives way to duty, then the books will feel heavy indeed. I am thankful that the professors here in RTS do make a conscientious effort to ask the "so what?" question and remind us about the WHO behind the what we are studying. Oh, how I need to regular remind myself about the state of my heart before the Lord and the temptation to run on empty, relying on my own strength and effort.

During the weekend, we love to hunt for a place where we can brunch and then spend hours at the table catching up with our studies. We are in this amazing season in our lives where three of us are all students at the same time (and we enjoy the fellowship of this "suffering"). Of course, coffee, tea and regular snacks along the way helps too :-)

Please pray for us
Next week signals the start of the mid-term exams and also the start of research paper submission deadlines. Please pray that we will diligently steward the hours of the day and study systematically to cover the required essentials. Writing theological research papers is a new experience for me but I am looking forward to the challenge.

Eunice's SAT is next Saturday 5th Oct - please pray for her to be in good health and mental clarity. Please also pray for a new tenant for our house in Bandar Utama - we had an unreliable tenant who just moved out this month and we need a new one as soon as possible in order to lighten the load of our living expenses here in the US. Do let me know should you have anyone interested.

Thank you for partnering with us in this journey of joy.

Joseph, Debra & Eunice.

To Thrust and Trust

Well, the day finally came! - the final day of my grueling three week long Greek summer class. The above is the picture of how the class looked like before the final test paper was handed out. Reading the New Testament in its original language has heightened my appreciation of what it means to "rightly divide" the Word of God - not according to my own preference, but in the context by which it was first written.

On another note, we are so, so happy to meet up with Eliza, our eldest who came to visit us after her summer internship - indeed the joy of reunion is quite indescribable! This is an amazing season in our lives where the four of us are all students at the same time (Debra will be attending a few classes as well)! This is such a God-given opportunity - especially for my wife and I - to deepen our roots in Scripture which is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:17). We took a drive from Charlotte to Wilmore, Kentucky on Friday to send Eliza back to Asbury University where she will begin her fourth and final year. Praise God for His faithfulness!

Please pray for us

We are now quite settled down in our apartment here in Strawberry Hill, Charlotte and am starting to get used to the US-life routine. Thanks for praying for us.

Do pray for us in the area of regular financial support - we have a tenant who will be moving out end of this month and thereafter, the rental income will stop. Also, my online coaching project is not kicking off as expected. Hence, the cash flow visibility is not as clear as we planned initially. As we thrust ahead with fulfilling God's calling for us, we also aim to trust Him with all our hearts, leaning not on our own understanding but to acknowledge Him in all of our ways (Proverbs 3:5,6). 

Classes will begin 21 August and there are many more subjects to look forward to!

Thank you for partnering with us in this journey of joy. 

Joseph, Debra & Eunice.

Pressing the "Reset"

We have just completed 3 weeks here in Charlotte, North Carolina and it feels like 3 months! Starting life from scratch - things which we take for granted back home like home furnishings, utilities, stationeries, vehicle, business income, driver's license, etc - are now basically reset to start all over again. In fact, my wife and I feel like a newly married couple :-)

We are thankful for the many helps received from brothers and sisters at Uptown Church, we have now lived one week in our rented apartment which is about 6-7 minutes drive away from the seminary. Here is our address and contact:

5142 Strawberry Hill Drive, Apartment B
Charlotte NC 28211
Mobile : 980.337.0058 (Joseph) 
Mobile : 980.365.1615 (Debra)
We are still contactable via our usual WhatsApp numbers in Malaysia.

Major accomplishment this week - completed my GREEK 1 class!! This is an intense summer class which kicks off my 3-year M.Div program and I have never felt so helpless before in a class - learning all the basics of a new language (a huge "reset" for me!) - nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, grammar, transliteration, translation, etc...To keep us on our toes, there are the daily quizzes, weekly exams and research assignment - everyday of the week from July 29 to August 15. The official Fall term starts August 21.

On another note, we are extremely proud of Eunice who is making personal effort to settle into a new place, new environment, new friends ... and also with a new song which she wrote to capture here "feelings of transition" and "memories" as she moves from Kota Kemuning to Charlotte. Click her YouTube video below for an "open-mic" event that she herself signed up for and perform live in a public food market place.

Please pray for us

I need to stay strong for week-2 of GREEK 1 (yes, there is also GREEK 2 and GREEK Exegesis coming up later on). Pray that while there are the vocabularies, grammar, declensions, etc to memorize, I will keep the big picture in mind as to why I am doing what I am doing. It is easy to get overwhelmed with the details and forgetting the direction.

"Resetting" life again requires the careful management of finances (we are thankful for the used things that we have received from friends and also the availability of thrift stores). Please pray that we will be wise in terms of stewarding our expenses. Have yet to purchase a used car - thankful that we currently have a vehicle on loan to us from an elder at Uptown Church. Oh yes, praise God that I now finally have my official North Carolina driver's license yesterday (after some immigration paperwork problem).

Please pray also that we will settle into a life-routine soon (everyday, there seem to be something missing in the house that we need to buy, etc) and moving from a business to a student mindset is not as straightforward as I thought :-)

Thank you for partnering with us in this journey of joy. 

Joseph, Debra & Eunice.

Internship at Uptown Church

We are blessed to be in fellowship with Pastor Micah and Blair who gave us helpful insights into life in Charlotte and more importantly, what it means to be part of the local church community. Specifically, I am looking forward being on staff at Uptown Church as an intern - serving in the mercy ministry. To me, studying in RTS is more than just sticking my nose into piles of books and lecture notes but getting involved in the lives of people - the members of the Body of Christ.

We thank you for Pastor Micah and Blair who has gone before us in that journey and we look to them as our guides even when we are in the US. We are grateful for our family-to-family fellowship and bonding!

Please pray for us

Pray for us to be intentional in connecting with the local church community in Uptown as we find our fit in the Body of Christ. We would certainly like to serve in our area of gifting and yet at the same time be open for exposure to learn from a wider perspective of ministry as well.

Oh yes, we are only about a week away from departure - 11 July, 8.50pm. Pray for energy and wisdom as we tie the "loose ends' and pack the boxes!

Grateful for Connection (and Tips)

We met up with Hann Yang and his wife Hazel on 19 June - a wonderful time of fellowship as Hann Yang is a RTS alumni who did his M.Div a few years ago. In addition, he went to RTS together with his wife and four children - so, they definitely had a lot of tips for us (which includes where to eat, how to order real Chinese food and satisfy our Asian cravings!). Also, we found out that there are "past year papers" to study in order to prepare for the driving test in North Carolina :-)

As we get closer to catching our flight to Charlotte (17 more days to go), we certainly appreciate the divine appointments and connections along the way. This brief meet-up is a wonderful reminder that to travel far, we must travel together as a community. 

Please pray for us

This is a crucial week for me as I focus on transiting some of the business that I do from off-line to on-line (since I will not be able to conduct my coaching and training sessions in person anymore). We are also sorting out what to pack and what not to pack, so plenty of deliberating (and also discovery of things we never though we had!) - certainly need to stay focus and make sure that the we bring along only what is essential.

Thanks for partnering with us in the work of the Gospel.

Joseph & Debra.

The Double Three-Fold Commitment

In today's OT class with Dr Leong this morning, he highlighted the verse which was his watchword when venturing to the US for his studies - Ezra 7:10 - this shall be my watchword too.

"For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord, and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel".

Also he shared G Campbell Morgan's booklet "Preaching" on the three essentials of a sermon - truth, clarity and passion.

So, this will form the three-fold "double track" commitment as we venture to RTS for our season of study and seeking the Lord.

1. Setting my heart to study-practice-teach.
2. Sharpening my preaching for truth-clarity-passion.

Please pray for us
That the Lord will lead my wife and I to be certain in our areas of studies and how it will eventually apply to the ministry back in Malaysia. Pray that we will study not for the sake of academic achievement but to be living out God's specific calling for our lives and to be useful for the Kingdom.

The Journey is Confirmed (20 Feb 2019)

Finally, our F1 & F2 visas are approved and we are good to head off to Reformed Theological Seminary (RTS) in Charlotte, North Carolina. Next to the decision to head home from Singapore in 1999, this is the biggest move ever - 20 years later! The countdown begins.

Looking back, ever since I started the application process in February last year, this journey has been frought with uncertainties, clarifying of God's calling, and managing family expectations. Fundamentally, is this a good thing or is this a God thing? In addition, how we approach the transition to this new season is ever so critical - this is not certainly something that you can just "wake up into" and expect things to go like clockwork. Much conversation, prayer and planning need to happen.

Please pray for us

• We still have a shortfall in our financial support (US$2,500 monthly) to cover for rental, tuition fees and living expenses. I am attempting to offer my training and coaching services online to make up for it but it is still tentative presently. See http://www.goodmonday.com/seminary

• We are grateful that there is a place for us to stay for one month (upon arrival 12 July) with one of the deacons at Uptown church. We are seeking for an apartment to rent near RTS - please pray that the Lord will guide us to the right place for us to call home in Charlotte.

Thank you for partnering with us for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.