Hello from vancouver!

Lim Chin Leng, our former EAST student council president, and his wife, Lisa, are now in Vancouver to spend a quarter at Regent College. Here's a recent letter from them:

Dear Friends and Family at EAST,

How was the orientation and first day at school? We hope all of you are well!

We just ended one week of studies at Regent College in Vancouver. The classes here are very different from EAST and frankly, we miss all of you!!!

Quite a few things happened when we first arrived.

The Korean raw crabs we took during our retreat at Sarang Ministry Centre (during CM) took revenge on Lisa by giving her a lot more rashes.

I had some cold sores around my mouth and they hurt whenever I tried to eat.

Then our camera fell into the water was destroyed (thankfully we have a backup camera).

Add all of that with jet lag and the pressures of daily assignments; we were very tempted of giving up and dropping the classes!

But God has been faithful.

With the prayers of friends and family, Lisa is recovering from the rashes (but she still feels the itch sometimes).

My coldsores are gone, and we took this weekend to catch up with our sleep and homework.

Lisa's cousin and nieces who stay in Vancouver are also very sweet and they have been a great blessing to us.

We are also starting to enjoy the classes on 1 Corinthians and Joshua, as well as the scenery here.

Do take care as you begin the 1st Quarter in school!

Some of you might still be tired from the Internship and we pray that God will strengthen you for the challenges ahead.

We also want to extend a very warm welcome to all the new students at EAST.

We pray that you will enjoy the learning and the community there.

Joshua 1:9 Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

Write when you can.

We'll see you all again when we join you again during the 2nd Quarter. God bless!

In His love,

Chin Leng and Lisa

CM 2007

During the last week of June, around 50 of us from EAST joined 15,000 university students, youth ministers, and staff of Campus Crusade worldwide for CM 2007.

CM is a mission conference held in Busan, Korea, to raise laborers among the world's powerful percent for the world's harvest.

What a week!

We were treated to the world-renowned Korean hospitality.

We heard some of the most powerful speakers at the devotionals, workshops and night challenges.

One evening, Honey Lee, Miss Korea 2007 and second runner-up at the recent Miss Universe, visited us and shared her journey of growth in the Lord.

God's Spirit was among us as we--from no less than 125 countries--worshipped the Lord in unity and spirit, prayed for one another, and rejoiced in God's working among us worldwide.

The EAST team had a blast at the exhibition booth.

Every day, hundreds came by our table to collect materials, ask questions and try our coconut candies, durian sweets, dried orange peels and mangoes.

(Some Europeans asked, "Do you have tooth paste?" after trying our durian sweets. Btw, we told them not to try but they insisted.)

We also had a wonderful time of reunion and sharing with 30 alumni of EAST during a lunch meeting.

Those among us who were in Seoul for a week of internship before CM had a great time, too, ministering among churches and cell groups.
"We visited the sarambang--agape houses where staff and disicples lived together--and enjoyed the warm fellowship," says Dr Mah Yeow Beng.
The same team also participated in the Beggars' Outreach after CM.

Over two days, they visited several villages for outreach and saw God's provision every step of the way (participants of Beggars' depend solely on the hospitality of their contacts for accomodaiton and meals).

"It was the highlight of our visit to Korea," says Grace Estrada (Philippines).