Somewhere in Between

Dear friends and family,

This week of the 5th anniversary of 9/11 caught me off guard...as the nation returned to this tragic event I found that the memories of this day haunted me with a renewed verve. On the days following the anniversary have been particularly somber as I remember the details of each of the moments that marked my heart since....

At the very worst I remember the relentless fear and paranoia that pandered to the most unreasonable and general violence. Some regarded their pain by spilling out their hearts in senseless hedonism, grabs for numbing pleasures. illicit sexuality. At the best, I saw a city surging with compassion and love. The moment that defines so much was when I arrived in Chinatown on September 13th...to prepared to counsel the teens at the youth center, but I discovered that there were hitting the streets bringing donated items to the rescue workers. One of the youth told me, "Peter, there is time to be sad and there is time for hope...remember that the people need us and they need to hear about God..." I sat in silence and prayer for this moment to see how the words of this young teen stirred this vision of holy hope. Beauty for Ashes.

There was a song that stayed with me during this time by Lifehouse called "Somewhere in Between" that verbalized my heart as I wrestled through this collision of grief with doubt, insomnia, escapism, and the worse distraction...the busyness of ministry.

Asian American Laity Project:
I had several meetings with local pastors and it was very encouraging to share our hearts and their insights about the Laity Project. One of the ideas that came from the meetings was the development of a lecture series featuring local and national Asian American leaders for the laity to gain some insight and counsel.

As part of my fund development, I am following up with the attendees of the Paul Tokunaga special luncheon and some people who attended the Asian American Leadership Roundtable at ECBC. I am also working with some local church leaders to discuss forming a committee that will help fundraise and coordinate with me for the project. Please pray for provision according to His timing for this important project. Pray for God to raise up a discerning group of leaders to help serve on this committee.

MISC.
I went to Dentist office for the first time in ___ years and it turns out that I have periodontal disease and have to have some extensive work done on my teeth. The cost is close to $2,500 and we are trusting that th is my first step towards having healthy teeth.

Last week in our trip back to NYC, Jamie and I had a pretty bad flat but we were blessed to be near a mechanic and we had to get our tires changed. This week I am going to get our car fixed and we are hoping to take care of an existing problem. Pray that it will not cost too much and these unexpected costs are taking its toll.

Please pray for Jamie as she is starting her first semester at Maxwell School where she will get a dual degree with her College of Environmental Science and Forestry studies. She is working hard to finish the degree so we can get our lives started on our next stage. Pray for her as she seeks counsel and that I would be a good support to her efforts.

thank you for reading and praying.

To Financially Support the ministry please send checks (make payable to PaLM) to:
PaLM
48-19 196th Street
Fresh Meadows, New York
11365-1316
please mark memo: Asian American Laity Ministries or Peter Ong
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