Yes, we continue to be busy. Which isn't too surprising since we have 14 high school boys and 2 toddlers at home. But this weekend it was very quiet at our house. It was almost a little freaky. Three of our boys went to Japan for a basketball tournament last week. They placed 8th place out of 16 teams. The girl's basketball team went to Japan too and they were 1st place in the tournament. We also had seven boys that went to Puerta Gallera (South) for the weekend for a mission trip. They spent most of Saturday pouring concrete for a church/community center. They also had some free time at the beach. Kim also went away for the weekend for a women's retreat. So we had four boys home and I also had Tyler and Abby, of course.
It is very nice to have everyone back home, especially Kim.
We continue to thank you for your prayers. Things have been kind of stressful and crazy. So all of your prayers are very much appreciated.
Thanks!
Larry
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Friday, February 6, 2009
Update
Dear Family and Friends,
We want to continue to thank you for your overwhelming thoughts and prayers. We are very thankful how God has been providing for us.
We would like to give you an update on our family and ministry. We continue to be very busy. Lately we have been driving our boys to doctor appointments, Emergency rooms (2 boys having stitches in 2 weeks!), and sporting events. We have also found "side jobs". Larry has been seeing people in the Faith Academy community for physical therapy related problems. He sees about 8-10 people a week. Kim is getting ready to demonstrate for a stamping workshop at a women's conference later this month. God continues to use our gifts and talents. Tyler and Abby continue to grow and enjoy playing with all of the "big" boys. We are looking forward to Kim's parents visiting us for next couple weeks. Also very excited that Larry's mom will visit us in March for three weeks.
We continue to be home sick and miss you all so much. Recently we have been reminded in Philippians 2 that Jesus left His home for us. I can't imagine how much He missed His Father and His home. He left everything for us. What a sacrifice! Jesus was willing to leave His home to finish the work that God gave Him to do. If Jesus did that for us then we can do that for Him. We have left our home to do the work that God has called us to do. That work is to make a home for 14 high school boys who live away from their families. It is still challenging at times but God is definitely guiding us. But it is even more encouraging that we are not home yet. One day we will be united with our Savior. Heaven is home!
Please continue to lift us up in prayer for the following items:
1. Car- We do not yet have our own car yet. Kim is very patient for not driving for over 6 months. Lord willing we would like to purchase a vehicle soon.
2. Tyler- We took Tyler to a reccomended doctor regarding some speech issues. She agreed that it is an issue. She refered us to a developmental pediatrician. The specialist will perform a 1 1/2 hour evaluation to see what Tyler's needs are. The earliest they could get us in is May! They said there might be cancellations where they could get us in sooner. Please pray we can get an earlier appointment so Tyler can get the appropriate care. Ultimately Tyler will need speech therapy but first we need to see what the problem is.
3. Health- Larry has been sick for a couple of weeks. He was diagnosed with an Upper Respiratory Infection as well as Irritible Bowel Syndrome. The Upper Respiratory Infection is much better. The Irritible Bowel Sydrome is caused by certain foods and stress. Please pray we can figure out what foods to avoid and how to handle our stress =). Two weeks ago Kim had some back problems that basically limited her function. She is now able to walk, bend over, and pick up the kids. Please pray for complete recovery so she can get back to "normal".
4. The Dorm- Continue to pray that we can build deeper relationships with all 14 boys and have a good balance with Tyler and Abby, and each other. Our dorm devotions have been on purity and fighting lust. Also pray for wisdom and strength needed for daily decisions.
We are so thankful for all of you!
With much love!
Larry, Kim, Tyler, and Abby
We want to continue to thank you for your overwhelming thoughts and prayers. We are very thankful how God has been providing for us.
We would like to give you an update on our family and ministry. We continue to be very busy. Lately we have been driving our boys to doctor appointments, Emergency rooms (2 boys having stitches in 2 weeks!), and sporting events. We have also found "side jobs". Larry has been seeing people in the Faith Academy community for physical therapy related problems. He sees about 8-10 people a week. Kim is getting ready to demonstrate for a stamping workshop at a women's conference later this month. God continues to use our gifts and talents. Tyler and Abby continue to grow and enjoy playing with all of the "big" boys. We are looking forward to Kim's parents visiting us for next couple weeks. Also very excited that Larry's mom will visit us in March for three weeks.
We continue to be home sick and miss you all so much. Recently we have been reminded in Philippians 2 that Jesus left His home for us. I can't imagine how much He missed His Father and His home. He left everything for us. What a sacrifice! Jesus was willing to leave His home to finish the work that God gave Him to do. If Jesus did that for us then we can do that for Him. We have left our home to do the work that God has called us to do. That work is to make a home for 14 high school boys who live away from their families. It is still challenging at times but God is definitely guiding us. But it is even more encouraging that we are not home yet. One day we will be united with our Savior. Heaven is home!
Please continue to lift us up in prayer for the following items:
1. Car- We do not yet have our own car yet. Kim is very patient for not driving for over 6 months. Lord willing we would like to purchase a vehicle soon.
2. Tyler- We took Tyler to a reccomended doctor regarding some speech issues. She agreed that it is an issue. She refered us to a developmental pediatrician. The specialist will perform a 1 1/2 hour evaluation to see what Tyler's needs are. The earliest they could get us in is May! They said there might be cancellations where they could get us in sooner. Please pray we can get an earlier appointment so Tyler can get the appropriate care. Ultimately Tyler will need speech therapy but first we need to see what the problem is.
3. Health- Larry has been sick for a couple of weeks. He was diagnosed with an Upper Respiratory Infection as well as Irritible Bowel Syndrome. The Upper Respiratory Infection is much better. The Irritible Bowel Sydrome is caused by certain foods and stress. Please pray we can figure out what foods to avoid and how to handle our stress =). Two weeks ago Kim had some back problems that basically limited her function. She is now able to walk, bend over, and pick up the kids. Please pray for complete recovery so she can get back to "normal".
4. The Dorm- Continue to pray that we can build deeper relationships with all 14 boys and have a good balance with Tyler and Abby, and each other. Our dorm devotions have been on purity and fighting lust. Also pray for wisdom and strength needed for daily decisions.
We are so thankful for all of you!
With much love!
Larry, Kim, Tyler, and Abby
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Back in the Swing
We finished our first week of school following our Christmas break. We have new boy joining our dorm this semester. He has been a Faith student but his parents went back to Korea so he moved into the dorm. So now we are up to 14 boys in the dorm. This week has been a good start to the semester. It feels good to have the boys back in the dorm. We have this feeling that we now know what we are doing. This week was quite busy with getting back to school. Thursday night we took our 3 seniors out for dinner and discussed how the year was going and discussed senior privileges. Friday night we watched a great basketball game with three of our guys playing. We won by two points. Then today we watched 3 of our guys play rugby. One of our guys collided heads with a guy on the opposite team. He got a large cut abouve his left eye brow. They took him to the hospital by ambulance. I accompanied him to the hospital. We spent a few hours in the Emergency Room. He received 8 stitches in his head. But he is doing really well.
So, yes, we are back in the swing of things and are quite busy. We appreciate all of your thoughts and prayers.
The Keatings
So, yes, we are back in the swing of things and are quite busy. We appreciate all of your thoughts and prayers.
The Keatings
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Merry Christmas
Dear Family and Friends,
We want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas this year. It is amazing how fast this season approaches us. As the song goes, “this is the most wonderful time of the year”.
Christmas will be different this year for the Keating family in the Philippines. The weather is noticeably different for us. The temperature is ranging in the 80’s and 90’s, which is little different than the present Chicago weather. Something just doesn’t seem right wearing shorts and t-shirts during December. Another difference is that we won’t be with the Keating family for Christmas, as well as our church family at Warrenville Bible Chapel. We will miss all of you during Christmas time. We very much enjoy being with family at Christmas and participating in the Christmas programs at church.
We are very thankful that we are able to go up to the mountains in Baguio to be with Kim’s parents, Great Aunt, and a new “adoptive” family member, a teacher at Faith, Holly Lucas. This is truly a blessing. We are also looking forward to the cooler weather in Baguio, as it will be 60’s and 70’s.
At this time of the year we often hear or say remember the reason for the season. When I think about this I am reminded that cooler weather is not what is important, nor is it celebrating with family. The important thing is that we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. This is why we celebrate Christmas.
I am so thankful that He is our Immanuel, God with us. We have truly felt that God has been with our family this past year. With our move to the Philippines in July, you could say that our world has been turned upside down. Being in a new country and having our family grow from four to seventeen in a very short time can be overwhelming. We are able to say that we are doing well. It has taken several months to “settle” in. There have been many challenges but also many blessings. I don’t think this would have been without God being with us as well as the support we receive from your prayers.
Tyler and Abby are doing great. They are growing like crazy. Tyler just turned 4 in November and Abby turned 2 in October. They are “normal” toddlers. They get all of the attention when we go up to school or out in public. Tyler and Abby are also been a big impact with our ministry with our 13 dorm boys. It is so fun to watch the big boys play with our small children. We enjoy being apart of the lives of these 13 young men. Please continue to pray that we strengthen our relationships with our boys. Pray for wisdom, strength, and grace as we work with them in daily situations. We consider it a privilege to serve God through our work with these boys at Faith Academy in the
Philippines.
We trust that you are also thankful that God is with all of us in our daily lives. I hope that you will have joy as you celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.
With Love.
Larry, Kim, Tyler, and Abby Keating
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Smiley Face
A couple of weeks ago our neighbor texted Kim and said, "did you see the moon?" She said, "It is a smiley face." We weren't sure what to expect. We went outside on our back porch and sure enough we saw the smiley face. It is pretty cool because it is right above Faith Academy. So God is smiling down on us. Probaby one of the coolest things I have seen.
Funny/Interesting Stories
I love hearing missionary stories. They are usually different and it is interesting to hear different cultures. Over the past few months we have had some funny experiences that I thought you might enjoy.
This is not very funny but was a culture experience. Just this past weekend Kim couldn't find her cell phone. So I called it to see if we could find it. To my surprise a Filapino male answered the phone. I asked how he got the phone and he said that it was a lost phone. I told him that it was mine and would like it back. He wanted my address so he could deliver the phone. That is not a really good idea. He told me to text him later. So the next day I texted that I would like to meet him at a mall to pick up the phone. His response was ok sir. I texted him 3 more times that night with no response. Say good bye to the phone. Kind of interesting but frustrating.
Last week one of our boys injured his ankle. He was limping pretty bad the next morning with increased pain. So I told him that we should get an x-ray to have it checked out. We go to the hospital. We ask for the radiology department. Then we go to the radiology department and ask for a x-ray. We fill out a basic form. She gives us a slip of paper and tells us to go to the cashier. We go to the cashier and pay for the x-ray. It was about $10. Then we go back to radiology and waited for about 15 minutes. He got his x-ray and then I picked up the films and report the next day. A little different than the states. By the way the x-ray was negative.
A couple months ago our TV was struck by lightening. In this country they fix everything before they buy something new. So I took the tv to a repair shop. He told me it was an electrical problem and it would take 3-5 days and he would call me when it was done. On the 6th day I hadn't heard anything so I gave him a call. I asked about the tv and he said it was under observation. Immediately I thought of a patient in the hospital. Apparently they had fixed it but had to make sure it was working so it was under observation. We could just picture them just watching our tv for a few days. I did get the TV back and it is working well.
It is funny to see the culture differences. I am sure that I will think of more stories.
Thanks!
Larry
This is not very funny but was a culture experience. Just this past weekend Kim couldn't find her cell phone. So I called it to see if we could find it. To my surprise a Filapino male answered the phone. I asked how he got the phone and he said that it was a lost phone. I told him that it was mine and would like it back. He wanted my address so he could deliver the phone. That is not a really good idea. He told me to text him later. So the next day I texted that I would like to meet him at a mall to pick up the phone. His response was ok sir. I texted him 3 more times that night with no response. Say good bye to the phone. Kind of interesting but frustrating.
Last week one of our boys injured his ankle. He was limping pretty bad the next morning with increased pain. So I told him that we should get an x-ray to have it checked out. We go to the hospital. We ask for the radiology department. Then we go to the radiology department and ask for a x-ray. We fill out a basic form. She gives us a slip of paper and tells us to go to the cashier. We go to the cashier and pay for the x-ray. It was about $10. Then we go back to radiology and waited for about 15 minutes. He got his x-ray and then I picked up the films and report the next day. A little different than the states. By the way the x-ray was negative.
A couple months ago our TV was struck by lightening. In this country they fix everything before they buy something new. So I took the tv to a repair shop. He told me it was an electrical problem and it would take 3-5 days and he would call me when it was done. On the 6th day I hadn't heard anything so I gave him a call. I asked about the tv and he said it was under observation. Immediately I thought of a patient in the hospital. Apparently they had fixed it but had to make sure it was working so it was under observation. We could just picture them just watching our tv for a few days. I did get the TV back and it is working well.
It is funny to see the culture differences. I am sure that I will think of more stories.
Thanks!
Larry
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Hello from the Keatings
We want to continue to thank you for your continued thoughts and prayers. We are so thankful for all of you! We miss you all very much!
We are starting to fit in really well here at Faith Academy. Relationships are growing and we are starting to feel needed and appreciated. Most of our boys seem to be comfortable with us. Of course we have moments but overall we are doing well.
The other night I walked in the house with a huge box. Most of the boys were sitting at the table doing home work. One of the boys said, "you got us a plasma tv"! I said, "yeah"! That got all of the guy's attention. Then I said, "no, not really". But what was in the box would be very useful. I opened the box and they saw the portable massage table. They were very happy and started fighting to see who could get on the table first. I started massaging at 9pm and finally stopped at 11:45pm with about a 5 minute break. At the end I was ready for bed! I have been pretty busy seeing missionaries for injuries from the Faith Academy community. I have been treating about 5+ people a week. Massage on the couch and me on my knees wasn't working out very well. So the massage table will be very useful.
Last week the new quarter for school started and we are very busy. We had 12 out of 13 boys try out for second quarter sports that includes basketball, rugby, and tennis. Coming up this quarter is banquet at the end of the month and the Christmas play next month.
One of our boys and two other boys from Faith Academy made the under 20 Philippine International Rugby team. They were supposed to play in a tournament in Korea (all expenses paid) but two teams dropped out. So they had the tournament here and Guam came to play us. The experience included four intense weeks of practice. Two of the days included 3 practises a day. They had two games this past week on Wednesday and Saturday. Wednesday Philippines won 19-17. I went to the game on Saturday and we lost 24-19. It was such an experience. Rugby is such an fast pace game and very intense. Especially at this high level.
Please continue to pray for our 13 boys, for wisdom, and our strength. We continue to be challenged daily but have been lifted by your prayers.
With Love,
Larry, Kim, Tyler, and Abby
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