News from the Curlees

We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God." 2 Corinthians 5:20

Prayer Requests and Praises Praise God for a wonderful trip to Thailand for our yearly meetings and a chance to reconnect with others. Praise God for Easter and the ways we were able to share with others about Jesus' resurrection. Pray for Keith as he prepares for his big language test. Pray for our family as we have recently felt "under attack" by the enemy in different personal areas. Pray we will be close as a family and not lose focus. Pray for our House of Blessing church as we change locations for a two month trial period. Pray more people will come to know Jesus through the members of our church. This month's photo: This photo was taken of one of Levi's classmates. She and Levi are good buddies. She is very dressed up for kindergarten graduation pictures. This is quite a big deal in Taiwan. The students have two days of photos in four different outfits: normal clothes, cap and gown, and two "dress-ups". This girl chose a traditional Chinese chipao (dress). Levi chose a policeman outfit and a ninja outfit.

March/April 2008 Verse of the month: "Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you." II Thessalonians 3:18 Please join us in prayer for the people of Taiwan. Pray that the message of the Lord will spread rapidly among this precious population. Pray that the many strongholds of idol worship, ancestor worship, and fear will be replaced by joy and freedom of knowing the Lord and His love for them. Yearly meetings in Thailand: In early February, we spent two weeks in Thailand for our yearly meetings. It was a great time of worship, learning, and fellowship with many friends we haven't seen since last year. Milly enjoyed her first year as a "youth." She was able to stay in a suite with other girls her age and enjoy a wonderful program. The boys really loved their classes, too. It was a real treat to be in the warm weather during an unusually cold winter in Taiwan. House of Blessing Church: Our church has been growing lately! Through some new believers, others have been reached with the gospel, and some previous attendees have been coming again. We have decided to change locations to a larger facility (a middle school) for a two month trial period. We have also started monthly church family nights. Easter Sunday was very special service including singing, drama, lunch fellowship and an Easter egg hunt for the children. We had several first-time visitors, so please pray they will come again. Language: Keith and Page are still in language school. Page has cut back quite a bit, but still wants to study through a few more books. Keith is preparing for his big language test for the next two months or so - he will have his test on June 10. Wade and Milly have requested to take Chinese tutoring this summer, so we may let them go to our school for one-on-one tutoring for a few weeks this summer. English at Levi's school: Page has started teaching English on most Fridays at Levi's kindergarten. She rotates to each of the three kindergarten classes for 30 minute lessons. She is hoping to make it through the alphabet by the end of the school year. She also has given each student an English name (not easy to do with 81 students!) With each lesson she tries to plant a seed of the gospel that the students will hopefully carry with them. Please pray Jesus will use these simple phrases to touch their hearts. Morrison news: Keith found out he will be a full-time math teacher next school year. He will be teaching five math classes. He very well may be teaching Milly in math! We are excited that he will finally be using his gifts in teaching on a consistent basis. The other big Morrison news is that the elementary and middle schools will be torn down this summer to make room for a brand new facility! Classrooms next year will be in trailers as a result The past few months, several holidays have been celebrated. The following few paragraphs are descriptions of each of these: Chinese New Year: February 7 marked Chinese New Year. For the Taiwanese this is the equivalent to our Christmas or Thanksgiving holiday where extended family comes together. This year the schools were closed for three weeks. This Is the "Year of the Mouse". Around this time, new clothing is worn, houses are thoroughly cleaned out (to sweep away bad luck and be able to receive good luck), and gifts are given. The most popular gift is a "hong bao" or red envelope containing money. Special foods are eaten during different meals around this important holiday. Religious activities include cleaning out and decorating the family's alter and idols. Lantern Festival: About two weeks after Chinese New Year, the Lantern Festival is celebrated. This time is always a full moon, and there are festivals all over the island. Many lanterns are made and displayed. This year thousands of Mickey Mouse lanterns were made for the kids in honor of the "Year of the Mouse". We had the opportunity to go as a family to one of the festivals. It was quite amazing. Tomb Sweeping Day: April 5 (actually April 4 due to leap year) is Tomb Sweeping Day. During this day, the kids have a vacation from school, and many offices are closed. The day is set aside to honor ancestors at grave sites. People pray before their ancestors, clean their tombs, and offer food, drink, and paper-made items to them. It is a time for families to spend together on outings and often flying kites..

Curlee Kids Corner: The Curlee kids have had an exciting few months with the trip to Thailand, Hunter's birthday, and a week of spring break. The first photo above was taken of Hunter and Wade in Thailand. They had their faces painted to represent their teams for the children's program (notice they are on opposite teams). The middle photo was taken at the Nine Aboriginal Tribes amusement park during spring break. The kids are posing like totem poles. Other spring break outings we took were bike riding, science museum and visiting a huge department store. The last photo was taken of Hunter at his rock-climbing birthday party. He is eight now!

Thank you for remaining faithful to His work. We are glad that the Lord has partnered us with you to tell the people in Taiwan about Him. Thanks also for all the encouragement you have sent our way. We love to hear from you, so please email us at kpcurlee@pobox.com if you have a chance. Or you can visit our blog at www.kpcurlee.blogspot.com and leave a comment!