Update from the Ongs.

At this special time, we give thanks for you.

May the coming year bring you happiness and success.

From the Ongs

Its hue turned yellow and brown, and are plentiful in our concrete yard.

Somehow, raking is therapeutic to Dado.

It has been an eventful year. For the nearly a decade, our basement gets flooded during the winter heavy rain through an abandoned building. Distraught, Bernee led the charge in talking to the trust owner of the bldg, the city’s coding department; and consulting with prohibitively expensive attorney with no solution in sight.

Ultimately,

Two years ago, a developer began a community meeting to build an upmarket apt. Distress and hope collided as we discussed our pressing issues without a written agreement and legal representation. We feared, yet believed nervously in our hearts, the developer would keep their words.

our anchor is in our heavenly father’s loving hands.

The “walls of Jericho” came down in September! God moves in mysterious ways. With fascination and apprehension, we peeked at the window the noise of excavators. The developer has prepared an agreement with the scope of work.

Dado wishfully thought for the excavator to hit our home. And his wish happened, (twice)! The first time, he missed his connecting flight in Beijing. Part of the framing of the foundation’s wall was compromised.

Frightening as it sounds, a section of our century-old home will get a seismic upgrade.

Shifting to our daughter, Kezia (7), she is thoughtful, curious, helpful, articulate, and spirited. With her maternal grandma staying here for nearing half the year, she experienced knitting, sewing and lots of baking. Moreover, she had fun riding the bus with grandma taking her to the Mandarin class. Dado copes, gradually values her spiritedness.

We continue to “home” school her this year. She enrolled in a children’s theater (Jungle Book Kids), swimming and music; attends history, music and math club. She gets Bible, (a bit of) Spanish and English at home. Her favorite travel this year was staying in a ranch in Texas, settled by German immigrants in the 1800s. She rode a horse on the street. Bernee got archery lesson. We got to listen to live country music (and dance peculiarly) at the “oldest continually run dance hall” in Texas.

Bernee’s wishful thinking to work full-time whilst grandma was here was realized—an advertising agency in San Francisco. She most enjoyed overseeing, training and doing collaborative projects. The remoteness of it points to a gift from Above. She was especially pleased (after her contract was completed) to have 3 simultaneous projects from previous clients.

We were keen with our experiences both as Airbnb guests and hosts; meeting all walks of life--hair stylist, grandpa, author, CEO, Gen Y, pilot and startup-ers. Even got blogged (again), this time by Airbnb. In the end, she dreams to one day create a space for missionaries, moms or anyone who needs to refresh and rest as well.

Work and health remain the same for Dado. This year he learns about “bloom” volunteering as a Sunday barista. He practices with Burmese, Karen and Bhutanese refugees with their U.S. citizenship test.

We went to an intensive, weeklong marriage workshop—Love After Marriage (LAM). Toxic emotions and unresolved childhood issues have come against our marriage. In “fits of anger,” we allowed an opening for the enemy. Prior to the workshop, Bernee received a word of knowledge that she is holding two swords*.

We sledded down the year with Kezia, Bernee and grandma’s first white Christmas.

HNY!

We appreciate your prayers.

*Ephesians 6:10-17

Enjoying the scenery and the snow at South Lake Tahoe.

Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America.

Its depth is 1,645 ft (501 m), making it the second deepest in the United States.

Spotting a Marmot and Geyser at West Yellowstone National Park.

This is a “detector�. It detects good people from bad people. It captures bad people when they try to take the detector so they can change the settings. The bad people are trying to get the good people and children.

The End. Story and built by Kezia