moving

to a new domain :)

it's a work in progress, so please be patient.

dropshots updated!

i have finally had the time to update my dropshots sites with pics from the last 6 months or so.  these include such events as...

1. adler and natasha's wedding

2. katie's baby shower

3. my bridal showers

4. OUR WEDDING!  yes, karen french, our FANTASTIC photographer, sent us ALL of her digital copies.  that really doesn't happen.

yet to come - honeymoon (bora bora) and more taiwan/hk/macau (christmas/new year's)

enjoy, y'all... and please leave some comments :)  thank you!

i may be migrating my blog soon - brian's going to help me build a webpage off of his site.  that should be fun!

in other news, revere's spring musical is BUGSY MALONE!  it will be showing sometime in may, i believe.  details to come.

merry CHRISTmas

from taiwan with love... celebrating CHRIST with family is always wonderful!

heading to hong kong tomorrow :)

check brian's page for updates and pics from our trip to the motherland...

married life

... is SO much better than dating! i highly recommend it :) we returned from our restful honeymoon in bora bora the week of thanksgiving. what a honeymooner vacation spot - newly married couples all around! yay for new friends from seattle and texas! would you believe they had the BEST hamburgers EVER? *sigh* i miss you, dino burgers...

one of the best parts of marriage - neither of us have to go home at the end of the day!

the Lord has been blessing us with lessons on patience and love already... oh my, how your sin shows even more when you're married to another sinner. we daily pray for continuously soft and forgiving hearts.

oh the holiday season is upon us once again - I LOVE CHRISTMAS!! it's my fave time of year! time with friends and family, cold weather, lights... ahhhhh.

praise God for the gift of His Son!

im married!!!

hello everyone...

this is the new mrs. vanessa ling dokko...

writing to you from bora bora, where my new husband and i are enjoying our time together eating, sleeping and doing a whole lot of nothing.

praise God for his awesome creation... check out brians website for blog updates and pics. just a note: the pics hardly do this place justice.

"Lord of all creation... of water, earth and sky... the heavens are your tabernacle... glory to your name on high... God of wonders beyond our galaxy... YOU are holy... YOU are holy..."

why...

aren't people buying stuff off of our registries? oh asians...

encouragement for a dying nation

john 16:33 - "these things i have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world."

come, Lord Jesus, come! save us from ourselves...

one month

wow. it's almost here... i'm not sure what i'm feeling, but things are finally settling down w/ moving in to our torrance house. i'm starting to really enjoy being there, and i'm slowly figuring out what's around! i'm also finding more and more Revere staff that live in the area - can you say, "carpool?" the commute can be a bear... thank the Lord for KKLA's awesome programming that helps me get through the drive :)

many THANKS to our friends and families for their tremendous, overwhelming support and help through the process!

YAY for starting to settle into LBC and for getting to know the brothers and sisters there better. i still miss GCC dearly though... i doubt that will ever change.

my students are AWESOME this year... as they always are. why do i always question it when the good Lord meets my sinful doubt every year? HE keeps on humbling me with HIS grace and mercies that are new every morning!

keep us in your prayers... by God's grace alone!

classic daddy quote

AIM: Hi Wei, got the invitation saying that I invited myself to your wedding.

Oh daddy... I love you.

i <3 mexico recap

Dear friends and family,

I hope that this letter once again finds you all doing well. The Mexico City team has been home for a month, and our hearts still long to be with the people there. What a blessing it was to be vessels for the work of Christ’s Kingdom in a city full of idolatry and sin. You can read more detailed accounts of our time there on these blogs: "official blog" and Katie's blog. I have also posted lots of pictures from the trip on my personal picture site.

Our team had a very early start on the morning of Saturday, July 5th. We all met at the Van Nuys Flyaway to sort through luggage and make sure everything was intact before we headed off to LAX.

The Lord’s hand was over our travels as both flights to and from Mexico City were relatively smooth and uneventful. Upon arrival, the team went through Customs and Immigration quickly, and we were greeted by Luis Contreras and our host families. Our first evening was spent with our hosts. Katie and I had the blessed privilege of being a part of the Contreras family for two weeks!

Our three Sunday mornings were spent at Iglesia Naucalpan, where Luis Contreras serves. We helped to lead worship, and some of our team members helped with the children’s Sunday school while others attended the pre-service Bible study that Luis teaches. Our two weeks were spent working with a children’s VBS and then a young adult youth conference. The VBS’s theme had to do with changes, so every day the children “visited” a different country. Stories were told about different characters in the Bible and crafts and snacks were tailored to the specific country. The youth conference theme was Colossians. Josiah Grauman preached, and our worship team had the opportunity to collaborate with a Mexican worship team. Our weekends were spent in fellowship with one another and our host families, and throughout the course of the two weeks, we were able to paint and clean the Contreras home as well as the Godoys’ home.

Things of Note and Prayer Requests:
* The Mariscals were in a car accident on the morning of our first Sunday. Lety, the mom, had an injury to her head and Omega, the son (driver), was taken into custody even though it was not his fault. He spent several nights in jail, and he is currently in the process of dealing with that situation.
* Attendance at both the VBS and Youth Conference increased!
* Only a couple of team members became ill over the course of our trip!
* Sarah and I both were able to share our testimonies in Spanish thanks to Jhaneth!
* The worship team collaboration was SO AWESOME!
* Praise God for Christ-honoring unity and team work!
* The Contrerases are back in the states for a yr-long furlough, the Graumans have one more year in Mexico City, and Antonio Ortega is manning the pulpit at Iglesia Naucalpan while Luis is away.

Well, I think that’s everything in a very small nutshell! Feel free to email me and check out those blogs and pictures for more details on each day of our trip. Thank you all for your prayers and support! Dios te bendiga!

Kritty's Impressions of Brian

read her 8.13.08 first impressions of brian...

I met Wei's fiance for the first tme Monday night.  Not the best night to meet me, seeing as it was after my environmental psychology class.  However, seeing them (and Uncle Bill) raised my spirits faster than an anti-depressant could have.

Brian was very quiet, spending a lot of time on his iPhone.  I can't blame him - meeting two white cousins, plus Daniel would be intimidating for anyone.  From the time spent observing him, and getting a "feel" for him (some of you understand what I mean by that), I think he's a good guy.  He seems very courteous, very patient, and very gentlemanly.  He was unassuming, and shares my cousin's passion for food.

He recommended and ordered my dinner for me!  If I even mentioned wanting something, he was not above flagging someone down and making sure I was taken care of.  That was new for me - he took the burden of responsibility off my shoulders and it felt nice.  (I KNOW!  Can anyone believe I said that?!)  But it was really cool after a long and stressful day to be able to just sit back and enjoy myself, chat with Wei, and know my needs (and wants!) were being met.

At any rate, it was good to see that out of him, and know that he does the same for Wei.  He takes care of her without being smarmy or ridiculous about it.  It helps me understand what she sees in him.  (And he's not above joking!  When carrying out Wei's gift from my sister - she was having trouble carrying it - he had to make sure she realized there was actually a handle she could've used instead of awkwardly holding the box.)

Another thing I liked was that Wei was herself.  She didn't change or act any differently than I always knew her to be.  When I arrived, he gave me his seat next to her.  She hugged me and held onto me as she always does (and which only she is allowed to do - I love cuddling with Wei).  We chatted - he didn't butt in or act in any way insecure, nor did he set out to "prove" anything about their relationship.  He kicked back and let the family be exactly who we were.

I look forward to having him as an official part of the family... and to seeing him at family events, interacting with everyone.  I think he'll bring a needed breath of fresh air, break up the monotony of the Mok household.  Daniel helped, but he's only one person.  The question remaining is: is he up to the task?  Hmmm...

mexico city updates

keep updated on our days!

different team members have blogs specifically for the mexico city trip...

katie's blog

"official" mexico city blog

off to mexico city!

please pray for our team!

- open hearts of children, families, everyone we encounter to the Gospel
- we would be a blessing to our missionaries and the local church
- health and safety
- team unity

by God's grace and for His glory alone! :)

my Christian testimony

true freedom in Christ alone!

I have always thought that my testimony is very boring. My story does not involve a dramatic, Pauline conversion nor have I dealt with narcotics, sexual immorality or jail time. On the contrary, it is simple and basic. My life has been filled with much joy, many blessings and minimal suffering. Through the years, I have come to fully realize that everyone’s story of saving grace is unique; preordained by God Himself and tailored to glorify Him the best through that specific individual in that particular fashion. I am truly grateful and humbled that despite all of my worldly stability (not unlike the Rich Man detailed in Matthew 19), I have been allowed to see my sin and repent of it, to acknowledge my need for a Lord and Savior and to be able to proclaim His infinite grace and mercy even now. In Matthew 19:24 it says, “Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

I grew up in a Christian family, and I accepted Christ at a young age, though I never have been sure of the exact date. I attended private Christian schools from Pre-School through high school, and I went to church regularly with my parents. I always attended Sunday School with the occasional visit to my youth group. I went through all of the motions and was a very well-behaved and moral girl by worldly standards. Despite those seemingly robotic and routine things, I always had a deep understanding of sin. In Romans 3:10, 23 it states, “There is none righteous, not even one… For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” I knew that I did not want to spend eternity in hell (Romans 6:23). God commands everyone to repent of our sins and to turn to Christ as our Lord and Savior (Isaiah 55:7, Luke 9:23, Acts 17:30 and Romans 10:9). The beautiful fact that Jesus Christ, God’s only son, died on the cross as a perfect and blameless sacrifice for our sins (2 Corinthians 5:21) was instilled in my heart early on, but I did not really grow to understand what it meant to be under His Lordship until Junior High. I was genuinely saved but bearing little fruit. It was during 7^th grade that my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, and my world was turned upside down. It was a severe trial for everyone, and I learned to trust in the Lord and rely on Him for everything. I started to see God’s sovereign hand in every moment of my life. My mother’s example of pure faith and genuine joy amidst her suffering was inspirational. With a new desire to submit to Christ’s Lordship, to further my walk and be in complete obedience with God’s Word, I recommitted my life and was baptized during my Freshman year of high school.

I abandoned the Christian school track after high school and decided to attend UCLA. I was surprised that I was accepted to such a prestigious school, so I thought that I should give it a try. I went in Undeclared and “ready” to take on anything that would come my way. It would be a completely new experience, and I love new experiences. I was definitely not ready for the new path I had chosen. The culture shock was indescribable! I was not used to being around so many immoral people on a daily basis, and I had big adjustments (in every respect) to make during my first year there. My Christian bubble had run into a huge thorn, burst, and my world was in proverbial chaos. My parents had divorced the summer before, I was not enjoying the random GE classes that I had chosen, and toward the end of my second quarter, I started missing music. My grades dropped immensely that first year, and my mother and I contemplated switching me to another college. I knew at this point that music was a gift that God wanted me to use in the future, and I even made a trip out to St. Olaf College to visit and see if that gift could be cultivated there. After some searching and much prayer, I decided to stay and become a Music Education major at UCLA. That was probably one of the best decisions God has led me to make. Through the experiences I had and the people I met at UCLA, God has molded me into the person I am today.

The entire struggle with future direction led me to a deeper understanding of what was always in my heart to begin with. The struggle was indeed of my own flesh (pride and selfishness) battling with what I knew to be true of God. 1 John 2:16 states, “for all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.” It was and is never about me and my own desires. As soon as I submitted to God’s poking and prodding, it all became clear to me. The words from our junior high class’ graduating verse echo in my heart today (Jeremiah 29:11-13): “For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. (29:11-13)”

My passion for teaching developed as I took the various required courses and started to delve into student teaching, and now I have finished my fifth year of teaching at Paul Revere Middle School. I know that God has placed me in the public school system to be an indirect and direct witness to all those I come into contact with. God also led me to start attending Grace Community Church in Sun Valley regularly when I started working at Revere. The teaching at Grace is deep, thorough and very sound, and I am learning and growing so much from being there. I am no longer sitting on the plateau of complacency in my Christian life. I joined the worship choir, am involved in the Foundry fellowship group, and I love serving the Lord with the people involved. More recently, the Lord has blessed me with a Godly fiancée, Brian Dokko, whom I will be marrying this coming November. He is everything I need and want, and I look forward to serving the Lord with him for the rest of our lives.

Since the beginning, my spiritual journey has seen its share of trials and blessings, and I know that nothing is out of His hand and everything is playing out according to His great plan. My life verse is 2 Corinthians 12:9-10. It states, “And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” I wish this to be true of my life. How amazing to have been chosen to know the One and Only Creator God who sent His Son to die for us on the cross and rose again after three days! Praise God for the Holy Spirit that is living inside of me to guide me and help me grow every day of my life. I live my life daily only for God’s glory knowing that I am a sinner deserving nothing more than hell. I desire only to see His face and have Him say to me the words expressed in Matthew 25:21: “…’Well done, good and faithful slave You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.'”

summer is here...

bittersweet memories - thank you for the music, c/o 2008!

leaving for spain tomorrow with brian and his kids...

good times

revere's lasmta scholarship winners - grammy foundation

310 Bible study retreat - laguna beach, ca

music in the parks festival - san diego, ca

heaven

this weekend, the topic at the 310 Bible study retreat was "heaven." it was a blessed time of rest, worship and fellowship... bittersweet though, as it was my last one. foundry/310 retreats have been wonderful, and i will miss them very much.

we can debate the "what it is," "what it ain't" and "what it will be" for forever, but we truly won't really know until we actually get there. God gives us snapshots in the Bible, but what will it really be like to be completely sinless? if our worship now is just a small taste of what it will be when we get to heaven, how absolutely incredible will it be there? what will our glorified bodies be like? how old will we be if age even exists? i can't even begin to imagine or grasp it all, but such is my finite mind vs. the infinite mind of God. 1 corinthians 13:12 says, "for now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now i know in part, but then i will know fully just as i also have been fully known." one can get so bogged down with all the trivial questions and "what if's." the important thing is that heaven does exists, and only true blood-bought Christians have a hope for going there through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The Bible clearly states this in john 14:6 - "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." Jesus is THE ONLY WAY.

it saddens me to think of all the people i know that i will not be sharing eternity with...

i pray that the hope of heaven will continue to drive us all everyday. i pray we won't get so lost in the world that we forget the true purpose of our lives. everything else shall pass away...

...oh yeah, and who would've thought that we could be so creative with hot dogs, huh? impressive, 310 :)

insight from joni

so i've been reading joni eareckson tada's diamonds in the dust devotional as part of my morning quiet times.

here is her may 1st entry.

"satan schemes, God redeems"

"you intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." - genesis 50:20

God always exploits satan's evil intentions and uses them in His own service -- just one more example of God's ability to work "out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will" (ephesians 1:11).

satan intends the rain that ruins a church picnic to cause Christians to grumble against their Lord; God uses the rain to develop their patience. satan plans to hinder the work of an effective missionary by arranging for him to trip in the jungle and break a leg; God allows the accident so that the missionary's Godly response to pain and discomfort will bring glory to Himself. satan brews a hurricane to kill thousands in a small village in bangladesh; God uses the storm to display His awesome power, to show people the awful consequences that sin has brought to the world, to drive some to search for Him, to harden others in their sin, and to remind us that He is free to do as He pleases. we will never figure Him out.

satan schemed that a 17-yr-old girl named joni would break her neck, hoping to ruin her life; God sent the broken neck in answer to her prayer for a closer walk with Him.

as a friend once said, "God sends things, but satan often brings them. praise God that when satan causes calamity, we can answer him with the words that joseph answered his brothers with when they sold him into slavery, 'you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.'"

mexico city stm

dear family and friends,

i truly do hope that this letter finds you all reveling in the power of God's grace. i am well into my fifth year of teaching at paul revere middle school, and the Lord continues to bless me and grow me in different ways there. new trials and blessings arise at every turn, and He continues to be faithful to guide me through each of them. the Lord has also allowed me to grow steadily at grace community church. He has given me a new mentor through the choir, and He has also provided a group of sisters that very effectively speak the truth in love. i can honestly say that i am thoroughly challenged in every aspect of my life as i grow in the knowledge of His Word daily. thusly, i rejoice to share with you that i will be joining the mexico city short term ministry team once again this year.

this july, we'll be working alongside our precious missionaries luis and robin contreras, josiah and crystal grauman, jim and carolyn dowdy, ellen parker and rosie martinez. our goal is to do anything we can to help them to strengthen the Bible-believing church in mexico city. this means organizing a vacation Bible school for the children, along with a youth conference at the remanente church. also, we will lead music worship on sundays at the naucalpan church, as well as painting any church building or missionary home in need of a fresh coat of paint. but mainly, we would like to encourage our missionaries who are diligently teaching and training the church in mexico city. we ask that you join us in praying for this trip as we look forward to this exciting opportunity and challenge to serve the Lord in a different culture with the same need for Jesus Christ as our own.

we are well aware that the success of this trip is dependent on the Lord and your prayer support. along with your prayers, if you would like to partner with us financially, please send a check payable to grace community church with "for the team of vanessa ling" in the memo line. your tax-deductible donation will go toward covering the costs of the trip, which is about $1300 per team member.

by His grace,
vanessa ling

prayer requests:

1. vbs: that the children and their parents would respond to the Gospel
2. conferences: that the youth would be challenged to follow Christ
3. we would encourage the local churches and seminary
4. we would be a blessing to our missionaries
5. team unity, health and safety

engaged :)

a surprise dinner at c&o trattoria

a walk on the beach...

a series of questions about our relationship...

brian gets down on one knee...

he says, "i love you with all of my heart" and pops the question...

engaged :)

haagen dazs sorbet to celebrate! haha...

look at the cool engagement collage he put together!