December 2025
“WE’RE NOT THRIVING”
To quote some dear friends of ours, “well, we’re not thriving...” He said this, and we all laughed. With two boys under four in the house, they just welcomed twin girls into their home a couple of months ago. It was so joyful to be together again, to play with the boys and laugh, to hold and feed their girls and coo and sing them to sleep. But as we held two sleeping twins and caught up over quiet whispers into the night, we all agreed that no, we are not thriving. But that does not mean our life is not full and overflowing, a weighty kind of joyful.
This phrase rings true for us in our reentry back to America. The transition back to America has been particularly difficult this time around, compounded by the fact that we think God is not calling us to Thailand. We grieve this, and have shed many tears.
BUT - we are more convinced than ever of
the goodness and nearness of God,
that the steadfast love of the Lord is better than life, and
that he knows what is best for us more than we do.
And, though he is not calling us to Asia, we are moving forward with plans to move to Kuwait!
We hold both great sorrow and abounding joy embedded in this development.
OUR JOY:
Psalm 63:3 has been at the heartbeat of our married life together almost from the beginning. “Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.” I love the indicative/imperative relationship in this verse - we praise God because of his enduring and steadfast love toward us. Life in him is better than life itself. Therefore, we trust in him with our lives. We follow where he leads.
For this next season, he seems to be leading us to Kuwait, by way of a summer in Thailand.
OUR JOURNEY:
The irony is not lost on us - we have been trying to move to Thailand for the better part of thirteen years. God has allowed us to go, even for extended periods of time, but not stay. It kind of feels like Paul in the book of Acts. He tried to go to Macedonia but was prevented by the Spirit and redirected by visions. He tried to go to Rome but God gets him there only at the end of many years, by alternate routes, shipwrecks, and even prison (Acts 16:6-10, and 22-26).
Lord willing, our path won’t be that fraught…
OUR COMFORT:
In Psalm 37 an aged King David proclaims, “I have been young and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread.” (Psalm 37:25-26). After all he endured and experienced - running from Saul, battle, sin, loss, attempted coup from his own flesh and blood - yet he still says that he has never seen the righteous forsaken. “He [God] is ever giving generously, and his children become a blessing” (v26).
This too is our hope; our comfort and our joy moving forward.
INVITATION
This next chapter is a leap of faith into something completely foreign and unknown - but we will not be forsaken. We will yet praise him, because his steadfast love is better than life. And though we are sad that we are not heading to Thailand (at least not immediately), we are greatly anticipating all the Lord is doing in the Middle East, and joyfully stepping into this next journey, with him as our head, our guide, and our stay. We are not thriving. But the steadfast love of the Lord IS better than life! Or as we shorten it in our home to encourage one another - “better than life.”
Go ahead - you can steal it too.
WANNA HEAR MORE?
We’re giving an update before church from 9-10am at Resurrection Presbyterian Church on Sunday, December 7. We’ll debrief the summer and new paths that God is calling us to with photos, information, Q+A, a time of prayer, and more. Donuts, coffee, and us for an hour.
You’re officially invited!
We look forward to sharing more details in our next newsletter about what we will be doing, more about how to pray for us (we need it!!), and how you can join the journey and stay connected too. You can even come visit us if you like! Or we can come to you!
We are so grateful for your love and support - always. Thanks for being on our team.
The Lord has done great things for us - and we are filled with joy.
To God be the glory,
Sean and Trisha Adams
Psalm 126
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Keep in touch!
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PLEASE PRAY:
Trisha leaves this week for the Global Summit for Biblical Counselors in California. Pray for the team as they meet up from around the world to be encouraged and to talk about next steps in Kuwait.
Pray for the logistics and onboarding for our sending organization and all the admin details that need to fall into place.
In the midst of big changes, pray that we would continue to stay close to Jesus and make time to be in the Word individually and together.
Rich time with family stateside and with our family from Thailand coming home for a few months on home assignment.
WANNA HANG?
We would love to see you too! Send us an email or a text – we would love to connect with you individually, or with your small group or church. We are open for it all, and honestly just happy to see you as the Lord allows.
