Happy Father’s Day to Someone Great..

Dad,

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!! This year as I’m traveling the world, so many places, experiences and
picturesque moments have reminded me of you – your appreciation of the history
behind places (or “the story behind the scenery” like all the national park
books we’ve collected over the years), your love for witnessing scenic beauty, your
natural inclination to capture everything in pictures and video, your
compassion for the sick, your generosity towards those less fortunate, your
interest in personal stories, and your support for people who leave an imprint
in your heart and mind. I’m constantly grateful
for how you’ve instilled a love of traveling within me. Tangible things you’ve made possible for four kids (now
grown ups, scary):

• ·        
  Have straight teeth
• ·        
  Know how to play the piano
• ·        
  Know how to swim
• ·        
  Have the car warmed up on cold winter mornings
  before we get up for work, with the ice scraped off the windshield and the
  engine ready to go
• ·        
  Have a car that’s always functioning well
• ·        
  Have a nest egg for retirement
• ·        
  Have gone on two major cruises
• ·        
  Have travelled from Md to Alaska on the greatest
  vacation to date (over 6 wks on the road, unheard of for many)
• ·        
  Have camped throughout the east and midwest (I’ll never forget feasting on 3 lobsters EACH in Maine)
• ·        
  Have seen a good majority of the US national
  parks
• ·        
  Have set foot in practically every US state and Canadian province (with
  pictures at all the state welcome signs we could safely capture along busy highways without risking our lives)
• ·        
  Have photo and video documentation of most of
  the significant (and insignificant) times in our lives
• ·        
  Have an all expense paid tour of Italy
• ·        
  Have island hopped all over Hawaii
• ·        
  Have college educations without any student
  loans
• ·         Have childhood memories of watching double features
  courtesy of our friends at Blockbuster, Rocky’s Video, Redbox
•        Have ridden rollercoasters at Cedar Point before it was even well known

THANK YOU for the big and small provisions.. whether it involves
meticulously planning the “Chiu’s Summer Vacation Itinerary”,
opening our house for Hearts for DC homeless ministry, ordering take out on weekends
with a good movie rental so we can enjoy, doing all our taxes (even though it
was my profession), building the addition, fixing computers and cars, inviting
our friends over for sleepovers and bbqs, or looking out for my expenses and
withdrawals while I’m overseas. No
detail goes unnoticed, no promise goes unkept, no attention points inward for
the things you do for our family. 

THANKS for giving me an abundance of wonderful memories; for
teaching me about loyalty to family, country, and job; for being a man of your
word; for proving through actions more than words; for being fearless in the face of pain; for being tender in the face of suffering; for lessons you’ve taught and wisdom you’ve shared; for sacrificing dreams,
better clothes, fancy restaurants, and your own celebrations and adventures so
that we can have ours. I couldn’t be on this journey without your support.  You’ve done your best and it is more than enough.

 

Love you,

Stephanie (named after an upstanding, outstanding guy)

“Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us
and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of
our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they
thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his
holiness.” (Hebrews 12: 9-10)

“Wrap yourselves in humility and be servants of each other, because
God refuses the proud and will always favor the humble” (1 Peter 5: 5-6)