Dear friends and family,

From the deepest part of my heart, thank you for your prayers for my family during this incredbily difficult time. Many of you have been checking in and sending prayers our way. Though I haven't replied to many, your messages have reminded us that we are not alone. So much has transpired over the last several days. It is with a heavy heart that I share of Papa Lee's sudden passing on Oct 1, 2021 at 8:51 PM. It all happened so quickly that even now as I write, it all feels like a bad dream that I'll wake up from at any moment - it still feels surreal. 

On the morning of dad's passing, we received a call from the hospital from a pulmonologist informing us that dad's oxygen levels had dropped drastically overnight and in order to keep him alive, they needed to proceed with intubation. Our hearts immediately sank upon hearing this news. He had been able to avoid ventilization several times before, but not this time. None of us expected dad to decline so quickly, even the doctors. The pulmanologist said, "He's got a 15% chance of survival." As we faced these grim probabilities, we remained hopeful that a miracle was just around the corner. Unfortunately, things didn't improve much after intubation. 12 hours later, we received another phone call from a nurse asking us to come in quickly as dad was not responding well. Tony and Michelle went to be in the hospital room during dad's final moments as mom and I joined in virtually from home (mom had to still be quarantined and couldn't visit in person). It was painful to see mom touch the phone screen in an effort to touch dad's hand and kiss him through the phone. We wept hard. No one was prepared for this moment, not even dad. It was the darkest night our family has ever experienced. 

We didn't know about all of the things that needed to be taken care of immediately after a loved one passes.  We were suddenly immersed into figuring out communication processes for friends and family, funeral proceedings, closing out dad's accounts, etc. We transported dad's body from the hospital to a local funeral home the following morning. And by the afternoon, the funeral home called us and said we could come in to do an identification viewing at 3:30 PM that same day. It was important for mom to see dad right away. And under the inspiration of the holy spirit, we turned the identification viewing into a small funeral service for dad with family from Korea.  We got to honor his life well. Many of my dad's side of the family hasn't talked to one another for decades, but at dad's funeral, they all came together for the first time. Everyone loved Papa Lee. He was the glue that held everyone together. Dad's final gift to our extended family was a powerful hope for reconciliation. 

We are so grateful for the incredible dad we had. He was a man full of joy and laughter and always had a way of lighting up whatever room he entered into. He was a generous man with the little he had and taught us what it meant to be grateful in all circumstances. He was so proud of the man that Tony and I had become and were becoming. He was a faithful husband to mom, a deeply loving father to us, and a constant place of refuge for those who he was around. Though is no longer with us physically, his spirit will always be with us for all the days of our lives. 

Mom has fully recovered from COVID and she's out of the danger zone. She's no longer contagious and all her symptoms have subsided. Thank you Jesus for healing mom so quickly. 

Tony, Michelle, and I tested every 2-3 days throughout these last two weeks and have constantly tested negative. Thank you Jesus for protecting us while we were helping mom recover. 

Fred Meyer & AFC Sushi, Draftkings and especially Porch have all been very supportive of our situation at this time and we're so grateful for their understanding as we navigate through these next steps. 


NEXT STEPS FOR THE LEE FAMILY:

1) Resume Sushi Store Operations - Tony and I opened the shop back up on Monday 10/4. While we look for potential buyers, we need to keep the store going. 

2) Minimize Medical Bills - We are in the middle of negotiating and applying for financial assistance to reduce the amount that are needed to be paid out of pocket. 


PLEASE PRAY FOR:

1) The ability to process grief healthily - In many ways, we have found great comfort in knowing that Dad is with Jesus in paradise and that we will see him again in eternity. But I sense that we may be rushing into resurrection Sunday without much opportunity to hold the full weight of Good Friday. With so many things that need to get done and the store needing to stay open, it's been hard to even feel the emotions of anger, regret, hopelessness, etc. Please pray for space for our family, especially mom, to be able to process through this well. This is one of the primary reasons why we want to sell the business quickly. 

2) Favor in the sale of the business - To not only be able to find a buyer quickly but to find someone who can radiate the joy and hope of Jesus to customers and co-workers alike, just as dad did. 

3) Favor in the hospital billing process - It would be incredible if it could be mostly, if not fully covered. 

4) An increasing awareness and sensitivity to what God is saying and how he is moving in midst of it all. 


UPDATE ON NEEDS:

1) Business Advisor - We've been in contact with several people who provided helpful guidance. Thank you for your help in connecting us with people you know or reaching out yourselves. The next step is to find interested buyers. 

2) Chef with Sushi Experience - Tony has been learning things pretty quickly so for the time being, Mom, Tony and I can keep things going until we're able to find buyers. 

3) Meal Train - It has been such a gift to have food covered while we go through this process. Thank you everyone who has helped thus far. 

4) Visit the Sushi Store (located inside Fred Meyer in Gig Harbor) - Please swing on by, grab a sushi plate in honor of dad and say hello. The staff set up a small memorial station where you can drop off a note or card for our family. Each note or memory or photo you share of dad will be of great encouragement.

We recognize that many of you are grieving with us and we wanted to share these photos of dad because you are all a part of our larger family in Christ. You can look through more photos of dad here. If you happen to have additional photos of dad, please send them to me so I can add them to the album. 

We are so grateful for each of you reading this update. 

I'll leave you with dad's favorite verse that will be engraved in his urn: "I love you, LORD; you are my strength" - Psalm 18:1. 

The darkest hour of the day happens just before the sun begins to rise. And though it's still very dark, we carry the light of the world within us and we have great hope in knowing that dawn is quickly approaching.