Last week in our house church, we talked about how important it is to turn our local friends' interest in the celebration of Christmas into an opportunity to share the truths of Christmas: that Jesus came to earth, born of a virgin, fully man yet fully God; that He died in our place and rose from the dead; that He ascended to the Father and that He will come to earth a second time.
This year we hope to have at least two national friends share in our Christmas Eve celebration. One is a friend of a friend, a young man who is a semi-devout follower of Islam. The other is a young woman that I met this summer. She is in her last year of college and doesn't know what she wants to do with her life. She is in rebellion against her family and is very unhappy. Her goals are nearly impossible to reach because of choices she made early in college. She wants to know the secret of contentment, but only if she doesn't have to change anything in her life.
As you're making preparations to celebrate Christmas this year, don't forget to pray for these two young people as well as the millions of others who have never heard the Christmas story.
Showing posts with label Petition. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Petition. Show all posts
Friday, December 18, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
More About Marriage
Marriage is so important to any culture, and it's one of the things I enjoy learning about as we live here. So many things are completely different from our way of viewing marriage, that it would probably take me years to learn all there is to know.
This morning a friend asked me to pray for her brother. For some time now he has been interested in marrying a particular girl. My friend and her brother are believers; the girl in question is not, but said that she would accept Christ when she came to live with their family. (I won't get off onto the subject of unequally yoked marriages here.) The girl's mother apparently found this out and has not only revoked the engagement, but is forcing the girl to marry someone else. My friend's house is in an uproar, and the girl is threatening to commit suicide.
Some months ago, we organized a marriage seminar for our coworkers. Although it was good material for all of us personally, our real goal was to equip ourselves to address the incredible need for Christ-honoring marriages and families among local believers. So far, we have had very little opportunity to present this material to our local brothers and sisters. Please pray that things will come into place: translation of the material, opportunities to work with individual couples, and openings to train leaders of local assemblies to help their congregations.
This morning a friend asked me to pray for her brother. For some time now he has been interested in marrying a particular girl. My friend and her brother are believers; the girl in question is not, but said that she would accept Christ when she came to live with their family. (I won't get off onto the subject of unequally yoked marriages here.) The girl's mother apparently found this out and has not only revoked the engagement, but is forcing the girl to marry someone else. My friend's house is in an uproar, and the girl is threatening to commit suicide.
Some months ago, we organized a marriage seminar for our coworkers. Although it was good material for all of us personally, our real goal was to equip ourselves to address the incredible need for Christ-honoring marriages and families among local believers. So far, we have had very little opportunity to present this material to our local brothers and sisters. Please pray that things will come into place: translation of the material, opportunities to work with individual couples, and openings to train leaders of local assemblies to help their congregations.
Friday, June 12, 2009
The New Freedom of Religion
Last post I mentioned that we just received our first copies of the complete Bible in the local language. What I didn't mention is that the situation for believers and workers here is becoming progressively difficult.
In recent elections, the constitutional freedom of religion section was amended. For those of you who had to read 1984 in high school, it has been classic "double speak". The new freedom of religion places significant restrictions on both local and foreign believers. No meetings in homes, no handing out literature, no suggesting that one religion is better than another. The legal status of all religious organizations has been revoked and all groups will have to re-apply for legal status, at which time the government department that oversees religion will examine the doctrine and history of each group to determine if it is "harmful". Punishments range from stiff fines (several years' worth of salary) to prison or, in the case of foreigners, deportation.
This is a trend that has been observed all across Central Asia, not just where we live. Many workers across the region are having trouble obtaining or renewing visas. By the way, we are up to renew next month, so please pray that our paperwork goes through smoothly!
We appreciate your prayers for us, for the work here and for the local church. Ultimately, God is sovereign in all of these events and, although He may not choose to accomplish His will here in a manner that we like, it will be accomplished.
In recent elections, the constitutional freedom of religion section was amended. For those of you who had to read 1984 in high school, it has been classic "double speak". The new freedom of religion places significant restrictions on both local and foreign believers. No meetings in homes, no handing out literature, no suggesting that one religion is better than another. The legal status of all religious organizations has been revoked and all groups will have to re-apply for legal status, at which time the government department that oversees religion will examine the doctrine and history of each group to determine if it is "harmful". Punishments range from stiff fines (several years' worth of salary) to prison or, in the case of foreigners, deportation.
This is a trend that has been observed all across Central Asia, not just where we live. Many workers across the region are having trouble obtaining or renewing visas. By the way, we are up to renew next month, so please pray that our paperwork goes through smoothly!
We appreciate your prayers for us, for the work here and for the local church. Ultimately, God is sovereign in all of these events and, although He may not choose to accomplish His will here in a manner that we like, it will be accomplished.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Milestone
Yesterday marked an important milestone in the work here. It has taken a long time, a lot of work, and much prayer. For the first time, the complete Bible--Genesis to Revelation--is available in our country. You probably can't imagine what that means both to foreign and local workers. There is a lot of excitement about this event and great expectations of what lies ahead.
Please pray with us that, just as He promised, God's word will not return void.
Please pray with us that, just as He promised, God's word will not return void.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Wedding Pictures
It has taken a month, but I finally scanned pictures from Andy and Emerald's wedding to share with you.
Weddings here are a feast! When guests arrive, the tables are already covered with salads, fresh greens, cheeses, bread, and drinks. (Just for the record, we always stick with juice and water although there is generally a liberal supply of vodka for the men!) After everyone has had time to enjoy the salads, waiters begin bringing out kebabs--chicken, lamb, beef, ground lamb patties, fish, liver, and potato.
At some point the bride and groom arrive with a great deal of fanfare. The groom will have gone to the bride's home earlier in the day along with his family and closest friends. A small band of three or four musicians accompanies him, so the entire neighborhood knows when the bride is about to come out of her house. The entire wedding party then heads out for pictures in a local park, and then on to the "wedding palace", as it is called.
Once they arrive, the party begins. There are many speeches made by friends and family as well as lots of music and dancing. At some point during the evening, each party of guests has a picture made at the head table with the bride and groom. Traditionally, the bride does not speak to guests, but exceptions have been made in the case of ignorant foreigners such as ourselves!
In case you're wondering why the bride isn't wearing white, it is because this wedding was the first of two. Unless there are severe financial problems, there is a "boy wedding", hosted by the groom's family and a "girl wedding", hosted by the bride's family. We attended the bride's wedding since it was held closer to where we live. At the groom's wedding the bride does wear white, with a red ribbon tied around her waist. At that point, they are officially married, the bride takes her husband's name and goes to live with him and his parents.
We've been to several weddings here, but saw yet one more tradition that we hadn't come across before--at least not at a wedding. People here are very superstitious, and there are tons of "lucky" charms ranging from horseshoes to evil eye talismans. There is also a dried flower that some people put in their cars and homes to ward off bad luck. I had been told (but had never seen it done) some people burn this weed and carry the smoke through their house after having visitors. The purpose is to purge out any jealousy that the guests may have harbored after seeing your beautiful home and lovely possessions. After all, the root behind the evil eye in this belief system is jealousy. At any rate, a waiter brought a tray of burning weeds to each table and waved it around the guests. Many people gave tips, I suppose to make the good luck more potent. It was quite bizarre for us foreigners, and especially for the newcomers who weren't familiar with the depth of superstition in this culture.
As always, please lift up Andy and Emerald. It has been such a long time with no sign of any hope or change. It can be a struggle for me to continue praying, yet I'm constantly reminded of Epaphras. Paul told the Philippians that he labored earnestly day and night praying for the young believers there.
Thank you for praying for us and remembering the work here.
Weddings here are a feast! When guests arrive, the tables are already covered with salads, fresh greens, cheeses, bread, and drinks. (Just for the record, we always stick with juice and water although there is generally a liberal supply of vodka for the men!) After everyone has had time to enjoy the salads, waiters begin bringing out kebabs--chicken, lamb, beef, ground lamb patties, fish, liver, and potato.
At some point the bride and groom arrive with a great deal of fanfare. The groom will have gone to the bride's home earlier in the day along with his family and closest friends. A small band of three or four musicians accompanies him, so the entire neighborhood knows when the bride is about to come out of her house. The entire wedding party then heads out for pictures in a local park, and then on to the "wedding palace", as it is called.
Once they arrive, the party begins. There are many speeches made by friends and family as well as lots of music and dancing. At some point during the evening, each party of guests has a picture made at the head table with the bride and groom. Traditionally, the bride does not speak to guests, but exceptions have been made in the case of ignorant foreigners such as ourselves!
In case you're wondering why the bride isn't wearing white, it is because this wedding was the first of two. Unless there are severe financial problems, there is a "boy wedding", hosted by the groom's family and a "girl wedding", hosted by the bride's family. We attended the bride's wedding since it was held closer to where we live. At the groom's wedding the bride does wear white, with a red ribbon tied around her waist. At that point, they are officially married, the bride takes her husband's name and goes to live with him and his parents.
We've been to several weddings here, but saw yet one more tradition that we hadn't come across before--at least not at a wedding. People here are very superstitious, and there are tons of "lucky" charms ranging from horseshoes to evil eye talismans. There is also a dried flower that some people put in their cars and homes to ward off bad luck. I had been told (but had never seen it done) some people burn this weed and carry the smoke through their house after having visitors. The purpose is to purge out any jealousy that the guests may have harbored after seeing your beautiful home and lovely possessions. After all, the root behind the evil eye in this belief system is jealousy. At any rate, a waiter brought a tray of burning weeds to each table and waved it around the guests. Many people gave tips, I suppose to make the good luck more potent. It was quite bizarre for us foreigners, and especially for the newcomers who weren't familiar with the depth of superstition in this culture.
As always, please lift up Andy and Emerald. It has been such a long time with no sign of any hope or change. It can be a struggle for me to continue praying, yet I'm constantly reminded of Epaphras. Paul told the Philippians that he labored earnestly day and night praying for the young believers there.
Thank you for praying for us and remembering the work here.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Weddings, Beggars, and More
The past week has been very busy and very interesting. This time last week I was getting ready to attend a fellowship supper with Randy for CPers with various agencies, when the doorbell rang. Since I was busy, I asked Sean to find out who it was. He returned and said it was someone speaking Russian. I have a Russian vocabulary of approximately 5-10 words so I figured it was someone at the wrong gate. They were persistent in ringing the doorbell, so I left what I was doing and went to the gate. It turned out to be the national census. So, I spent the next thirty minutes answering questions about our nationality, how many languages we speak, education (including what our degrees are in), how long we plan to live here, where we work, what grades our children are in, where they were born, where else we've lived, and a few other random questions. It felt more like an inquisition than a census!
The fellowship we were attending was a special event. Several agencies worked together to bring in a special speaker, Joanne Shetler. She is the author of And the Word Came with Power. It tells the story of her work among a headhunter tribe in the northern Philippines. Julie has been especially excited ever since she found out that Miss Shetler would be coming, since the book was one of her readers during the last school year.
Sunday night was Andy and Emerald's first wedding. This one was what they call the girl's wedding and is put on by the bride's family. Emerald's parents were very gracious and attentive, and were excessively worried because we didn't stay very late. A couple of days later Zumrud found me on Facebook and said that her mother was afraid we left unhappy. I assured her it had nothing to do with them and everything to do with babysitters needing to go home.
Beggars are fairly common here. Some sit on the sidewalk and beg from passersby, while others go from house to house, knocking on doors. This week a woman came to the door asking for work. She had a little note explaining that she was mute. She made hand motions to show that she has two children and that she had been all over the neighborhood knocking on doors. I wasn't able to give her a job, but I did have some food for her to take home. She hugged me and kissed me, and I was able to talk to her for a minute or two about Jesus. Certainly not a full gospel presentation, but it was hard to tell how much she really understood of what I was saying to her. I asked her to write her name down so I can pray for her. She wrote "Zuleykha". Because names here always have some meaning, I looked it up in the dictionary. I couldn't find her name, but it is very closely related to the root word for "darkness" or "oppression". Without a doubt, that is an obvious prayer request. Please pray for her with me.
The fellowship we were attending was a special event. Several agencies worked together to bring in a special speaker, Joanne Shetler. She is the author of And the Word Came with Power. It tells the story of her work among a headhunter tribe in the northern Philippines. Julie has been especially excited ever since she found out that Miss Shetler would be coming, since the book was one of her readers during the last school year.
Sunday night was Andy and Emerald's first wedding. This one was what they call the girl's wedding and is put on by the bride's family. Emerald's parents were very gracious and attentive, and were excessively worried because we didn't stay very late. A couple of days later Zumrud found me on Facebook and said that her mother was afraid we left unhappy. I assured her it had nothing to do with them and everything to do with babysitters needing to go home.
Beggars are fairly common here. Some sit on the sidewalk and beg from passersby, while others go from house to house, knocking on doors. This week a woman came to the door asking for work. She had a little note explaining that she was mute. She made hand motions to show that she has two children and that she had been all over the neighborhood knocking on doors. I wasn't able to give her a job, but I did have some food for her to take home. She hugged me and kissed me, and I was able to talk to her for a minute or two about Jesus. Certainly not a full gospel presentation, but it was hard to tell how much she really understood of what I was saying to her. I asked her to write her name down so I can pray for her. She wrote "Zuleykha". Because names here always have some meaning, I looked it up in the dictionary. I couldn't find her name, but it is very closely related to the root word for "darkness" or "oppression". Without a doubt, that is an obvious prayer request. Please pray for her with me.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Persecution
Ever since Hannah Grace was born, we hired a young woman to come a couple of times a week and help out around the house. It's a great arrangement--she is able to supplement her family's income and I get some help keeping up with all of the housework. This young lady is a strong believer, and although we belong to different denominations, we have had many good conversations over the past three and a half years about what it means to be a Muslim background believer.
For years her unbelieving father has made life difficult. He has ridiculed her faith, threatened, and at times prevented her from attending worship. Today my friend told me that her father said that until she turns from Christ, he won't allow her to eat any food that is bought with his money. He is threatening to turn her out of the house, although she feels like that is mostly an idle threat. But she is now completely dependent on us for grocery money.
After talking a while, she told me, "Please just pray that I can be strong, and that I can respond to my father in a Christlike way." Obviously, she is looking for ways to increase her income--another job, more hours--and although she wants prayer to have her physical needs met, those are not her greatest concern. She doesn't even want to necessarily have this persecution removed; in some ways she welcomes it as a way to see her faith refined to pure gold.
Please pray for this young woman, and so many other believers like her who suffer persecution in various forms. Pray for those of us who live among these believers, that we will know how to bear this burden with them.
For years her unbelieving father has made life difficult. He has ridiculed her faith, threatened, and at times prevented her from attending worship. Today my friend told me that her father said that until she turns from Christ, he won't allow her to eat any food that is bought with his money. He is threatening to turn her out of the house, although she feels like that is mostly an idle threat. But she is now completely dependent on us for grocery money.
After talking a while, she told me, "Please just pray that I can be strong, and that I can respond to my father in a Christlike way." Obviously, she is looking for ways to increase her income--another job, more hours--and although she wants prayer to have her physical needs met, those are not her greatest concern. She doesn't even want to necessarily have this persecution removed; in some ways she welcomes it as a way to see her faith refined to pure gold.
Please pray for this young woman, and so many other believers like her who suffer persecution in various forms. Pray for those of us who live among these believers, that we will know how to bear this burden with them.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Good News!
For those of you not on facebook, where I've been posting frequent updates, Sean has finished his medical testing here in Istanbul and we are getting ready to head home Sunday morning.
The final diagnosis is reactive hypoglycemia, which means that he does not have diabetes. He does have to eat frequently and continue to monitor his blood sugar for a while, especially before bed. The doctor feels sure that Sean will outgrow this in time.
Everybody back at our house seems to be managing well in our absence. We've been able to talk on skype everyday, which is a big help for us all. Hannah Grace is convinced we're in Turkey for the express purpose of looking at animals. There is a house with peacocks near where we're staying, and I told her about seeing them along with some fish we saw at a nearby mall. She doesn't quite understand why we left her home just to go see peacocks, but she's taking it in stride.
Thank you for all of your prayers for our family over the past two weeks.
The final diagnosis is reactive hypoglycemia, which means that he does not have diabetes. He does have to eat frequently and continue to monitor his blood sugar for a while, especially before bed. The doctor feels sure that Sean will outgrow this in time.
Everybody back at our house seems to be managing well in our absence. We've been able to talk on skype everyday, which is a big help for us all. Hannah Grace is convinced we're in Turkey for the express purpose of looking at animals. There is a house with peacocks near where we're staying, and I told her about seeing them along with some fish we saw at a nearby mall. She doesn't quite understand why we left her home just to go see peacocks, but she's taking it in stride.
Thank you for all of your prayers for our family over the past two weeks.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Preparing to travel
Sean and I will be heading out of country on Monday the 16th. He will be examined by an endocrinologist to see what may have caused his low blood sugar. We expect to be there at least ten days.
Please pray for safe travel, for a good diagnosis, and for grace for our entire family as we're apart during this time.
Please pray for safe travel, for a good diagnosis, and for grace for our entire family as we're apart during this time.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Pray for Sean
Randy and Kevin took Sean to the emergency room last night about 1:00. He was not feeling well and began having very rapid heartbeat, profuse sweating, uncontrollable shaking and muscles jerking. Needless to say it was very frightening, but the doctor on call was able to quickly identify the problem. Sean, for reasons that aren't clear, had extremely low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). As I write he is still in the hospital for observation but should be released some time this morning.
The doctor told Randy that we shouldn't expect a clear diagnosis on why Sean went into shock. Please be praying that if there is some underlying cause that it would be quickly revealed and resolved. Praise God with us that we were able to get good medical treatment.
The doctor told Randy that we shouldn't expect a clear diagnosis on why Sean went into shock. Please be praying that if there is some underlying cause that it would be quickly revealed and resolved. Praise God with us that we were able to get good medical treatment.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Spreading Propaganda
That's what I've been accused of. Emerald and I were chatting on the internet about nothing in particular when, out of the blue, she brought up religion. Among other things, she suggested that religion is all I think about. My answer was that my faith in Jesus (not religion) affects every area of my life; I can't separate my life into categories of "religious" and "non-religious". That's when she said that I'm just busy spreading propaganda.
Coming from someone who once professed faith in Jesus, that hurt. Especially coming from someone who once professed faith. So I don't believe it was any coincidence that I've been reading through 1 Peter for the last few weeks. And it was no coincidence that the passage I read the morning after my conversation with Emerald was the following:
Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. 1 Peter 3:13-16
Now, being accused of propaganda doesn't really fit my definition of suffering. Intimidation, maybe. Troubling, without a doubt. After reading this passage, however, I actually felt blessed. Previously, in this same chapter, Peter says that we should not return insult for insult, but that we should give a blessing instead. That can be hard to do, but Peter also tells us the reason we can bless people who insult us: we have the assurance of inheriting a blessing from God.
Thank you for being so faithful to pray for us for Andy and Emerald over the past two years. It's hard for me to continue praying when things seem to be going so badly. Please pray that I can return blessings to Emerald in return for her insults.
Coming from someone who once professed faith in Jesus, that hurt. Especially coming from someone who once professed faith. So I don't believe it was any coincidence that I've been reading through 1 Peter for the last few weeks. And it was no coincidence that the passage I read the morning after my conversation with Emerald was the following:
Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. 1 Peter 3:13-16
Now, being accused of propaganda doesn't really fit my definition of suffering. Intimidation, maybe. Troubling, without a doubt. After reading this passage, however, I actually felt blessed. Previously, in this same chapter, Peter says that we should not return insult for insult, but that we should give a blessing instead. That can be hard to do, but Peter also tells us the reason we can bless people who insult us: we have the assurance of inheriting a blessing from God.
Thank you for being so faithful to pray for us for Andy and Emerald over the past two years. It's hard for me to continue praying when things seem to be going so badly. Please pray that I can return blessings to Emerald in return for her insults.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Luggage Update
Randy got a call from the airport today to let him know that one of our bags had arrived from France. He drove out there--thankfully the ice on the roads is mostly melted--and filled out the paperwork on the bag. Then he told the worker that we had another bag missing. The guy looked it up in the ledger (no computerized list) and saw that our second bag was at the other terminal. Somehow it ended up going to Turkey. The good news is that we now have both bags. The bad news is that somebody helped themselves to some of the contents of one suitcase. I do have to say, though, that this is the first time in thirteen years of traveling around that we've had a suitcase broken into, so I'm working to keep my complaining to a minimum! Thanks for your prayers for our family.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Quick Update
The sun came out this morning and the temperatures rose to above freezing. Kevin and Sean spent the morning shoveling snow, while Randy poured warm water over the pipes. Thanks to the better weather and Randy's hard work, we now have running water again!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Online Again
Our four week vacation turned into a seven week medical leave, but we are finally back in our house and Randy managed to get the internet up and running this morning.
We have a couple of immediate prayer needs. Right now, we have no running water in our house. That's no fun any time, but after a trans-Atlantic flight it's especially disheartening. Please pray that Randy and Kevin will be able to get our pipes thawed out today in spite of the wind and snow.
We also have some missing luggage. One contained almost all of Kevin's and Sean's clothes; Julie's shoes were in the other. All we have here for her are sandals, which aren't exactly appropriate for subfreezing temperatures. Please pray that the luggage will turn up quickly, and that the roads will be passable so that we can get the luggage from the airport to our house.
Thanks for remembering us!
We have a couple of immediate prayer needs. Right now, we have no running water in our house. That's no fun any time, but after a trans-Atlantic flight it's especially disheartening. Please pray that Randy and Kevin will be able to get our pipes thawed out today in spite of the wind and snow.
We also have some missing luggage. One contained almost all of Kevin's and Sean's clothes; Julie's shoes were in the other. All we have here for her are sandals, which aren't exactly appropriate for subfreezing temperatures. Please pray that the luggage will turn up quickly, and that the roads will be passable so that we can get the luggage from the airport to our house.
Thanks for remembering us!
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Back Online
We briefly considered enrolling our boys in a popular online school, but figured that sooner or later we would be without internet for an extended time. Not because we're pessimists, but because we've lived here too long to expect things to work properly. Sure enough, we were without internet most of last week. For us, that means no contact with the rest of the world. Sometimes that can be a good thing. :)
Here are a few things that have been going on around here that you can pray about with us:
Stability
There is a lot going on in this part of the world. Many Soviet countries, our host country included, are working through what the recent war between Georgia and Russia will mean for them.
Besides international instability, rumors are flying like crazy among like-minded workers of various agencies here. Without spreading any of the rumors, here are some things we are seeing. Many workers are running into nightmare scenarious trying to renew their visas. Some have had to temporarily leave the country, in one case with only a few hours' notice. Others are being asked to pay outrageous bribes ("respect money" as people here call it). Nobody is sure what is going on or what to expect.
Local believers
Harrassment of believers continues. One pastor in a different area of the country remains in jail on false charges.
Randy will be meeting with a local believer sometime this week to discuss partnering in the work. Please pray that this will be productive and we will find ways to work together.
Andy and Emerald
After months of trying to get together, they dropped by rather unexpectedly. As it was 10 pm, they didn't stay long, but promised they would see us this Sunday. They have made similar promises a number of times already, but perhaps this will be the week they follow through.
Thanks for keeping us in your prayers!
Here are a few things that have been going on around here that you can pray about with us:
Stability
There is a lot going on in this part of the world. Many Soviet countries, our host country included, are working through what the recent war between Georgia and Russia will mean for them.
Besides international instability, rumors are flying like crazy among like-minded workers of various agencies here. Without spreading any of the rumors, here are some things we are seeing. Many workers are running into nightmare scenarious trying to renew their visas. Some have had to temporarily leave the country, in one case with only a few hours' notice. Others are being asked to pay outrageous bribes ("respect money" as people here call it). Nobody is sure what is going on or what to expect.
Local believers
Harrassment of believers continues. One pastor in a different area of the country remains in jail on false charges.
Randy will be meeting with a local believer sometime this week to discuss partnering in the work. Please pray that this will be productive and we will find ways to work together.
Andy and Emerald
After months of trying to get together, they dropped by rather unexpectedly. As it was 10 pm, they didn't stay long, but promised they would see us this Sunday. They have made similar promises a number of times already, but perhaps this will be the week they follow through.
Thanks for keeping us in your prayers!
Friday, September 12, 2008
Electronic Evangelism and Other Updates
Several of my friends have suggested from time to time that I ought to sign up for Facebook. For a long time I resisted, for a variety of reasons, but last week I finally gave in and created an account. In spite of the drawbacks, I have found one really good reason to use Facebook: Emerald. We have been in touch more during the past week than we have been over the past year. It seems crazy to me, living in the same city, but I'm glad to maintain any small connection that I can.
Please pray for Emerald. Since she turned away from Christ, she has been trying to fill the void in her life with Islam.
Other updates:
Please pray for Emerald. Since she turned away from Christ, she has been trying to fill the void in her life with Islam.
Other updates:
- My head is healing. The lab reports came back this week, and the spot the surgeon removed was a basal cell cancer.
- Randy also had a biopsy on a skin spot, which turned out to be a basal cell cancer.
- Hannah Grace is also having some skin problems. We have been treating it as eczema, but it isn't responding to the medication.
- In addition to the health issues, Randy's workload has increased.
On the positive side, home school is going well, even if it is exhausting work. The boys and I have made it through the first chapter and a half of chemistry. I have to admit, nothing from my high school chemistry class is coming back to me--that was only a couple of decades ago--so I'm having to study along with them. We'll see how things look in a few months. Chemistry wasn't my easiest subject.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Travelling Again. . .
As I looked at the clothes stacked in our suitcases, I thought of my mother-in-law. She always used to say that if I had a nickel for every time I had packed a suitcase. . . Anyhow, we're leaving early in the morning--although thankfully not as early as usual--for a week long conference with coworkers. We'll spend a few days afterward taking care of some minor medical issues while we have the chance.
Please pray for:
Please pray for:
- safe travel
- good weather
- health: these conferences are notorious for spreading nasty viruses that we all carry in from our various countries
Also, please pray for peace and stability in this part of the world. I'm sure many have seen the events in Georgia [the country] over the past week. As you can imagine, many of the post-Soviet countries are feeling uneasy and nervous.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Events This Month
We expected June to be a busy month, but it has already held a few surprises for us and it's only the 10th.
On the first, we had a big get-together to say goodbye to one of our families. They are returning to the US for a few months and then will transfer to a nearby country. We expect to see them occasionally whenever we have to travel for medical care (hopefully that won't be too often) but Kevin will miss having another guy his age on our team.
That same week, we had two semi-unexpected visits. One is a family who is considering moving from another country in this region to our city. Randy walked in the door with them Wednesday evening and told me that they had a turkey that needed to go in the freezer. Odd, I thought, but of course they could put their turkey in my freezer. Later I realized that it was a gift for us--a genuine all-American butterball. We feasted on that after church this Sunday with our house church group!
Our other visitors arrived in the wee morning hours on Thursday, and stayed in our home until Saturday night. They work throughout our region doing member care, making sure that workers with our company are staying sane in some of the crazy places we live. It's always a joy to have them visit, as they embody the phrase "servant leadership". They even helped us carry some boxes to our new house.
That's the other major event this month. The family that left earlier this month vacated a great house, and they began working on us months ago to move in as soon as they left. At first, we didn't consider it very seriously. Now, we're in the middle of packing. We had hoped to move by the middle of this month, but that doesn't seem likely at this point.
Yesterdy, our favorite plumber spent five hours at our house. Saturday was the third time in about as many months that our hot water heater caught on fire. It turns out that whoever originally installed it used very thin wires to connect the thermostat to the power source. As Anar was explaining the root problem, a song from one of the children's Bible verse CDs kept running through my head:
He who is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys. (Proverbs 18:9)
We also have plans to go on a day trip with Allen and his mother some time next week. None of the details are worked out yet, but that isn't anything unusual here. I'm sure everything will come together in good time.
Also coming up this month is Hannah Grace's birthday and our 18th wedding anniversary. With all of that going on, we've had to turn down two wedding invitations this month. Weddings here are rather different than US style weddings, and Randy wasn't too distressed about having to miss out on the fun.
As you think of us, please pray that we will be able to use our time wisely, and that our trip with Allen will be eternally fruitful. Please give thanks with us that we have found a good place to live and that we didn't have a serious fire in our current apartment.
On the first, we had a big get-together to say goodbye to one of our families. They are returning to the US for a few months and then will transfer to a nearby country. We expect to see them occasionally whenever we have to travel for medical care (hopefully that won't be too often) but Kevin will miss having another guy his age on our team.
That same week, we had two semi-unexpected visits. One is a family who is considering moving from another country in this region to our city. Randy walked in the door with them Wednesday evening and told me that they had a turkey that needed to go in the freezer. Odd, I thought, but of course they could put their turkey in my freezer. Later I realized that it was a gift for us--a genuine all-American butterball. We feasted on that after church this Sunday with our house church group!
Our other visitors arrived in the wee morning hours on Thursday, and stayed in our home until Saturday night. They work throughout our region doing member care, making sure that workers with our company are staying sane in some of the crazy places we live. It's always a joy to have them visit, as they embody the phrase "servant leadership". They even helped us carry some boxes to our new house.
That's the other major event this month. The family that left earlier this month vacated a great house, and they began working on us months ago to move in as soon as they left. At first, we didn't consider it very seriously. Now, we're in the middle of packing. We had hoped to move by the middle of this month, but that doesn't seem likely at this point.
Yesterdy, our favorite plumber spent five hours at our house. Saturday was the third time in about as many months that our hot water heater caught on fire. It turns out that whoever originally installed it used very thin wires to connect the thermostat to the power source. As Anar was explaining the root problem, a song from one of the children's Bible verse CDs kept running through my head:
He who is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys. (Proverbs 18:9)
We also have plans to go on a day trip with Allen and his mother some time next week. None of the details are worked out yet, but that isn't anything unusual here. I'm sure everything will come together in good time.
Also coming up this month is Hannah Grace's birthday and our 18th wedding anniversary. With all of that going on, we've had to turn down two wedding invitations this month. Weddings here are rather different than US style weddings, and Randy wasn't too distressed about having to miss out on the fun.
As you think of us, please pray that we will be able to use our time wisely, and that our trip with Allen will be eternally fruitful. Please give thanks with us that we have found a good place to live and that we didn't have a serious fire in our current apartment.
Friday, May 9, 2008
A Great Visit
Several months ago Julie wrote a pitiful email to my parents asking if they could come see us here. Everything worked out and they were able to spend two weeks with us. We all had a good time and were sorry to see them go.
While they were here we invited Allen and his mother for dinner.
We also spent an evening at our English Center. The students always enjoy having visitors from the United States. They're interested in hearing about the different areas of the US, jobs, lifestyle, families, economy and politics.If you're interested in a one or two week trip, we're always thrilled to have volunteers come in and help out at our center. There are no special skills required other than the ability to speak English, and a desire to share the love of Christ.
If you receive Randy's weekly emails, you know that he is dealing with some medical problems. He'll be traveling to a nearby country to see a specialist in a couple of weeks. Please pray that he will get a clear diagnosis and a good treatment plan. Don't forget to pray for the children and me also during the time that we're on our own here.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Land of the Free
Living here, we occasionally see and hear things that make us thankful for the freedom we enjoy in the United States. A couple of weeks ago I heard about an incident that served to remind me once again that we are not living in a free country. Our children's language tutor came in one day and told me that she had been detained by the police the day before. The reason? She was taking pictures. They set her in the back of the police car and drove to a different location where a plainclothes officer got in and began questioning her. She confessed to me that she lied about her job since she was afraid to admit to the police that she works for foreigners, even if it is just as a children's tutor. They finally let her go after destroying the pictures on her camera, along with a stern warning to only take pictures at approved tourist sites.
Pray for those around us, and for the many people around the world who don't know political and religious freedom. Don't just pray that worldly governments would become democratic. Pray that these people would experience a spiritual freedom in Christ that transcends their physical situation.
Pray for those around us, and for the many people around the world who don't know political and religious freedom. Don't just pray that worldly governments would become democratic. Pray that these people would experience a spiritual freedom in Christ that transcends their physical situation.
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