Dear Praying Friends,
The craziness fun of camps and training school is complete for this summer. COVID-19 was not powerful enough to keep eight (8) deaf young people from accepting the Lord as their Savior!

Training School
We had a great group of missionaries at our annual training school. In attendance were a couple of new missionary candidates, a husband and wife couple who joined the board within the last year, and several veteran missionaries. We had classes in finances, communication, health, family, and spiritual matters.

Trip Update
In our previous letter, I had mentioned three possible trips later this year. One has been canceled (Chile), the second one is still tentative (Spain) and the third has been postponed (Togo).

Passport Renewal
My current passport will expire soon. As I prepared to send it in with the renewal application, I looked through it and was reminded of the places I have been in the last nine and a half years.

This passport began its life when we were living in Argentina. Recent good news from Argentina is that a couple that we taught sign language have finished seminary training and are now raising their support to go to Romania as missionaries. On a sad note, a friend in Argentina who we met shortly after his salvation and got to see the start of a rapid transformation in his life, succumbed to cancer a couple weeks ago. He was a great testimony for the Lord.

This passport also holds reminders of trips to five different African countries. One of the blessings of visiting places more than once is the joy of seeing the change in Christians as they mature and continue to serve the Lord. One man in Nigeria came to me and quoted back to me my outline from when I had preached in his church 10 years prior. What a strong reminder that people are always watching and learning from us even if we think what we say and do isn’t that important.

I also remember the emotions of a delayed flight out of Lima, Peru. While waiting for a part to repair the plane, I would miss the funeral of a friend who had passed away during my trip.

This passport reminded me of the joy of visiting friends in Costa Rica who had previously only been voices on a telephone or text in an email. I remember the great pleasure of meeting Pastor Bizuayehu in Ethiopia for the first time after only having met through email. Also the tearful reunion with his wife five years later when I returned to visit after Pastor Bizuayehu’s death. In this passport is the visa stamp from the Philippines where my wife and I had the privilege to travel together for the second time. The first time was recorded in my first passport 20 years previous.

I am thankful for the memories of the ministry God has called us to. And, I am grateful that you are a partner in each of these wonderful reminders of changed lives.

You can download and print a PDF version of this letter.

Categories: Prayer Letter
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