Summer Happenings

Two days ago, Martha and I arrived back from our annual meeting in Bali. The number one tourist destination in Indonesia, Bali is famed for its beaches, crafts, and unique Hindu religious expressions. While Indonesia hosts the largest Muslim population in the world, the island of Bali grew a distinct Hindu culture. Christians make up a tiny part of the population.

For a second time, Martha attended the week-long youth camp for missionary kids on the island of Java. This year, she served as a teacher/counselor. For 3 days prior to its start Martha and the other staff met to discuss the needs of each camper, then pray for each one individually. The purpose of the camp is not just to have fun, but to motivate each MK toward spiritual maturity.

Then, last week, missionaries from around SE Asia met for reporting, instruction, fellowship, and prayer. As more of our teams work toward initiating what we call CPM (Church Planting Movement), we are seeing a rapid increase in the number of baptisms and churches. God is indeed at work, changing the hearts of the hurting, and redeeming the lives of those who were lost.

Now, Martha and I are back “home”. One of the reasons Martha wanted to return to the Philippines was to volunteer for a few weeks in one of the local hospitals in order to gain experience as a nurse in a non-USA setting. Yesterday, the director of one of our Iloilo hospitals arranged a tour for us. Starting next week, Martha will work 3 full-days a week, assisting nurses in the various departments. It is the dream of nearly every Filipino nurse to work in the U.S.A. Needless to say, the nurses were quite amazed that an American girl would want to leave the U.S.A. and work here.

Jonathan is doing great at his summer youth camp job outside of Fort Worth. He’s having fun, meeting new friends, working hard, and making money. I will continue to train groups until we leave in mid-August, but I will gradually shift to packing mode as I begin sorting through our belongings and decide what to give away, sell, and pack for the future, assuming I return next year. Looking back, it has been a wonderful 4 years. I’m so blessed to be here. And I hope the Lord allows me to return for another 4 years.