Updates
Pray for us
01/02/12 10:15
I wanted to ask you to be praying for us this month as we have a lot happening with our church ministries. Celebrate Recovery starts its 3rd year tomorrow. We've seen so much change in the people who have been faithful in that program. We see many others who would really benefit if they would commit to it. Pray that those who need to come would. Pray for our leaders. They have been so faithful, but they really have had lots of difficult personal issues to deal with. I can't help but believe that it is a Spiritual attack because of the results we've been having.
We are also starting up small groups for couples again soon. We are having a kickoff dinner for couples with dinner and a movie on February 11 to have them come and hear about the small groups and sign up. Last year's groups were very effective and we saw God use them to really strengthen marriages. We'll also be having a griefshare group start soon and guess who will be leading it? Melissa, who was helping when you worked on the porch will be doing it. You wouldn't recognise her as the same person. She has changed so much! Pray for her to be successful at leading this group. It will be such a good thing for her to succeed at.
When we were in Michigan for Ed's mother's funeral, we connected with his great nephew, who just became a Christian. We had a wonderful opportunity to visit with him and invited him to come out to visit. He's been here about a month now, and he is a very special young man. Pray for Nathan as he seeks God's leading for his life, and pray that we would be faithful in guiding him during the time he has with us.
We also want to lead another Truth Project group. One reason we want to do one now is so that Nathan can experience it. We have a couple in the church who would like to host the group and we would facilitate it, but her father just passed away this week, so that may change their ability to be involved. Pray for this group also and for the right people to be able to participate. We have some Celebrate Recovery people who haven't been through it yet, and would like them to have that opportunity too.
Ed got sick while we were in Michigan, and he is okay now, but still seems to be sensitive to being in cold air. (Not that we've had very much. I feel like we haven't really even had winter yet this year, and it's almost spring!) I'm not complaining. We've enjoyed the warm weather. It was in the 50's today!
The enclosed back porch is such a blessing! It really helps keeping the kitchen warmer and cleaner. I really notice it on Thursday mornings when the men come for breakfast. We've been having 8 most mornings. They don't track in near as much and there's hardly any heat loss as they come in. If I'm using the oven, it's often too warm! So thanks so much for your help with it. I should say thanks from the dogs too. Mari, the yellow lab, knows how to open the door to the porch and so they have all enjoyed their cozy new "dog house."
We don't have any groups scheduled for summer yet. We usually have a couple in the works by now. Pray that those who should come will come.
Tell everyone hello for us.
Love,
Ed & Ann
We are also starting up small groups for couples again soon. We are having a kickoff dinner for couples with dinner and a movie on February 11 to have them come and hear about the small groups and sign up. Last year's groups were very effective and we saw God use them to really strengthen marriages. We'll also be having a griefshare group start soon and guess who will be leading it? Melissa, who was helping when you worked on the porch will be doing it. You wouldn't recognise her as the same person. She has changed so much! Pray for her to be successful at leading this group. It will be such a good thing for her to succeed at.
When we were in Michigan for Ed's mother's funeral, we connected with his great nephew, who just became a Christian. We had a wonderful opportunity to visit with him and invited him to come out to visit. He's been here about a month now, and he is a very special young man. Pray for Nathan as he seeks God's leading for his life, and pray that we would be faithful in guiding him during the time he has with us.
We also want to lead another Truth Project group. One reason we want to do one now is so that Nathan can experience it. We have a couple in the church who would like to host the group and we would facilitate it, but her father just passed away this week, so that may change their ability to be involved. Pray for this group also and for the right people to be able to participate. We have some Celebrate Recovery people who haven't been through it yet, and would like them to have that opportunity too.
Ed got sick while we were in Michigan, and he is okay now, but still seems to be sensitive to being in cold air. (Not that we've had very much. I feel like we haven't really even had winter yet this year, and it's almost spring!) I'm not complaining. We've enjoyed the warm weather. It was in the 50's today!
The enclosed back porch is such a blessing! It really helps keeping the kitchen warmer and cleaner. I really notice it on Thursday mornings when the men come for breakfast. We've been having 8 most mornings. They don't track in near as much and there's hardly any heat loss as they come in. If I'm using the oven, it's often too warm! So thanks so much for your help with it. I should say thanks from the dogs too. Mari, the yellow lab, knows how to open the door to the porch and so they have all enjoyed their cozy new "dog house."
We don't have any groups scheduled for summer yet. We usually have a couple in the works by now. Pray that those who should come will come.
Tell everyone hello for us.
Love,
Ed & Ann
Evangelist reports from Thailand
01/02/12 10:10
Reports from Danai in Thailand with pics...click here
Ed and Val are in Papua
01/02/12 10:08
Greetings from Papua Indonesia.
We are thankful for safe travel and good start in Papua. The boys have finished their third day of the spring semester (which is actually fall semester, on this side of the equator). Our immigration paperwork is well underway and the process will be completed soon.
Thank you to so many of you who helped us in the last couple weeks. Although we have done it many times before, it doesn't get any easier to get packed up to leave the country.
We are very grateful to be here, to be adjusting and settling in Papua. We heard from Obukain today by two-way radio. They need to cut the grass on the airstrip before a plane can actually land there. Ed plans to go into Obukain when the strip is ready, to clean, repair and prepare the house before Valerie and the twins can come in.
Thank you for praying for us as we traveled. Please continue to pray as we address responsibilities on the coast and head in to Obukain in the near future.
Join us as we thank God for :
Safe arrival with no lost suitcases along the way.
Healthy bodies along the way
Plane trip that went better than we expected with 9-month-old twins.
Please continue to pray for:
Good adjustment for Isaiah and Josiah, as they return to studies at Hillcrest International School.
Ability to complete tasks here on the coast before we head to Obukain.
Good adjustment, especially for the twins as we move to Obukain.
On a side note perhaps, we have stated before, that Valerie and I love winter. Even the feeble winter that Minnesota has seen this year seems especially nice when sweating here near the equator. Now I know that many of you would love to trade in the winter cold for the tropical climate. We are praying that God will call many of you, to do exactly that. Come and join us. The needs are great, but the workers are few.
Grateful to be here.
Thankful for your partnership, and your prayers,
Ed and Valerie
We are thankful for safe travel and good start in Papua. The boys have finished their third day of the spring semester (which is actually fall semester, on this side of the equator). Our immigration paperwork is well underway and the process will be completed soon.
Thank you to so many of you who helped us in the last couple weeks. Although we have done it many times before, it doesn't get any easier to get packed up to leave the country.
We are very grateful to be here, to be adjusting and settling in Papua. We heard from Obukain today by two-way radio. They need to cut the grass on the airstrip before a plane can actually land there. Ed plans to go into Obukain when the strip is ready, to clean, repair and prepare the house before Valerie and the twins can come in.
Thank you for praying for us as we traveled. Please continue to pray as we address responsibilities on the coast and head in to Obukain in the near future.
Join us as we thank God for :
Safe arrival with no lost suitcases along the way.
Healthy bodies along the way
Plane trip that went better than we expected with 9-month-old twins.
Please continue to pray for:
Good adjustment for Isaiah and Josiah, as they return to studies at Hillcrest International School.
Ability to complete tasks here on the coast before we head to Obukain.
Good adjustment, especially for the twins as we move to Obukain.
On a side note perhaps, we have stated before, that Valerie and I love winter. Even the feeble winter that Minnesota has seen this year seems especially nice when sweating here near the equator. Now I know that many of you would love to trade in the winter cold for the tropical climate. We are praying that God will call many of you, to do exactly that. Come and join us. The needs are great, but the workers are few.
Grateful to be here.
Thankful for your partnership, and your prayers,
Ed and Valerie