Dear partners,
For three weeks now, we’ve been back home (after the birth of Elisha) and have mostly hit the ground running with continued study and ministry.
In mid-November, I joined several missionaries and Cambodian pastors to teach the fifth and final course in the curriculum (Gospel of Matthew, Part III) of the Khmer-language Foundations Bible School. Over the past two years, the four different mother-tongue branches of the Foundations Bible School (Khmer, Krung, Jarai, and Tampuan) have worked diligently to complete the curriculum, with a view toward the launching of the Ratanakiri Pastors School in May, 2017. Students who have completed this core curriculum may be approved and sent by their local churches to join the Pastors School this coming Spring. Praise the Lord for the five Khmer-language students who are eligible, and the many more from among the tribal groups. Please pray for the many remaining hours of preparation for launch of the Pastors School.
Earlier this week, we enjoyed a quick visit from our mission director and his wife, Ken and Joan Jensen. As always, the time with Ken and Joan was a joy. We thank God for their many years of faithful service behind the scenes, making our work and that of many other missionaries possible.
For the past 3 months, I’ve been meeting weekly for prayer and Bible study with a dear Christian brother, Yaa. We are currently working through Romans 6 together. Please pray for Yaa, that he would receive the Word with faith and be rooted firmly in the truth. Pray also for wisdom for me as I seek to teach and encourage Yaa.
The bulk of my time continues to be spent in language study, both Lao and Khmer, and I feel as if I am ready to “blossom” in either pursuit. In Khmer, I am at the point that I could be a somewhat proficient teacher if given the time for preparation; in Lao, I feel that I could begin to grow rapidly in my basic use of the language if I could focus on that full-time. As it is now, I struggle to balance the two and often feel doomed to life-long mediocrity in two languages! Please continue praying for growth and for wisdom in handling this tension.
A final, somewhat urgent, request: on Tuesday, Dec. 6 at 2:00 pm (2:00 am EST), we have an appointment at the US Embassy to apply for Elisha’s US citizenship papers and passport. The fact that we have some experience at this (Elisha is our third child born in Cambodia) only adds to my anxiety about the interview: in the past, this interview has led only to more very-difficult-to-obtain paperwork and subsequent interviews. Please pray for success on Tuesday.