December 2013

Jake is back to work.  The physical therapy has done the job on his leg muscles so no surgery is needed.  The body of believers he has been meeting with has divided.  Jake and Naomi are very sad about that and did their best to hold things together, but that isn't always possible.  They are thankful they still have other families to meet with on a regular basis.

Chet's job ended this week.  The work involved some heavy pulling, and his shoulder was not up to the task.  He is actively working on finding something else so keep him in your prayers.  Mai and Jaz are still doing well.

Praise the Lord for a great trip to India for me.  I thoroughly enjoyed it, and am thankful for all the prayers.  Often people get "Delhi Belly" when going to India, but God graciously spared me any digestive trouble.  Praise the Lord!

Mikah is heading to Ireland next week for Christmas.  She is excited!  Her brother was kind enough to think of her being it is the first Christmas so far away from Morgan.

October 24th Update

Big news that Mai is home and doing well!  She is a blessing to have around the house and is taking some of the load off of me as far as housework.  Jasmine loves having her birth mommy around and spends as much time as she can with her Daddy and Mommy!  We are about through our first round of doctor's appointments, and the initial testing I am doing with Mai for some home educating we'll be doing.  Praise the Lord for blessing and working.  Thank-you for your prayers!

Another praise is that I have heard through the grapevine that Charles Bryce is healed in the body and can now play violin again!  Glory to God!  He is seeking more steady work with the violin in the Cleveland area, and Sharon is working full time on her master's degree.

Jake is still off work for torn something in his leg (ligaments?).  He is receiving physical therapy and is slowly improving.  This was a work related injury so his costs are covered, thankfully.   He yet has to see the surgeon to know if they will do surgery after the therapy or not.  God is helping at his church and is definitely bringing in people.  This has brought it's challenges in that there are different visions of how things are to work, but God is helping nonetheless.

Jordan and Naomi had their legal hearing yesterday for Naomi's dad's estate and it was not as profitable as we all had hoped.  Things are still in gridlock so we are trusting for God's work and timing.

We're trusting that Morgan's baby took a head first dive this past week during a tumultuous night.  That is yet to be confirmed by ultrasound, but we're believing.

Don and I are heading off this evening for a couple days away to celebrate our 30th anniversary.  Mai's mother, Lon, will stay at our home to help hold down the fort!

October Happenings

It is exciting to see God working and moving!

On our end, we are happy to report that Chet's wife, Mai, should be coming home next Thursday, October the 7th!  It's been 3 years.  I enjoy hearing her excited questions and anticipation as we talk each week.  We hope to have a welcome home party with our church family.  Continue to pray for all of this on this new adventure!

Ariana and her friend were baptized in our pond recently and it was a joyous occasion.  My father also shared his story with a few in the community of Defiance.  God is working with individuals in the church and it is a joy to see.

 The body of believers in Maine has a couple more families who are now attending and there are 2 more families moving up to join the church who now live in Tennessee.  This Sunday they are having a brother's meeting to try to establish some foundations to prevent potential divisions and misunderstandings.  Please pray for them in this endeavor for oneness of mind and heart.

Jordan's family needs prayer for wisdom in pastoring their little church, and also for the settling of Naomi's father's estate in the next few weeks.

I am planning a trip to India on November 12 to be with Morgan around the time the baby is born....and to spend time with Amos and Justice as well.  And Andrew. :-)   Thankful for my husband's self sacrificial love to let me go and leave our expanding family to fend for themselves during this time.  He would love to go too, but now doesn't seem the time.

Streets 4th week

September 16, 2013

Fourth Week Happenings

Here we are – into our second week of classes. Andrew and I are enjoying them. I missed half of

mine today because of a prenatal checkup. I’ve lost weight, instead of gained, but all my blood

work and tests came back great. The doctor was surprisingly favorable towards a home birth

– she just said that we will need to make sure everything is going normal. The boys have heat

rashes – especially Justice – and so we are trying to let his skin air out today. Thus he is wearing

bib-overalls with no shirt.

Our shipment came in on Saturday!!! It is very exciting to have all our stuff here. The clothes

came just in time for Justice, who was growing out of his provisions we had in our suitcases for

him. Amos is thrilled to have his toys and books back. The hammock is hanging temporarily in

the living room, and all three guys are enjoying that quite a bit. Although I can’t unpack all my

kitchen supplies yet (for lack of shelving to put them on), I am still very happy to have some pots

and quality utensils in hand to cook with again. The computer is already set up. Andrew is out

shopping now with Sundara Raj for furniture, and the furniture here in the guesthouse should

be swapped out soon for what is provided by the school for us. Two men are presently cleaning

out our storeroom as well. For those of you who don’t know yet, it has been settled that we will

make the “guesthouse” our apartment, and the guesthouse will be in the bungalow.

Last Friday there was a day of prayer held here on campus. It started at 2pm, and went until 6am

Saturday morning. Andrew was able to participate in a few hours of it, including preaching one

of the messages on prayer. He said there was a wonderful, unhurried spirit during the prayer

times. I have been very busy, especially with the shipment coming in, and will continue to be

so probably for a little while. Thankfully yesterday we had a good rest, and purposefully made

sure that that could happen. In the evening we all got our instruments out that just came in the

shipment (Andrew, trumpet; me, viola; and I gave Amos and Justice each a recorder) and played

a few songs together. That was fun. J I enjoy our singing times together, and it’s nice to have

our instruments back now too. I tried playing in church, but it didn’t go as well as I was hoping

– between my being rusty, and the viola slipping out of tune because of lack of use. I think next

time should go better.

Cooking has been going well. I’m still learning a lot – and making mistakes along the way – but

I’m definitely more comfortable with things now. I have not yet learned the right way to make

homemade butter and yogurt, but I did find out how easy it was to do it the wrong way! Leave

milk in the fridge a day too long, and it automatically turns into yogurt, and leave cream in the

fridge for too long, and it becomes the consistency of butter….I didn’t taste them to make sure,

so I can’t say that it really works. J

Please continue to pray for adjustment with grace and a Christ-like spirit….we seemed to have a

more peaceful lull in the storm of culture shock the past week or two, but now we’re entering a

second wave of it – and not just me this time, but Andrew too.

Joanna's Review

Here's a note we received from Joanna Paulus that is encouraging.

 I was thinking back today on all the connections with different people that have been made because you moved to Ft. Wayne and we came back from China (I wanted/hoped to go back within a few years) and stayed in Ft. Wayne rather than moving to CA. (I was wanting to move to CA,as had been planned, as we had friends there with similar values and almost none in Ft. Wayne.)  So we meet you, and then through Andrew meet McCulfors [whom the Pauluses churched with for several years]. McCulfors hear from us about the Training for Triumph speech and debate classes, which Anna then goes to and Grace is in her class. So the McIntoshs come to the youth meetings, and now you've started a church together. And after about 8 years of meeting one great family after another and being part of each other's lives, Father has brought us back here to China. And I'm leaving out plenty of details. That was a good reminder to me that He certainly has a better plan than we do. When I can't see what's going on (why the visa agency didn't ship our passports back overnight like we asked...why Fed Ex sent them to Europe instead of Hong Kong...why once the problem was reported, it couldn't be solved faster...why we're stuck in Hong Kong when we had things planned for this weekend in GZ...why we can't be there for the unexpected overnight company Daddy has) Father does see the big see picture and his plans are the best.   -Joanna Paulus

One Week for the Streets

Thursday, August 29, 2013

One Week Mark!

By this point we now have a working phone, our own internet, a refrigerator, and a washing

machine (that we can’t use yet). Amos and Justice have made their ways into many hearts on

campus. I’ve been able to visit in four other apartments, chatting with very wonderful ladies.

Anim has helped us with our laundry and is planning on taking me grocery shopping. Sharda has

put me more at ease with having a home birth, and took me to her OB/GYN doctor today for a

regular checkup. Akim is all alone in her apartment and was very glad, I think, that I knocked on

the “wrong” door trying to find Sharda’s apartment. J I think we will have very good visits in

the future. Preety is very outgoing and is fun to talk to.

Amos asks every day, “Are the kids outside?” He is thriving on the little school books we

brought with us in our backpacks, and I think he’ll be ready for the curriculum that is being

shipped once it gets here. I’ve been asked almost every day about Amos going to school, so I

have started turning that into an opportunity to explain why we feel it is important and that it

is our responsibility, biblically, to teach our children about the Lord all throughout each day.

So far I haven’t had any response to that. I’m learning how to manage my days between two

active boys, the hot afternoon, and the evening visiting time. I think there is a routine slowly

developing, although a good deal of that will change once we begin language classes and I start

to cook.

On that note – we get to meet with the language school director, Rollee Narrain, and another

American couple next week! Yay! We will have a meet and greet time, and then we will talk

about our schedules for doing classes, which should start next week. We found out about a lady

who sweeps and mops the floors daily for several apartments on campus, and we might enlist her

help (with money, of course) in our apartment as well. It’s about six US dollars a month. Yeah –

wow. And that’s helping her out.

I found out that prenatal care is also very cheap – and it is considered expensive here in India.

Around 3 dollars will pay for a checkup, 6 dollars for an ultrasound, and about 300 dollars for

delivery. My checkup went well. Everyone here was very nervous about me, so I think they

will be relieved now that I have seen the doctor. After being at the maternity home, though, I’m

pretty sure I want to stick with a home birth if possible, especially since I don’t speak Hindi. The

doctor could speak English, but I could tell she is much more comfortable with Hindi, and I’m

afraid that might cause problems in the middle of delivery and things may not go like I would

want them to.

Andrew has found out more than he ever would want to know about Indian mechanisms so far –

or the lack of them. After 5 visits to the phone store and many hours later, he has finally got our

cell phone working, but is still wrestling with getting the internet package working that he signed

up for. (News flash: he got it.)

Andrew has been to chapel once this week, and was very impressed with the message on the

book of  Joel. He wants to be more regular in attending those if he can. He was also able to help

Sundara Raj by taking pictures of all of the 1

purposes. I had my first motorcycle ride today to the maternity home. J That was fun. One of

the staff took me, since there was some confusion on having a driver available. We have found

that (1) you can’t count on anything happening the way it’s planned, (2) relationships are very

important here, and (3) the Lord is faithful to keep His promises and His word to us – as we seek

Him, He is found, and satisfies our hunger for Him.

nd

st

 and 2

 year students. This is for fundraising

Shopping & Scrubbing

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Scrubbing and shopping – the two things we’ve been doing the most in the past 36 hours. I’ve been cleaning windows and getting the kitchen in order, and Andrew is out buying a refrigerator right now. We still aren’t quite ready to eat here at the guesthouse, but it’s getting a lot closer. J Okay…later: Andrew picked out a refrigerator, but couldn’t buy it today. He also purchased a cell phone but couldn’t get it activated today. Very warm-culture. Amos has been playing very well today by himself. Please pray for Justice – he has been very tired today and may be having some intestinal issues.

Andrew saw our apartment today – it’s quite large. It takes up the whole bottom floor of a building. The ceilings are REALLY high – like you could put a second floor in. We feel a little weird moving in there when the guesthouse is much more standard for faculty here. We would be happy staying in the guesthouse and making that our home. We’ll see what they say.

We can hear the Muslim call to prayer multiple times a day. In Allahabad, 20% are Muslims – a larger than average percentage.

I’ve seen a couple mice in Sundar Raj’s house, but none in ours so far. J We have one screen that needs replaced in our bathroom, so a lizard and mosquitoes have gotten in through there, but other than that, the house is pretty well closed in.

Today I have really missed talking and working with friends. There is so much to do, and it takes me so long to accomplish things on my own with two boys and the heat, that it’s kind of depressing if I think about it too much. We went out this evening again though, around the time when the children and adults come out (when it’s cooler – about 5:30-7pm), and I had a very nice time talking to two other mothers who live in the same apartment building. I’m really thankful for that. Amos and Justice had fun, too, with the kids. I also was encouraged by what I read in A Chance to Die, the biography on Amy Carmichael that I’m reading through. It was talking about when Amy’s mother and a close and trusted fellow worker both died in the same year – and how she had to accept the Lord’s will as being “to do without” for the time being.

So far, the topics of homeschooling and home births are very weird and “unacceptable” to the people here – we ask if it is okay to do, and they say, “No, everyone goes to the doctor,” or “No, homeschooling is not recognized.” This is really hard for me to deal with – I would really appreciate your prayers that we would have wisdom to know how to handle both situations. It also seems very much the norm for both the husband and wife to work outside of the home. They probably won’t understand that I want to stay home and take care of my family first and foremost. I’m thankful that both EFM and OMS, the mission organizations that we are working for/with, understand us and sent us anyway. J It’s just going to be interesting dealing with the subjects here on the field.

All for now – I need to get back and help get the boys ready for bed and spend some family time together. 

The Streets in Ireland

As you all know, we are now - finally - en route to India!!! It's still a little weird to be past the farewells at the airport that I've been dreading for so long, and to realize that the time changes are not going to be "changing back" for quite a long time, etc. We are VERY much enjoying our time with Jordan, Naomi, Nathanael, and Anna-Joy!! I just relish being able to watch Nathanael stomp his feet in excitement, smile, laugh, or just take everything in with his intense demeanor. Anna-Joy is so beautiful, sweet, and alert, and loves to be held, which I have enjoyed. :) Amos and Justice are having a really good time, as well. Being able to visit with Jordan and Naomi has been so refreshing too, especially since we hardly ever get to see them. Naomi and I connect in many ways through our husbands being pastors of small churches, and through having little children, and so we've had a really good time talking together.
Last night the boys were having a hard time getting to sleep, which gave both Andrew and I some extra individual prayer times. While holding Justice, I decided to sing to him, and the Lord brought to mind the song, "Day by Day." It was so encouraging in this transition time. One part that sticks out to me is where it says something like the Lord mixes toil with joy and peace. During my prayer time the Lord reminded me that while I'm in India, just like when I've gone through trials before, He will give His presence, He will mix joy with hardships, and He won't throw anything at me that I cannot handle. It has been so easy for me to picture this first year as something almost impossible that I will hardly be able to handle - and maybe that will sometimes be the case, but at times I have also forgotten the love, care, and presence of our Lord. I am so thankful for how He does take care of us, and ministers to us exactly what we need in each moment. 
Anyway, we love you ALL and you are all welcome in India!!! 

Pray for Charles and Sharon.  Charles is back from Taiwan however, he still is not able to practice or perform well enough on his violin.  They are trusting the Lord for guidance.

Praise the Lord that Chet is starting a new job this Tuesday.  The company is called Old Castle and it is in Napolean, OH.  They do plastic molding and make cases for underground communications.  When they first offered him a job, he would have had to work nights on Saturdays and Sundays every other week....which would mean he would need to sleep most of the day on Sunday.  He balked and told them he would need to think about it and check out another company.  When he called them back a few days later, Old Castle said they were setting him up for an interview with a M-F job at $2 more per hour.  So, we are praising the Lord for that!
Chet's wife, Mai, may be coming home soon.  Sara McIntosh has been working hard at figuring out ways her prescriptions and medical care can be covered in an affordable way.  Mai is excited and we are too!  We're thankful for the work God is doing in this family.  To have positive anticipation from all sides about her moving home is a miraculous answer to prayer!

We have had some visitors at our new church.  At times, we have had up to 31 people in the McIntosh home.  We're trusting the Lord to build the church as He wants it.  We have purchased a nice prayer stand which we need prayer for that it would be used for souls and His glory.
Tom's widow has been attending some and was in tears several times last service.  Pete (Tom's son) and Angie are still hungry and have attended some as well.  They continue to need prayer in all the decisions that come with seeking the Lord.  Their daughter, who is 11, has expressed to us her desire to live a more godly lifestyle and to be faithful to church.  She gave her heart to the Lord at Salvation Army camp a few weeks ago.  Today, we were able to take her shopping for some more modest clothes as that is one of her desires.

Jordan and Naomi are coming to visit the first two weeks of September so we are excited about that!

Jordan in the hospital

Pray for Jordan as he is in the hospital in Ireland.  They are running tests.  Monday, he should have a colonoscopy.  Other test results should be back Monday or Tuesday.  Jordan is on IV for nutrition as he hasn't been able to eat for a few days and he is feeling better with that little boost.

Coda Mountain Music Academy, 2013

There are no words to describe Coda Academy 2013!  One of the amazing things to me was the rest, enjoyment and camaraderie amongst the students and staff in the midst of very hard work. The students seemed relaxed and safe, laughter ringing out everywhere, yet they were working their little tails off from 7:30   am until 9:30 pm each day. We began each morning and ended most days with optional devotions and every last one attended.

Out of forty-eight students, about thirty received partial or full scholarships thanks to the Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation, The Beckley Area Foundation, the County Commission and Senator Laird, BB&T as well as other private and civic donors.  

Forty-eight students came through the door on June 16; some surly and looking for mischief, some terrified, some confused about life, some shy, and everything in between.  In just a few days, forty-seven students, ages 9 to nineteen, and 15 faculty/staff knit together like a family and the overall culture of the camp was one of cooperation and mutual respect for where each one was in their journey.  The musical accomplishments were incredible, but as director, I have to marvel at this aspect first!  It made my job so much easier!  It wasn't long until kids were opening up spiritually both in devotional moments and in one-on-one discussions. We had some kids who didn't have a church background who were really searching.

Congressman Nick Rahall, County Commissioners and the media were amazed at the music pouring out of almost every room!  Sometimes there were over twenty rooms with private lessons, chamber coachings, private practice and bluegrass jams happening at the same time!  One county commissioner came for twenty minutes and stayed for 2 ½ hours. His response was, “This exceeds my wildest expectations.” 

Tommy Siner from WSAZ came out and filmed for several hours.  He is amazed at what is happening and has offered to create a mini-documentary that will air several times in West Virginia, and parts of Kentucky and Ohio.  The Charleston Daily mail ran an amazing article for us full of color pics and a great write-up.  It was 1 ¼ pages!  We are so grateful for this!  http://www.dailymail.com/News/201306270097  To God be the glory.

Coda bluegrass and classical ambassador groups did at least 9 run-out performances in churches, Summersville bluegrass festival, the unveiling of the wall of honor ceremony and at Smokey’s on the Gorge for Leadership West Virginia just to name a few.

In addition to the run-out gigs, Coda Academy and Coda Kidz provided 6 concerts and 2 master-classes which were open to the public within a two week span.  The final concerts of the Academy and the Kidz were packed out with standing room only (about 230 people).  We are considering a larger venue next year.  

I wish you could have experienced the quality daily workshops that the faculty prepared.  They dealt with everything from electronic looping to musical careers to how to protect your body while playing your instrument.  The piano improv class was a real hit as we had 8 digital pianos in one room learning and improvising praise and worship songs together.  They did so well! Too much fun!

Three companies did some amazing ‘in kind’ donations.  Harry Gillum at Showtime Music provided, transported and set up 8 large quality digital keyboards at NO cost to us.  Shane Lowther of CSA pianos provided and transported 6 real pianos including a brand new baby grand for only the cost of the truck and the driver. Class VI provided an incredible evening of recreation with Timber Trek, swimming and disc golf for only $29 per student.

The good news is that it seems that 100% of the faculty want to return next year with several more waiting in line to be hired (including two teachers interested in opening a percussion track).  All of the students said they had a wonderful experience and almost all left camp assuring us that they will be back.  Parents/students expressed interest in siblings and/or friends coming next year.  This is great news and evidence of the grace of God and the excellence of the team and their work.

Oh – and the food.  Jenny Robinson and her amazing crew wowed us each and every day with cuisine such as cappuccino pancakes, Indian curry, Mexican dishes, giant mixed green salads with blue berries, strawberries and scallions on top, etc.  And she did this for under $8 per person per DAY.  All homemade.  Am I fooling myself to think these kids come for the music….?!  A recent facebook post by one of student cellists:  “I'm gonna miss the Coda food. For the past two weeks I've been eating potato soup, quiche, cappuccino pancakes, chicken curry and chocolate mocha cake. This morning I sat down alone with a bowl of cheerios. It's just not the same.”  Community and parent volunteers sunk elbow deep in dish water, set up the food table and served us all with generosity and love.

The New River Gorge Gateway facility was loved by all.  After surveying the faculty and many students, the consensus is to stay in Fayetteville rather than pursuing a college campus.  Everyone loves the natural setting and the awesome community support that Fayetteville gives.  The huge drawback to this is that we have almost maxed out the facility’s capacity already.  I truly believe that we will have at least 80 – 100 students next year and none of us are keen on turning students away.

Soooo much more to tell, but this hopefully gives you a taste of our incredible experience at Coda Academy 2013.  There is much to tell about Coda Kidz day camp as well.  It was the best ever.

God’s grace and the dedication of the team and community were so evident and appreciated beyond words.  Thank you for your prayers.

Esther 

Praise and Prayer

1)  Mikah is home for the summer and is trusting to get a job to help pay for school next year.  Nothing has opened up so keep praying!  She has sold things on the internet and is doing some work for a lady and making a little bit of money.
2) Chet is home and looking for work.
3) Praise the Lord that we had the first baptismal in our pond last night.  Joy McIntosh, 11 years old, testified that Jesus told her a few months ago that she was to be baptized.  Both sets of grandparents were able to be there, and her father participated in the baptism.  We could feel God's presence.  It was a sweet time.  We had some neighbors quietly watching from a distance.
4) Praise the Lord that Pastor Don has started a weekly Bible study with the son of Tom Ankney (the neighbor of the McIntoshes who was saved on his deathbed).  This last week, Pete invited an unsaved employee and a believing neighbor to the study as well.  Pete's wife may attend next week.  Appreciate continued prayers for this.
5)  We're rejoicing in the meaningful times of prayer we have had with the McIntosh family on Thursday nights.
6) Next week, Mikah, Grace and Hannah McIntosh will be doing a backyard Bible club at our home for an hour each evening.  We're praying the children in our neighborhoods will attend and be moved by the Lord to give all to Him.
7)  Next weekend, we will have a seminar in our homes on evangelizing.  Trusting the Lord to use that for His glory.

Continuing to trust the Lord that we will not miss anything the Lord has for us.

Big News for the Streets

Here's what's been going on around here, for those who haven't already heard:

1. First off, I think most everyone (if not everyone) has heard that we are expecting another little bundle of joy this year! It's kinda reworked our plans, but the Lord seems to have a special way of doing that. November 20th is the due date, so the baby will be born in India as long as all goes well (which is expected).  I have yet to research exactly how that's all going to work out, but my midwife assured us that she thinks we would do fine as an unattended home birth if it comes to that, although we are hoping to find a midwife to assist if possible. Grandma Schultze is always welcome to come over and help if she wants to stay for a couple weeks and pay for the flight over...:)

2. As Mom may have already mentioned, the visas did come in on May 6th, I think it was. We are very excited about the Lord paving that way for us! They are one year student visas, so we will need to renew them in India next spring. We have heard that it is really easy to renew them - hopefully that will prove true.

3. After we found out the above news, Andrew got right onto purchasing tickets. It has worked out that, en route to India, we will be able to stay a week at Jordan and Naomi's in Ireland, and the following week in Corsica, France, with Andrew's sister, Anna, and her family!!! I'm thrilled!!! Our departure date is Wednesday, August 7, and we are due to arrive in Allahabad, India, on the 22nd of August I think it is.

Monday, May 6th

Today Andrew and Morgan should find out if their visa was accepted for India.

Grandma Schultze is at Cleveland Clinic being checked for an irregular heartbeat.

Charles has prolonged his stay in Taiwan.  His knee joints are getting much more help than his elbow.  They are looking into the cause of his pain as well.

New Handmaiden for the Lord

Anna-Joy Naomi Litchfield was born this morning around 9am Irish time.  She is 6 pounds, 8oz, and has a good amount of brown or auburn hair.  Mama and baby are doing well.  Now, doesn't this mean I need to start looking at plane tickets to Ireland??  That's my job, right??
Anna-Joy is our 6th grandchild and 2nd granddaughter.  The 7th will arrive this year as well.  Woohoo!

Anna-Joy on the Way

I talked to Jordan this morning and they had just left doctor's office.  The doctor said it was time to take the baby so Naomi will be admitted today, and they will do the C-section tomorrow morning.  

Green Card Progress

Chet and Mai had an interview yesterday with Immigration Services regarding her green card.  The hospital had started the process last fall.  We were hoping she would get approval at that meeting.
Here to find out that the wrong form was used so it will now be another 2- 6 months plus more cash before a card is issued. This is disappointing to us, but it is encouraging that the officer sounded positive about the end result.  It has also been encouraging that Mai now wants to be Chet and with us.  Praise the Lord!

Visa Progress - through Prayers Answered!

A little over a week ago we had been waiting for a couple months - and were still waiting - for our visa papers from the language school in India to arrive. We then received an email from a student at the school who was communicating for the tutor there, Rolee, since her  internet was having problems. Johnny, the contact person, told us that Rolee had the papers, but that she wouldn't be sending them until May or June, since she didn't want us to start the visa process sooner than that. This was the third delay we had had, and we were getting frustrated. Especially since other travel plans depended on us getting our visas, and the airline tickets keep rising as we get closer to our departure date. So Andrew wrote Johnny back, expressing our concerns, and we then mentioned the situation as a prayer request to several people and to the church we were speaking at. Just a few days later, another email came from Johnny, and this one had way better news! He said that Rolee was very apologetic after hearing our concerns, and would give the papers to Johnny to scan and send to us. That same day, after waiting for months, we received the scanned copies of our visa request forms from the language school! We are so thankful for people's prayers and for the Lord's quick answer to those prayers. Andrew is getting the scanned papers together today to send off to the agency in Chicago to request our visas, so we would appreciate your continued prayers in the next few days as they review or papers there. Hopefully we will be posting more news soon of the next developments.

Our Move and the church in Maine

We are now living in Defiance.  We had wonderful friends and family who helped us move.  Don has a truckload to get out of the pole barn yet this week.  It will be nice to worry about only one house for awhile! Although I am thinking of getting another one soon, but it will be much closer to the house we're now in and I won't feel like I'm moving at the same time I'm fixing up as I have with the houses in New Haven and Defiance.
God is continuing to help in Maine.  Some of the ones who left the Holdeman church have been excommunicated and the rest are on repentance except for one lady.  There is a third family who has started attending with Jake's group.  They haven't been Holdeman for some time, but there is a connection in the past, I believe.  They are Canadian and the primary language of at least the parents is French.  They can understand a fair amount of English and the 5 children speak English well.  It is amazing to see that this group of believers was just 6 people a couple months ago, but now is 22.  Praise the Lord.  With midweek and Sunday services, they rotate around to the different homes for the meetings.

Arm therapy

Charles is going to Taiwan, I believe, to get therapy for his arm.