Meet Laura...

Isn't she precious!
We are now
sponsoring Laura
through World Vision.
She turned 3 years old
on February 22, and
she is from the
Dominican Republic.
There is just something
about her little
cheeks that remind
us of our
granddaughter
Harley.
Our decision to do
this is in honor of our
daughter-in-law Tela
who is also from the
Dominican Republic.

Sierra Leone, West Africa

Well, God has surprised us again! While “we” were praying about which mission trip would fit into “our” summer schedule, God was at work making sure we very “coincidentally” (not that there is such a thing for the Christian) went to a meeting for the Sierra Leone trip that departs on May 8th. Our hearts were stirred in ways that they haven’t been in quite some time. If you have heard of the movie “Blood Diamond,” then you are aware of the civil war that has crippled the economy and left tens of thousands dead as well as 1/3 of the population displaced. Our hearts are breaking for them.

Objectives for the trip:
**Expansion/construction of a women’s polio clinic (many are lying on cardboard on the ground for lack of beds and space)
**Various outreach projects for families, including children
**Help to teach ladies skills for earning an income
**Build relationships of encouragement
**Evangelism/Outreach by showing the “Jesus” film

We are in the process of arranging times for immunizations and having Tom’s passport renewed. The Yellow Fever injection seems to be hard to come by these days. We ask that you pray that all goes smoothly as we take care of these details.

We would like to ask you to partner with us in prayer for the trip as a whole: for the team, air travel, good health, spiritual preparation on our part, and spiritual preparation for the people of Sierra Leone that we will come in contact with.

We would also like to ask for your financial support. Without YOU this endeavor will not be possible. Airfare is unbelievably high – over $2000 per person. The team is working to keep ground expenses low, thus the total cost for travel per person will be $2500. Visa fees and vaccinations are going to run approximately $380 each.

We have certainly been on many mission trips in the past, some that required raising support, but we must say that we have never had the deadlines we are now experiencing. Airline tickets must be locked in by March 15th and Visa fees are due April 1st. These things just make us all the more excited. God will be quite busy in the next 23 days!! We can’t wait to see how He provides. J. Hudson Taylor once said, “God’s will, done God’s way, never lacks for God’s provision!” Our trust is in HIM!

Please consider joining us in God’s work in Sierra Leone.

Ah! a favorite hymn...

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

Look full in His wonderful face,

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim

In the light of His Glory and Grace!

Grandgirls

Maddie -

cheering

for

Upward

Basketball

~***~

Hunter -

Lady

Bulldogs

Basketball

"What's next, Papa?"

Romans 8:14-16 The Message

God's Spirit beckons. There are things to do and places to go!

This resurrection life you received from

God is not a timid, grave-tending life.

It's adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike

"What's next, Papa?"

God's Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are.

We know who he is, and we know who we are:

Father and children.

~***~

Tom and I are praying about which mission trip to go on this summer. There are actually 26 trips to choose from through our church for the entire year, but our schedules permit June to mid-August. The Dominican Republic sounds like a very worthwhile trip...building cinder block houses in a refugee camp near Puerto Plata. Guatemala City, Guatemala...reaping a harvest from years of planning and preparation. Two weeks ago groups from 3 churches were there to witness 2000 souls come to know Christ as Savior. South Africa...serve HIV/AIDS affected regions. Belfast, Northern Ireland...a formerly closed door that now seems to have inched open. We trust that God will reveal His plan for us. I would have thought yesterday morning that He would direct us to either the Dominican or Guatemala, but then a phone call came. We have been asked to lead the team to Belfast. We eagerly await God's direction.