Update: June 7th

Dear Friends,

The time has come!!! Tomorrow morning at 8:30am (central), I leave for the Philippines! I'm eager and anxious to see what I'm stepping into, but whatever it is I know God will teach me a great many things and hopefully use me for good. I have many prayer requests to leave you with so I'll list those at the end of this email.

I wanted to let you know a little more of what I'll be doing. In addition to making friends and doing community service type work in the slums, it looks like my ministry partner (Emily Bill) and I will be doing English readings for small groups as well as some 1 on 1 or small group studies of Proverbs. I was trying to study up today on the context and background of Proverbs to get a better feel for teaching it. It looks like I will be learning a lot as I try to teach!

Prayer Requests:

* For safety and stamina as I travel from San Antonio, to Detroit, to Nagoya (Japan), and finally to Manila. It will be over 20 hours of traveling. Pray for a good attitude :)

* For my family. Specifically (1) my sister (Amy) and brother-in-law (Haven) with their not-yet-born baby (Phyra) and (2) my father (Bill) battling with cancer. Pray that God would watch over them and keep them.

* For adaptation. Because I don't know all the details yet, there are many unknowns of being and working in the Philippines. Pray that I'll be flexible and quick to listen and learn.

* For consistency. Pray that I will be faithful in my personal study of God's word and in prayer, that my spiritual life will deepen with this experience and that I will encourage others in that as well.

* For John and Carol Koenke as well as the other SEND staff in Manila and Detroit--that they would be blessed for their welcoming spirits and that God would continue to bless and provide for their ministry.

* For health. That sickness would not hinder our work or friendships, but that we would be full of strength for what God has prepared for us to do.

* For teamwork. Pray that Emily Bill, myself, and whoever we are working with would be amiable and considerate--giving preference to one another and extending patience.

* For fruit. Pray that the seeds of the gospel we plant in our words and actions would take root and produce the fruit of new Christians in our Muslim and non-Muslim circles.

Thank you for your prayers, your love, and your kind notes to me. They mean SO much. Many of you have written words of encouragement and challenge to me as I prepare for this. I am honored to be backed by your faith and honored to carry your name in my representation of the gospel to another part of the world. God be glorified in each of your lives and in mine as we seek to serve Him.

Many blessings.