March prayer letter

Click on the link to view our March prayer letter: March 2010 prayer letter

Last month when we sent out our prayer letter, we were talking about the unusually cold, snowy weather. This month we can talk about the unusually warm, spring weather! Though the boys enjoyed playing in the snow and we even had an "adventure weekend" without heat (leave it to the missionaries from Africa to forget to check on something as vital as that!), they've been getting stir crazy as well. It's nice to be able to let them outside a little more often to run off some of that extra energy!

One of the more unique experiences we had this month was to present about our mission work to Caleb's preschool. Caleb really enjoyed "helping" talk about Burkina, showing how babies ride on their mommy's back and singing a song in English, French, and the Gourma language. He seems to remember Burkina well and has fond memories of his "home". Joel has finally adjusted to a lot of the transition and is doing really well going to church nurseries or even staying with babysitters. We thank you so much for your prayers on that account. It has given mommy and daddy much peace of mind and a chance to get a break! Dale had the chance to attend our church's mens retreat at the beginning of the month, which he enjoyed immensely (though he was reminded that it's been a long time since he's played much sports...ouch!).

The end of this month will mark the halfway point of our time home. It has flown by quickly and we are becoming more and more aware of how quickly the rest of the time here will also go by! If we haven't been able to catch up with you yet, please send us a note soon so we can be sure to get you on our calendar! We'd hate to go back overseas regretting the fact that we missed a chance to see you! Of course, you are always welcome to come see us in Burkina! We would love to see as many of you as can make it! Start putting it on your calendars now so that we can help you plan the process and make it happen! We try to share as much of our ministry with you as we can through pictures and stories, but nothing can compare to seeing it first-hand for yourself. It means a lot to us to know that you take a special interest in what we are doing!

We hope you all are enjoying the spring weather as much as we are. When I think of the way my spirits lift at the coming of spring and how much new life there is to see, I am reminded of the hope and new life we celebrate during Easter. May you experience much hope and new life as you consider the great gift given us! May we never take it lightly!

Love,

Dale, Florence, Caleb & Joel

Not-so-Subtle Reminders

Why does it always feel like this missionary has more to learn at church than everyone else?

When I went to church yesterday (finally back at West Shore), I was feeling a little bitter and hurt. Our extended family is going through a really tough time right now...things are not good. Our situation is uncertain, even scary, and the future is unclear as things seem to continue to worsen.

Then as worship started, the songs were all about God's faithfulness. I must admit, at that moment, I was in no mood to sing about God's faithfulness. I was struggling, and my thoughts were more like "God, I'm just having a tough time singing about your faithfulness right now."

And then I looked up into the choir, singing beautifully before God and the congregation...really into it. And I started realizing something. There was a guy who had lost his job...and God had provided. There was someone who had been through a devastating divorce. There was Jan, the daughter of someone in our SIM family, in her wheelchair and wearing a surgical mask, struggling daily with cancer. And I looked around me in the auditorium. There aren't many of us here who have had it easy, are there? Sometimes it seems our enemy saves his toughest attacks for the believers, doesn't he?

I was convicted. If they could sing about God's faithfulness, well dang-nabbit, so could I. Feel it or not, I would sing along with them, and I would wait longer to see His faithfulness, knowing we might have to wait a while.

Thanks for singing with me, friends.

Doin' Time

The most unique experience we have had in PA so far has been in Frackville. Yup, we got sent up to state prison. No, we didn't break out any Johnny Cash songs. Florence's dad, who's a chaplain there, got us on the inside to share with the Sunday night worship services with the inmates. So we went in through all the checks and high security, and then had a great experience in church!

As we were told by experienced folk, the crowd will be made up of two parts: genuine believers who have "found Jesus", and those who come to chapel just to have something to do.

We were amused by the prison twist on a familiar way to start a church service. "Anyone new here this week?" Which meant, is anyone here just starting their prison term? And then, "is anyone going home this week?" To which one guy shouted "I am home!" And everyone laughed.

We were amazed at the reception we got from the believers there. They were truly into the worship experience, which was some good old-timey gospel hymns accompanied by a guitar. And then they were so responsive to our stories from Africa.

For a group of men who are really down in life, they really cared about what was going on in Africa. They broke out into spontaneous applause in the middle of stories from the handicap center. They shouted encouragement as we explained what we do. It was a really good time for us to see some believers who were not in a good situation in life, and yet they loved Jesus and his church in Africa all the same.
They even let us out when we were done. :)