This last week Chuck had another language evaluation to see where he is at and how much further he has to go. With our kids growing up so fast we have had to look to the near future for what is best for them but what is also best for our ministry here among the Ga’dang.
The biggest factor in all these decisions is when Chuck will be at high enough language and culture proficiency to begin preparing lessons and then eventually teach. We have been praying that he would make it to level 8 out of 10 for this evaluation he did this past week. We are very happy to say he is at level 8 and some areas of the evaluation he was already even at level 9! Praise the Lord! He needs to be at level 9 out of 10 (in all of the evaluation) to be able to start preparing lessons and then be able to teach.
We are trusting the Lord to see level 9 reached by mid to late September. The consultants think this is very doable. Chuck will continue moving ahead to meet this goal.
Then what?
After much prayer and discussion, we have decided along with our leadership, that it would be best to take a short furlough/home assignment after Chuck reaches level 9. If all goes as planned we hope to be back in Ontario by early December 2015. We will plan to stay in Canada until late July 2016. Eli, our oldest son, will graduate from high school this June. He is willing to stay on with us to help teach his younger sisters but he wants to eventually be able to go back to Ontario and go to University. He is going to need some time to get adjusted to living in Canada, like learning to drive and working a part time job. We really feel that he is going to need this time with us there to help him make the transition. Our NTM leadership here agrees that this is the best time to do this.
We have also been in praying about sending Kyle home ahead of us so he can enrol in 10th grade this Fall in order to get a full school year in at an Ontario high school. Chuck’s brother and wife, Joe & Shari, have willing agreed to take Kyle in until we return to Ontario. He will be arriving in Ontario in July. We are thankful for a couple that will be able to fly with him most of the way. Kyle is very excited to do this. He really has been missing out on having a social life here. It has been very challenging for him as all of his peers from here in the village are now off in town going to school. We sure are going to miss him while he is gone. (Picture a sad mama here!)
Would you please pray for us in the months ahead that we would stay focused on the task ahead of us of language learning?
Would you pray for all the details for our return to work out? Housing, vehicles, etc.
Thank you for all your prayers for us.
