There and Back Again

Dear Friends, Family, and Supporters,

In mid-November we gave an “early stage 3” evaluation to one of our language study families (the Kellers).  A week later they moved on to the island where we used to serve.  There they’ll continue in their national language studies for about another year and then, Lord willing, move interior near where we used to work to join a team in a village learning a local ethnic language.    Please pray for them as they have a lot more learning and a lot of challenges ahead.  We have been blessed to have them here for the past year and a half and it’s been a privilege to see how much they have learned during that time.

From Nov. 27-Dec.5 I (Jennifer) went to the same island where the Kellers just moved.  During the first half of my time there, I got to help with a stage 3 evaluation for our good friend, Amy, who is still studying the national language in the regional capital.  Then my co-worker (the consultant on that island) and I went interior and gave stage 2 evaluations to a couple who are learning an ethnic language.  You might remember that I made a trip back in April to help with this same family’s stage 1 evaluations.  It’s been really good for me to get to see twice now how it works giving evaluations in languages besides the national language.  I always learn as much as the students do.

While I was gone, DJ not only took care of the kids and fought his way through a bad flu bug that was going around, but also helped welcome a new family from another organization who are renting one of our organization’s houses.  He helped make sure their house was ready for them, picked them up at the airport, and helped them with running initial errands and getting settled in.

This week the girls have end-of-semester exams, which are quite a bit different from the tests they had in elementary school.  We’re very proud of them for how hard they have worked and how much they have learned this semester.  Please pray for them since they are very nervous about these exams.

Our whole family is very much looking forward to the kids’ Christmas break from school.  After all the traveling that DJ and I have done this year (none of it together and none of it with the kids), we’re really hoping to spend some down time just hanging out with the kids over the break, before another busy year starts.  We know many of you can relate to that feeling, and we pray that you’ll also get the opportunity to spend time with your families as we celebrate the greatest gift of all—Jesus.

Thanks so much for all of your prayers for us.