Well, we’ve survived another week. The weather has been up and down a lot here. It snowed a few inches earlier in the week, and then rained for a couple days, but yesterday must’ve been in the 60’s. So we can’t complain when we think of all the cold and snow we’re missing back in Washington. I think a Missouri winter is not unlike a Washington spring. The roads down here are not made to handle snow, and I think a lot of people here are not accustomed to driving in the snow. We were told that last time they had snow, a couple weeks before we got here, there was a six-car pile-up on the road that leads to campus.
On Monday, I started a 10-day problem for class. This problem will wrap up this first section of class called ‘Phonology’. Then we will move on to Grammar. I look forward to that. So we’ve been on this problem, a language from Mexico, for five days, and we have five more to go. This is the hardest problem we’ve had yet, because it encompasses every aspect of Phonology that we’ve learned about. We’re dealing with the way sounds change when they come together, we’re dealing with tone (in some languages, the meaning of a word changes when you say it in a higher pitch. Sometimes you can have five or six words that sound exactly the same, but have a different meaning because they’re said in different tones); and we’re going to come up with a list of sounds and tones that are significant to this language. Then we will choose letters to represent those sounds. An alphabet. Sounds fun, right? Well, I could really use your prayer this week as I spend most of my class time and several hours of homework each day to try and find the patterns that are there.
Scout got slightly sick this week, but is better now. The kids got Valentines from their Grandparents this week, and were thrilled with those. Even from long-distance, they still manage to spoil our kids. Alisha found some fabric she liked recently in the Mission Barrel, and decided to make a little pillow. I’m amazed at her craftability and resourcefulness. At one of the playgrounds that she takes the kids to, she’s been making friends with one of the other moms. So she’s finding ways to survive. This week at the Lighthouse, there was a new guy, so I finally have someone to meet with. He comes from a religious background. Pray for me to understand where’s he’s coming from and to help him see Biblical truth and how it applies to his life.
By the way, if you haven’t noticed, this update is on a different blog- New Tribes has their own system of blogs, so we wanted to be posting our updates on their site. Hopefully, we’ll be doing this for years to come. Also, for anyone who supports us financially, you can do so through our blog site. If you go to https://blogs.ethnos360.org/lincoln-mcilroy/ there is a “Give” button you can click on and it will take you to a page where you can do that. Of course, if you prefer to send a check to NTM Home Office in Florida, that is fine too.
Praise:
-Missouri weather
-A good teacher and classmates who also enjoy class and bring humor to it
-Enough money to pay off our next school bill and for all our monthly expenses.
-Someone to meet with at the Lighthouse
Prayer:
-For Lincoln to understand the principles taught in class, and put it to practice.
-Finances
-For Alisha to enjoy it here, and also be used by God however He wants
-Wisdom in teaching at the Lighthouse
Thanks!
-The Missouri McIlroys