Dear Friends,
Time is flying by- hard to believe how fast this year is going. I have always heard that the older one gets the faster time goes and I have to say that I agree. Cody graduates from high school in just over a week. Seems like just yesterday he was a small boy in the jungle with sweat and dirt running down his face. Well, he’s bigger and older and, yes, cleaner now than then. We are proud of him- he has done well in public school and graduates with honors. He plans to work some this summer, travel out west with us in June and July and then attend New Tribes Bible Institute in Wisconsin this fall.
As I write this, Haley is in Washington D.C. with her eight grade class. They had been saving their money over the last few years, selling hot dogs and candy and sodas. I think they received some gifts towards the trip, as well. They left here on Sunday and will be back on Saturday. We haven’t heard how things are going there other than to hear that they arrived safely, but through special contacts between here and there they were hoping for a special tour of the White House.
Heather continues to live at home. She has already started summer classes at Seminole Community College, but plans to return to the University of Central Florida in the fall. She works at Sears when she can. She will be traveling to Michigan to be a bride’s maid in a friend’s wedding later this month. She is a busy girl!
The work load has not let up. Our volunteers left us in April, but I still have much to install and make in the way of cabinets and counter tops just to finish up what they started. We are in the process of giving our computer shop a new and bigger working space. There, all computers bought through the mission to be shipped overseas are tested before shipping. They are an authorized DELL repair shop, so do all warranty work for missionaries having trouble with their equipment. Of course, they will work on old computers as well, so that helps us who still run on Windows 98. The computer is such a big help in culture study and Bible translation so this department is vital to missionaries working in tribal groups around the world.
Jackie is busy trying to finish some of her mom’s affairs. There is much to be done. I think I mentioned last time that her mother before she died was being sued by the lady who bought her house. I won’t go into all the details , but the lady bought it as is, but is now claiming that everyone tried to deceive her about the condition of the house and that she has had to spend almost twice as much as she paid for it just to make it livable. Another interesting note is that the man who did the repairs and charged her so much to do them happens to be her son. However, until the judge rules or throws the case out, the lawyers keep getting richer and Jackie can’t settle the affairs until the case is closed or dropped. Please pray that this will be resolved soon.
Jackie will have to make some decisions soon about her future ministry here. She is being asked to devote more time to the school- become school secretary, teach a Bible class and continue with the two math classes she teaches now. To do this she would have to stop working in the Field Ministry Office- a ministry she enjoys. Please pray for her in this decision.
The flood waters in Bolivia are receding and people are going back to their homes. It will be at least a year before newly planted food crops such as bananas and yuca will begin producing and sustaining the lives of the people. Pray for the mission and the churches they work with to do disaster relief, that this contact with the needy will be a door of opportunity to share the Gospel with many lost souls. We are thankful that quite a bit of money was sent to the Bolivia Flood Relief Fund in memory of Jackie’s mom. I know she would have approved of that use of the money.
Some of our Bolivian students in the missionary training program in Santa Curz just made a trip out to the Yuqui Indians where we worked for so long. They were able to build some houses for some of the widow ladies. Please pray that this contact will help these future missionaries seal their focus on reaching the tribal people of their own country till all have heard.
We want to thank you for being a part of our ministry here. We appreciate you and thank you for your faithful prayers and support. May God bless.
Phil, for the Burns’ Family
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