Welcome summer! I’m sure this is on many of your minds. After reading posts on facebook all about school getting out, people heading to the beach, and cookouts it feels more like real summer to me. With our summer-like weather year round it’s a challenge to remember the change of seasons in other parts of the world.
Well I would like to ask you to pray for me(Andrea) as I’m “cramming” for my final in the language. After all these years I’m finally nearing the finish line of my official tribal language study. Of course I hope to continue to learning for as long as we live here, and am FAR from mastering it. But by God’s grace I am able to communicate using mostly tribal language although a bit of the trade language creeps in at times. So last week and this coming week I have homework of sorts as I anticipate a language consultant coming in on Friday the 14th to evaluate my progress. 2 of our co-workers will also be evaluated on their 3rdlanguage level skills. If you think about it could you pray specifically for my oral evaluation and then the working through of my written language, the homework I’ve been working through this week. I feel really nervous as I have to perform and do extemporaneous speaking with a local friend here while the consultant listens and “scores” my ability. Just pray that God will enable me to know what to say on the spot- something I’m not even that good at in English. Thank you.
God has really been my provision this last few weeks leading up to this time. He has brought along a new friend in the last 3 weeks who has really helped me make some leaps and bounds here as I near the finish line. I’m so thankful for God’s enabling and the growth in my walk with Him through this stressful process.
Tim is doing well. This new helper I mentioned has also been able to do some really good checking/correcting of particular words and phrases for Tim as he works to finalize some of the translation of the Old Testament, so that’s been an added bonus! He is always busy in the evenings and some weekends with projects around the house and trying to help our family have what we need when we need it. Pumping all our water by hand when it doesn’t rain much, keeping the ants and lizards from taking over our appliances and electrical systems- they can get in the smallest holes and cause big problems, and just this weekend he built a loft bed to give us more space in the girls room for our growing schooling needs. Dina & Abby have a few more weeks of Kindergarten left. They are making fun progress. On Friday night we had a taco and ice cream movie party to celebrate them reaching some reading goals so that was fun.
So thanks again for each one of you prayers and for the ways you support us financially and spiritually. We do get a notice each month of your giving and want you to know we truly appreciate you. You bless us tremendously and enable us to continue to serve here. Thank you!
Blessings. Hope you will be able to make some fun summer memories with friends and family,
Andrea,Tim, Dina & Abby