Exciting News!

One of the hardest realities of being a missionary is living away from friends and family, so it is exciting when one comes and lives with you on the mission field. We had mentioned that Abby and Wade visited last March. They were not thinking of missions when they came, but God worked in their hearts. Wade comes from a Christian family that is engaged in their home church and missions. After he saw the tremendous needs and the open door for missions, he wanted to experience it for more than just a few weeks. They want to come for a year, working at Faith Academy. To expedite the process, they will not go through a mission agency; instead, they will be sent directly from their home church. Faith Academy will process their visas. Since there is not much time for partnership development and support raising, they will simply live with us to save on funds–that was Wade’s idea. We are thrilled that Wade, Abby, and Eleanor are not only coming to the Philippines, but they will also be living with us and working with us at Faith Academy. Of course, this comes with a cost, so they are writing friends and family to see who God will direct to support them financially and in prayer. If you are interested or have any questions, please email them directly at wade.smith@faith.edu.ph  

May was a busy month with all of the closing events and parties at Faith Academy. The senior class was special to Walter as he taught them in middle school. Please pray for them as they transition to their next chapter in life, plus pray for all the staff and other families that are transitioning to home assignment or away from Faith Academy.

Please continue to pray for additional staffing needs at Faith Academy. We are still short a nurse and a middle school math teacher. We mention these two as these positions affect us: Cheryl might be running the health office with fewer hands, and they have asked Walter to teach math until God brings a math teacher.

As we mentioned in our last letter, Cheryl flew to the US to spend time with our two newest grandchildren and Cheryl’s parents. It is a joy to see Cheryl holding them. Walter is the Officer in Charge at Faith Academy. We are thankful that all of the summer facilities projects are going well.

The changeover in the administration of the Butterfly Home is going well, but it is still hard. The new administration is swamped with paperwork, so they do not have the capacity to do all that Walter hoped to do with them. But Walter is thankful for the activities that we get to do.

The summer is quickly going by. We are still on track for our goal of 550 students, and Walter has enjoyed interviewing the new families.

Pray that Cheryl’s time in the US will continue to go well, and she will have a safe flight back to the Philippines. Pray for Wade and Abby as they prepare to come to the Philippines. Pray that their house will sell before they leave. They arrive in the Philippines the day after Cheryl. 

Thank you for your prayers,

Walter and Cheryl Spicer