A Day of Rest Before The Long Trip Home

Monday, July 11:  As we left northern Sri Lanka, the pastors there gave some testimonies about the training. My favorite was the pastor who said he had preached for many years and now was embarrassed at how he had done it. He had preached his words and not God’s. He now says he has determined to preach with his Bible in his hand because he wants to preach only God’s words.

We had a wonderful day Saturday in C-city, Sri Lanka with a large group of pastors and women. It looks like we will begin working on a training network here in the future. The pastors are all seemingly well educated and eager to start the network. We feel good about the progress. Edie spent time with the ladies and had good responses from them as well. She felt that the Lord really undertook for her as she addressed about 30 ladies, something that is not her favorite thing to do. But the Lord gave her the words and she did well. 

On Sunday, I spoke at a Baptist church near C-city that is 180 years old, and is still going strong preaching the word. I thought it went well; my translator was excellent and really enjoyed my message. We had a great time with a family in the church who hosted us for lunch. What a wonderful extended family! They were a blessing to us. Later in the day, I had a meeting with a major pastor and the vice president of the seminary. They are both really behind us starting a network here and may be influential in helping us form some kind of partnership with the seminary sometime in the future.

Today we planned to move to a hotel near the airport to save on the long drive tomorrow before our long flight home, about 30 hours in total. When we got a taxi, we found out that our hotel would still be about an hour away from the airport even though they said they were nearby. The hotel is nice and near the ocean so we are enjoying a lazy day for the first time in a month. We are frankly quite tired and not ready for the long trip home tomorrow. We will need the Lord’s help as we go. He has never failed to help us.

Al

God Undertakes for Me

Saturday, July 9:  I am relaxing for the first time in 3 weeks and nothing to prepare! We got here at 9:45pm last night after finishing the training and having a lovely lunch made by the Pastor's wife. The training ended well in V city with evidence that both the men and women made good progress. We didn't get to bed until 11:00; we were so tired. Alan said to me that this is adventure land, meaning nothing seems concrete and he has so few details as to what is going on. I barely crawled out of bed and hit the shower this morning. When the host here at the seminary guesthouse said, "breakfast is ready.” I wasn't even dressed. After getting ready, I checked it out. String hoppers! At least we know what to call it. There is a kitchen here so I made Alan and I scrambled eggs, toast and coffee instead. They have a microwave! I had considered staying at the room but of course I prayed about it and when we got here, we found out the electricity would be turned off by the city from 8am-6pm. So I packed up some notes to write, my IPAD and notebook just in case. 

There were 25+ ladies at the church where Alan was to speak. I had not a clue what to say or how I was going to pull this off. I began to pray earnestly saying if ever Jesus needed to take over it was now. Alan "waxed eloquent" with the whole group for an hour on II Tim and the need to preach the word. He was in true form and I could see some women shaking their heads in agreement. After tea time they broke us up and I had the women. I asked the Pastor at teatime if he had a translator, he replied, "yes” and then I waited with the ladies as he nabbed one of the Pastors. Not a good sign usually but I stood resting in my God who loves me and undertakes for me. Our translator worked out great and even said afterwards that he would do it for me again. In all humility, He, my Lord, waxed eloquent too but this time it was through a worn out soldier who had nothing left to give but Jesus Himself. Even as this servant spoke, I told myself this isn't you and you know it. I testified of the power of God's word in our lives, the call as women to influence others through the character of God, by God's grace through the word. I even shared a short version of my testimony of coming to Christ. We had time and I walked the women through the first six verses of Ps. 139 using pathways. Just 30 minutes of looking into God's word and the women were excited and blessed with the word. Afterwards, I got many words of appreciation, testifying how they were blessed and when was I coming back? 

As most left the pastor's wife of the man whom God connected Alan with in Bangkok (God thing), spent time sharing her heart and said how she was so discouraged but that I had really lifted her up. It was not me, but God's word. She said it was how I said it in love made a difference to her and spoke to her heart. That was the Lord!!! Oh, I couldn't be more filled in my soul! Though the bod is thoroughly worn to the bone, I couldn't be happier. 

Two things we have learned:  1. Alan coming across the world 10 days before me doesn't work unless we sleep in separate rooms (jetlag), and 2. Three weeks in India or similar places is max for us. The conditions just are too much for us to manage doing it longer. We aren't saying we won't but something to think about as we plan future trips.

We saw a herd of elephants here and a praying Mantis probably 6 inches long (love those creatures). I am not thrilled with our roommates the cockroaches. I wonder how they will like Colorado. "All creatures great and small the Lord God made them all.” I did see a cat here (rarely see any but dogs are everywhere) and it had seen a few fights. You should have seen the expression on his face and the way he sat but didn't sit. He was a survivor that is for sure!

Tomorrow (Sunday) Alan is preaching at a Baptist church. I am not sure how this came to be. Then he has a meeting with some seminary staff around 5pm. This is an evangelical Methodist Seminary from what we can tell. On Monday, our partner Seth leaves and we don't have anything lined up so we may try to find our way to the beach.

Thank you my fellow soldiers of the cross we cherish your prayers! 

Edie

Sri Lanka

We are now in Sri Lanka and it is beautiful and green here. It is hot and humid but completely bearable because of the wonderful cooling breeze. We were not uncomfortable at all today while training. I had 10 men, several of whom had not been to our earlier training last year, which made it difficult. I was training with Seth Matthews our Tamil Pathways representative. He does an exceptionally good job training here, as the men were all Tamil. We are doing II Timothy, the same workshop I did in D of the larger nation nearby, so it made it easier for me. The men seem engaged but none had passed the training on yet. So we have some work to do.

Edie had 13 women and a good translator. Progress was slow and steady but the women really enjoyed it. It is so much fun for me to watch Edie engage with the women, most of who cannot speak her language and come from a very different background and culture from her. But she is able to give herself fully to them so easily with such love and happiness. She really draws them in and they are anxious to learn from her. One elderly lady came up to her after the workshop and, through a translator, said she really loved Edie’s voice and asked if Edie could sing a song for her. Edie is not a singer but humbly agreed and sang “Thy Lovingkindness” to her. Then she asked the lady to sing. She sang a very moving and worshipful song, in Tamil to Edie. Edie noticed then that she had no teeth. Edie was very moved by the experience. 

We have had a challenge as our bank has for the second time blocked our ATM card. Now they say I must give a verbal password to get it restarted. I have no idea what that is and the only way to change it is to go “to my branch” in person, which of course is impossible since I am in Sri Lanka. I am calling our bank soon to see if I can do it over the phone. Otherwise, we have no money to pay for the training, etc.

Our meal tonight was a bit meager. The hotel is putting on a wedding or something and the kitchen is too busy so we got “string hoppers” which turned out to be rice noodles in a circular patty, somewhat purple in color and some pea soup kind of something that you put on them. Oh, well, another good way to lose weight.

More to come….

Praise the Lord! After about a half hour, and with my wise wife’s advice, I finally called the Fort Dodge branch of my bank, since the Colorado branch would not answer the phone. They gave me a hint for the password and I finally got it all resolved. We are off now to the ATM. The Lord is good.

Al

Learning is fun!

One of the things I love about this ministry is the surprises and unintended consequences because we know they come from a gracious and loving God. When we arrived tired from a long day flying, we were told we would be staying in a private home. It has turned out to be such a blessing being in this comfortable home with none of the frustrations of the hotels in this part of the world.

 

We have received a very warm welcome here, just as you would with family. The meeting was such a worshipful, happy time. The study on Saturday was lively and the ladies shared many good insights. I am having so much fun! In our other study elsewhere, the ladies were visibly enjoying how much they learned when they observed what they saw. Even our interpreter, who worked for a publishing company, and has written many things, learned new things! Together we were encouraging one another and it felt like we were treasure seeking together and sharing the gold we found. It has been a tremendous time, to think learning could be this much fun!

We are leaving tomorrow for a new place. It will be a difficult parting not knowing when we will see our family here again. But we are looking forward to one more day of study here, what a privilege!

Edie