Greetings from North Carolina!
Dear Praying Friends,
God has continued to undergird us through the past 3 weeks. We had a wonderful group of people help us pack up our house and load the moving truck. A lovely family through A Candle in the Window Hospitality Network https://acandle.wildapricot.org/ hosted us in Jacksonville enroute north. A kind church member has been hosting us in Monroe, NC since May 31 in her beautiful home. Sweet church folks showed up to unload the moving truck into an unused Sunday School room at Community Church of Monroe. https://www.cefcmonroe.org/
Scott preached last Sunday and he was installed as pastor. Adjustment to new place, new church, new life has not been easy. We would appreciate your prayers.
We were thinking about and seriously pursuing purchasing a house for the first time in our lives. Generous gifts from our parents would make that possible. But some godly counsel has redirected us, and I think we will rent a house for the first year. So please pray for us to get settled here and be able to serve the folks God has sent us to.
Awm passed away on June 3. His funeral on June 11 was a mix of Christian and Buddhist rites. A good group of people from our Bradenton church attended and two of us who are close to Nuansee and Awm recorded videos that were played at the funeral. I exhorted the Awm's five children to turn back to Jesus (the three daughters married Buddhist men and have gone that direction, one of the sons is a drug addict) so they will see their father in Heaven.
Nuansee is lonely and grieving. Several church members plan to go to the used car dealer with her on Monday and try to work out a better situation for her. Though I had encouraged Nuansee to buy a new used car with the cash she had, she instead bought a car on credit. Though the car is only worth $8000 according to Kelley Blue Book, she paid more than $15,000 for it and with added services, etc and interest on the loan, over 5 years she will end up paying over $27,000 for this car! She really needs to learn how to manage money and how to navigate American systems, as well as how to grow in her trust of the Lord. I'm thankful that our Bradenton church family seems willing to come alongside her and help her now that I am so far away.
I am finding it difficult to have time and energy to do my OMF work. Please pray that I can catch up on emails and support my team as they help OMF families thrive.
With much thankfulness for you,
Jennifer and Scott