July 08 Update

Dear Friends,

Greetings from Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN where we're finally starting to feel warm. I thought it best to send you a brief update now rather than wait until the end of the month as usual with our "Yes, Lord!" updates because these items need your informed prayer over he several several days.

1. Mary Ann and I decided to delay our return to Manila one week to August 11 arriving there the evening of the 12th. We need the extra time to prepare our apartment for Mike and Rebecca Watters ACTION missionaries who are raising support for serving in Africa (possibly Uganda) who'll be staying in it over the next several months, finish a few remaining personal tasks and have some time to unwind before we get on the plane. These days we're also busy assisting Micah prepare for her August 3 deployment and enjoying having John Mark with us. Pray please that when we leave for Manila we depart in good shape feeling ready to go.

2. We have July 20, 27 and August 3 available to speak in Sunday school, provide pulpit supply or give a missions challenge during a worship service if needed. We want to serve the body of Christ so get ahold of us if there's an opportunity for us to serve you and your church. Pray that if the Lord wants us to continue to challenge His people with their daily walk in Christ and well as the churches' responsibility in spreading God's fame among the nations He'll fill these dates.

3. We're praying and trusting the Lord to supply the remaining $400 monthly we need so we can return to Manila fully supported. Whether we have this amount coming in or not we need to return to our ministries in Manila so pray about this please. To date we've been fully supported because of some very generous love-offerings, one-time gifts and honorariums so we thank God for His peoples' generosity through the course of our speaking schedule but while we're serving in Manila funds are always needed for our personal support as well as the ministries we're responsible for.

4. I'm now working with a pastor who's been a good friend since 1979 when I first met him while serving together with Midwest Challenge in Willmar, MN in possibly shipping food to Manila provided by the Minneapolis area organization Feed My Starving Children. With the soaring cost of food and particularly rice around the world I'm concerned about very difficult days ahead in the Philippines. I want to be prepared to provide both physically nutritious food along with Living Bread and Water--the Lord Jesus Christ and God's Word--to the destitute poor we minster to every day. Pray for Pastor Ernie, his wife Jan and those working with him at his church as they work out how to make this happen.

Isaiah 26:8 (NIV) continues to spur Mary Ann and me on in personal lives and work. It reads: "Yes Lord, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts."

Passion is the fire that burns deep within us and drives us to be who we are and do what we do. We cannot keep from being and doing what ignites our passion. In my Bible I have this written "What we *are* determines what we *see*and what we *see* determines what we *do*. Lord Jesus, help to be courageous and compassionate not cowardly and passionate not passive and petty in the face of the many opportunities You give us to display Your glory among the nations. We are bent to say yes Lord! as we move forward by faith in Your sure Word.

I trust the fire within you and me is fueled by our passion to glorify God in our daily affairs and spread His fame among the nations.