Update – June 2009

I’m officially in the summer groove…weddings, reunions, cookouts, races, and all that other stuff that make the best four months of the year seem like one!  So needless to say, this past month has not been slow of action, but I am thankful to have spent it at home and not on the road.

This summer the Sunday School at my sending church (Washington Apostolic Christian) is taking a collection for me!  I was really excited when they asked me if they could do that!  So I had the opportunity to stop in and talk briefly to the kids about PAZ and some of the work in the Amazon.  I’m sure there’s some future missionaries in their somewhere!

So in the past month we had Memorial Day with a wedding that weekend, the Washington Cherry Festival 5K race, the Albert Kaufman family reunion in Cissna Park, another wedding, the Tremont Turkey Festival 5K race, and then another trip to Cissna Park to visit the church where I grew up and many of the Kaeb family that I inherited.  Other than that, there’s been numerous birthdays, cookouts, and even a Peoria Chief’s game thrown in there!

So keeping busy is not a problem these days.  I’m also glad to say that I’m making great progress on my Perspectives course, as I am officially past the midpoint of the material.  Actually, I’ll be taking the midterm exam today.  This course is my primary focus right now as I must complete it prior to submitting my religious visa application.  This course fulfills one of the requirements for the visa.

Last week I was extremely encouraged as I am quickly approaching the 75% mark for my ongoing support raised!  Praise God for that!  I want to thank all of you who have given of your finances to make this work possible for me, either through ongoing support or special gifts!  You are all such a blessing to me!  Also, your prayer support is most coveted as I enter an arena strong with spiritual warfare!

Some of you who follow my blog may know this, but if you don’t, I have begun to document my testimony via ongoing blog posts on an approximated once per week timeline.  So feel free to take a look at those.  They have all been labeled as my testimony, so they should be easy to find.

If you’re not aware, the Amazon Basin of Brazil has been experiencing some of the worst flooding they have seen in over 50 years!  The PAZ church is doing what they can to help the people in this time of natural disaster.  Check out the PAZ website for more details on what the church is doing and find out how you can help!

Thanks again for your continued prayer support during my preparations.  May God bless each of you this month make His presence known!

Praises
- I’m now 71% supported!  Great is thy faithfulness!  If you would like to join in this partnership, go here.

- I’m half way done with Perspectives!

Prayer Requests
- Guidance through the visa application process. That God would give me peace through it and prepare the way for a speedy approval.
- That God would continue to raise up financial partners in this ministry.
- Continued perseverance and ambition as I work through Perspectives on the World Christian Movement and than I would continue to soak up the information and learn about missions.

Peace to you,

JAE