Dear Family,
On the eve of our departure to Union Island, I would like to take a few moments and ask you all to pray for us this coming week. We have been in preparation for this endeavor for the past six months sometimes wondering whether it will all come together. It is always such a faith builder to see it come together in ways we can't imagine. We start out on a shoestring not knowing if we will even get a team up much less how we will fund it and end up with a group of 15 including three from First Christian Church of OP and 6 teenagers...all of us raising our support or paying our way in addition to making all of our VBS material and crafts for 250children. One of our team members designed a t-shirt and we will be carrying 250 of those with us also. They cost $1500 and they are paid for. What a faith builder it is to see God bring it all together because it is not within any of us to do it on our own. And so the preparation is as much a journey as the actual trip.

We will be departing JIA at 6:30 am Saturday morning. Most of our group are scheduled to arrive in Union Island early Saturday evening. A few of us will be spending the night in Barbados as there was not room for all of us on Saturday to fly in to Union. We will be conducting VBS all week, a ladies class three days and a Crusade (gospel meeting) at night. In addition, Bob Bole and Dennis will be flying to Dominica on Tuesday to meet with the church there to see about partnering with them in reaching other islands. They will return on Wednesday. We met a young man at Harding several years back from this island who now lives in Tampa. He has accompanied us to Union in the past and is hoping to eventually work in the islands. The church in Dominica is reportedly an active body of believers. In addition, Bob and Dennis and one or two others will be going by boat to another island where there are no churches. It is called Mayreau and there are approximately 200 people there. They hope to have some Bible studies and possibly start a church there in the future. So there will be lots of comings and goings in strange places and we ask you pray for everyone's safety.

Other specific things to pray for:

For me, prayer for strength....I have worked ten-hour days on a new job up until this point and I am weak. I am comforted in knowing "His power is made perfect in weakness."

Pray for open hearts and minds for all....

Pray for God to use us as He sees fit and for us to be a blessing wherever we go.

Love, Linda