Fall Update

We didn't realize what a full month November is until we started trying to find a few days in a row to make a trip up to Indiana to pick up our car. Yes! we found the perfect deal right in Warsaw. The sale notice was posted on Facebook by a friend for her mom's car, a 2004 with 25,000 miles! Actually it's the same car we have now but 3 years newer with almost 200,000 fewer miles! It checked out mechanically so we sealed the deal. After Thanksgiving weekend we will attempt to squeeze a final 1,000 miles out of old faithful to get us there.

  OLD CAR                                                              NEW CAR

We just hope we can adjust to the drastic change!

Proclaim has been challenged since the summer news that Co-director Bob Johnson had to leave the tour he was leading in Poland and was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer. This meant a major change for leadership as the other two co-directors divided up most of the responsibilities. The US office is impacted as John Bowers took over leadership of the newly forming team in Germany and Bob McIntyre assumed responsibility for the US office. John and Diana are in Germany now, the first of some extended times they will spend based there through at least the next year. A lot of very positive things are happening there with our team and their ministries and local churches. 

Bob McIntrye is making trips to Jacksonville and connecting in other ways to keep things on track at the home base. In fact, he and Vicki will be here this week with a full agenda checking in with our local Proclaim people and advising on ministry here. Bob Johnson has now made remarkable progress with his  treatments and is optimistic about a full recovery. Thanks to all who have been aware of that situation and praying for Bob and Alyce and our mission.

It seemed that our December tour in Tunisia would be a go when we got word that a big hurdle had been cleared for getting our sound and video equipment into the country. Then within a few days we learned of changes in the economy there and outrageous airfares that would at least double the projected budget for the tour. So it was decided to postpone to a later date to adjust the planning. We had both been scheduled to go on that tour.

That does take some pressure off for the end of the year here. We would have returned mid December with all the year-end letters to be processed and mailed! So we can do that on a bit more realistic schedule. Other regular ministries continue -- Jim meeting with men - individuals and groups - and involved in the music ministry at church. We both have committed to help with a newly forming Mission Development Team at our church, taking young people who are interested in missions through an extended mentoring process to provide some deeper preparation in the process of getting to the mission application stage. And we have recently joined a family group that is just getting started. Jami is a teacher for the 1st grade girls in the mid-week Pioneer Club and working part time as a helper for a couple of elderly folks.

We are thankful for really good times we have been having together as a team in our Tuesday morning Bible study and prayer. We have been challenged with deep teaching as we spent time thinking through the disciplines of the Christian life and lately exploring what it means to be a community. It helps us keep things in perspective. 

Pray for us as a family and Proclaim in general as we continue to face decreased funds with which to operate and carry on the ministry. By reducing our salary and cutting costs, our ministry fund had stayed in the black for several months, until the past couple months when we have gone in deficit. Please pray for wisdom to manage well our personal finances and the courage to continue to invite new people to join our team of senders.  A note of praise is that Dave Wilbert, a former board member who has recently returned to the area, is helping us and other individuals, as well as Proclaim, in our efforts to raise the needed additional funds.  We are thankful for this encouragement!