Hey Everyone,
It only occurred to me just now, sitting here sipping a cappuccino (my first coffee in days) and catching up on emails from the last several days, that it has been a month already since I last saw America.
It is really hard for me to believe, the time has truly flown right by. Helen and I have been busy both with the final preparations for our wedding (in just 12 days…woohoo) and for the arrival of this year’s Discovery participants.
And while both Helen and I have been hampered a bit lately by sickness, and I admittedly have taken longer than before to adjust to life here, things are going very well. There are only a couple of wedding details left, and they should be (we pray) no problem. And while there are some hitches in the Discovery plan yet, there is still plenty of time for God to show us the way.
Our week in Singapore was wonderfully refreshing, and we were able to reconnect with some friends from Indonesia studying there with another organization. And we met some new friends as well. All are believers, and we had great times of fellowship. We did play the tourist as well, and I hope to post some pictures soon.
Our first week back in Jakarta was spent both with Helen’s family and in the office. On that Sunday, Helen was asked by one of the leaders of a national prayer movement here to interpret for a visiting speaker from Sri Lanka, and she let me tag along. It was a long day but one full of blessing. The speaker was so encouraging and the two services were powerful. We also had time for Helen’s Bridal fitting and for me to get measured for a suit (yep a suit).
The Tuesday of our second week here was a National Holiday, so the office was closed. We spent it with Helen’s parents, traveling to Bogor to see the Botanical Garden and Presidential Palace there. We spent Wednesday in the office and Thursday at a cafe working on Discovery. Because of the travel time to and from the office (about 2 1/2 hours) we have been going in once or twice a week, and working from home or a nearby coffee shop otherwise. This saves us both considerable time and money.
Over the weekend, we were able to meet with some students from Atma Jaya University (Helen’s alma mater) about BTM and in the evening met with on of her prayer supporters and friends from America. It was the first time I met him and it was a wonderful time.
This past week was hectic…too hectic. On Monday, Helen had her physical exam and vaccinations for her visa. Tuesday, she had to go see a local government official about wedding paperwork, so we worked from here. Wednesday she went back to the clinic to pick up the paperwork, I went to the U.S. Embassy for more paperwork (the first of at least 3 visits). And then it was off to the office. After work we intended to have an evening together, and that’s when the sickness came in full force. Thank you all for praying…it has been a tough few days for her, but she is much better. I, too, had a bout of something unpleasant, but am doing better as well.
This week is a crucial one for us, as we need to wrap up all aspects of the wedding before the participants arrive, and we need to finalize some plans for Discovery.
Also, I will be speaking at Helen’s church on Friday evening, and then moving to the Guest House at the office after church Sunday, so I can be in the office all next week.
Feel free to drop Helen our I a note if you want, or if you are curious for more detail. I hope to post some more about our days online soon, but we have plenty of time to correspond, even though we are not online everyday.
Thanks so much for all your prayers…
-Dave
Please pray for…..
-Continued healing for Helen and I
-Finishing all the Wedding Preperations
-Finishing all the pre-trip Discovery Preperations
-My speaking engagement at Helen’s church
-Travel for both George and the Participants
-George’s health as he continues his treatments
-Visa Process for Helen
