Ward newsletter - Nov 2022

Changing houses once again
It’s hard to believe, but we’ve been in Nashville for two years. We moved on October 27, 2020. The Lord has faithfully brought us through a lot in that time. We moved with Lynée’s parents on September 3 to a larger house that is just two doors away from her brother! This new house and her parents’ old house are both under contract with closing dates of December 1 and November 18 respectively. We even have a contractor scheduled to finish the space above the garage into a living area and office after closing.

The Lord has affirmed repeatedly that the move to Nashville was the right thing to do and that it happened at the right time. Since we arrived, Lynée’s parents have both fallen, been hospitalized, and gone through rehab. Regarding the new house, the owner didn’t put the house on the market, so we didn’t have to compete with other offers. We got an interest rate lock just as rates started to climb. We had three months between signing the contract and moving, which gave time to pack in the midst of Lynée preparing for teacher orientation and my having team meetings. God has been faithful.

Ministry highlights

The teacher orientation done by Lynée’s team in June for educators serving missionary families overseas went very well. They only had eight participants, but four of those are already serving in their assignments (three of them overseas) and the other four hope to leave in December/January. There was a consultant, a school director, a librarian, boarding home parents, and three teachers. Please pray for those still looking for financial and prayer partners.

My team’s yearly meetings were different this year because of the complexity of international travel and covid. We met physically in two groups in Dallas and the UK, which then met together electronically during the Dallas morning and the UK afternoon. It was great to see at least part of the team face-to-face and to have focused time with the whole group for strategic and technical discussions about how to best support complex alphabets where Bible translation is needed. One urgent prayer request is for a new Director for my group as our current one is retiring in early 2023.

Finances
We’re very thankful that our average income over the past twelve months has met our ministry budget. We estimate our committed giving to be about $1,500/month short. As we mentioned in our April newsletter, our monthly budget increased by $450. Additionally, a few of our partners in our parents’ generation are having financial challenges. Thankfully, one-time gifts covered the shortfall this past year. We’re amazed at the generosity of our partners and the goodness of God. Thank you for your partnership whether through prayer, giving, or encouragement!

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