August 2003
Dear Friends,
Family news
While last year was a year of transitions, we anticipate this
year will be a year of milestones. On August 9 Hannah celebrates
her twenty-first birthday, on August 12 Jessica begins her senior
year at Dalat International School, and on December 30, Joshua
will officially become a teenager. We have already celebrated
fiftieth birthdays (actually fifty-first), but in January 2004
we will be celebrating 20 years of ministry in Southeast Asia.
We are keenly aware of God’s faithfulness and also of the
role that you have played in making it possible for us to serve
here.
Jessica is in the States attending a two-week Summer Youth Institute
at Pittsburgh Seminary. She will join Hannah (flying in from Grand
Rapids where she has spent the summer working) and Carol in Boston
at the end of July to celebrate Grandma Nichols’ eight-third
birthday before returning to Penang. Carol will head to Pasadena
to attend her last D.Min class at Fuller Seminary while Paul receives
the new area coordinator for Central, South, and Southeast Asia,
Raafat Zaki, who is visiting Kuala Lumpur and Singapore in mid-August.
Josh is enjoying the last days or few weeks of summer earning
money cutting lawns and breaking in the quarter-pipe his dad built
for him. After a brief stop in Minneapolis, Carol will return
to Penang on August 23 to teach Bible part-time at Dalat (Old
Testament issues and Paul’s letters) while Paul leaves on
the August 24 to join a group from Pittsburgh Seminary interested
in unreached people groups in this region.
Ministry matters
Over the past six months Paul has made two trips to Vietnam and
Cambodia. During these trips he has been able to connect with
national leaders of churches emerging in each country. What has
impressed him the most has been their keen commitment to start
new churches in the midst of many challenges and setbacks.
As facilitator for evangelism for Southeast Asia, opportunities
to explore avenues of ministry while networking with those serving
in this region have expanded his understanding of both the possibilities
as well as the challenges. Encouraging indigenous church growth
that is financially independent while pooling Kingdom resources
and expertise requires wisdom and sensitivity. Building trust
with national leaders is essential. We praise God for the relationships
that are developing with those in leadership in this region.
Please continue to pray for wisdom and grace to develop strong
relationships that will serve to build the Kingdom of God here
in Southeast Asia.
With Thanksgiving,
Paul and Carol Friesen |
