Happy News and Crazy Days

Our new additions – the Fachner family (Axel, Sandra, and Tom). On the right, just the same ol’ us.

New Teammates

In general, in order to keep a church plant moving forward in between home assignments and other duties, NTM recommends 3 families allocate to each tribal location. Since losing our dear friends the Lockwood family from the team in January, we have been operating as a two unit team.

Just a little over a week ago, we received news from a German couple, that they would like to join us in the work here. We are excited to get them settled in here in about a month. They have a long road of language and culture study ahead of them, so please be praying for them (and us) as we embark on this adventure together.

Nate, Fajil,  and Sambel, hanging out at a village party. It was a rip-roaring time. These guys were telling me the Pal equivalent of ‘Why did the chicken cross the road’. I’m sure it is hilarious – I just don’t have that refined Pal sense of humor yet.

Crazy Days

So, this morning, when Elizabeth’s language helper came to help her get started translating ‘Plants and Foods of Bible Times’ (a supplemental book that we are hoping to have in our upcoming Pal library), we were all set to have the boys doing chores, playing games, and working together on projects as supervised by Dad (working from home on the Pal Literacy Teacher’s Manual). Then Nate’s language helper showed up – the one he thought would be coming on Wednesday (Also the one he has been hoping to work through a significant portion of the translation with).

No worries, Elizabeth was able to come upstairs and work with her helpers in the front room while the boys played quietly. Nate went down to the office and began to work. Then another of Elizabeth’s friends showed up. Then a few important men from a neighboring village just happened to come through. Then another language helper from a distant village showed up expecting to work. Then our landowner and local dignitary showed up. Then some more ladies with important community work came to talk to us…

In other words, it was a normal day. You can be praying for us because in the last two weeks we have been super-duper busy. I kid you not – 4 water pump repairs, a complete bathroom remodel (due to a broken fiberglass tub leaking into the walls), language check, upcoming school opening (lots of last minute details), village parties, many people coming and going, 4 (yup 4) all-night traditional singsings locally, coordinating flights between 2 missions and a local health center, 4 chapters of Genesis carefully checked, several days of sickness/infections, and to top it off, our main means of communication (rural cell service) has been up and down for the last four days. (All right boys, daddy needs a nap – so does mommy).

With weakness and frailty, standing on His strength. (Thanks for praying, giving, and writing)

Nate and Elizabeth