On a busy street corner in our city, there is a sales area where vessels of varying sizes/shapes can be purchased.  This is a fascinating place to stop and meander for a bit.  The prices vary based on capacity, and some are large enough to fit an adult inside!  There are lots of different ways that people use these vessels, and we’re grateful that God is choosing to use our team of varying ages/backgrounds/experiences to be a blessing in this place.  We are honored to carry within us the treasure of knowing Christ!

There’s no bbq sauce in GM, but the men here definitely know how to grill out! Typically pork, the meat is cut into chunks, skewered, and cooked over very hot coals. Salt, wine, onions, and pomegranate seeds are used in the preparation and presentation. As the aroma wafts down the street, it’s hard to resist!

Traditions are valued in this land, and almost every young person learns the dances of their region. Watching a group of young performers dance with pride and joy is a powerful experience. Please pray for the young men and women of this land, that they will passionately pursue the truth behind the traditions that they celebrate!

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10

In a world where we are so quick to upgrade to the next best thing, we sometimes forget the value of something old. In GM, things are not so quickly discarded. When something breaks, you don’t replace it, you get it fixed.  Every item is a work in progress–always being repaired to work as it was created.

Our team enjoyed our city’s harvest celebration over the weekend. The scent of grilled meat wafted through the air as our eyes feasted on the bounty of this land. It was a great reminder of God’s provision for this place and people. We are honored to serve here, and we pray that our local friends will soon know and understand the fullness of His love for them!

We recently started teaching at a new university and noticed these broken windows on a building nearby.  There are LOTS of neglected, abandoned buildings around the city that are in desperate need of some renovation and care.  Sadly, there is often no one available to help bring life to what is decaying.  We are praying that we will be a source of life, hope, love, and care to our students in a way that is a blessing to each one of them.  Would you pray that God will give us a supernatural ability to connect with them and build strong relationships of trust?

The terrain in and around the city is quite hilly/mountainous.  We often notice that in order to build and move forward with construction projects, there is much work to be done in digging away layers of rock.  Moving overseas and living in a different culture often feels like the same process is happening in OUR HEARTS!  God is faithfully chipping away at areas of pride and fear and revealing the layers within us.  This is not always a pleasant or painless process, so please pray that we will be reminded of His goodness and His love for us as He refines us!

If you think back-to-school shopping is crazy at Target or Wal-Mart, we’d love for you to see it–market style! One of our favorite places to gather up supplies: glue, pencils, portfolios (no Mead folders here!) is this long, narrow stall at the local market. As school approaches, it’s hard to squeeze through all of the people to find what you need, but it’s a great feeling when you check the items off your list!

This city is constantly under construction! Sometimes we find ourselves wondering why a specific project stalled, and then we hear gripping accounts of fraud, bribery, and corruption that explain the half-completed shells that lurk on the skyline. We invite you to pray for our team, and ask that God will continue His work that He has started here both IN us and THROUGH us.  Phil. 1:6 reminds us that He will be faithful to complete the work He has started!

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.  We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed,but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” 2 Corinthians 4:7-9