Sawasdee (hello) friends!
We are fine and into our 4th school year! It is indeed busy, after a fun summer seeing son Jody and Rachel home-deliver our first granddaughter, and watching son Robert graduate from university!
Here in Thailand, many soccer and volleyball team members and families got back yesterday from weekend tournament in BKK. We got # 1 place in soccer and #2 in Vball said a teen, who mowed our "tiny" lawn this morning and weed-elated around the patio.
We actually have the day off, since electric and water are off for repairs in the school neighborhood. But Gary had a morning meeting at another school, so I spent 3 hours finishing our Wycliffe Asia area newsletter for the main office.
Now this afternoon, I'm checking emails, because I was gone Fri. To Sun. At a women's weekend. It was a great time of worship music, prayer, crafting bookmarks, workshops and a speaker from BKK, who helps women out of sex trafficking. Wow stories! A fun break from normal routine!
Gary still serves at Grace by coordinating "operations" in the Computer, Food Services and Athletics (sports teams) divisions. He says he's more mentally active than ever. It's a hard job, but interesting and important. Pray for his uplifted attitude and wise decisions.
I interview people for web stories on school activities and ministries two days a week at GIS. Visit our web site for new stories and photos I post on www.gisThailand.org.
One day I work from home on Wycliffe newsletter design. Two days I continue to edit translation project profiles from home, for Wycliffe partner www.theSeedCompany.org. They focus on training national people to do their own linguistic work around the world...five times faster than old ways!
Pray for my Thai lessons twice a week, that vocabulary sinks in more and more. I can negotiate a local market, etc., but I long to explain salvation to two close Thai lady friends! That's my deepest concern...apart from anguish over the insanity of USA politics.
It's fascinating to read field stories, like the lady who was reading simple Bible stories in a new village's language here in Thailand, testing comprehension. After a few stories and questions, the listener exclaimed, "I want to trust Jesus!" She did, attends Thai church now and told her family she'd left Buddhism, which has no hope of eternal security. These stories keep us encouraged! Pray for my focus to stay strong, day-to-day.
We're moving out of gray clouds, 90 degree rainy season...which we love...and toward "winter" cooler 85 degree season...brrrrr...Hahahahaha.
Watching our 6th banana clump ripen in the back yard, saying goodby to a few friends moving or on furlough, meeting new prayer partners, getting excited to visit the "Bridge Over the River Quai" near end of Oct.
So it's never dull, though sometimes feels very far from our western home and family. Pray for us to "feel comfort" in the peace only our Father gives, when we are lonely or discouraged. Pray we "know" His wind lifts our wings.
And know, we read your notes and pray for you!
Gary & Penny
GPlent@gmail.com
