“O Sovereign Lord, you alone know” - March 2010

As a community of people at 2 Cluny Road 15 months ago we were scattered to new places of work. We watched as the living building we had been working in was reduced to a bare hulk, just the dry bones remaining. We have seen the tendons and flesh of ducts, piping, cabling put into place. Beauty has returned - the skin of plaster, paint & decoration drawn over the flayed building. Finally, on 12th of March the big move back into the building took place! There has been a great deal of excitement, relief and happiness to finally settle back in the new office. But is it enough to renew a building?

In a startling vision, Ezekiel stands in a valley of very dry scattered bones. In an unusual command, God tells Ezekiel to speak to the skeletons of the dead and he obeys. The combination of God’s word spoken by a person & God’s power is astonishing. There is a terrifying rattling sound as the bones of bodies find each other. Scattering is reversed. Tendons & muscle appear & attach to bones. Structure is put in place. Skin covers the body again. Beauty is restored. Physically, everything is in place that needs to be - renovation & structure & beauty. But nothing is happening. Dead bodies still litter the floor. Ezekiel must obediently speak again before the wind of the Spirit brings new life.

There is much talk & work on re-structure & change in OMF. We want to meet the challenges of an urbanising China, of a radicalised Islam, of a resistant Buddhism among others. We want to engage with a new generation, a wired world, a media marketplace. We want to grow, draw people together for a common purpose, to structure well. We want to do this in ways that are beautiful, honouring to God. But what will the end result of re-structuring & change be? A bunch of beautiful bodies lying dead on a valley floor? Or a community of people full of God’s new life?

The Orientation Course went smoothly and most of the 45 new workers have scattered across East Asia. Last week we reviewed all that needs to be done over the next eight months, so that we can hand over a smoothly running department to our deputies before going on Home Assignment in late November. It was very sobering – we have a great deal to set up or see through to completion.

Josh & his friend Reggie did a great job directing and producing their school drama production ‘The Flying Circus’. There were rave reviews, including a thank you note from the headmaster who attended both nights. Aimée worked in set design and in the backstage crew, eliciting cheers and applause every time she appeared to change the set – obviously she has made her mark too! However, Josh spent his half-term break in enforced rest with a chest infection – bitterly disappointed as he had been invited to Indonesia with friends. He is thinking hard about how to pace himself better this term. We'll see how that goes!

Amor e Morte? - February 2010

Years ago, wandering round woodlands in central Portugal, we came across an old building, rotting away, half-hidden under the trees. A passing graffiti artist had drawn a dramatic picture in a Gothic style of a gaunt, haunted-looking Jesus and underneath had scribbled, “Amor e Morte” – Love and Death. For some that seems to sum up the message of Christianity. There may be love but there is much about death – to the world, in self-denial and as punishment. But is death really the focus?

The words of God given to Ezekiel are challenging and refreshing. God says that he looked at the fragile kicking baby of the nascent nation of Israel and says, “I saw you…as you lay there…I said to you, “Live!”” At the core of this book all about the severe and cleansing judgment of God there is a clear message that God’s desire is to bring life to people. As people whose perception is clouded by sin, we are tempted to see judgment as God’s delight. In fact nothing could be further from the truth. God says, “For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone…repent and live!” To know God is to know the source of all that is most worthwhile and pleasurable about life. We are made in His image to think rationally, choose morally, create beauty and to love God and one another.

This declaration that God’s desire for us is life has been especially poignant this past week of Chinese New Year. Singapore opened the doors of its first “integrated resort” – a euphemism for what is the most expensive casino in the world, built in the face of opposition from the people of Singapore. Seventy-five thousand people poured in on opening day, despite the minimum $100.00 charge for Singaporeans just to get through the door. Now it is possible to gamble here 24 hours a day. Adverts calling for responsible gaming and a soap opera series where actors suffer from gambling addictions seem feeble. The risks being run include rises in problem gambling, loan sharking, money laundering and organized crime. In the face of all that life has to offer, this is courting a kind of death.

In contrast, OMF colleagues in Taiwan, David and Ruth Ullstrom have been watching their 17 year old son rapidly deteriorate. Ian died this morning of a rare cancer. David wrote, “Our beloved Ian stopped breathing at about 1am Sunday morning. The whole family was together with him. Thank God for the hope of one day laughing again with him…” In the face of death, trust is affirmed in the God of life who can make dry bones live.

The Christian name for God - January 2010

What’s in a name? Does it matter what word is used to name someone? It seems that it sometimes matters a great deal. As we mentioned in our latest Newsletter, in this part of the world there has been controversy about the name of God recently. The debate has spilled over from courtroom into violence and destruction. Most animists regard any creator spirit as unknown and unknowable. For Buddhists, a creator God who is personally known is incompatible with the Buddha’s teachings. From ancient times right up to today, across the region in which we live, the Koran is daily read and studied by many – but “Father” is not one of the 99 names of God recorded there. In Old Testament times, the Jews did not dare to speak of God in intimate terms.

A friend reminded us recently that Jesus taught us to pray to our creator God as “Abba”. In most Semitic languages “Abba” is the word used for father, or rather “Papa” or “Daddy”. Jesus, the Son of God, came to earth to adopt us into the Father’s family, to make a way for us to join the household of God. J.I. Packer comments: “What is a Christian? That question can be answered in many ways but the richest answer I know is that a Christian is one who has God as Father. Everything….that is distinctively Christian is summed up in the knowledge of the Fatherhood of God. ‘Father’ is the Christian name for God.”

Anna had a repeat MRI last week to check for tumour recurrence in her spine. We are grateful that the results showed no evidence of any tumour. The surgeon told Anna that he will have her rescanned in a year’s time (instead of six months) so we are glad and give thanks to our loving Father.

There has been a lot of nervous anticipation as the date for release of IGSCE results draws closer. In our home both parents and child have been having vivid dreams about various outcomes, both excellent and catastrophic. Today was the day! Josh burst through the door, overjoyed! He got six A* and two A’s, coming sixth in his year of 130. We are delighted and give thanks to the Lord!

Remember Your Leaders

“Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.” Hebrews 13:7

James Hudson Taylor lll, great-grandson of the founder of the China Inland Mission, died on the 20th of March 2009, in Hong Kong. Jim Taylor was born in 1929 in China’s ancient city of Kaifeng, on the Yellow River where his parents served as missionaries (photo above). As a 12-year-old boy, he was interned in Weihsien Concentration Camp for three years, during the Sino-Japanese War. Eric Liddell, the Olympian gold medalist, was also in this camp and taught the boys games. Camp life was very tough but Jim saw how faith stood under trial, for in Weihsien his grandfather and Eric Liddell, along with the Chefoo school staff, modelled the life of faith. He wrote, ‘I saw in Grandpa how the patterns of life had been set. Every day began with praise.’ The camp was liberated in August 1945, and Jim reunited with his parents after five years of separation.

After university, Jim Taylor served in Taiwan with his wife Leone for 25 years. They then moved to Singapore to become General Director of OMF. Under James Taylor’s leadership, OMF was encouraged to continue in their concerns for China & the Chinese people. In 1991 Jim & Leone relocated to Hong Kong & formed Medical Services International (MSI), to serve in Sichuan province. In 2007, in a ceremony attended by 300 people, a county of the Sichuan province conferred on him honorary citizenship as a sign of affection and respect. He was a warm man, and a master storyteller; his love for history enriched his sharp grasp of mission trends. We are grateful for Dr Taylor’s talent and energy, his love of Jesus and quiet humility.

Joshua just took his first public exam – an IGCSE Mandarin oral exam a week ago. He went off to a rugby camp for the weekend and had a great time – returning exhausted and even browner than usual. His school also has a successful girls touch rugby team and they went too. No wonder he had such fun. At the formal rugby dinner on Saturday night, Josh was asked to say grace. We asked why the coach asked him. We prised it out of him that he leads the team in prayer before each game and so has the reputation of being the “Holy Joe” - which he doesn't seem to mind. He's so big that the others probably think twice before teasing him.

We were saddened to hear about the death of Morgan Tsvangirai's wife in Zimbabwe. We continually wonder how much more the country can take. Aimee lay on our bed and sobbed when we told her - then went off to get a pen and paper and wrote to Barack Obama asking him to help bring justice and freedom back to Zimbabwe. More importantly, we continue to pray for these things to the Lord of all the earth.

The Phase Two of renovation work at 2 Cluny Road continues – demolition is almost complete and new structures are beginning to spring up. In addition, the electronic candidate processing system will go live on the 23rd of March.

Next weekend, on 29th of March, we travel to Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand for a week to run a TCK Forum, a gathering of those involved in delivering care to OMF’s children – while our own children stay behind with a courageous child-sitter, Bev! Please pray for preparation time in our currently hectic days and that those that meet with us would be encouraged in the work. Over Easter we plan to have a few days break in Indonesia after a very demanding first three months of 2009. From the 15th to the 19th April, we are looking forward to welcoming Philip & Coral, Anna’s parents, passing through on their way to Australia. Thank you for your prayers.

Steve, Anna, Joshua & Aimée

The Other “3:16” Verse

“Rage is all the rage these days!” Whether it is road rage, air rage, domestic rage or office rage, people seem to be angry much of the time. Even virtual rage exists which sometimes turns into awful reality. Not long ago, an online gamer Qui Chengwei, from Shanghai, tracked down and killed Zhu Caoyuan after a virtual sword Qui used inside a popular game was stolen and sold to another player for nearly £500. Rage on an individual scale is replicated in communities and nations - Gaza, Georgia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe to name just a few.

Where is all this rage coming from? Many know John 3:16. James 3:16 is less-known but also worth memorizing. “For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.” The source of all human conflict is the frustrated pride and ambition of the human heart, often disguised as false wisdom. Recognizing and responding to selfish ambition takes true wisdom which James describes as moral innocence (not moral naïvety), gentleness, openness to reason, impartiality and a love of peace. The work of Christians is often a work of confrontation – challenging our own selfish ambition as well as that of others.


Demolition work in the old office and dining room is in full swing – 30 skip-loads of rubble have been removed from the site so far, about 60% of the total. Sledgehammers and pneumatic drills can be heard all day every day on every part of the site. In the midst of this controlled chaos, we are well into the first Orientation Course of the year with 28 adults and 7 children who are staying in the nearby YMCA, being bussed up to IHQ for prayers each day and then back again for lectures. Lilian is eight, from a farm in Australia and has 4 energetic brothers. She was chatting with Anna who asked this sweet-faced, young girl how she coped with her brothers. “Ah, no worries,” came the answer, “when they give me trouble I just kick their butts!”

Joshua is preparing for his IGCSE Mandarin oral exam in March. He will have to give a speech, hold a conversation and take part in a role play. Sin Ee, a friend from church is giving him some extra practice. Last Saturday, Josh was working with two friends on a project and as he was leaving to go to youth group at church, he plucked up the courage and asked them both to go with him. To his delight, Reggie agreed to go – Josh texted his Dad afterwards, “it was awesome!”.

Aimée seems to have coped well with the transition to the Anglo-Chinese School. Her maths is holding up well despite her pre-transfer fears (Singaporean school maths is about two years ahead of the rest of the world and was a special area of concern). She has joined the girl’s touch rugby squad and came home ecstatic and filthy after a practice in the pouring rain saying, “It was SO MUCH FUN!”

We are looking for a new Co-ordinator for Third Culture Kid Care and Education in OMF. A couple is seriously considering the role – please pray that they know whether this is the next step the Lord has for them or not. We also need dozens of teachers to help support parents in challenging circumstances across East Asia. So acute is this shortage that we are working with other mission agencies in communicating the need – including advertising in the Times Educational Supplement. The International Personnel System is becoming increasingly established but there is still hard work going on to get the electronic candidate process (“e-Recruiting”) module finished – pray for the team working hard to get this to completion.

Much love

Steve, Anna, Joshua & Aimée

The only true Muslim?

The mullah stormed into the meeting, being held in a yurt in a small Mongolian town. Filled with jealousy, he interrupted Bill, the speaker, to declare to all present that he too knew religion and was qualified to teach people in public. Bill waited patiently until the rant was over. Then Bill asked to talk to the mullah in private after he had finished the meeting. Bill asked the mullah if he knew what the name, “muslim” meant. Like many local folk, the mullah knew little about Islam and could not answer. So Bill explained that it meant “submission to God”. As they talked together, Bill shared that he himself was not submitted to God as he wanted to be. The mullah confessed that he too often did what he wanted rather than what God required. Then Bill pointed him to the Scriptures and showed him how Jesus had been fully obedient to God, submitting to His will. “In fact,” said Bill, “Jesus is the only true Muslim that has ever lived!” The mullah was surprised and intrigued and the two men became friends as they talked together over the months that followed. Then the mullah was diagnosed with a terminal illness. Bill visited regularly with national Christians and before he died, the mullah turned to faith in Jesus.

Four weeks ago, Suzanne couldn’t rouse 17 year old Andrew. The family was working in a remote area of northern Cambodia. Suzanne called Dr Stroma, the OMF International Medical Advisor, and soon a military helicopter was on its way. Andrew was flown to intensive care in Bangkok. It turned out he had a very serious complication of previously undiagnosed diabetes. His family was moved to be with him and a call to prayer was sent out to the Fellowship. After four weeks in a coma, struggling for life, Andrew died a day ago. Please pray for Andrew’s parents, Daniel and Suzanne and his siblings Michelle, Peter, Sarah and Joshua as they adjust to their terrible loss. Pray for the Cambodia team who are shocked and grieving. Pray for us as we work with the insurance providers to have Andrew’s body repatriated. Pray that Jesus “will be exalted… whether by life or by death.”

The final approvals are in place, the budget is agreed, the decant plan is being finalized. The alternate telecoms and IT systems infrastructure is being put in place with new cableways, a new server room and a complex plan. The big move of the IHQ office into an emptied and prepared guest house will be starting in two months time. For a year, the 2 Cluny Road site will be divided in half, with a fence sealing off the building site. Trucks will rumble, jack-hammers will thunder and rattle, buildings will come down, walls will move, shafts will be sunk – all while we live and work alongside the organized chaos! Tensions are bound to rise as people strive to do their jobs in cramped, unfamiliar surroundings. Pray for the team that we will “..be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love and making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”

As if one major project wasn’t enough, the roll-out of the “International Personnel System – Connecting People” continues apace. Another 300+ people have started using the system over the last four days. Our team is kept very busy, answering urgent “HELP ME!” type emails, sorting out issues and bugs and collecting suggestions for improvements. We are testing the final part of the system to be launched this year –allowing people to both register their interest in OMF’s work and to fill in application forms online. The information they provide should flow through the system so they only need to provide their details once – in contrast to the present situation! Do pray that we get this right and so show love and support to hard-pressed and over-worked OMF colleagues handling people.

With thanks for your prayerful support

Steve, Anna, Joshua & Aimée

São Paulistas - following Paul to Asia?

Spot the Plane!
I look out across the city of São Paulo from the 13th floor of our hotel. As far as the eye can see, skyscrapers sprout like thousands of blades of grass across the hills in this aggressive, hyperactive city of thirty-three million people. We swing past Maracanã Stadium, the biggest football stadium in the world, see Cidade de Deus, reputedly the most violent slum in Latin America, swim in the powerful South Atlantic rollers on Copacobana beach and look out across the beauty of Rio de Janeiro from the statute of Christ on Corcovado (Hunchback) Mountain. However Jon Fuller and I are not in Brazil to sight-see but to find out more about the Brazilian mission movement. We visited churches in favelas (slums), in working class, middle class and wealthy areas and talked to pastors, Brasilian missionaries, missionaries working in Brazil, para-church workers and Brazilian mission leaders. All those we spoke to told us of the beginnings of a powerful and exciting mission movement in Brazil in the 1980s, culminating in an all-Latin American mission conference in 1987. At that time there were already around 6000 Brazilians working cross-culturally mainly in Latin America, Africa and Europe. Only a few have come to Asia, a handful with OMF. What has happened since then?

Editora Mundo Cristão is one of the biggest Christian publishing houses in Brazil. There is a huge demand for Christian literature – in October 2007, Mundo Cristão sold more than a million reais (US$600, 000) worth of books in a single month, more than 150, 000 books. Recently the Brasilian middle class has become the biggest sector of society with increasing income for people who are no longer struggling to survive. The astonishing growth in the evangelical church with 36 million Christians provides a huge potential market. But in Mundo Cristão and at other bookshops we visited (Catholic, Protestant or secular), there was a startling absence of any titles at all regarding missions in any shape or form. The lack of books and media on mission is worrying. Only a handful of Bible schools and seminaries in this vast country provide teaching on missions. Despite the numerical growth in the church and the rise in disposable income the number of Brazilian missionaries has reportedly fallen to around 3100.

The economic crisis of the early 1990s in Brazil played a role in this fall. But it seems the church has become inward-looking, focusing on numerical growth and physical infrastructure while weak on discipleship. There was also a pattern of poor selection and training of mission candidates, weak or absent member care and field structures, unrealistic expectations by missionaries and of missionaries by churches - leading to an astonishing three out of four Brazilians returning home before the end of their first term. This very high rate of attrition has led to a loss of confidence. However, for some key leaders, it has also led to a greater awareness of the need for carefully established long-term work with thoroughly screened and prepared candidates. Please pray that God will guide us as to if and how OMF can better engage with Brazilian missions.

With our love

Steve, Anna, Joshua and Aimee

Who is Jesus?

Srey Leak grew up in Stung Meanchey, Phnom Penh which hosts the biggest rubbish dump in the country. In the area live thousands of the poorest of the poor, scavenging to survive. Srey Leak’s parents decided to give her up for adoption. She was adopted and taken away at the age of eleven despite both her parents still being alive. Srey Leak has ended up in the same class at school as Aimee – but has struggled to adjust in the massive shock of leaving family and friends in poverty-stricken Cambodia to a whole new massively affluent way of life in a new family, country, language and culture at the age of 13. She was delighted to find out about Aimee’s connection with Cambodia and surprised to find that Anna and I speak Khmer – she phones us to speak in her mother tongue and calls us “Ming” and Pu” – younger auntie and younger uncle! Srey Leak came for a sleep-over a few weekends ago. We told her we were going to say thank you to Jesus for the food before we ate. She asked us, “Who is Jesus?” Explaining in both English and Khmer brought a look of blank incomprehension. She had not heard of him in either language! At bed-time we looked through a Khmer picture Bible – going through Jesus’ life-story together. She asked questions for 45 minutes, and then insisted on going to church with us the next day. We wouldn’t allow her until she had the permission of her adoptive parents – she called them four times! Pray that Srey Leak (pronounced “Lay-ack”) would be able to cope with the phenomenal adjustments she is facing now and find faith in Jesus.

The first Orientation Course of 2008 has come and gone. Philipp and Elisabeth Schmuki, the new OC Supervisors, did well although arrived at the end of the month exhausted! The deadline for registration for the next OC has just passed and a further 28 folk are on their way to join us in May! The building project team is coming together for the rebuild of our office space at 2 Cluny Road. We already have a deputy project manager and a potential project manager will be visiting in April – pray that the Lord will help and guide us in making good decisions.

Work on the International Personnel System has speeded up even further. We are now at the height of effort and struggling to cope – around twenty people are working at full stretch and the project area fairly hums with activity. At present we are putting together the organisational structure to upload into the system so the IPS “knows” where everyone is located – OMF is challengingly diverse in its structures and this has proved to be a major difficulty. Please pray that we get this right and quickly – so we don’t hold up the build! From 7-11th April there will be a blueprinting week held here at IHQ on a new way of handling and tracking applications to OMF on-line. Folk are flying in from around the Fellowship to take part – please pray for a profitable week together with the software team and for stamina for everyone taking part.

On April 13th the Griffiths family will be leading both Family Services at our church in Singapore, Adam Road Presbyterian Church, together with Sin Ee – an OMF worker just back from Taiwan. Pray for a joy in worship, good communication of the Word in this all-age service and that the church would understand a bit more about being a missionary sending church. On 18th April Steve leaves for Brazil, with another International Director, to look at building relationships with the strong evangelical movement there. Pray for safety in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Please pray also for time to prepare the materials for deputation/preaching on Home Assignment – which starts for Steve at the beginning of May. Pray for Anna (doing the May OC lectures alone!) and the children staying on in Singapore for 5 weeks after Steve has left.

Josh and Aimee go on separate school trips during April: Josh will be away on Pulau Ubin Island from 8th-11th and Aimee to Taman Negara in Malaysia from 20th-25th. Praise the Lord that ACS International (the school where Josh goes) has found funding to be able to offer Aimee a bursary to follow her brother to the school in January 2009! Thank you to everyone for praying! With our love,

Steve, Anna, Joshua & Aimée

Shining like stars

A few weeks ago a BBC reporter interviewed a Kikuyu refugee from the Eldoret area in Kenya. Anthony was out in the fields when he heard the roar. He rushed towards his village to see a 700 strong Kalenjin mob, many who were his own neighbours, surrounding the church and setting it on fire. In the church were his elderly father, his wife and baby son. As flames engulfed the building, his father died. His wife, seeing there was no way out for her, hurled her two-week old son through a window to save him. She suffered 75% burns but survived. Anthony found his son, buried his father hastily that night and took his wife and family and fled. The reporter asked him, "What will you do to your neighbours if you see them again?" Antony left the reporter lost for words by responding, "If I see them and they ask me to forgive them, I will forgive them because I am a Christian." His words were in stark contrast to the rest of the report, full of angry, hate filled voices calling for violent revenge. Anthony offered forgiveness to those who had so horribly wronged him. Paul writes, "that you may become children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life." As a family, we have been powerfully challenged in the past few weeks by Anthony, a child of God, who has held out the word of life.*

The first orientation course of 2008 has started and we welcomed 23 new workers on 14th Feb. Some arrived apprehensive, weary and sad after many goodbyes but also looking forward to seeing what God will do as they to go on to "hold out the word of life" to peoples across Asia. We are glad to have them.

The design for expanded and upgraded facilities for our creaking and overburdened 2 Cluny Road site has been agreed! The architect, David Gould, has done a fine job in creating a cohesive, attractive design - light and airy spaces conducive to work, teaching and welcoming. Please pray as we put together a project team to actually carry out the renovations.

Work on the International Personnel System to help us effectively handle our people continues at breakneck pace. Permits for a New Zealand IT expert and 2 Cambodian programmers have been granted and all three have arrived! Two more workers will be joining us in early March. The IT project team hope to have completed the first draft of the blue-print for the system by 22nd February. Jon Watts, the project manager, is doing a fine job but is under a huge amount of pressure. He and Steve spend hours on the phone each week talking to personnel in several different OMF centres across the world.

In OMF we have more than 700 third culture kids (TCKs). There are issues unique to spending your formative years in a different culture. There are also challenges in schooling children – either in down-town Tokyo or the Mongolian steppes! Our International Co-ordinator for TCK Care and Education, Barry McKessar, is stepping down after more than 14 years in the role. Please pray for the search for his replacement who we hope will be based here in Singapore.

Joshua is working hard and playing hard - three days a week he puts in a 12 hour day - partly due to long rugby practices! He just played his second full match and was delighted to score a try! Aimee is hoping to follow her brother to ASC International next January - last week she enjoyed participating in the school play "The Phantom Tollbooth" which the kids put on at a community centre theatre here. She and her friends did a great job!

With our love,
Steve, Anna, Joshua & Aimée

* When we expressed our concern for Anthony in an email to the BBC, to our surprise, we were put in touch with Anthony via the reporter. Pray especially for his wife who will undergo skin grafting on her burns from 18th February.

Cut-price Christianity?

“Sending our own people as missionaries is a waste of money, resources and time,” said the Asian church leader to Steve as the visiting speaker. “Mission is so expensive and demands so much from a church. Our people are well-trained with a high living standard. They expect too much. Our policy is not to send any Singaporean in mission. But we will send money to help pay national pastors working in other countries.” But can we really outsource mission services, just like call centres and IT services? Find cheap workers that can take the Good News (and take the hardships too) while we keep our hands clean, our budget full and our life easy?

Of course there was an element of truth in what the leader said. We need to look critically at how much mission costs – although I suspect it’s far short of what many churches spend on buildings, sound equipment, choir robes and the like. We also need to be committed to working with national churches where they already exists. But “outsourcing” mission goes against the very heart of what mission is all about – God in the shape of Jesus Christ laying aside riches, privilege and power to come into a dark and broken world to seek and to save those who are lost. Mission costs a great deal. It cost Jesus his reputation, his security, his home, his servants, his friends and ultimately his life. It cost God his son. Churches that send people in mission often lose skilled, passionate, committed people. But in God’s economy the churches that send their people gain far more than they lose. As a church sends someone in mission, the very act poses a powerful challenge to those that stay behind. We have seen sending churches become:

• more engaged (it’s not just faceless anonymous people we support but it is our very own Jonny and Jane that have gone!)

• more prayerful (people I already know and love I really want to talk to God about!)

• more mission-minded at home (well if these ordinary people can go to Hanoi to tell people about Jesus, maybe I can tell people at the office)

• more generous (we’ve sent one person, why don’t we send more….)

• more aware of the needs, the riches, the history and the challenges of other cultures and peoples (hey, we’re becoming world Christians!)

Christmas is coming – and it is hugely hyped here in Singapore, despite the fact that the majority of Singaporeans are not Christian. But all join in a festival marked mainly by shopping and eating – two very popular Singaporean pastimes! One of the shopping malls near our house has a monster “Christmas” display – and twice a night blow a mass of “snow” (foam) over the whole thing, including shoppers. Aimee and Josh have been down a few times to join in the fun. ZY and YY our mainland Chinese friends are interested to find out more about what underlies all the hype. They will come round to watch “The Nativity Story” with us next week and talk it over. We long for YY to come to faith in the “God with fingerprints”.

The next ten days look challenging. Software developers will be presenting “mock-ups” of the way they will modify their software for us in response to the detailed outline that we have presented to them for the International Personnel System 9see last blog). A local Financial Director of a giant international software company who is a believer has arranged a massive 93% discount on purchase of software, potentially saving us a great deal of money. We need employment passes for the technical team leader (a former OMF TCK from New Zealand) and Cambodian programmers to be able to work here in Singapore for the first six months of 2008. In all this highly technical work, we long to glorify God and see our labour contribute to the growth of His Kingdom among East Asians.

Finally, we’re looking forward to a week’s holiday in the Malaysian Cameron Highlands straight after Christmas – time to climb mountains, enjoy log fires, sleep, eat and have fun together as a family!

With Christmas greetings and our love,

Steve, Anna, Joshua & Aimée

“Broken…broken….”

We heard today of a Christian family who have a daughter who is now in her twenties. Outwardly completely normal, she has a mental age far below her physical age, including difficulties with speech. She is very affectionate and loves to welcome people. In fact when the doorbell rings she rushes to the door. But once it is open and she is face to face with the visitor, she doesn’t have the capacity to deal with them especially those who are strangers. But she realises that because she looks normal, many people may not make allowances for her. So she will look at the person and, while pointing to herself, she carefully says, “broken….broken”. We found this very moving. A longing to meet, a desire to relate and yet brokenness getting in the way. But she has a great advantage – she knows she is “broken”, lives within limits and is able to admit to it. She anticipates the day when that brokenness will be gone.

There are many different kinds of brokenness – we are all broken to a greater or lesser extent and in different ways. But what about those that are outwardly normal while inwardly broken and yet don’t know it or refuse to admit it? We often manage personnel situations on behalf of teams where there is brokenness but without self-awareness. Huge disruption, pain and misunderstandings can take place. Please pray for us working to limit damage and bring closure to situations. Humanly speaking, it often seems impossible.

Many of our personnel across the Fellowship are struggling with administrative work-loads as they bring candidates into the Fellowship, or handle OMFers moving from country to country, or care for TCKs. We run an extremely “mean and lean” administration with relatively few folk handling large teams. Due to a lack of understanding among many churches, OMFers involved in this key line of work often struggle with low support levels. It can also feel very demoralizing to not be considered a “real” missionary even though through your work you enable dozens of others to thrive on the field. In addition, we have realized that we don’t have a single “joined up” process for handling people. There is no single version of our data – with dozens of small databases being used in various offices. Important information on people is slow to gather and inaccurate which means that decisions are sometimes made with little information.

So we have stepped out in faith to work on a single Information Technology software program that will act as a tool and a prompt to make life easier for our Personnel people. This is a colossal project which will involve every home and field, affect every member and take two years to complete. Jon Watts, an energetic, visionary IT specialist (who previously built Asia-wide IT systems for a major investment bank) has joined us as Project Manager to build what we are calling “Connecting People” – the International Personnel System. The scope of the project is exciting but daunting. Please pray for people with the right expertise to join the team, for the necessary funds for the project to come in and for the Steering Group set up for the project. This is the 2nd major project Steve is currently overseeing. The Group will have its first teleconference on 8th November – even this is a challenge as we are spread across three continents and 15 time-zones!

We're sorry for the long delay since we last blogged. Life has been far too busy just recently and we realise that we need to be careful to trust in God more and rely on our human strength less.

Joshua has worked hard in prep for his exams, knowing that his results would determine which IGCSE subjects he could take. He also faced the additional challenge of joining the class halfway through the year. He did extra work every morning before school for months to cover the gaps. The results are out and Josh has done well – coming top in geography, qualifying to take triple science next year (one of only four in his class to do so) and flying through maths. His most astounding paper was in Religious Studies where he completed the paper in less than twenty minutes much to the alarm of his parents! His mark was 96.5%! Last night he took the part of Hamlet in a Speech Night presentation of “Doggs Hamlet" which he loved. He woke this morning to the end of the school year, the start of the Christmas holidays, exams all over, subjects chosen for GCSEs and a successful play - life is good for Josh! Thank you for praying for him through this period.

Aimee has been happier at school these last few weeks. She gleefully anticipates her last few weeks of school where there will be a number of fun activities - she and Josh have different school years. We have had to restrain her from getting out the Christmas decorations – like her father, she enjoys the Yule-tide customs! After a hectic and hardworking year we are all looking forward to a week’s holiday in the Cameron Highlands after Christmas. Right now we are in the thick of the November Orientation Course. Aimee and Josh have gone off with some of the young people to explore one of the small islands off the Singaporean coast. This course will take us to over 120 new people that have joined OMF this year. Praise God!

With love
Steve, Anna, Joshua & Aimée

Euphoria!

“I don’t believe in God”, said YY, “that’s how I was taught in China. Science has all the answers. But I’ve begun to think again because of the change in my wife ZY.” ZY, a post-grad research scientist, came to Singapore a year ahead of neurologist husband YY. Through the outreach of a church here ZY came to faith. When asked what difference becoming a Christian had made to his wife, YY said, “She was always an anxious person, negative about the future. But since she became a Christian, she is filled with hope. In fact she’s often….” (scratching his head and reaching for a good word in English) “…euphoric!” Curious to see what changed his wife, YY is now studying the Bible (Genesis, at his request) every week with us and ZY, around a table at the foot of a tower block, in the warm evenings. “What do Christians think about the origins of the universe? How old is it? If creation is good why are there so many natural disasters?” Please pray for him to come to faith.

Steve beat a path to Dr Chan’s door once again for his first major heart review since April 2006. An ECG was done and a detailed scan. Dr Chan eventually said, “Steve, I’m glad to tell you your heart is back to normal.” No more leaky valves. No more poorly moving walls. No more enlarged bits. What an electric shock of delight it was! Another less serious exam result was also forthcoming recently as Steve and Josh’s clarinet grade results arrived. Both the boys passed well (although Dad did a little better than Josh to his secret relief!) We need to take a decision with Josh about what International GCSE subjects he will start in January – where did our little boy go?! Josh wants to take on double maths and triple science but the school have to agree that he is capable of handling it. Please pray that the right subjects are chosen.
Love from us all

Steve Anna Josh and Aimee

Number 917

A busy morning, phones ringing, impromptu meetings, a personnel crisis unfolding – then we were asked somewhat apologetically, if we had time for an elderly couple who had just walked in off the street, asking to “see someone in OMF”. Jim & Kaye had recently discovered that Jim’s great-aunt had served with the CIM. We heaved the old CIM registers out of a drawer, searching until we came to her name, number 917 to be entered. Against her name was the laconic entry, “Died, Sept. 1900”.

Jim told us more of her story. Emma Georgiana was 32 when assassins came looking for foreigners & Christians. She escaped the initial assault together with three colleagues & two children. They were hidden by local Christians in various mountain caves, trying to keep a step ahead of the soldiers. Emma wrote & hid letters in the caves, hoping they would be found & sent back to London (which they were). Her last letter reads in part “ ..we can only say God rules over all & must have some wise purpose in allowing all this to come to pass .…. it would be nicer to be taken & be with so many who have laid down their lives; but for the sake of the dear ones who may read this , & for the sake of the many who are still without Christ, one would like to stay for further service. The Lord is keeping one’s heart in perfect peace during this time of trial. We have heard that the people are coming, so we are going home to our Heavenly home. There I shall see you. Do all repent & meet me there. I have no time for more. The will of the Lord be done. Your loving sister, Georgie.” Emma was found by the armed men, dragged from the cave & killed by the road somewhere near the Ai-k’eo mountain ranges, not far from what was then Peking. A waste of a life? From the lives & witness of such people came the Chinese church. With China today becoming a global superpower, the presence of tens of millions of Christians to be “salt & light” in that society is a stark reminder of the wisdom & timing of God. Reminded of Acts 13:36 “for when David had served God's purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep”, together with Jim & Kaye, we thanked God for Emma’s life, asking to serve God’s purpose in our own generation.

Steve’s Mum recently joined us for a two week visit in Singapore. It was a whirlwind time but she womanfully pressed on through the full days! She enjoyed the IHQ team morning prayers, hearing the testimonies of the new OMFers as well as joining in the mid-year Day of Prayer. She mingled & helped out with the often noisy home visits with OCers in our flat. She went to Sentosa beach, joined the OC barbecue, was taken out for lunch to Little India, enjoyed evening walks with us in the Botanic Gardens & was also treated to a sumptuous Shanghai-ese meal with the Fung family.

We have a lot of speaking engagements coming up in August & need your prayers. Anna will be leading a day retreat for the ladies of Prinsep Street Presbyterian on the 4^th entitled “A Woman after God’s own Heart”. Steve will be speaking at Bethesda Katong on Acts 13/14 (!) on the 12^th & leading a workshop at the combined English Presbyterian Mission Conference on the 18^th, tackling the challenging issue of “Integrated Mission”. Then we’re enlisting Josh & Aimee’s help to lead the family service at our church, Adam Road Presbyterian on the 26^th. Anna will be speaking again on 28^th to the ladies of Bethesda Frankel Estate Church. We will study the Bible with 2 doctors from a large country near us starting on 8^th August. The wife believes but not her husband. Please pray he comes to faith.

Josh is hard at work at the Anglo Chinese School – even starting the day with a ½ hour of extra science to make sure that there are no gaps with the others in his new class. After a month he has settled well – we’ll hear more about it at a meeting with his teachers next week. Meanwhile Aimee enjoys her holiday, helping out at Kidzone at the July OC, looking after younger children. Steve & Josh received their clarinet exam results. They both passed comfortably, although the teacher told us the external examiner marking was tough this year. Phew! Onwards to the next level. With our love & thanks for your prayers,

Steve Anna, Josh and Aimée

The Pines & Ko Jaan

The sun is searingly hot at three in the afternoon. We have left the stifling 36 degree heat in our room – despite two fans, no clothes and lying perfectly still we pour sweat at any point that touches the mattress! We find out way down onto the beach, a good sixty feet away. Looking far out east from a white-sanded beach into the Gulf of Siam, we watch the rain drift down in huge gray-white, shifting curtains from huge cumulo-nimbus clouds onto the turquoise sea. Forked lightning dances within the dark, brooding masses. Minutes later the sound waves racing across the sea make land-fall and we hear the crack and rumble of thunder. Two rocky, jagged islands a few kilometers off the coast are picked out by rays of sun and enclosed in an iridescent arc of rainbow, touching the sea, arching up high over their irregular, saw-bladed ridges to touch down on the sea on the other side.

Unconcerned, a local fisherman and her young son patiently work in the sea, waist deep in the waves and covered from head to foot against the fierce sun. Coke and Pepsi, the “Pines” dogs saunter past us down to the waters edge and casually walk into the surf to cool off. We’re here at Prajuab in southern Thailand for a snatched week of family holiday at the OMF holiday home, “The Pines”. This is the narrowest part of Thailand, only 16 kilometres across from the sea to the Burmese border marked by tall, majestic peaks marching off into the blue horizon. Travelling here involved a 4:00 am start, a ride on the budget airline Tiger Airways, another taxi ride across the murderous, fume-laden, choking, heaving Bangkok traffic to the Southern Bus Station, a five hour bus ride south depositing us unceremoniously on the street in a small, sleepy Thai town. A short search turned up two motorcycle/side cars which chugged noisily along for twenty minutes to the gate of “The Pines”. We drop our cases and rush onto the beach – what relief!

“The Pines” has around 12 simple rooms, right on the beach. It is pretty full right now with a wide range of OMFers from Germany, Switzerland, Texas, Taiwan, Australia working across South East Asia, but presently all on holiday. We try and slow Aimee and Joshua down by offering them 2 baht holiday money for each length of the pool they do. They promptly rattle off 100 lengths each – more than a kilometer and earn themselves 2.50! We gulp, pay up and the next day offer only 1 baht per length. They respond by swimming 200 lengths!

We hire a boat locally and ask to be taken early the next morning to Ko Jaan, an island on the distant horizon. Our friends, Jannie and Marna who hail from Cape Town and have lived in Thailand for many years come along with Nerina and Kobus their children. Ko Jaan is a bird sanctuary – although birds nests are harvested there by small teams of men who live on the island for months at a time. Everything is brought out to them by small boat – even their drinking water. Birds nest is a Chinese delicacy used in making soup with supposed health benefits – certain swifts construct their nests, cementing them with saliva. These shallow cups are found high up on the walls of caves. One kilo of white swifts nest costs USD2, 000.00 and the red swifts nest can go up to USD10, 000.00! A lucrative business indeed. We arrive at the low point of a spring tide and our boatman initially can’t find a way through the ring of coral reef around the island. Cutting the engine and raising the motor, we manoeuver slowly with oars until it is shallow enough for us to leap off the boat and wade ashore, our gear held high. The boatman anchors offshore while we pick our way delicately through the clear water, exclaiming at the glories of exotic fish and corals we can see through the clear water while strenuously avoiding the wickedly spike-laden sea urchins. There is a small, brilliant, white-sanded beach surrounded by black and grey volcanic rock. The huts of the nesters cling precariously to the rock. Two pass us, with a heavy basket of freshly caught fish slung between them on a bamboo pole. Nerina skips over with Aimee to see what they have and chats away in Thai. The fishermen tolerantly laugh and chat back. As they prepare to go on, one generously hands over a gift of two fish half the size of Nerina! As we swim about with masks clamped to our faces, what we see is incredible – angel fish, brain coral, giant clams, clown fish, sea slugs, cowries bigger than my fist – the glory and massive diversity of creation is staggering. God is good!

With our love

Steve, Anna, Josh and Aimee

“Licking the outside of the watermelon”

“Those who are working cross-culturally to share the Gospel make up just 0.02% of the Christian church-goers worldwide. Many more could be serving cross-culturally, especially when we think of the one billion people in East Asia alone that have still not even heard the name of Jesus. There are seven hundred church congregations for every unreached people group in the world! So much of what goes on in our church life is reflected in the Korean proverb which talks about “licking the outside of the watermelon” – much activity but not getting to the sweetness, not getting to the whole point of what it means to belong to God’s people. “It’s not the church of God that has a mission in the world. It is the God of mission that has a church in the world.”

These quotes came from some of the Bible readings at the recent Joint Mobilisers and Candidate Co-ordinators Consultation. We had more than 70 people descend on us for a week of training and discussion. It was hot, noisy, busy, fast-moving and challenging as we continued to work out a part of what God is calling OMF to be doing. People met sometimes for the first time in years of emailing each other! It was a chance for some to seek forgiveness and reconciliation. One evening as we walked back on-site Anna and I looked around and saw little knots of people in prayer together. During the final two days we worked in small groups to discuss the challenges that we are facing and looked at ways to overcome them; this was both exciting and exhausting, with some staying up into the small hours of the morning to pull things together.

The May orientation course started here on Thursday last week. We were delighted to welcome a number of our workers from the Philippines, working cross culturally in their own country. Theresa Alibio has come with her eight year old daughter, Rejoice. Theresa and her husband Reuel had been working in the Southern Philippines. Four years ago, Reuel, known and loved by his adopted community, was riding home on his motorbike when he was stopped by extremist gunmen who shot him dead in broad daylight. They then proceeded to move his body, mockingly, into a crucifix position. They may have meant to mock but Reuel honoured his Lord in death as he had in life. Theresa courageously continues the work. Pray for Theresa, sharing the good news about Jesus in the Southern Philippines, while bringing up her daughter on her own.

Friday evening saw the whole Griffiths family joining in the games of the Orientation Course Fun Night! It was great to see Anna shrieking and leaping about, having a fine old time despite the busy week we had just been through. Her energy levels are so much better these days that we realize how ill she was before. Join with us in praising God for her good recovery. Josh spent a great week on a school trip in northern Thailand – trekking through the mountains and staying a night with one of the hill tribes before rafting back down the Mekong. Our grocery bill dropped by nearly 50% in the week he was away! He is somewhat nervously anticipating a move to the Anglo-Chinese School in a few weeks. Please pray for him in this additional transition.

With our love

Steve, Anna, Joshua and Aimée

This link will take you to a short OMF video clip. You may find some images disturbing.
ServeAsiaStingerMaster500kb.mov

Anna is home!

We collected Anna from the hospital this afternoon, following her MRI and review by the two specialists who have been looking after her today. Compared to the tense atmosphere this morning as they examined Anna, it was good to see them both relax as I handed them the results of the MRI. The MRI showed that Anna did not have either a cavernous sinus thrombosis or a retro-bulbar abscess - the complications which her husband and three other medics had all feared.

She did have a rip-roaring infection in all the sinuses in her head - “They’re all lit up like a Christmas tree” said the ENT surgeon, cheerily as he reviewed the pictures. Neither specialist can explain the swollen eye-lid adequately at the moment so they will follow Anna’s progress closely . Tests showed that Anna has grown a nasty bacteria and a mould in her sinus. She’ll need to be on some fairly heavy-duty treatment for a little while yet. Overall though the news is good. Thank you for your prayers.

With our love

Steve, Anna, Joshua and Aimée

Anna is unwell - again.

Today we had to take Anna down to the hospital. She began to vomit yesterday afternoon and had eye pain on looking to one side but it settled in the evening. On waking up this morning the area around her left eye was swollen. This suggests a potentially serious complication of her sinus surgery some weeks ago. She has just been wheeled in to have an emergency MRI. Please can you pray for strength and comfort for her (and the rest of the family). We will let you know the outcome as soon as we can.

I also had my six-monthly check-up with the cardiologist today so it was quite a stressful day. However, he decided to stop my heart medication and review me in six months. This is a great encouragement so we praise God for that.

All this comes in the middle of last-minute planning and preparation for the Joint Mobilisers and Candidate Co-ordinators conference with more than 70 people descending on us for a week of training and discussion as we continue to work out the implications of the call to prayer for 900 new workers. We feel caught up into a battle. We humbly ask your prayers for that consultation - for a deeper sense of unity and a greater desire to seek God glorified in East Asia through the declaration of what Jesus has achieved on the cross. Pray too that we would be able to play our part in it.

With our love

Steve, Anna, Joshua and Aimée

Klearance, Klebsiella, Klarinet, Ko-ordinators, Kala & Katherine

News from our home church in Zimbabwe has been distressing recently. We were concerned to hear that a funeral for an opposition activist killed recently during the violent disruption of a prayer meeting was to be held at the church with the threat of further violence.

Our pastor there wrote to us about the situation "We had a visit from the Police yesterday and I had given instructions for them to be brought to me. They were upset that we had not informed them of the funeral service. I said we never tell them about funerals and weddings as these are church functions and do not come under legislation – they agreed. They then asked if I knew who the person was to which I replied that that did not matter as ALL people are made equal in the eyes of God and the church exists for times like funerals, weddings and life issues. They asked us to give them a list of all the meetings we have each week and I said okay – I have nothing to hide. When we have meetings not covered by church issues we always ask for police clearance and they know that. When they said they wanted to go I asked them to stay a little longer so I could pray with them. So we had a great time of prayer together (well I did)… They did not know what to do – it was so cool! My staff were stunned to hear me pray with the men. One of the staff said to me “I thought I was mad… but you are madder”.

So we are all well and I feel God has used this incident for His good. I am challenged by the statement that for evil to prevail all that is needed is for good men to do nothing. I don’t intend to be accused of doing nothing." Please do pray with us for a resolution to the terrible leadership crisis gripping Zimbabwe.

We are so grateful for the calls, cards, letters emails and prayers for Anna recently. She has made good progress since her sinus surgery, with just a few hiccups along the way. (For the medics, culture of the organism showed she was harbouring a multi-drug resistant Klebsiella.) Healing of the sinuses has been good & Anna has a lot more energy & zest for life than a few weeks ago. However, she is still experiencing pain around her left eye & associated headaches. She has been seen by both an ophthalmologist & a neurologist & is presently on a course of treatment. If that does not give results she will need further tests. We would appreciate your prayers for this issue and for complete healing.

Joshua has been offered a place at the Anglo-Chinese School. (He must have done a good, quick job on those exam papers!) He starts at his new school in June – after just two weeks summer holiday. He is both excited & apprehensive at the change – please pray for him. Jamil, his close friend at the Canadian School is very disappointed that Josh is moving. Steve & Josh are working hard at their clarinet practice. We will be taking Grade Two exams next month…the strain is worse than final year medical exams!

From April 23rd-27th, we’ll be hosting the largest consultation that OMF has ever had here in Singapore, together with Jon Fuller, the International Director for Mobilisation. A (Biblically significant?) seventy-two people will be descending on IHQ from across the globe. This is the Joint Mobilisers & Candidate Co-ordinators Consultation (JMCC). Anna & I will be leading two full days of training for the candidate co-ordinators, the team that handle enquirers, that process their papers, keep in touch with them, sort out interviews, chase up on referees & help handle all the thousands of little details that need attention for folk heading for cross-cultural work. We’ll also be working with the wider group. Our time has been pressured lately what with Anna’s illness & a very busy Orientation Course that just finished last Friday. So please pray that we will find the time to pour into the preparation of our teaching sessions. We very badly need to get on with this!

Kala (from Sri Lanka/Ireland) & Katherine (from Canada) are two of Aimée’s school-friends whom she has invited to a sleep-over next Easter Saturday night followed by church on Sunday morning to attend an evangelistic Easter Sunday service for children. Katherine came along last year & really enjoyed it. Pray that the two girls will be able to come & enjoy the fun but also that they would be challenged by the Easter message.

John Updike wrote in celebration of the Easter news:

"Make no mistake: if He rose at all
it was as His body;
if the cells' dissolution did not reverse, the molecules
reknit, the amino acids rekindle,
the Church will fall.

It was not as the flowers,
each soft Spring recurrent;
it was not as His Spirit in the mouths and fuddled
eyes of the eleven apostles;
it was as His flesh: ours.

The same hinged thumbs and toes,
the same valved heart
that--pierced--died, withered, paused, and then
regathered out of enduring Might
new strength to enclose.

Let us not mock God with metaphor,
analogy, sidestepping, transcendence;
making of the event a parable, a sign painted in the
faded credulity of earlier ages:
let us walk through the door.

The stone is rolled back, not papier-mâché,
not a stone in a story,
but the vast rock of materiality that in the slow
grinding of time will eclipse for each of us
the wide light of day.

And if we will have an angel at the tomb,
make it a real angel,
weighty with Max Planck's quanta, vivid with hair,
opaque in the dawn light, robed in real linen
spun on a definite loom.

Let us not seek to make it less monstrous,
for our own convenience, our own sense of beauty,
lest, awakened in one unthinkable hour, we are
embarrassed by the miracle,
and crushed by remonstrance."

In Easter hope,

Steve Anna Josh and Aimée

Interceding Otorhinolaryngologist..eh?

Anna’s surgery last night took around three hours. The surgeon reported finding large collections of infected tissue, especially in the left maxillary sinus and ethmoid bone (for you medics out there). On reviewing Anna today, Dr Lim prayed with us and thanked God for helping him during this long surgical procedure in an area of the body where you don’t usually want any surgery! He was pleased with the way things went overall.

Anna had a somewhat stormy post-operative period with repeated vomiting and some bleeding. She also had considerable pain which necessitated calling the surgeon at one point. However some treatment resolved the situation. This made for an uncomfortable night but Anna was still able to come home today. She is now fast asleep having taken her vast collection of medications. She will be seeing the surgeon daily for a while – fortunately we are very close to the hospital. She will need ongoing treatment and weekly review for at least six weeks. Dr Lim told us today that we are 60% of our way through the intervention necessary to resolve Anna’s condition. There is still 40% to go in terms of good post-operative care.

Anna has been given two weeks off work. She is protesting (somewhat feebly) about this but really needs to get some rest as she has been unwell now for more than two months.

Joshua also had his marathon placement test today for the Anglo-Chinese School – two two hour papers with an obligatory break between them. He finished both in around an hour and talked the invigilator into shortening the break so instead of five hours he was home in two and a half! In a few days we will know if he was so quick because he knew it all or because he really didn’t understand the questions!

Thank you for your emails of love and support, assuring us of your prayers. We are so very grateful.

With our love

Steve, Anna, Josh and Aimée

Urgent Prayer Request

Anna going for surgery

Anna is going into the operating theatre today 5th March 2007. She has been seen by a specialist over the last few days who has put her on high doses of drugs in an attempt to control a chronic infection in three sinuses in the bones of her head. This has not worked well and so he has just taken the decision to operate on her this afternoon. The surgery will take around two hours and she will be in hospital overnight.

Potential complications are rare but because of rules regarding informed consent, the surgeon had to outline them to Anna. This has upset and frightened her, even though she is well aware that the chances of these things happening are uncommon.

Please pray for:

• The peace of God that passes all understanding to guard Anna’s heart and mind in Christ Jesus.
• The surgeon, Dr Lim who is an excellent doctor and a Christian brother who has been so generous and kind in helping us at this time.
• The children who will come home from school to find that Mum is in hospital.
• For a good outcome to the surgery and rapid healing for Anna.
• For the March Orientation Course starting this week – for Anna not to feel burdened about this.
• For Joshua writing his five hour school placement test tomorrow.

With our love

Steve, Anna, Joshua & Aimée Griffiths