Please check out the new videos I have posted on the financial support page. The first one you’ll see explains our what our finacial needs are. The second you will see if you click on the “give online” button. This video explains how to give online, the various options, etc. If you have any questions about those things, please feel free to give me a call or email us.

As many of you know, Allison grew up in Tulsa. Her whole life she attended Tulsa’s downtown First United Methodist Church, a very conservative Methodist church compared to what I’m used to in Dallas. Her family history at the church extends back a few generations when her grandfather was supported by them when they were doing missions in Kobe, Japan, where her father grew up.

Their missions board has asked that we submit an application for support from their church. Just last week over Easter weekend we had the opportunity to meet with their missions pastor and find out more about their missions focus and purpose. We wil be turning in the application for support in the next week and would ask for your prayers in how they might be involved in God’s mission for our work in Sudan.

As many of you know, Allison works at Park Cities Presbyterian Church in their World Missions department. Recently they invited us to come and speak at their monthly missions board meeting. Allison usually attends their meetings to take minutes and other administrative duties for the board. So I came at met her just before the board started their meeting. They asked a lot of great questions and got to really hear about our heart’s passions and discuss the kind of work we’ll be doing with SIM in Sudan. If you are a member at PCPC, I want you to know how much I appreciate sharing with your church and that they truely care for the work Allison and I will be doing.

Many of you have been writing me, surprised at how open I am about talking about God and my work in Southern Sudan. First off, I want to say I very much apprciate your concern. I’d love to tell you more about our (SIM) situation with the government and history in Sudan.

For many, many years SIM has operated in an office out of Khartoum, the captial of Sudan. The government is Islamic and Muslim in nature. However, they have realized the historic importance of the SIM organization and has never requested us to leave the country. There have been periods of time where getting a visa into the North of Sudan, mainly Khartoum, has been difficult, depending on the feelings toward the US that particular week. Most people do their language training there, so it has been important to be able to get into the city, even though our eventual field of service is in the South. So, for the most part, the government is friendly toward SIM and with our history with the country, it would take some huge changes for our relationship to change anytime soon.

As missinoaries, we have taken a big step forward. Yesterday we sent out our first support letter. Financially, we decided just to discuss our initial needs for this summer because they are so urgent. We will be sending a second later very soon detailing our long term needs. Most especially monthly support. Anyone who starts giving monthly right now can help us raise our “first time passage” (our initial flights onto the field, moving there, purchasing our initial needs, etc.).

Please pray that our letter is received well and that we are able to build a team of prayers. Also, that our financial support comes with little difficulty. It’s all in God’s hands. It’s at these times that we really learn to lean on Him.