2003-07-12

July 2003
WE ARE TEXAS BOUND!
In a little over a week we are heading home! It’s hard to believe That our 3-year commitment is completed on July 18th and we will be home for 6 months before we begin our new commitment as Career Associates with the International Mission Board.

Thank you all so much for your prayers throughout our time here. Please know that we could not have done this without your supportive prayers to the Lord on our behalf. Will you begin praying if He would have you continue our partnership? We will contact you about that later.

For now, we just want to share some praises from our last email to you:
• BSF had a good strong remnant of about 40% those last few weeks, even though SARS was at its peak! Many testified that they came to study the bible in English, and they met a living Savior through the word of God and began a relationship with Him!
• One lady testified that she learned the words the hymn “What a Friend we have in Jesus??? at BSF and taught it to her mother as she sat by her sickbed. The mother listened as her daughter sang and read the bible, and one day she pulled her idol necklace off and testified that Jesus is her true friend!
• We had 75 % pre-enroll for next fall’s study of Israel and the Minor Prophets. Charla Duggins from Houston Texas will come teach the DW class in my (Fran’s) absence.
• Our trip to Thailand went well as the planning team defined tasks for Jan 04 AGM – to prepare for Concord Baptist of Knoxville, TN to come minister to our m’s in Asia.
• The 2004 budget process went great! We had a team twice the size of the previous two years, and we completed the entries and printing in half the time. We are blessed to work with a supervisor with excellent administrative & people skills!
• Travis has made the decision to move to Ft. Worth (within a week after our arrival).
• Paige has made the decision to put in OKC for now.

Here are some immediate prayer needs:
• As we pack – that we will wisely know what to store in Taipei, and what we will need to have with us in Dallas for the next 6 months.
• That the Taiwan Government will complete our Residential Visa process and Alien Resident Certificate so we can depart on schedule Friday July 18th.
• Pray our 10 bags of luggage will make the flight safely & clear customs smoothly.
• Pray for our travel safety and ability to rest while enduring the long flight and the 5-hour layover in Tokyo (20 hrs total.)
• Pray for a grand reunion with Paige and Travis & our families.

We will write again after we get settled in and give you our address and phone info.

Thank you again for all the many prayers you have invested in us, in our family, in the ministry for the IMB and with the people of Taiwan.

As Bonnie Bessie, my grandmother used to say, “’til you’re better paid???!
1 Peter 5:4
Love,
Jackie and Fran