April is a busy month!

Ronald and Gigi are in the U.S. traveling and giving presentations to congregations about their orphanage work in the Philippines.   

They spent some days clearing out their house in Woodstock, GA to put it on the market.  They had the first and best offer in one day so their closing will be early in May.   Their travels this trip will take them from Georgia to Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky and Florida.   We will see them here May 19 and then they return to Atlanta, turn in the rental car and leave on the 21st for the long trip home.  It is a hard trip covering two months.    They will return within 190 days to look for a smaller home where they can invest the money from the sale of their home in Woodstock, GA to keep from paying capital gain on the sale.   They must have a U.S. home for Gigi's green card status to be valid.

We have good news to report because starting this month, Ronald is also working with SAS as our main fundraiser.   Both of our mission works are under the Red Boiling Springs church of Christ.  Most of the churches he reports to also support our SAS work so he will combine the report to update both mission works with each presentation.   Ronald is learning everything about our work under Ron's guidance so he can take over the work Ron does whenever the time comes that it is needed.   He and Jackie Feng will be able to do all of it in the future.  In the meantime, Ron will continue to work as long as he able.  With Ronald joining our work, there will be no concern about our work continuing whenever Ron and I go home.   We are not retiring, but we will be forced to scale back as health conditions press on us.  We feel very blessed that we have been able to do this work until now.  Ron will be 87 in June.  I will be 86 in May.

When we moved to Florence, AL in 1966, we established some friendships that remain to this day.  One friend just spent a week with us at our condo in Florida.   Her husband and Ron worked together on a couple of occasions.   He went home to be with the Lord a few months ago.   It was a good week spent with her but reminiscing about our times together and now the loss of her husband made it bitter sweet at times.  

A dear male friend (and supporter of our work) in Aransas Pass, TX is at the point of death as I write this.  His 97 year old mother died a few weeks ago and he will join her in Paradise soon.    His sweet wife has become a very close friend over the past few years and the days ahead will be hard for her.   

Just a few hours ago I also got word that a dear lady in AR who has supported both of our mission works is not doing well after going to a facility and is now in the hospital.   

A dear Christian man who provided funds for one of our orphanages in  China many years ago in his own son's memory, passed away recently.  

It is our generation that is reaching the end so we know it is time to lose all these wonderful people. While we are happy for those who have left the troubles of this world for a better home, it is still very hard for loved ones left behind to cope with the day-to-day trials without them.    

Our work continues to go well in Nepal, Thailand, Laos and the Philippines.   Jackie Feng, our co-worker has just returned to his home in Memphis as he and his wife have visited most of the SAS safe houses the past few weeks.  

It will be very helpful to him in the future to know the workers in the field personally and have a full knowledge of how the safe houses operate to care for the girls.   Some girls graduate and move on so our number is flexible but remains close to 300.

This is one of the safe houses in Nepal.  The man on the left in the back is Sagar, the director of the preaching school and worker with SAS.  

  

Four of these girls were baptized this week. 

Please pray for Ronald and Gigi in their travels and for us as we deal with aging problems and continue to do our work with SAS.   Thanks to everyone!   May God bless you with good health and peace.