Our work continues in Asia with additional girls added to almost every safe house for a record high at this time. They just had a big gospel meeting in Nepal and our girls from several safe houses attended and participated in a Bible Bowl quiz. 
I am looking forward to having help with the secretarial work in a couple of weeks. Carole Booker has been a supporter for many years, going all the way back to our days in China. Since we began the Save Asian Souls' ministry, she's traveled each summer to safe houses in Nepal, Laos and Thailand to spend two weeks at a particular safe house to teach Bible and English to the girls. She will be retiring from her teaching profession at Westbury Christian School in Houston, TX in about two weeks. She plans to begin working with me, first taking over the reports and work associated with Nepal where we care for approximately 240 girls. Each year, she raises almost $5,000 to provide a new outfit of clothing for each of the girls in Nepal so she has a very special interest and love for these girls.
One of our girls in Nepal had an appendectomy over the weekend. Considering that over 600 girls have come through either our sewing school or public school classes since we began this work in 2015, we have had a very small percentage requiring a hospital visit. We have not had any accidents or deaths but one girl does have a very serious and inoperable heart condition. We care for one young girl who is deaf but she is doing quite well.
Ronald and Gigi will be returning in June to begin travels to congregations to report about our progress and theirs at their Philippine orphanage (Casa Esperanza of Angels on Facebook). They will come visit up the first week in October before returning to the Philippines again. A group of Christians from Greenville, TX are traveling next week to CEA to conduct a VBS as they did last year. The children are excited about this special event. It is a great sacrifice and expense for this group to do this for the children. Pray for them to have a safe and good trip.
A personal update: In regard to my sprained and fractured foot, it's been a difficult situation. After wearing a boot for 9 weeks and the X-ray showing the bone had healed, I started walking carefully in a supportive shoe but pain continued when I walked. In fact, I had some pain in both feet adjusting to normal conditions. I was able to find shoes last week at DSW that give me total comfort when walking. After almost 3 months, it is so good to be able to walk without pain.
Ron continues his daily exercise programs (going to L. A. Fitness on his Silver Sneaker benefits with Medicare) and swimming in our condo pool. He liked to go swimming early in the mornings. Most residents in our complex have returned north and the pool is free of swimmers most of the day.
The exercise helps him continue to be mobile so he can completely take care of himself. Ron's cardiologist gave him a follow up visit last week in regard to a mitral valve done by the Mayo Clinic about 15 years ago. The Dr. said he'd see him again in a year. At our age, that is good news when a doctor says that.
I will be 88 next Sunday. I never expected to live this long and I surely did not expect to still be working 6 hours a day. To keep the work caught up, I need to work 8 hours a day but I quit early to spend time with Ron. The work is always there when I get up the next morning.
We are blessed and we thank God for the opportunity to do this work and to have the health to continue doing what we are doing. We are thankful for the many people who support our work and encourage us in so many different ways.
Thank you for your prayers for all of us and the girls and children we care for. May God bless you all!
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