Trip to SE Asia

Molly and Dave just returned from 3 weeks in Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. We saw many works God is doing in the midst of poverty and despair. We visited aids patients, orphans and others and prayed with them. We met quite a number of pastors and missionaries and prayed with them also after hearing their hearts. We saw Stephen in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam where he is teaching English. We visited S 21 prison in Phnom Penh, Cambodia where Pol Pot had nearly 7000 killed. We spend a day at the Angkor Wat complex in Siem Reap, Cambodia. In Vietnam we saw the first two churches of the CMA--in Danang in 1911 and in Hoi An in 1924. We visited a commune and church kindergarten in Hanoi, being accompanied be the Party Secretary for Women for that district.

God showed us a lot. Dave may lead a team back to Siem Reap, Cambodia this next summer to teach at an English Camp run by Bill and Ilana Labbezoo, Canadian CMA missionaries. We met several people who had attended the camp when we went to Siem Reap.

We have many great pictures and a deeper appreciation for the work our missionaries are doing.

Vy and Lana Receive Awards

Vy and Lana received academic awards at the honors night at Toledo Christian on 24 May. They both at grade points above 3.5 and get to wear their cords at graduation this Sunday 27 May. The girls are getting ready to move into an apartment and continue their education at Owens Community College next fall.

Lana and Vy--the COOKIE ladies

Lana and Vy spent some time earlier this week baking and decorating Valentine cookies for their friends and our family. Unfortunately snow cancelled two days of school and at this writing we are all sitting at home with the cookies ready to be distributed at school when we return. We got about 10 inches of snow yesterday and last night with the temperature at 10 degrees and blowing wind, we are ready for summer and 80 degrees.

Spirit Week at Toledo Christian

Lana and Vy are having a great week of spirit dressing at Toledo Christian this week. So far we have had Pirate Day, 80s Day, Class Color Day(black for seniors), and super hero day. On Monday the girls bought some eye patches and head wrap material and looked great--Arrrrgggh!! On Tuesday they tried to come up with something for the 80s but even Dad didn't know anything that made the 80s special. On Wednesday they dressed in black since it was the senior class color. Today they dressed as super heros. Lana was in her national dress for the heroic figures of Vietnam and Vy was cupid, complete with bow and arrows and a matchmaking service card. Tomorrow is school colors day and our homecoming football game with Hilltop is Friday night. Saturday the girls will go with their dates to the banquet--Lana with Luke McKee, a senior and Vy with Andrew Mawer who graduated from TCS last year. The girls are having a great year at TCS!

Dave&Molly's International Connection

Dave&Molly's International Connection

Saad, our Saudi Arabian student friend, came for dinner last Monday, 14 August. We had lamb--his favorite. We also played scrabble to work on his English. It was a fruitful time.

More From the Animal Room

Dave&Molly's International Connection
As you can see from the pictures, Lana and Molly have been hard at work adding to the animal pictures in the basement. Also, Lana's best friend from Vietnam arrives tomorrow for the year with us. Having the two girls, who will be seniors at Toledo Christian, will be so much fun.

Molly and Lana at Work

Molly and Lana have been hard at work in the basement toy room for the grandkids. They projected animal images on the wall, drew lines in pencil, and then painted in the animals. The first grandkids to see this will be Jeff and Brooke's this Thursday, 3 Aug. (Jonathan, Katherine, David, and Grace). We are looking forward to grandparenting again and have some things planned.

Working with Saad

Saad is from Saudi Arabia and is at the University of Toledo. He is polishing his English so he can begin classes in electrical engineering, hopefully next spring 2007. Every week or so he and Dave meet to talk about English words that Saad has questions about. He is working on vocabulary and some pronunciation. Saad is lots of fun and Dave and he have a great time. Today they started a blog for Saad like this one, worked on vocab. and played pingpong.

Lana Le is here!

We are excited to have a student from Vietnam now living with us for the 2006-07 school year. Her name is Lan Thanh Le (Lana) and she is from Ho Chi Minh City. Dave had her in Bible class last year at Toledo Christian (TCS) where she will be a senior this year. In the picture with her are Stephen (left) and his friend Jon Fortune. Both boys lived with her parents this past spring while teaching English in Vietnam.

We will also be hosting Lana's best friend Vy Tran, also a senior and from HCMC in Vietnam. Vy attended Keene HS in Keene, NH last year. She is due to arrive in Toledo on 17 August to start school on 21 August!