Accident

After dropping off the boys to school, I had forgot my cell phone and was returning home to pick it up before going to the office to give out finals. While coming up to an intersection, I noticed a young lady pulling up and stopping at a stop sign adjacent to me and then proceeding on. Since I did not have stop sign, I ascertained an immediate collision was about to take place, swerved, going up onto the curb, blowing out my tire, busting the wheel, hubcap, and bumper, losing control hitting a supporting cable to a telephone pole and up into a yard. However, the collision with her car was avoided. Thankfully, she stopped, called 911 and an officer came to discover she did not have her license nor proof of insurance with her. However, she was extremely honest and and admitted fault and was ticketed. Since then, we have discovered that her economic resources are bleak even though she does have insurance, yet she would like to pay for the damages directly. We are trying to work something out between her and our insurance company, a company that doesn't understand why we wouldn't allow them to pursue reimbursement. Will you help us by praying for this lady? She has just moved to town and asked about a church to go to. It is obvious she is not living a Christian lifestyle yet this appears that it might be a "divine appointment". We'll keep you posted... and hopefully, we'll get the car back in working condition soon!

BAM!

A couple of the exciting things about going to the NMC are the many exhibits of over 500 missionaries and mission organizations and the wide variety of workshops that are available throughout the day for everyone of all ages. Thursday morning I attended one specifically designed for Mission Professors and they discussed the latest trends in the world of mission. Specifically, BAM, or Business As Mission. The main thrust was that the only way we are going to reach the masses in today's world is through the world's marketplace. We need Christians in business, being Christian Missionaries. One of the quotes mentioned was "you can't make a missionary a businessman without a lot of effort, but you can make a businessman a missionary". So... what are some of you doing out there that someone else can't do? Willing to take your skills and expertise to a people who have no opportunity to hear the Gospel??

Workshops, Reunion & Evangelization Association

Wow... what a month! Besides being the sponsor for almost 200 students at the NMC, I also had 3 workshops to present. One was on "Where In The World Does God Want Me?", another was a different kind of workshop for me on "Pornography On The Mission Field" and it dealt with how no one, not even missionaries are exempt from sexual temptation and what one can do to protect oneself from this enslaving epidemic among our workers on and off the field. And the last workshop was a simulation game oriented event to show the basics of going cross-cultural as well as to describe the need of why we desperately have to have more Christians willing to 'go'.

Shown here is an activity that Steve Saint described in his book, "The Great Omission". A 300' red tape is stretched out and it is described as every inch represents 833,000 of those in the world who have not had an opportunity to hear the Gospel of Christ in today's world. Almost a million per inch! Then, another green tape is unwound to only 5 feet. It represents all those who are being reached by missionaries today. Again, every inch is 833,000 people who are being reached by current missionaries assuming every one of our 100,000 evangelical missionaries are able to reach around 500 people each. Well, you can vividly see the discrepancy... the short green tape and the unending red tape. Are you praying for more laborers into the Harvest field?

I used this illustration three other times this month. First during chapel at CCCB. Then, at my home church, Forum Boulevard Christian Church in Columbia, MO, that had a missionary reunion where they invited as many missionaries they support that could come for a 3-day weekend reunion. We each were given about 10 minutes to share how our ministries were doing and I chose to show why we do what we do by using this example. There was also a Central Missouri Christian Evangelizer's meeting at the Blue Ridge Christian Church, also in Columbia and again, with an emphasis on why we should be planting new churches here as well as abroad, it made a potent example of the need for us all to get out of the church building, and back into the world... making disciples.

While at the CMCE business meeting, we were greatly encouraged to see Mark Butrum, a CCCB alumni, leading out in a new church plant in Hallsville, MO and Russ Cobb, also an alumni and long time friend and supporter of our work taking a leadership role in this endeavor. Like an apple tree's ultimate purpose being to make other apple trees, churches need to be planting other churches... here and all over the world.

National Missionary Convention

We just got back from a rather long break where the students at Central were given an opportunity to go to the National Missionary Convention in Indianapolis and then were free to go home for Thanksgiving. With a lot of encouragement and promotion, we estimate there were almost 200 students from Central who attended at least part of the convention, many driving themselves, and over 100 going on two reserved busses that we provided. It was the largest convention ever and we were especially fortunate to have Central's Chorale present on Friday evening's main session. Many students are changing their major's to missions and we are so excited at the new prospects, especially among this year's freshman class!

China Time

Do you realize that those living in China are actually way ahead of us in the future? Well, perhaps not domestically, economically, politically or other conventional ways you would think but in actual time, yes, they are. They are currently 14 hours ahead of us! Remember that as you pray for those serving in East Asia... realize that as you go to bed, they are waking up. As you are waking up, they are laying down for a well deserved rest of a busy day that we are just beginning. I wonder, if you called them, could you get the score of the big game early?

Long Time Coming

I have just gotten back from the airport in St. Louis taking friends to see them off to East Asia. Our relationship with them started 5 years ago while the wife was a freshman at Central and we were on a year sabbatical from Taiwan. She joined me on 3 different trips, to Taiwan & China and the husband went along on one for a summer internship. Her passion started while she was in 8th grade and it was obvious as she became the student leader for the missions department at Central her last two years there. She graduated in 2005, married that fall, and spent the last year waiting for her husband to finish up his degree in Engineering at Rolla, Mo and raising support. They joined Team Expansion and are partnering with another young family with Outreach International.


A lot of discussions, meetings, phone calls, chats, training, preparations and vision sharing has taken place in the past 5 years with both of these couples. It is with great excitement that they are now where they long to be, and at the same time, they have become very, very dear friends. There was a point when we couldn't wait for them to come to us, and now, we are here and they are there. We think God sometimes has an ironic sense of humor. But it is all good. We still feel a part of their team, and will miss them, yes... but we know God is going to do great things through them. Pray for their adjustments as they begin language training and start to make God appointed relationships! Oh, and pray for us too... a piece of our hearts, a big piece, just went with them.

The Passing of a Friend & Missionary

Mark Randall Trotter

February 14, 1954 - September 9, 2006

We were blessed by attending the memorial and graveside services of Mark on Thursday & Friday. It was quite celebratory as he would have wanted and it was obvious that Mark's influence on others was only surpassed by the Lord's influence on him.

We first met Mark & Lyla and their 8 children 2 years ago while speaking at First Christian Church in Grandview, MO where my nephew Tom is the associate minister. The church has been supporting us and we were speaking and sharing the need for more missionaries to go to East Asia. Mark & Lyla answered that call and were preparing to go to Cambodia. Mark was a very successful dentist and he was willing to give up his practice to move his family overseas and use his skill to help further the gospel of Christ among the unreached.

While in missionary training out in Colorado in January, Mark was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor, inoperable and incurable. The past 9 months have been challenging for the Trotter family and many, many people were praying for them as were much of the student body here at Central. In order to keep people informed, Team Expansion hosted a web site: http://www.teamexpansion.org/caring4mark/ where you can find out more about the struggle Mark went through and about the Mark Trotter Foundation created by his sister in law to help with the incredible expenses of cancer treatment and to assist the ministry of the Rapha House of Cambodia to young girls who are victims of slavery and prostitution.

While Dezi & I were listening to the wonderful testimonies of Mark's family and friends during the Friday services, I became envious of the closeness they had with him during his life. I was looking forward to having a friendship with him in the future as they made their way to the field, knowing I would be visiting them often and getting more connected with their ministry. I felt as though a kindred spirit would have eventually developed and I mourned his passing.

Last week, Colan had to go to the dentist and it took 3 doctors and the nurse to hold him down for a simple extraction. We had previously benefitted from Mark's generosity when he invited our whole family
up to his practice before he sold it and worked on all of us. Then, a simple gentle word from Mark and his kind demeanor helped Colan go through a much more difficult procedure without restraint of any kind. When we told Colan of the sad news, he went to his bed and cried, saying Mark "was the nicest dentist he ever had."

Yes, Mark was a generous and kind person. Someone who loved the Lord and was willing to sacrifice all to serve Him in the harvest fields of East Asia. And while hundreds of people were saying goodbye to him at the memorial service, I, in my envy of the strong friendships he had surrounding him, thought that 'goodbye' wasn't the right word. Perhaps the Chinese have it right by not really having that word in their vocabulary, but at any kind of departure, they simply say, "Dzai Jyan", or "see you again". I'm looking forward to seeing Mark again... it's going to make me a better person, a better father, a better husband, and a better Christian by doing so. I want to have an eternity of opportunities to get to know a kindred spirit. I know he's there waiting.

So far so good...

School is just completing it's second full week and we are slowly getting in the groove again of having a regular schedule. It has been especially trying as I have had the opportunity to teach a new class for this semester called Spiritual Formation. It is a freshman course, and all the freshman must take it. It has been an excellent opportunity to get to know them early and encourage them in the area of serving God in the harvest fields.

Friday evening, we will be having our first ever 'Harvesters Retreat' at the West Central Christian Service Camp in Lamonte, MO. Tom & Duonna Worstell are the camp managers there. We have about 40 students signed up to attend and we hope to plan out the semester activities including Missions Emphasis Week in October and get started on Spring Break trips. For Missions Emphasis Week, we were able to invite Ted & Bev Skiles, from the Home of God's Love in Taiwan, to be our guests for the week. This is a great opportunity for the students to hear as we did over 23 years ago! That was the last time Ted spoke at Central!

Dezi has been busy teaching Chinese and running the Harvest House. She has help this year from Tabitha Palmer, a graduating senior who has been a big help. They have been busy selling coffee, cookies, frappes, t-shirts, hats, water bottles, hoodies and other new things. With these funds we are able to have a missions program, send students on mission trips and provide help for students in need throughout the year. Many people simply donate directly in order to help Harvesters in their ministries. Harvesters is a student driven organization that exists to promote missions among the students. We are the faculty advisors and find many recruits for East Asia among the members.

All is well with the family and we feel adjusted with having a new toddler in the house. Raena is now enrolled in pre-school and after only two days, she is speaking many new things in English. We primarily converse with her in Mandarin and our goal is to keep her bilingual if possible.

Keep coming back as soon we will be posting some information about our latest recruits who are in China!

School Begins and Opportunities Abound

It is going to be a great year as school has just started on Thursday and already we have over 100 signed up to join Harvesters, the mission organization on the campus of Central Christian College! We are preparing for our first planning retreat at the West Central Christian Service Camp where my brother Tom works as the camp manger in two weeks. We will plan out the annual Missions Emphasis Week and how to encourage our goal of over 200 students to attend the National Missionary Convention this year. Every year, interest in missions has been increasing.

Dr. Ron Oakes was inaugurated as Central's 6th president on Thursday evening and he mentioned in his address that Central has around 40 graduates out in 9 different countries. Looking at who and where they are, almost half, 18, are in Taiwan or China! Fourteen of those have gone within the last 3 years. We often get a little discouraged being here and away from the Chinese Harvest but the Lord has been able to use us to help send more laborers into those same fields. We can be content in his grace and in his grip. Thank you for being partners with us, in your support and prayers.

Ode to Hunny

Tonite, our Bishon Poodle, Hunny, passed away. Two months ago she was hit by a truck out front and broke her pelvic bone in two places and dislocated her back right leg. The doctor thought her diaphram was also ruptured and her breathing became heavier and heavier over the weekend. The boys are all distraught and cried themselves to sleep. She was 3 years old and we got her just after we returned from Taiwan for Colan's birthday. Of course, he is the most upset. Pictured here is Devin with Hunny and as they say, owners kind of look like their pets.

It takes time to adjust!

It has been awhile... time has flown by since our new addition, not that there hasn't been anything to write about. I will try and update more thoroughly over the weekend. For now...

Raena is doing really well and has adjusted to a new family very quickly. She has been testing her boundaries lately and it is definitely different having a little girl in the house. Suffice it to say we have been a bit exhausted and not much extra time to write. We had forgotten what it was like to have a toddler again!

We have two weeks before school starts and much has changed at Central this summer. A new addition to the main building, new coffee house and I have another new office. It all looks great and we are excited about the added classroom space and expanded cafeteria.
 
Two of our students have left for their first term in China. They will be studying the language for the next 2-3 years. Please keep then in your prayers as they adjust with two small children in a foreign land.

We will be leaving tomorrow for the Mississippi Valley Christian Service Camp for a weekend retreat. I will be holding two sessions on cell groups. The leaders are Ben & Jennifer Suchman, two former students at CCCB. There will be about 50 adults who are currently involved in small groups and want help with outreach among their members.

Our small group that meets in our home on Tuesdays has been going well and two old friends from High School have been coming, Mark Copenhaver and Stephanie Crutcher. It has been really good to renew our past friendship after 20 years!

We will try and post more regularly as our lives adjust to a new schedule. Thank you so much for keeping Raena in your prayers. We can certainly see the evidence of it!

Life is Good! Thank you Lord!

Today was a very early day leaving for the airport in St. Louis by 7am. David Fincher called and said that St. Louis had a terrible storm last night and many flights were delayed. He did a quick internet search and confirmed Dezi's flight was in the air. We got there just in time to find her flight was only delayed for 10 minutes. We were able to get a couple of pictures when the boys first met Raena. She was so shy but by the time she was in the van she was laughing and teasing her big brothers just as one of the family.


We went to Chad & Alicia Edwards folks house in St Louis where we experienced the power outage that affected a half million people and had a great time swimming and introducing them to Raena too. It was great for Raena as Caitlyn & Allyson Edwards are a little older and speak wonderful Chinese. We then drove back to Moberly, stopped by my folks apartment and showed her off for a few very sleepy minutes and then came home, introduced her to Hunny and her new room and now she is sound asleep.

In Ecclesiastes 3, it says, "What does the worker gain from his toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him."

After all the toil and the seemingly unending process, only these words can express what the Lord has given us this day, everything beautiful. All is well.

A Great Day of Taiwan Reunions, the latest pictures and only 3 more days!!

Wow... today was a great day. We got up and drove to Countryside Christian Church in Kirksville. It was a special day there as Jon & Amy Ralls and Chad & Alicia Edwards families were both presenting their work among the Chinese in Taiwan. The Ralls were challenging more to pick up the mantle in their stead as they have returned to the USA for some family medical reasons and are now working at CMSU in Warrensburg at the Campus House there. The Edwards were showing how far the church in Taipei has come and what the future is holding.


It was a very emotional time for them as they had built a very strong relationship during the past two years, and an emotional time for us as well as so many memories flooded through our minds today. The boys so enjoyed playing with their friends 'from Taiwan'. Eleven kids altogether as Keevin & Stephanie McGlumphry were also there as they continue to work with the International Students at TSU in Kirksville. It was indeed a good day.



Renae Sheldon sent some new pictures of Raena now that Dezi and Raena are in Taipei staying with her (at the Edwards apartment which is right below where we used to live, so it was much like going 'home' for Dezi). Thursday morning, at 9:58am, Dezi and Raena will be arriving in St. Louis!!! Woot!

Did you hear that? A big sigh of relief....??

Dezi called and said the last document arrived in time and the AIT accepted it. She can pick up Raena's passport with the visa to enter the USA as our child on Monday morning. THE PROCESS IS FINALLY OVER!!! They made it up to Taipei before the typhoon hit and are doing well. Dezi & Raena have been bonding well even though Raena went through a time of missing her house mother, or Ai-yi, (aunt). Here is a picture of Raena with her favorite house mother being silly.

Typhoon On It's Way

There is a typhoon about to hit the island of Taiwan, the first of the season. Dezi is on the northeast corner of the isalnd and it could easily hit that area. We aren't too worried about it as it is a common event, unless it would interfere with her flight out.

Dezi & Raena

Photos from Dezi & Misti Jennings

This was taken by Dezi on the train from Taipei to Lotung where the orphanage is.



This is Raena playing with her favorite house mother at the Home of God's Love.



China Girl in a Box!



Raena with a favorite toy. Hopefully, Dezi & Misti will send us a new picture this evening with Dezi & Raena together. They have been getting along pretty well though on Tuesday, Raena was a bit moody and Dezi experienced a little of what I had back in March. Raena was a little stand offish and wanted to be taken care of by her house mother. They are helping Raena understand the transition and the house mothers are having Raena get permission from Dezi before they do anything with her though. Dezi is confident Raena will bond soon enough however.




I took this right before Dezi left on Saturday with her boys. They are doing pretty good and enjoy talking to her everyday on the phone and counting down the days until their new little sister arrives. Ironically, it will be exactly nine months from the time when Ted & Bev first contacted us about the possibility of adopting Raena.

Waiting for a Picture...

Dezi called last night with someone special on her lap. Dezi was in tears and seemed over joyed at meeting Raena for the first time. She thought Raena was everything I had said about her and more. She put the phone up to her and she said "hello, big brother" to Ian in Chinese of course, and also said hi to me and that she missed me. Dezi decided to stay with Raena for the entire time and went on down to Lotung for the week to spend time with Misti Jennings and the Skiles. They should receive the last document I FEDEXed this morning by Thursday evening so Dezi will take Raena to the AIT office on Friday and complete the process once and for all. She plans on remaining in Taipei then and staying with Renae Sheldon at Chad & Alicia Edwards apartment who are currently on furlough and going to worship at the Taipei Christian Church and seeing all of our friends.

Today was a good day with the boys... of course, 3 of them were at VBS all morning and then stayed a couple hours at the Finchers house and an hour at the grandparents while I did errands and buy groceries. But we discussed new responsibilities and who is in charge of cleaning each room, doing dishes, etc. and so far it is going pretty smoothly. Joe & Regina Green had us over last evening for fresh corn on the cobb, and Sandy Fincher made us a great Taco casserole tonite. Aaron Wright plans on bringing a lasagne dish over tomorrow so we are being spoiled. That or they all worry about the boys with just me here!

I have had a couple of requests this week to make available the electronic versions of the books we have translated into Chinese for better access in China. So, I'm checking into the viability and copyright laws for this option. It does seem a better way to get the word out, however, we do not want to infringe upon some one else's labor.

Sherry Wallis is continuing to work for our Team Expansion office here at Central and she is also taking a part time position with Central in planning their big events as Public Relations Coordinator. It is a position she is well equipped for and has held this position in the past for Central. They are working on our new office that will be located in what was once the student union and mail room. We should be relocating (for the 5th time) within the next couple of weeks! This is a good thing as so much growth at Central is causing many changes to take place on a regular basis. There is a possibility that I may be teaching a new class for freshman this semester and I hope it will work out. If so, it will give me an opportunity to meet the new students much sooner as usually I have sophomores or upper classmen in my courses.

And yet again...

Sherry Wallis who has had a lot of experience in adopting two children from the Home of God's Love clarified that according to the Taiwan courts, Raena is in fact our daughter already. The last remaining detail is getting her visa so she can enter into the country. This is what we have been working on with INS & the Dept. of Homeland Security for the past month. This evening, or this morning in Taiwan, Dezi was to go to the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) with Raena and after a short interview, would receive this visa. However, we were one document shy of being successful. Another form (the I-600 Petition to Classify Orphan as Immediate Relative) with my signature is needed and I have already downloaded it and signed and am waiting until the morning to FEDEX it to Taiwan hopefully by Friday when they made their next appointment. The I-600A is what we submitted on this side to the INS and apparently the AIT in Taiwan needs the I-600. An easy fix yet another postponement to finality.

She's Gone!

After a great week of simply relaxing and enjoying our family and friends, and one day of severe sunburn pain, we were able to get Dezi to the St Louis Airport on time. As I type this, her plane should be landing in Taipei. I had called the Skiles after she left and they said the final appointment with the American Institute in Taiwan (the equivalent to the U.S. Embassy in countries that are recognized as such, Taiwan is still recognized as a renegade province of China) is going to be at 8am on Monday morning which is 7pm Sunday evening our time. This is where they interview Dezi with Raena present. It will be the first time Dezi sees her! Misti Jennings, a student at Central on her internship with the Skiles will be bringing her up from Lo-Tung where the orphanage is located. Please pray for Dezi & Raena as they get acquainted for the first time. After this meeting, I am told, Raena will be officially adopted. We will still have to apply for her Social Security card and other stateside documents, but the waiting is over.

I do want to mention someone who has worked very hard on our behalf. Wendy Coryell of Gateway Travel in Dallas, Texas, has worked overtime on getting the best possible flight and ticket prices for Dezi's trip and Raena's return. We have had over 5 different itineraries trying to get Dezi there as soon as the process was complete. At the highest season to fly she found relatively cheap tickets and a very direct flight. In fact, it is the shortest amount of time we have ever been able to get to Taiwan and direct from St Louis, to L.A., to Taipei. If you ever need a trustworthy travel agent, contact her at 1-800-878-2828. We have used her for many years and Team Expansion & Formosa Christian Mission always check with her first on most flights. Thanks Wendy!

Family Vacation

We are now on our family vacation down in Horse Shoe Bend, Arkansas. It is at Crown Point which is a place out in the middle of no where where one can just relax. We can get wireless internet service in the Rec Center and have to walk up the hill to get cell phone service which is great for what we need as a family right now! No distractions and just quality time with our boys and our friends, David & Sandy Fincher who so graciously provided a week of their time share for us. You can read more on their blog at http://finchers.blogspot.com/. More later....

Pray for Tim & Kylene, Kyle & Tracy...

My brother Tim called today and said that his first grandson, born 4 months premature, passed away today. Kyle & Tracy Worstell, my nephew and his wife are mourning their first born son, Mason, and will be having a grave side service in Illinois on Monday. If you would take a moment to remember them before our Father's throne, we would really appreciate it.

Did we say 'roller coaster' yet?

Everything seems to be going in the right direction and Dezi is planning on flying out on July 8th now. We received an email from Ted Skiles saying, "...the court has received the signed paper back from the prison where the mother is (meaning she received the court adoption contract), but they have not received the signed paper back from the prison where the husband (step-father) is (meaning he hasn’t received the court adoption contract yet). We don’t expect a problem, but we aren’t sure of timing. The court won’t issue the final paper until they get that signed paper back from the step-father’s prison." So please keep praying that all these steps will be fulfilled one by one as our Heavenly Father wills. Ted encouraged us to pray without ceasing as laying all our cares and concerns before his throne is the surest thing. Will you continue to pray with us about our adoption of Raena? Thank you....

It's Official!!!

Woot! We were praying that we would receive word today from the Dept. of Homeland Security that our adoption request would finally be approved before the long holiday weekend postponing any decision until Wednesday of next week. After 5pm and no call, we were a little, okay, a lot disappointed. However, around 6:30pm, Kathy Randall from INS called and said that it has been officially approved we may go get her at any time! They had stayed late in the office to get this through before the weekend and we appreciate so much their extra work at the last minute and to Frank Block of the Love Basket in working so quickly at getting the home study requirements fulfilled. We appreciate Melinda Stanley who worked initially on the home study and has been praying for a quick resolution. Many of you have been praying too and we are so relieved now that the long, long process is over. Dezi was able to get the earliest ticket to Taiwan which is July 8th and will return on July 19th with Raena. We thank God for giving us the strength to endure even though many times it was very difficult. Words can't express our joy at this time. We begin our last family vacation with just the boys in the morning as we travel with David & Sandy Fincher and their family to Arkansas for a week of rest. We are emotionally and physically exhausted so God's timing at giving us great peace before we left is truly amazing. Thank you all for praying so hard on Raena's behalf. She has been getting healthier these last few weeks. Dezi will spend a few days in Taipei getting over jet lag, meeting with our coworkers and Chinese friends and then go to the Home of God's Love to spend a few days getting used to a new daughter as she gets used to a new mother before returning home. We will keep you posted!

Adoption Update

We received a call today from Frank Block, the director of the Love Basket, an adoption agency. He said the home study will be sent to the Department of Homeland Security tomorrow, on Wednesday. So, hopefully by Friday we could hear some good news. We are very thankful for how fast Frank was willing to process the new home study. We have another ticket reserved for Dezi to fly out on July 9th. The Chinese are very eager to see her as it has been 3 years now since Dezi has returned so she will spend a few days in Taipei getting over jet lag. Then she plans to go spend 5 or 6 days at the Home so Raena can adjust in familiar surroundings to having a new mom and then return by the 22nd which is later than we hoped but the only seat available.

We covet your prayers now more than ever that the home study will be approved and Raena will be granted her immigration status. This is the LAST step and the most important. It can also be held up by many arbitrary things as we have seen already. We are hopeful as we believe that God is working through all these things for his glory.

Mike's Father, Sister, Nephew & Dog

Today we took my Dad down to Boone County Hospital to have two more stents inserted in ateries by his heart. They were 90% blocked. The procedure went very well and he is doing great. This should give him more strength and be less strenous for him to walk. He should be home on Wednesday. Thank you for praying for him since his heart attack in May.

Please be in prayer for my nephew and his wife, Kyle & Tracy Worstell. They had a premature son two weeks ago and the doctors are unable to stablize his condition. They are waiting for Kyle to return from serving in the Navy to take the child off of life support which will be some time today. It is taking the family pretty hard so please keep Tim & Kylene in your prayers as well.

My sister, Lillie Schoville, is flying in this weekend to spend a week with my folks. She will be staying at our home yet we will be gone on a family vacation with the Fincher family. We are looking forward to some quality time with our boys before their little sister arrives. Lillie will also be able to watch our dog Hunny, aka. Tripod. She was hit by a truck a couple of weeks ago and has lost the use of a hind leg. She's doing great though! She's taught us a valuable lesson that no matter how difficult things can get, you can just be thankful that you still have 3 legs to stand on.

New Cell Life

One of the things we have missed the most while being back in the U.S. is the cell church life we had in Taiwan. While desiring to have cells started here, we haven't felt like we had enough time to do something new. We thought we could handle the extra load of helping other core group leaders start the new Discover Christian Church that meets on the campus of Central Christian College on Sunday mornings with the hopes of starting various cell groups, but after training many potential cell leaders, we never had the time or energy to start our own cell group. We have recently relinquished our role with Discover and are attending Timber Lake Christian Church (formerly Union Avenue). Now we felt it was time to begin a cell in our home and we contacted 3 other couples who have also wanted to help. After meeting for the first time last Monday and praying for those we would like to reach out to, our second meeting brought 5 new contacts. In fact, we had 13 adults and 8 children attending in our living room! We have been very encouraged by this group of people already as they have been on the front line of encouragement through our adoption struggles of the last two weeks. That's what cell life/church life is supposed to be... carrying each others burdens and fulfilling the law of Christ.

Possible Resolution... or from Despair to Hope!

The last two days have been the most trying yet in the adoption process. We were informed by the Dept. of Homeland Security that our home study was being rejected because of the preparer not being licensed in the State of Missouri for Child Placement. The home study is the most crucial part of the process as it is used in every step. It is also one of the biggest expenses other than traveling to pick up the child. This was a devastating realization and we were on the phone for hours trying to find a way. We had to come to the point where God alone would work it out and for us to have the patient and peace that would calm our spirit. During the myriad of phone calls, we actually called the Director of Child Placement for the State and he was visiting an adoption agency called the Love Basket. It was an agency initially recommended to us and their director talked to me on the phone and said they would try and help us out. True to his word, he called a few hours later and said that he personally would conduct the requirements and come to our home in the morning to do the in home survey. He came this morning as promised and after 3 hours of interviewing and another walk through in our home, he said he will rush the process and we should have a new approved home study by Wednesday of next week!!! What could have been a disaster has turned out only costing us about 2 weeks. Once the Dept. of Homeland Security receives the new home study, they also have promised to rush it and if all is in order, will approve our request for Raena's visa immediately.

Now, we are going to patiently wait until we get the news that the home study is approved and then arrange for Dezi's flight and we are anticipating it could be as early as next Friday now. We have had a family vacation planned for the first week in July for almost a year and were hoping to bring Raena along. We will have to wait and see what transpires for now.

Thank you so much for your prayers. We have coveted them and are thankful for the many emails we have gotten encouraging us. It was especially comforting to know that there are other adoptive parents out there who have gone through similar circumstances. There has also been an outpouring of very generous friends and family who realized the extra costs of another home study as well as the travel we are expecting and return ticket of Raena too. We thank God daily for your thoughtfulness.

So close but yet...

We really, really need everyone to pray right now. We actually have a reserved ticket this Friday for Dezi to fly out to go pick up Raena, yet we haven't been successful in resolving the issue with the Dept. of Homeland Security. It appears our Home Study preparer is not on the licensed Child Placement Agency list for the State of Missouri and that is the hold up. It wasn't an issue with our previous agent but now is the one thing holding it up. Without this approval, Raena will not be allowed in the US. We have been calling various agenices but have yet to find one who will sign off on the home study in a timely manner. Some want 6 months of process and insane amount of fees. This is a huge roadblock for us and only God can give us a way through. His grace is sufficient and we need you to pray for us right now.

The Model of Compassion International?

Everyone in the U.S. that is a part of Christianity has probably heard of Compassion International or a similar organization that sponsors children in poverty stricken areas of the world. If you were to become a member you would send in a rather small monthly amount and in return you would receive a picture of 'your' child and a small biography with quarterly updates on the child's educational, physical and sometimes their spiritual condition.

I've been thinking about that model and I need your input. Perhaps it is just a passing thought, but maybe we should consider this model a bit more in other applications.

For example, we had a couple come over to our home last week that have just graduated from Central. They have been wanting to go to the mission field, and of course, they are interested in China or Taiwan. :-) The problem is they are new to the faith. They really do not have a relationship with any churches that would want to support them and most of their Christian friends are their age and either in school or similarly just graduated and looking for positions too.

They are definitely worthy of support. They are mature, have a heart for the lost, have a plan, and could leave tomorrow. The problem? They have no support nor do they have a support base to draw from.

While we encourage churches to raise up Timothies from their own congregations and fully support them, what about potential candidates like this couple? What about unchurched people that become Christians and feel called to go yet have no one to turn to for support?

Perhaps, we should start a program like Compassion International. We could send you a picture of new recruits, send you a regular update from time to time on their physical, emotional and spiritual condition, how they are progressing through language school and their various accomplishments. In turn, you could support them with a certain amount each month. Why, we could even have an automatic withdrawal system to make it so convenient for you!

Well, what do you think?? Post a comment and give us your thoughts... ;-)

Yet Another Road Block ... (insert the sound of tires screeching to a halt here)

In less than 10 days the orphanage should receive confirmation from the local judge that Raena is good to go from their perspective. However, we have run into a significant roadblock with the Department of Homeland Security who now handles all immigration details. The new agent that is handling the case wants every 't' crossed and every 'i' dotted and she has found semantic issues in the home study that she wants corrected. For example, the home study reads, "the Worstells are recommended for adoption" and apparently it should read "the Worstells are approved for adoption". There are 6 similar problems that our social worker needs to correct and one larger issue concerning licensing that is paramount. Our social worker isn't approved for child placement and needs to have one that is to sign off on her prepared home study. With the new Homeland Security rules, this has become very specific and even though we have gone through the same people and process as our coworker, Sherry Wallis, as she adopted her two children from the same orphanage, the rules are now different and more difficult for us. This is a very, very important issue and only God can make this work out without our needing to redo the entire home study with a new social worker, a SIX WEEK PROCESS! Our current social worker is negotiating today with the DOHS and she called and asked for our prayers that she can be convincing and they realize what is in the best interest of the child and not the bureaucratic system. PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO PRAY with us. We are so close to the end and do not want to go back to the beginning!

Great News on the Adoption!

The past two days have been going so quickly it has been hard to get time to put this update in. We were going to ask you to pray over the court date that was moved up from June 20th to today, June 8th and yet, with the time difference, Ted Skiles has already written and said that it went well.

In his own words, "“Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land.” Proverbs 25:25

We’ve been back from court for about an hour. Things went very well, except for the slight dressing down I got for being so “Ji” (in a hurry if you don’t recognize this romanization ). Anyway, the judge was pretty nice about it, but he said he hoped this wouldn’t happen again as they have so many cases to deal with. I assured him that we don’t try to push like this normally, but that Raena’s case was special!

Anyway, after all was said and done, he said he would speed it up. I actually expect to receive her first paper sometime next week and her final paper the next, so Raena could be ready to go by the end of June, Lord willing."

This is really good news and the only thing we need to receive now is approval from INS here in the U.S. We called the agent this morning to find that she had retired and all her cases were being handled elsewhere and that it may take time. After explaining Raena's medical condition, they said they would try and expedite it. Once her visa is approved, and Ted receives both papers from the Judge, we can send Dezi over to Taiwan to pick her up! Praise the Lord and keep praying!!

Past Newsletters & Updates Reminder

We want to remind everyone to please send us your email address if you have not received an update from us in awhile. We are trying to stay away from printed mailings because of the costs. Our mailing lists had become corrupted and we are still in the process of rebuilding it and need your help in this way.

Our website is also being updated, www.candleonchina.org, and you may go to our Newsletter Archive area to see the latest updates as well as our newsletters from the past.

Summer challenge - patience!

Today, we were able to receive Dad out of the hospital and he is now back at home here in Moberly and doing much better. With the new stents, his heart is having more oxygen and he has more energy. He will need to have two more stents inserted in a few weeks so we are very grateful that his heart was strong enough to endure.

We called the Home of God's Love this evening and Bev Skiles said that Raena is doing much better yet still had a rather high white blood cell count showing infection but that it was getting lower. She should be able to leave the hospital tomorrow and they are taking many tests to discover what is causing her seizures. Right now, it appears they are triggered by fevers. She was diagnosed this time with acute pneumonia. Bev also said that sometimes the adoption process takes longer than we anticipate and that it could be August before we receive the final word.

So, we are trusting in the Lord's direction and trying desperately to control our own expectations. (Proverbs 16:9) Regardless, it is going to be a long summer!

What's Next? Wait... I don't want to know!

Can we ask you to pray for us right now?

This was the last week of public school and our boys are glad to be free for another summer. On their last day, Dezi took them to Long Branch lake to the beach for a surprise along with Sandy Fincher and her children. It was a beautiful sunny day and one of our sons neglected to get sunscreen on. So, Thursday evening, Talon started itching really bad and had what is called sun poisoning. He was literally screaming at the pain and since I have had it a few times, we were trying everything we could think of to help. We called the emergency room and got advice and finally at about 2am he calmed down enough to fall asleep.

Can we ask you to pray for us right now?

One hour later, we received a phone call from the assisted living home where my folks are living in an independent cottage. My father was having a heart attack. I rushed over in time to meet the ambulance and he was taken to Moberly Regional. There they decided quickly to transfer him to Boone County Hospital in Columbia. He had a 100% blocked artery and after angioplasty and a stent, has stabilized and resting comfortably in ICU. He will be there through Monday probably. It was apparent another artery is almost blocked so he will be having another stent put in at a later date. All three brothers made it to the hospital to be with him in the morning and pray for him.

Can we ask you to pray for us right now?

After one hour's sleep that evening, I finally made it home in time to greet Dezi's sister and her husband who are visiting for the weekend. We were talking about Raena so I checked email to see if they had gotten the final paperwork yet and there was an email saying that Raena had two more seizures and had stopped breathing and was again in the hospital. We called to get the latest and she has stablized and more tests are being done. We are torn with our desire to have her here and to go be with her.

Can we ask you to praise God right now?

Talon is feeling much better.
Dad is stabilized and in no pain.
Raena is being treated and is doing fine now.
God is giving us the strength and patience we need as we go through trials like these.

New & Improved Family Picture

No, she's not with us yet, just a special effect done by Nick Farr at the Team Expansion home office. Can you tell which child is being adopted?

Candidate Lab

Whew! What a month! So much has been happening it is hard to cover all the events. Right now I'm writing this from Louisville, Kentucky at the Team Expansion main office observing Candidate Lab. It is a week for new recruits to become assimilated into Team Expansion's passion and protocols and receive training in raising support, creating a mission budget and other practical skills. Three of these recruits are headed for China & Taiwan! Dezi has her hands full taking care of the boys by herself so please pray for her stamina during this time.

This is finals week at CCCB and I was able to give all of mine last Thursday, grades were done by Friday (thanks Sherry!) leaving me free to attend Candidate Lab. I will return to Moberly for Commencement on Friday, May 19 which is our largest graduation to date. It's always hard to go through this time of year. Making so many relationships with the students and then having them graduate and leave is exciting but also very emotional. They have a way of getting into your heart! It is fulfilling however, to see more and more go out into the Lord's harvest each year.

We have run in to another hold up on Raena's adoption and hopefully we can resolve it on Monday so please pray. The judge in Taiwan has given a court date of June 20th to decide the case and we are hoping to have it moved up for Raena's medical situation. Thank you for faithfully praying for Raena and our patience!

So, How Was The Picnic?

We are glad you asked!

Scott & Angie Pagel are back on furlough from Taiwan and they were able to spend a couple of days in our area. They did a wonderful job on campus talking to students, challenging them to consider missions, and reuniting with students who have taken short term mission trips to Taiwan already. On their last evening, we had a picnic in a local park and invited a few students who seem the most interested in working in Taiwan to come along.

The next morning, two of the couples and one young lady all downloaded the application from the Team Expansion website and are applying to go to Taiwan as soon as they can! That's five more workers for the Chinese Harvest! We should have picnics more often!

Introducing Raena Marie Worstell

This is Raena Marie at our very first meeting in Taiwan at the end of March when taking a group of 17 Central students there for Outreach Week. As of this posting, we are still waiting and it could be 8 weeks or late July before Dezi can go and get her. Please pray for Raena as she has had some serious allergic reactions and is susceptible to bronchial irritations. She has also had a couple of high fevers lately that has led to seizures. She is a very sweet little girl and our whole family is very excited about her arrival.

Our Family Picture

This family picture was taken in January, 2006. Standing from left to right are Ian & Talon. Sitting are Colan, Mike, Dezi & Devin. Of course it isn't showing the newest member of our family, Raena Marie! We are still in the midst of the adoption process but are hopeful that before Spring is over, she will join our family from the Home of God's Love in Taiwan. Check back soon for some new pictures of her from Mike's visit to Taiwan in March.

How you can tell God is working....

Two things happened of significance today.

First, we got a call from a supporting church wondering what has been going on lately in our ministry. We have been struggling to figure out a new medium to convey what is happening since prices have really skyrocketed in printing and mailing out a regular newsletter... over $900 the last time we mailed out in November! As we have tried to email out updates, we have discovered that our server only allows 100 to be sent at a time so many people were never even getting our updates at all! (We have over 600 on our mailing list!) We are now reconfiguring our address book so that everyone will receive them but it is taking a lot more time than we anticipated.

The church representative also mentioned that some people in their congregation are wanting to support a missionary who actually lives overseas. We certainly understand that position and at one point in our lives, we would have agreed. Now, we see how God has been leading so many to consider the Harvest fields of East Asia, how 21% of all decisions made at last fall's National Missionary Convention were from Central students, how I just returned from Taiwan with a group of 17 students, half of which have expressed specific interest in returning to work full time, and how at least 12 students have inquired about taking Chinese classes for Dezi's third year in teaching the beginning course, we believe this is where God wants us, and though we'd rather be living and working in Taiwan, for now, here is where we are doing a greater good. Over 60 are in the pipeline to work in China or Taiwan from Freshman to Graduate students including other non-traditional students. (These are students who have been out of school for some time and working in secular jobs or ministry and have returned to complete their education. Most have families.)

The other significant event? A young couple who went with me on the Taiwan trip, Devon & Megan Pinkerton, just came into my office this afternoon and expressed how they made a decision this weekend to no longer say "if we go to Taiwan" but "when we go to Taiwan". Making a difference?

Welcome!

We hope to use this opportunity to let you see what we see everyday! So many are interested in serving in the harvest fields that we are more convinced that God has led us here for a purpose and that He is definitely planning something great for East Asia!

For example, just last week, in one afternoon alone, 7 people came in to the office to see what steps were needed to work in Taiwan. One couple still has two years before graduation, one couple has already graduated and ready to go, and the three singles are interested in forming a team to go and work together!

And everyday, more requests are coming in and we want to share with you specifics of our day to day lives. Look back often!