Kassen is a graduate! We had a great ceremony together with about 2500 or more people all celebrating the accomplishments of their children. We were excited to have Kelli home from Baylor and there with us to cheer Kassen on. She has received many great compliments from her teachers and I am sure it is just the beginning. She has committed to go to Hope International University in Fullerton, CA in the fall. They were able to give her a scholarship package of about $19,000 a year which includes volleyball and academics. We are proud of her, as we are of all of our children.

Hudson, the Cool Dude

Check this little man out!! He is ready for sun and fun. Right now the Alec Boesel family, including our little stud here, are on their way up to Washington State to visit Emmalee's brother. We hope to see them next month. Grandkids grow up even faster than kids!!

Journey's End

"School's out for summer!" and so is Mobilization and Membercare travel, for all practical purposes. This last four months have seen us in numerous States and walking along with many people, both candidates and missionaries on furlough. This family with me in this picture serve with us in Southeast Asia, teaching at a school for missionary kids. Sound familiar??? As the travel picture fades the summer training programs are looming. Deänne is excited about how our Personnel Enrichment Program is shaping up. She is in charge of seeing that all come together as the Director of Membercare. We will have close to 100 missionaries with us for 10 days in the Rockies!! Pray with us that God will continue to bless us as we seek to obey him.

Sonnet of Thanks

Please accept this sonnet as another "thank you" from us. Rejoice today.

I step out in the brisk of Winter’s day
With mind so full of schedules yet to keep
And harried to be off and on my way,
Forget the peace and quiet of my sleep

Near halfway in my quest of reaching home
With eyes set forward ne’er to look behind
At steps my feet have trudged most oft alone
The mem’ries of good friends lost to my mind

But not so you, dear friends, with every thought
I thank our Father for your tender care
In sharing all you have whether you aught
With ones you nary see but in your prayer

May God with richest blessings bless you too
As blessing me with being close to you.

Humbled

I spent some time this morning finishing up the project of getting Kassen's graduation announcements in the mail. As I stuffed and sealed each envelope I was overwhelmed with a feeling of inadequacy. Nearly every one of the people represented by those invites are people who have been part of our lives for decades...sacrificing for us in some, or many, ways; giving of themselves to us with little or nothing in return. Each of you is Christ to us and we are awed and blessed. Please accept our humble thank you and all of God's blessings.

Pray for missionaries, young and old

As I come to the end of this season of recruiting and Deänne's role of training and caring for our missionaries starts to pick up steam for the summer, I am reminded to ask you to spend some serious time in prayer for the missionaries you know. This is an interesting and, for some, a difficult time. We are at a significant transition point in the cross-cultural ministry experience. The emerging generation of missionaries, like this couple I am talking with here at Multnomah Bible College, are joining mission agencies supervised by people who have developed and "own" traditional forms of ministry. Largely, these types of ministry feel too compartmentalized for the younger, holistic mind. These traditional formulaic strategies have worked well in the past but are becoming less effective in completing the task. God has raised up this young, passionate group of servants with gifts and a leading that is different and necessary to take the work to a different level. Will we, as experienced agencies, meet the needs of providing platform and caring for the next wave? I believe we need to, but it will not be easy. Expectations on both sides have caused significant hurt already. Pray that God will give us all the grace we need to accept, love and care for each other in the process of serving him in obedience. Pray, also, that his kindgom would advance in of our obedience, or, in spite of our disobedience.

Kassen (second from the right) with her girls, ready for their senior prom. Sometimes...well, most of the time...we just can't believe we are this old. How could Kassen be graduating in 16 days? Just yesterday she was going to Estrellitas school in Guatemala as a three-year-old and drinking too much coffee every morning while we were at language school. Well, okay, she still does too much coffee probably...but how did she grow up this fast? We are trying to cherish every moment. Truly, we are blest to have such wonderful children!!

May Day Poem

Who was Gary Dale Rose?

I sat on his bench today,
In a park
Facing a pond.
Just a simple concrete bench;
Rather hard,
A little cold.

He is sadly missed, it seems,
By his wife
And all his kids,
Or so says the small plaque
At my feet
Set in the stone

Do they come and sit here now
And think back,
And smile, and cry?
He was 50 when he died.
I'm 52,
So I wonder...

Who was Gary Dale Rose?

When Dreams Come True

Seven years of daughters in club volleyball with a dream of maybe having a chance to play at the Junior Olympic National Volleyball Tournament. Seven years of waiting. Seven years of hoping. Seven empty years....until this year! At the last qualifying tournament of the season, in Reno, Kassen's team took second and qualified! To experience it was surreal. They just refused to lose, no matter who the opponent. For the fourth time they were in the top 16 on the final day. For the third time they knocked off the number one seed in the tournament. And for the first time, they bought their own ticket to Dallas (where the tournament is being held this year). We are thankful for God's grace that is allowing Kassen to have this experience.