Gorgeous children.....!

Gorgeous children from the San Aquino church, praising God with their beautiful little voices yesterday. Paul preached his heart out there for one and a half hours on John 18 and 19, our newest portion of translated scripture! Starting today on the very last book of the Tala-Andig New Testament that we have to translate - the Gospel of Matthew!!

Paul and Deb's week......

This last week since arriving back from Australia, we have washed off a lot of ink (thanks to the printer we packed in our suitcase inside 3 layers of plastic bags and a waterproof duffel bag which still managed to leak ink through onto some other stuff), we’ve gotten a bit of rest, gotten our house back into working order and have got back into translation again. God has given us amazing progress -- We finished John 17 and well into the process for John 18-20.

Also last Thursday our daughter Jen and her hubby Udi came out to see us and cried with us about Dad’s (Grandpa’s) passing away and we were able to share with them all the details that they were wondering about.

Paul also did a trip in to Lapoc and got some work done in there and I was able to do some gardening that I’d been wanting to do for some time.

On Friday we made a long overdue visit to the dentist and also had a day of unexpected but very welcome visitors including Angel and Marjun with their newborn baby Clint (photo above) who I just loved cuddling with. That day was a real delight!

So today we are launched into a new week – another big one Lord willing on the translation. It is amazing and surreal to be getting so close now to finishing the Tala-Andig New Testament.

Also please pray for us as we make another trip back to Australia on August 24 for 16 days. We had already bought the tickets for this trip a couple of months ago, feeling the Lord urging us to go and see Paul’s Mum who hasn’t been well (we haven’t seen her for 2 ½ years) and also to go and visit my Dad and Mom as we thought Dad’s time was almost at an end here on earth. As you know the Lord did take Dad and we were able to do an emergency trip home and were able to communicate with him before he left. God’s plans are perfect.

So we have the tickets to go first to Perth and then to Brisbane and then home here again to the Philippines so we will go ahead also with these plans. My Mom is currently in Perth with my brother and his family so we will see them briefly but then spend 4-5 days with Paul’s Mum and the rest of his family also. From there we will go with my Mom to Brisbane and help her with whatever she wants us to do. It is probable that we will help her pack up the house and she will move to Perth permanently. Anyway we will be there and help her in whatever capacity she wants us to during that time.

Thank you so, so much for all your prayers for our family as we go through this time of grieving and adjusting to the loss of Dad and for the many things that have to be done so that Mom can be settled in this new part of her journey.