Newsletters

February 2004

Capture the Flag

You don’t truly grasp the depth of someone’s love until they have pranked you! Some of you may wonder how a couple of Buckeyes get along up here in Wolverine land. The pictures on this page are just one indication of what we have to put up with.

Once a month all the male leaders on my area of campus come to our house for a time of hanging out, sharing and Bible study. On more than one occasion we have had various Ohio State paraphernalia confiscated from out house and returned to us with what seem to be signs of torture. The latest victim was our huge 3 by 6 ft bright scarlet with a grey “O” Ohio State flag. The morning after Bible study I noticed that our flag was missing. Later that day and each following day we received these ominous pictures from a perpetrator using the email yourflag@hotmail.com.

Just one example of how my U-M student leaders show their love and affection for me and everything I hold dear! For you Buckeye fans out there, pray for us. For you Wolverines—don’t ever mess with the great flag of The Ohio State University Buckeyes! By the way, we are still working on getting our flag back.

These are pictures of  our huge, bright, scarlet and grey Ohio State flag—in the pot, in the trash, in a blender, under a saw, and in a noose.

Western Asia Spring Break

Once again I will helping to lead our spring break trip to a large city in Western Asia. I will be joined by 16 other staff and students. This is our biggest group ever for a spring break trip, in spite of the terrorist bombings last year in that city. While the trip is not without risk, we feel confident in our safety. We leave Friday, February 20 and return Sunday, February 29.

We head toward one of the spiritually darkest areas on earth! This city is a center of western materialism, European cynicism and is almost entirely Muslim. But, it might also be one of the places that God chooses to break open the doors to the Muslim world.

We are only there for a week. It is not our expectation that our little group will cause radical changes in this Islamic country. The changes I really hope for are in the lives of the students traveling with our group. Many of them have never been overseas and have never shared the gospel cross-culturally. For most of them this will be their first time fulfilling the Great Commission in another nation as we reach out to college students on a number of campuses in the city. It is my hope that a number of our students will be a part of the next group to take a year of their lives helping to reach the students of this country.

In addition to spending a few afternoons having spiritual conversations with college students we also hope to bring encouragement to the Campus Crusade STINT (Short Term International) workers in the city, including five U-M grads.

Please pray for us! Pray for safety in traveling and while in the country. Pray that God would open doors for us to have many significant conversations with college students. Pray that we would have no opposition from authorities. Pray that God would call some of our students to return to this country for a year or longer. Finally, pray that God would be glorified through our efforts.

Kids' Corner

I am four years old now! Mommy and Daddy have told me that there are so many things that I will learn to do this year—give myself a bath, brush my teeth, zip my coat. The other day I told Mommy that I wasn’t going to be four—I told her I didn’t want to grow up! But my party was fun. I had some friends come over for ice cream sundaes. We got to put lots of good stuff on top of them. Maybe I will show you a picture of my party next month.

-Andrew

I like to help Mommy with Lindsey. Sometimes she tells me that I have helped enough and that I should go play. Mommy sure is lucky to have me around!

While Daddy is gone on the plane I am going to learn how to use the potty. Mommy said that she and I will have a date when I can keep my underwear dry—we are going to go get a haircut for me! Next month I will tell you how it is going. I can’t wait to wear my Dora the Explorer underwear. (But Mommy said that I’m not allowed to show anyone!)

-Lauren

Well, life on the outside sure is an adjustment! The little people around here are always getting in my face and saying something to me. They get so close that I can’t see who they are and I have no clue what they are saying. But they sound like nice people! The picture below is of me when I turned 1 month. As you can see, I like to smile. Especially for my Daddy and my big brother Drew. Mommy and I talk a lot. And Lauren gives me hugs. (I didn’t think your head was supposed to get squeezed for a hug.)

I am experimenting a bit with not eating from 11 at night until 7 in the morning. Mommy gets really excited when I do that, but I’m not sure why. I like to keep her awake by fussing until 12:30 or 1 in the morning on those nights! I am trying to find my thumb, but can’t quite get it yet. And I sure hate when my pacifier falls out of my mouth just as I start to drift off to sleep!

-Lindsey

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