This Past Weekend

Saturday morning at the monthly inter-denominational prayer meeting I found out that the mayor of our city has decided to shut down 75 (of the hundred and some) windows in the red light district in our town due to "questionable associations with the mafia." Some believe this could be a death blow that will shut down the whole red light district, and others feel like this will send the industry underground and into their neighborhoods. It will be interesting to see how this affects the area and if it will give Christians greater opportunities for ministry there.

Saturday night we were able to meet with all of the GEM people that are working here in Holland. It was a great time to fellowship together and get to know some of them better. We were also able to hear from Peter Hays, our supervisor here, about his recent trip to India where he was researching the rapidly reproducing churches and their techniques to see if there were ways we could implement their strategies here. While in India, like our time in Thailand, he was impressed with the importance that Prayer is given. In fact, they send people into new areas to do nothing but pray for weeks before they try and start anything. It has renewed our belief that we must deeply, earnestly pray for this area so we can see God work, and we ask that you join with us.

Here is our GEM Team

Here is a picture of Keiric's future wife (maybe). While mingling after church, one of the little girls started to flirt with our boy! As we watched, she slid a toy off the table and looked expectantly at Keiric, who ran over, picked it up, and handed it back to her. She repeated this over and over,, and each time Keiric ran to her aid. After that got old, he tried to just go up and talk to her, and she coyly pushed him away. So, sorry boys . . . playing hard to get is apparently an inherited trait, and we girls learn from the cradle how to get the attention we want :)



Sunday after church Kaylie and I were invited to go over to a friend's mother's house for a birthday celebration. Birthdays are a BIG deal here. On your birthday you stay home and make yourself available to have friends and family stop by, all day, to give you their Congratulations. I had met Michelle went she was 16, my first summer here in 1999. She had been part of the Bible study that I had helped lead. She now has a daughter and is living with her boyfriend in another part of Holland, so this was the first time I had gotten to see her since we arrived. I am looking forward to meeting up with her again.


Here are Kim, Emily, and Michelle