Summer 2024

And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, So that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God:(Genesis 28:20-21)

Genesis records several times where Jacob prayed for God's guidance and protection in times of uncertainty and fear. We can also clearly see how the Lord answered his prayers and led him through some very difficult days. What was true for Jacob is also true for us. If you call on the Lord, He will respond, often in unexpected ways.

Ministry Update
Throughout the spring, Dave has continued his series from the book of Genesis, covering the lives of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We also celebrated Easter weekend on May 3-6 followed by Pentecost on June 23. On Wednesdays, Dave has continued teaching about the many roles of Jesus Christ, including as Teacher, Healer, Savior, Mediator to name a few. Ruth has enjoyed teaching the older teens/young ladies about overcoming worry and more recently a series from Proverbs 31. In June, Ruth finished the school readiness program with the young children, many of whom are pictured with her. They are dear to her heart, and she saw real progress in their abilities each week.

VBS is a highlight for our kids, and this year was no different. The theme was Passport to Missions: Serve God! We were blessed to have Ruth's mom visit us for three weeks, including two weeks before VBS to help Ruth with program preparations. Ruth poured a lot of time and energy into making this a memorable program for the children, and it was a blessing to see the children eagerly participate each day. We had help from a number of Romanian friends, who were invaluable. Overall, it was a wonderful week. Weather was mostly dry, and we only needed to move games inside on the final day.

Transition to Bibles International

The Lord is continuing to guide us through our transition. We have found buyers for the majority of our household things, and we recently learned that the family who is purchasing most of our furniture will be staying in the home we rent while their home is being finished. This eliminates the need for their items to be moved before we go.

We have also received some addional committed support to close the gap between what we currently have and our new support estimate with Bibles International. However, we still need approximately $400/mo. to be fully supported. If you would like to join our ministry team you may send your gift to Missionary Finance at Baptist Mid Missions, account 703359.

We return to the US on August 6, and we will be participating in the annual Bibles International Retreat August 14-16 followed by orientation meetings on August 19-21. We are thankful for a place to stay in Grand Rapids with fellow BMM missionaries as we seek permanent housing. Housing continues to be a concern for us. Pray that the Lord will provide a suitable place for us that will allow room for guests/short-termers.

Please continue to pray for us through these next months. We have experienced a range of emotions from sadness to fear to happiness to anticipation. Romania feels like home after nearly 15 years, and part of us will remain after we leave. We are scheduled to have our shipment picked up on July 22. Then, we have two weeks to finish packing and prepare for our departure.

Thank you for your continual prayers on our behalf!

Dave, Ruth, Celeste, and Amber

Family News
Ben and Celeste have moved to a new townhouse in Madison, WI, which is larger, quieter, and closer to Celeste's work. Celeste is also staying busy making pet bandanas and collars for a new business venture with a friend. Ben successfully completed his first year of veterinary school and was offered a paid position as a research assistant this summer.

Amber worked very hard during spring semester, taking six classes. She also made Dean's List once again. She leaves for her semester abroad in Japan on August 9. This summer she is working at the Marriot Hotel front desk, giving her practical experience in the hospitality management field.