Dear Friends and family,

After a long Monday of travel we are back in California, visiting Carol’s folks. Her father had hip replacement surgery in February, and her Mom had open heart surgery last week. They are both well on the road to recovery, and it is so good to see them and to be with them at this time. Thank you for your prayers on their behalf! We are not certain when we will return to Salem, as they have needs here that need to be met.

I took the teacher’s training school in Salem in April of 2007. I wanted to be able to teach in the Discipleship Training Schools in YWAM, but had made little progress in that ambition. While in Yangon, there was a Crossroads DTS going on, and one of the speakers was not able to come. The school director asked me if I would be able to fill in for them. What an honor! What I thought would be a time of supporting Carol also became the fullfillment of my dream to teach in a DTS! God is so good!

During my week of teaching on Worship, I asked the students to be still and listen to what God had to say to them. Many of the students reported back words of encouragement. One girl when asked said quietly, “God said that He loves me.” Because she spoke so quietly, I asked her to say it again louder so that the whole class could hear her. She repeated herself alittle louder each time, “God love me, God loves me, God love me!” Revelation knowledge! That kind of knowledge will stick with you!

In the guitar classes that I had with the Children’s home, the boys were able to duplicate most of my songs quite well. I was very pleased with their progress. The girls were not as advanced as the boys, but they too did well, and were very diligent in their practice. The main thing I wanted to teach them was access to God’s throne. “I will enter His gates with Thanksgiving in my heart, I will enter His courts with praise.” The last day I asked them to think of 5 things that they could always be thankful for.

“Salvation, He hears my prayers, Jesus died for me, He will never leave me or forsake me, He loves me, He cannot change.”… no matter what happens in our lives, these truths will remain true. If we choose to thank Him, we have access into His presence. In His presence is Fulness of joy!!! We can have joy always! They could learn to play guitar, but if they didn’t know God’s joy, I would have wasted my time. It was a good time! God is good!

We enjoyed our time in the family’s home. We especially enjoyed getting to know the children, and the hired help. I’ve always had a soft spot for children, and little people. Servants are little people. Some people don’t notice them, or give them any special attention. After all their just the hired help! Carol and I went out of our way to express gratitude to Dabuey and Kookoo. They did our laundry, cooked and cleaned, came to the gate late at night to let us in, and smiled and hummed continuously! (Dabuey would sing hymns in her native dialect, and I would accompany her in English. She knows several songs from my Baptist hymnal days!) We made sure we gave them hugs coming and going. We will miss them, and they told us that they would miss us too. Lord richly reward your servants.

We also made friends in the local church, in their English classes, and in the home group that we attended. There are many of God’s choicest servants there. We exchanged email addresses, and facebook pages!

THEN we got to visit the children of the Home of Joy in Chiangmai, Thailand. What a joy to see these kids that we got to play with in September and October of 2008. They are all doing well, and were glad to see us again. It’s difficult to know how to say goodbye to these little ones who are already suffering from detachment disorder. I am so thankful that we were able to see them again, and encourge them that God will never leave them or forsake them, He will never let them go! So we say “See you next time!” …. not knowing when that will be, but confident that the One who loves them more than us, the One who loves with an everlasting love, will be with them forever!

So, will we return to Myanmar and Thailand? I don’t know. We would love to. For this next season we anticipate working with YWAM Salem. Carol with the TESOL and ESL schools, and I with maintenance and ….. we’ll see.

We have missed our fellowship at the Salem Vineyard! Our home group there has been such an encouragement. To our friends at Living Faith Fellowship in Klamath Falls, you are our biggest supporters and fans. We could not have made this trip without your blessing. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We could not do this with out you! …. See you next time. For each of you who pray, and love us, thank you! There were many seeds planted in this past outreach, and you will share in the harvest!

Now unto Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy… to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. Jude 24

All our love,

Fred and Carol

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