Before, during & after: a whirlwind!

"Have a good rest" as Will and Donna step aside for a season to rest up

Praying for Jon and Ruth the new volunteer leaders of ICF

The next morning we had a leadership team meeting to start the year!

Richard is rejoicing because he is about to baptize two of his friends!

We had a great celebration!

 
We also attended Mansfield Christian Fellowship the Sunday before leaving CT.  They were the first church to get behind us and support us financially after we joined ISI.  It was a blessing to have them pray for us and send us off after sharing our testimonies of what God has done for us.

There are no photos of the final days of packing, loading the moving van and trailer, and cleaning the house before the Friday closing.  Then we drove to VA amidst delays and violent thunderstorms. Did our walkthrough on the new house on Sunday afternoon and closed Monday morning.  After the movers left on Tues it took a few days to get our heads above water.  We still have boxes but I think there is a light.

The next Sunday we met with Lisa to talk about her ministry to I/S and how we can help.  Picture is from an earlier meeting ; )

Then Father God blessed us with a reunion with people we haven't seen in a long time.  Richard led his co-worker to Jesus many years ago and he is still faithfully following !  We enjoyed meeting his grands too!

We are moving!

 God has done miraculous things for us.  We went to VA and within 10 days had found a house, achieved an agreement with the seller, and did the home inspection!

 The next four weeks will be extremely busy as we pack and do all the stuff to accomplish moving, while still going to ICF on Friday nights.  We leave CT on June 19th, Lord willing.  Don't blink ; )

The wall in our bedroom to be ...

On our way

  This is a brief post to let you all know the good news.  Our home has a buyer and we are heading down to VA to look for the new place that Father God has for us.

 We just missed seeing the cherry blossoms but we know that His timing is the best.  We are moving forward in fear and trembling with joy because we know His plans for us are for good!

Join us in prayer for the international students and the people God has chosen to serve them in this area.

Resurrection Day

On Good Friday ICF joined St Marks congregation in their annual celebration

Four of our students took part by reading

 After the program, and dinner we joined around our tables to talk about what we heard from the Bible.  For some of the students, newcomers that evening, it was the very first time they had heard that Jesus died for them so that they could live!

 Our Resurrection Day celebration included some great friends!  They loved seeing Richard carve the lamb for our dinner!

Our Easter reading prompted many questions and good conversation.  We all ate until we were satisfied ; )

NE Regional Staff Conference

We just returned from a great time of training, fellowship and prayer in Rhode Island!  The number of staff keeps growing, the stories we hear are compelling, and the privilege of praying on local college campuses is a blessing.

Prayer Squares

Times of sharing and prayer

Food and Fellowship

Our family has grown significantly since 2002 when we fit in our home!

Our ISI President: Doug Shaw

Our main speaker, encourager, challenger Barry Corey, Biola University President

Our new Regional Field Director: David Larson

Encouraging information about last year's ministry goals.

Hard Questions

 It was a great way to begin the semester.  John Rankin was invited to come to ICF and speak.  An intellectual's intellectual and a humble lover of Jesus, John challenged our thinking and living with his thoughts.

He began with some teaching from Genesis.  God's name is Yahweh Elohim: greater than space, time and number.

John challenged us that the goal in talking with people of different persuasion isn't to win a debate, but to win a relationship.

Do not be afraid of hard questions ... John wanted our take away to be that Jesus loves hard questions.

John proposed hard questions.  He asked us some hard questions.  Then he took hard questions from us.



As we meet with PhD candidates, this is good news! And the students are given freedom to ask, and ask and ask! 


It was good to hear from students the following week that the evening had been thought provoking and encouraging!

Thank you John!

We are dumplings all

Several years ago the leaders of ICF decided to have Dumpling Night during winter break.  Everyone was encouraged to bring their "native-style" dumplings to share.  This event met with great success!  Something that everyone could identify with ... as almost every culture makes a doughy pouch filled with something.  We have Chinese dumplings of course, dim sum, wontons, Italian raviolis, Polish pierogies, Jamaican meat pies.  Each little pouch is handmade, gently stuffed and firmly sealed.    But just one is not enough!  We need many to make a meal and even more to make a banquet.  I love this picture of international student ministry.  Each individual student comes to the table lovingly and specially made, with whatever God has gently packed inside.  Each one has nourishment to share with others, and their own special flavors. We need many different people to fill out God's banquet table/kingdom. 
The Dumpling Night was a great time as everyone brought something to share, each item a little different,,, but oh such joy and fellowship flowed around the table.  No wonder so many students describe their experience at ICF as a family where they feel love and accepted.