Things are just as nuts as usual here. We have been running a summer program for about 60 kids in the community (and it's been tough) but it's also been really good. I love the kids, even if I stink at discipline.

There is this sweet boy named Ohm who is really smart and funny, but he is pretty shy and doesn't know very much English. Over the past 3 weeks he's opened up quite a bit, and yesterday I helped him read a book! Today, he started reading "Green Eggs and Ham". I don't know what he is comprehending, but we are working on pronunciation and he is doing so well. I am so proud of him.

It gave me flashbacks because that is the first book I ever remember reading by myself (the first book of many!), sitting on the our living room floor  (green fuzzy carpet) with the rest of the family watching something on TV, and mom doing laundry. I'm going to guess  there was popcorn involved. It was quite monumental for me, I remember.

Anyway, there are so many kids I've fallen in love with here. 

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I have a huge praise report -- remember a couple of weeks ago when I shared about the boy who was falling asleep in class and was taken to the hospital? He had surgery and HE IS BACK! He has made an outstanding recovery. He has visibly lost weight, and is breathing normally. He is much more focused and retentive AND active -- he's been running around with the kids and laughing. Praise God. This is overwhelming to me. 

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Please pray for us because we are going to Laos in a couple of weeks to renew our Visa's, but we will be staying longer with our friend Pat to share with those that we meet. We, really need your prayers in this.

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I ... played frisbee last week :)

and then...I was sore for 7 days (still recovering)

my muscles are really out of shape --

it felt so good to run again.

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We met a lady named Tuu who is from Laos and were invited back to have dinner in her dormitory with her and her friends! We will be going back each Saturday, she will be teaching us some Laos, and we will teach her English. None of them are Christians. Please pray that the Lord would provide opportunities for us to share with them.

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Friday night prayer meetings have been somewhat postponed due to the holiday season, but hopefully they will start up again this Friday. Please continue to pray for this group!

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A dear brother in Christ gave me two beautiful gifts.

The amber stone in my ring fell out several weeks ago, and he took it and fixed it for me. This ring is symbolic of many things in my life and my identity in Christ and I was so sad that it was broken.

He also gave me a new Bible (because I gave mine away). Now I have the word of God. How can I explain how wonderful of a gift this was? 

I cannot explain to you the gratitude in my heart for these two things, so please excuse the emptiness in my words.

God, thank you for putting loving Christian friends in my path, and teach me more of you and your love so I may be a light and a blessing to those people who's paths you place me in.

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I wish I had pictures to share with you but I haven't been taking my camera anywhere! I'll try to post some soon.

Love,

Amber