Update from the Kensels

A good long email from my sister came today. It is worth reading. Pray for the Kensels as Dan has to make trips away from the family to continue the work they are doing there in Thailand.

:: Begin Email ::

Dear Mark and Christa and kids,

Hi! Hope all is well with you. We seem to be doing okay. Dan is away in town doing all our errands on his own to give us more time at the house and not running around.

I am over 7 months pregnant now and the smallest I have ever been in any of my pregnancies at this stage. Living in the village I sure don't put on weight. I put on 1 lb in the last month. If I were even living in town I know that would have been a lot more. Saw a doctor out at the Christian hospital yesterday and she said all was fine, the last checkup showed the baby in breech presentation, but she says the head is down now. I am happy about that, it would have been very hard to get my doctor to do a natural delivery if the baby was breech.

I didn't finish this two days ago so I had better get going now as the plan is to go up today. Computer problems with our new laptop have made emailing a serious pain, though receiving was possible. Dan got the desk top set up to send today (he had tried before, but time was against him or no one answered at our servers help line) so I can do this a lot easier now.

Our last month in the village was a very weird one for us because Dan was away almost more than home. The truck broke down on his very first trip down which was the day after we had gotten there. He had been asked to help some eye doctors get up to the village. When he got to town he found out they wouldn't be coming so he decided to do some repair work on the road on his way back and packed some bags of sand. He had only gotten a little way into the jungle when he came upon a tree fallen across the road. It was too big to try to move with out sawing so he had to go back to the forestry station to get someone with a chain saw. After that was taken care of it was too late to do more than dump the sand bags and go back down to town to try again in the morning. The next morning he was headed up the first hill by the forestry station when he heard this CLINK sound and suddenly he was backing down the hill picking up speed. The drive shaft had broken (he discovered later). There was no controlling the truck so it climbed the embankment on one side turning it on its side. This caused the windshield to pop out. Guys heard something going on at the forestry station so they came to investigate and help Dan get the truck back down the hill and go for a mechanic. He didnt get home for five nights altogether and since I didn't know anything until the 4th night I was getting a little worried.

Dan has reviewing things previously taught as he finishes off a few exercises that should prepare him to start preparing his own lessons. He hopes to be ready to do this when we get back from having the baby. With all the truck work and loads of rice and fuel he has been running for the village, not to mention work around the house up there he has been very busy.

Our school has not yet finished for the year. Our m-bag with more school books has not arrived 6 months after we sent it so I am a little frustrated that way. Our books for next year are here but that was a major hassle in itself. Now I have lots of new reading material and since I don't have a lot of energy after my normal work is done it is nice to lay back in the hammock and relax with a book.

Hope all is well with you guys. Are you done with school Christa? Are the kids managing to find something to do with all their free time?

Well, I hope to write a little more frequently as we'll be around a computer more starting in about a week. It is getting too far into rainy season to want to be pregnant and in a remote village. July 15th or so we plan to go up to Chiang Mai. This last checkup the doctor seemed to think the baby would be coming sooner rather than later - that would make for a nice change.

Love, Dan and Deb, John, James and Steven

:: End Email ::

Williams Update from May 2005

Also recieved a while back. In "catch up" mode.

:: Begin Letter ::
May 2005

On her way to the grocery store she saw the sign, and the words "New Life" were what caught her attention. In her heart she thought, "that's what I want, a new life." The next Sunday, Otilia, attended our services and during the invitation accepted Christ as her Savior.

"You have to come with me," she told her husband, "they are friendly to everone there." With htat guarantee Mr. Campos began coming with his wife, and soon their two daughters and granddaughter with them. One of their daughters also accepted Christ as her Savior, while the second gave testimony of having been saved years earlier.

A few Sunday mornings ago, after attending for several months, Mr. Campos shook my hand on th eway out the door and said to me with a big smile on his face, "Today I have new life, I believe with all my heart." The Campos are in their middle sixties and early seventies. Life expectancy in Peru is sixty!

Both parents and daughters have been baptized in the past weeks and last week they hosted thier first small group meeting in their home. They want to reach out to their family and neighbors with the New Life they have found.

Stories like these are becoming more and more typical at the New Life Baptist Church. God is doing great and wonderful things and we are honored and excited to be a part of them.

Please pray . . .
. . . for us and the church as Brent assume the position of head pastor
. . . for property for the New Life Baptist Church
. . . for the eleven cell groups around Lima of NLBC
. . . for our children, Olivia and Kyall, for good health, safety and their salvation

:: End Letter ::