Update from John Nadolski, May 21

Dear Friends,
Thank you for your prayers, calls, and emails. I am doing well and really enjoyed the 2nd graders. Their teacher had been hurt in a car accident and when she was feeling better was in another accident. Both times she was rear-ended and the other guys were at fault. Pray for her healing. Here is an update from John that I got tonight. I only added a couple of comments. Thanks again. Love, Marcia

Y’all are doing a mighty job keeping me covered in prayer and I truly appreciate your prayers and the answers to these prayers. Here are some examples:

- First week in Nairobi: I spent the week in town, meeting with partners and buying supplies for the trip. It seemed that I found everything I tried to buy and that’s unusual for Kenya, even for a big town like Nairobi. Usually, the shop owner tells me that he will get it tomorrow and that really never happens. But, on this trip, everything was available when needed. It felt good to have this success, but my partner decided to hold off on getting the supplies. This was a big lesson for me – trust God and not trust in my own understanding.

- Seeing God’s bigger picture: Sometimes things change and you wonder why. The issue with the supplies is one of those things. But, I did get a glimpse of the total picture when I got to northern Kenya. My partner had enough supplies to get started and the bull-dozer was there, waiting for me to lead the way. So, it all turned out for the good. PTL.

- Life at Camp: Imagine going to a windy area of northern Arizona and pitching a little tent against the wind. That’s the main camp. I have a cot and it takes up about half the tent. I can store most of my stuff under the cot and that gives me some room to sort out supplies for the day. Camp is no picnic, but it’s OK. You can imagine the food (beans, rice and ugali) and the conveniences (or lack there of). But, you go on.

- Life at the worksite. It’s a bit more rustic at the worksite. Take away the tent, the cot, but add porridge for breakfast. You crawl under the flat-bed trailer to get shelter from the sun and we sleep on top of the flat-bed trailer to get off the desert floor at night. There are five of us: the dozer operator, his assistant, two guys from the Kenya security forces and me.

Praises:
- project(s) are going well:
o One dam finished and the other one almost finished. I am really satisfied with the success on the second dam. It’s big, strong and will store a lot of water without eroding away.
o Dozer scooped out the area for two of the cement tanks. They brought supplies and they should start them this week.
o One cement tank is closer to being done. Three or four other sites picked out to repair/rehabilitate cement tanks.
o No sunburn, no snakebites, no malaria. I’m feeling well. I talk to Marcia often and she’s in good spirits and good enough rest.
(I, Marcia do get to talk to John for about 10 -15 minutes at a time.)


Prayers:
- This is the last week of teaching for Marcia for this school year. She’s been substituting for a 2nd grade teacher at Oyster Creek Elementary School because the teacher was involved with a bad auto accident. Marcia’s been there for over six weeks and she’s bonded with the kids and co-workers. Please pray that Marcia has opportunities to show the love of Jesus to these precious people. (I finished teaching today for the year. I enjoyed the staff there a lot.)

- I’ve had one day of rest in town and now I had back to the field, to the construction site. Please pray for my health and safety. Also pray that I will be able to share the love of Jesus to these precious people. (All of the work crew members are Christian.)

- I’m sliding behind on my other LWI projects. Some of the project schedules are critical (at least in my mind). Please pray for wisdom on these other projects – and the time/strength to follow up when I can.

- Please continue to pray for peace in this area, through Christ.

I review the prayer list often and I pray for you, too. God bless you and keep you safe in the palm of his hands, John

Ron & Cyndie Hamley Russian Itinerary

Pray for them as they travel and minister:
May 23 4:07 pm Depart SLO; 5:08 pm Arrive San Francisco
6:55 pm Depart San Francisco;
May 24 3:00 pm Arrive Frankfurt, Germany; 8:10 pm Depart Frankfurt
9:35 pm Arrive Vienna, Austria; 11:10 pm Depart Vienna
May 25 4:05 am Arrive Krasnodar, Russia; Stay in Krasnodar
Meet Team Members
May 26 Travel to Maicop - Team orientation and training.
May 27 Rest Day - Team orientation and training. Meet Interpreters
May 28 Conference - Presenting Dream Maker curriculum
May 29 Conference - Dream Maker curriculum
May 30 Conference - Ron and Cyndie present Effective Family Lecture
May 31 Conference - Spiritual emphasis, Inductive Bible Study
June 1 Rest Day
June 2 Travel to Novorossiysk
June 3 Attend Russian Orthodox Church? Meet Interpreters
June 4 Conference - Presenting Dream Maker curriculum
June 5 Conference - Dream Maker curriculum
June 6 Conference - Ron and Cyndie present Effective Family Lecture
June 7 Conference - Spiritual emphasis, Inductive Bible Study
June 8 - 9 Rest Days - Possible Tour
June 10 Travel to Krasnodar
June 11 5:00 am Depart Krasnodar; 6:05 am Arrive Vienna
June 11 - 16 Visit Vienna and Salzburg, Austria
June 17 11:10 am Depart Vienna; 2:35 pm Arrive Was/Dulles
5:51 pm Depart Was/Dulles; 8:02 Arrive Los Angeles
10:40 pm Depart Los Angeles; 11:44 pm Arrive SLO

Working with interpreters, our team will share Biblically based curriculum on ethics and morality with Russian public school teachers using a many-faceted approach. We hope to share the Christian world view and how it relates to society and the Biblical basis for morals and ethics. We pray the teachers will recognize the Bible as an authentic and personally relevant document. The goal of our trip is to share with the teachers the ISP curriculum called DreamMakers. Through interaction in small group settings we will share this curriculum designed to help teachers deal with the problems of drugs, alcohol and sexual issues their students may face. Cyndie and I have been asked to present a lecture on the Effective Family.

In addition, each teacher will view and receive a copy of the Jesus Film to show in their classes. At the end of the conference we will show interested Russian teachers how to start their own Bible Discussion Groups.

We covet your prayers so that by His grace, God will fill in all the gaps. Please pray that God will overcome the language and cultural differences (even among our team members) so that we may form bonds of genuine friendship. Pray that God will prepare the hearts of the Ukraine teachers and draw them to himself. Pray also, that we all remain safe and healthy so that we may fully participate in the conference.

May God be glorified.
Ron and Cyndie

Nadolski Update for May

I realize that we haven’t sent a newsletter for a few weeks. I want to give a brief update on John and his trip. He has a satellite phone that he uses when he wants to call me or the Living Water office. It is nice to actually hear his voice. The project is going well. They are finishing up the second dam and they only need to make five. He is currently staying at the dam site, so he and the rest of the crew are sleeping on the bed of a flatbed truck that hauls the dozer. He said he saw a group of people with camels stop to use the dam’s water storage area. He thought it was so neat to see that this was a good location and the people in the area will use it. A few of the people he is working with speak English, so he can communicate with the group somewhat. He is healthy and safe. God is so good. Back in Sugar Land, John is leading the Men’s committee and was recently asked to be a deacon at our church.

Steve is on his last week of the semester which is finals week. He has exams on Monday, Tuesday, and 2 on Wednesday. He is also working as aquatics coordinator for the county this summer instead of being a lifeguard. This means he is already working and trying to help make sure the pools and beaches are adequately staffed for the summer. He seems to be enjoying the job. He is also helping teach a Sunday School class every other week. Steve is still doing some activities with the Morro Bay police department. He still wants to be a cop when he grows up.

Phil is living in Longview, Texas which is four hours north of Houston. We see Phil about once a month if he has a meeting in the Houston corporate office. Phil enjoys his job. He travels lots with it. He is a field engineer for CUDD Energy Services, who is spending lots of time in the field. Currently, he wants to buy a house. He has only started to look at what is available.

Tim and Marissa are doing well. Tim is still working at Synergetics and Marissa is finishing her PhD program. They are about done remodeling their house. They recently tackled their only bathroom. They do most of the work themselves. We will see what happens when Marissa finishes her program.

I have been busy substituting for a second grade teacher who was in two different car accidents. School ends on May 24th and most of the students think that the learning should be done now. I have been enjoying the assignment and the students. The days can be long, but it fills my days especially while John is gone. I will be going to California for a week to visit Steve and some friends in June. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone. I enjoy the work that I’m doing at our church, too.

This is a snapshot of what is happening in our lives now. Let us know how you are doing and how we can pray for you. May God bless you abundantly.

Love, Marcia

Steffens' May Update

Dear friends and prayer partners,

We would like to begin sending an email update to our churches and supporters to supplement the quarterly newsletter that we now send by regular mail. We anticipate that it would be about once a month. This is the first attempt.

Praise:
- As a result of a tract distribution that we did in the town of Camarma during Holy Week, we met a couple, Paco and Ana. They are a couple in their 60's with 5 grown children and have been believers for several years, but recently had not been going to church regularly. We've started a mid-week Bible study with them and they also are going to church with us on Sunday. They also desire to see a church start in Camarma!
- A good celebration service in Camarma April 21.
- Thanks to frequent flyer miles, our son, Michael is with us in Spain for most of May. He starts a summer job in Tennessee on June 2.
- We invited Ned's English students into our home for a merienda (afternoon snack) during Easter week. We gave each one a copy of the Jesus movie. It was a good time together with them and several others who came.

Prayer:
- For the people who came to the merienda to watch the Jesus movie and be impacted by it.
- Preparations for a work team from Northern Ireland who will help us put on English camps in Camarma during July.
- Michael is taking the DELE exam May 11. It is a Spanish language exam for non-Spaniards. - City elections in Camarma May 27. The Lord has given the evangelical community in Camarma grace in the eyes of the local government. Please pray that it will continue. It is interesting, our landlord is running for mayor.
- Ned had been meeting with a young man, Roqueta, for almost a year for a language exchange and Bible reading. He started a new job Feb. 1 and as a result we have not been able to consistently meet together. Please pray for aregular time for us to meet.
- Summer plans for all of us.

God bless you,Ned & Joanie Steffens