First Week of classes and...

We have just finished our first week of classes. The kids have been doing excellent making their transitions. All of us have had a great time getting reacquainted with our previous classmates, while the kids have the joy of meeting a few new ones.

The first week of Culture and Language Acquisition (henceforth CLA) has been quite a bit more informative about what we'll actually be working through.

The past three days we've had the "Overview of the CLA program", "Calendar" for this semester, and the "Introduction to Phonetics" modules. Starting next Tuesday, after the Labor Day holiday, we begin the Phonetics classes with daily assignments.

So far we have been exposed to the mechanics of the speech mechanism God has so marvelously designed. It is very inspiring to reflect on the fact that God invented speech and it works flawlessly. There are various ways that speech is produced but each one is incredible in its foundation, communication with others. Relationships require communication and God has ensured that relationships can be established and deepened with communication.


Phonetics is simplified by this definition: studying speech and the mechanics of producing it. We have been introduced to "Sammy" (see above image) the cross-section diagram of the speech apparatus. We will be referring to this diagram through the next four weeks as a visual aid in training our own personal speech apparatus to produce utterances we've never produced before intentionally (for most of us).

Our biggest challenge through this time is to remain focused on the purpose for this section of training, and all of it for that matter, the Word of God might be presented to men, women, and young people who have never had the opportunity before. God is taking us through this preparation for His glory and that He would be worshipped among the nations. We are thankful for this reminder of keeping this in our focus.

Thank you for your prayers for us as we spend the next four weeks in this arduous beginning phase of CLA. We thank God for every rememberance of you, too, and thank God for the opportunity to pray with you.

Roland (for the Shafers)

School starts tomorrow...

Well tomorrow is Susan's BIG DAY. She will be in Kindergarden starting tomorrow. She is ever so excited. I bet she'll be up at the crack of dawn, dressed and hungry, lathering at the chance to get to school for the first time.

Moriah was the same last year. She was up early and couldn't wait until she had her first day in school. When she got home at days end she was so happy she had gone. Next morning when it was time to get out of bed for school she said to her Mom, "Do we have to do it again?!" That will be etched in our family album of quoteable quotes for years to come.

The boys are ready to head back to classes, too. They have had a few days with their friends since being home. It has been a nice break for them. RJ will be starting grade 10, Elijah grade 5. There will be some new classmates for all three of our returning kids. Some will be children of new adult 1st year students and others will be children of missionaries in for their furlough.

Jinni and I will start our new classes after orientation tomorrow morning. We will take the children to their first day orientation, then ours begins at 845. Culture and Language Acquisition training. It is the hardest year of training we will be going through. We will be pushed to our weakest points many times during this year - something that will benefit us incredibly.

Thank you for your prayers for us as we enter this final year. We are comforted with the knowledge that the body of Christ is united with us before the Throne of Grace. We thankfully remember you in our prayers, too.

resting in Him,
Roland (for the family)

2 Cor 4

Van Update - We're back in Canada

"Don't make any quick decisions, something might be in the works." That's what I was told Wednesday afternoon about 3PM. Around half an hour later something was in the works.

Those who have been able to follow the story know our 1989 Chevy Astro, which the Lord allowed to faithfully serve us for almost seven years, was moving slowly to its death. The exhaust valve that was 'sticking' continued to worsen so we were sure it was not up to the return trip to Canada.

We were praying for the Lord to direct us to a replacement and I was on the track of one Wednesday about lunch time. I thought I had found it in Statesville, NC. - the thing that was nice about that was Jinni would be able to see it/buy it maybe on her way home from North Carolina where she was visiting her sister. I called her cell phone and found out she was not at her sister's house but about 35 miles away from where the van was sitting! She was able to check it out within the hour of my call. She said it was very nice. The ebay dealer selling it agreed she could come by the next day and drive it away for $3000. So we thought we had the one.

My boss, for my summer job listened as I was speaking to the seller on the phone. When I hung up he said, "Don't make any quick decisions, something might be in the works." Half an hour later I was called in to a conference and told if I could come up with $2500, We would be able to buy a 2002 Windstar from a friend of the company's AND other people would raise the additional $2000, to cover the remainder of the selling price.

Needless to say when I called Jinni and told her we were in shock at what we were being told. We were going to have to buy the other van with borrowed money or our credit card (yeah right) anyway. We knew the Lord was going to have to provide for us to get this kind of money, so we continued to pray for wisdom and patience.

Well I had been given $1000 earlier in the week which would go toward the purchase of a 'new to us' van so I knew it would only be $1500 to come up with. Jinni called me back within the hour and told me her Aunt was giving her a $1000 check that night. We had $2000 before 5PM! less than two hours after we began to trust the Lord for the finances. Just before the day was through I was told the total cost for the van would be nearer 5000 than 4500 and could I come up with the other $500.

Next morning I took a friend to the airport and he 'gave me a tip' for driving him there (in his car). I didn't look at the check he handed me I just bid him farewell and headed into work. When I got in the office - about 8:15 - I pulled out the check and it was for $500! our 2500 was in less than 24 hours later. I got a call around 9AM from another precious brother in Christ who said his family wanted to give us $500 or if we needed, more, to make sure we came up to our 3000. Not even 10AM and The Lord provided all we needed. So I went to tell the guys what the Lord had done.

The news I got was even more sweet! the group of folks who were banding together had collected more that $2600 so we wouldn't need the remaining 500 after all!

I went to the lot, I waited until I was told it would be okay, to pick up the van! I signed the checks over to the lot manager, he gave me lots of paperwork, a temporary license, AND THE KEY!! I drove back to the office with a 2003, Ford Windstar - tow hitch included. WOW Lord, You sure know how to surprise a family.

What a blessing we have experienced, God has used many people to provide this van for us. We know some of those who had a part, but others will remain anonymous to us. Every one of the folks who gave have encouraged us so much. Thank you Lord for every single one and each family that You have used in our lives with this experience.