YEAR-END REPORT FROM THE AVADANEIS

Dear Friends, Brothers, & Sisters,
Thank you for what you did for our summer Youth Camp! Together with our church Biserica Crestina Baptista “Sfanta Treime”, we took 65 young people to the beautiful mountain village of Voronet, in Suceava County, Romania, for a week August 27- Sept 1, 2018. The theme was “Which Way? Discovering God’s Will” for your life, using the scripture Psalm 119: 105 “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light to my path” and other scriptures.

Each teen meditated on the importance of the Bible’s presence in our lives (2 Tim. 3:15-17), salvation
as God’s will (Eph. 2: 1-5), using Christ as our role model to maturity (Rom 8:29 & 1 John 2:6), and finally inspiration that comes from God for decisions for your life (Phil 4:6 prayer, Heb 2:4 spiritual gifts).

The towns/villages represented were: our city Piatra Neamt, also Bodesti, Negresti, Dobreni, Bicaz,
Damuc, Racoasa, Suceava, Vaslui, Scantea, and Roman where evangelistic work is being done. We
also had 6 youth from Casa Ray Orphanage and 6 from Santa Maria Orphanage.

The youth camp is an important way to jump start a youth coming to church. This year, 2 youth were
baptized for a total of 14 youth from our camps in the last four years being baptized. Pray for them!

Vacation Bible School this summer was a hit! Together with our church, we hosted a week of Children’s VBS in July with the theme “The Kingdom of Heaven” with parables from Mt 13. We served kids ages 5-15 from our city, two orphanages, and a host of villages. Overall we met with 140 kids during the week. Each morning we held a program at the church with city & orphanage kids, 40-50 kids each day. Each afternoon we went to a village and shared our message. The villages we went to were BARGAUANI, ROMAN, POIENI, GARCINA, and BODESTI where evangelistic work is being done by our church. Between 10-60 kids. Every night we did something special with the youth group. We were glad & blessed to have as helpers Americans Diana & Bob Webb and Leah Miller. The kids had a fun time learning about pirates, treasure, and saving for the Kingdom of Heaven!

We hope our efforts in these activities will have eternal impact. “Talk about (God’s law) when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you getup... Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” (Deut 6:7-9)

PIATRA NEAMT, ROMANIA
-Lucian & Rebecca Avadanei, Emily & Ruben
My Brother’s Keeper Missionaries
PIATRA NEAMT, ROMANIA
www.adventuresinromania.wordpress.com
www.mbk.ro

THANK YOU for your involvement in our ministry, your prayers, and your gifts!

Domnul să va binecuvânteze!

May God bless you and your families this Christmas season and always!

UPDATES FOR 2018:
This year we had our family’s furlough for 4 months in the States. We renewed our service with MBK (3 years) and visited friends & family. We welcomed a little baby boy, Ruben Roy in our family in September. We have been blessed with having had members from our church (Sfanta  Treime Baptist, in Piatra Neamt) involved with us in the activities, like last year. This year’s activities, among others, included:
- We had a Children’s Day picnic on June 1 in the village of Garcina where we have our children’s
program. There were 30 children, some old some new. We were happy to have some helpers from the
youth group come out and help with games & crafts!
- The ministry vehicle, 2009 7-seater VW Touran, has not had any problems or major repairs since
purchasing it last summer, Praise God! We have used it this year dutifully in our activities.
- We had an idea for a couples’ meal at our church on Dec 1, after attending one in the States. We
had 22 families/ 80 people total in attendance for the evening, and the youth served. It was nice for
the families in our church to fellowship, and we introduced a study to start in Jan with youth pastor.
- We received the Christmas shoeboxes from MBK &will have a Christmas program Mon Dec. 17th. One in village of Garcina, 40 kids, and one at the Ion Creanga Orphanage, also 40 kids. We also received an invitation to another orphanage in our city, 25 kids. Look for pictures afterwards on the blog!

AL & MICKEY WILLIAMS' PRAYER AND PRAISE BULLETIN, DECEMBER

PRAISE ITEMS:
1. Al’S TRIP TO MALAYSIA – My travel to Malaysia went well. The flights and layovers were long but thankfully uneventful. During my time in Penang, I was able to have very significant meetings with both the SIL Malaysia staff as well as my co-workers on the SIL Asia Shared Services Team. These opportunities to have face-to-face discussions with those leading the work in Asia help a great deal in my understanding of the situations they face as well as their understanding of what I have to offer. One of the most significant meetings I had was with the newly elected Director of SIL Malaysia, the outgoing Director, and the Field Security Officer. We were able to work through issues that needed immediate attention as well as setting plans for significant follow-up in the months ahead. Thank you so much for your prayers for this trip. God has heard and answered.

2. HEALTH AND STRENGTH – We praise God for the measure of health and strength He’s given this month as I (Mickey) have spent every day with my ill father. We don’t take this blessing lightly. God is good!

PRAYER ITEMS:
1. MICKEY’S DAD – December has been a challenging month for Al and me (Mickey) and our extended family. On December 2, literally overnight, my father (Elmer Shertzer) went from
being an active 90 year old man involved in lots of activities at the retirement home to no longer having the strength to stand on his own. Within two days he was bedridden and unable to do anything for himself, which frustrated him greatly.

His decline over the past three days was also dramatic as he could no longer eat or drink and became unresponsive. My sister and I were with Dad every day of his illness, helping him and showing him our love. He has been a good father and taught us to love and serve Jesus and to do what we can to help others. We praise God for allowing us to be able to help him in his time of need and to share Christ’s love with the staff and other residents on Dad’s floor in the process.

Thanks so much for your prayers for our entire family and for Dad. This afternoon (Dec. 21) at 2:34 PM, Al and I had the privilege of being at his side when God took him to Heaven. We rejoice at his ‘promotion’ but we grieve our loss, too. Your continued prayers for our entire family during this time are much appreciated. (Note: in the coming days, there will be an obituary with dates, times, and locations of the viewings and funeral posted on the Andrew T. Scheid Funeral Home website.)

2. MULTIPLE EXTENDED FAMILY ISSUES – The challenging and complex issues continue for many of our extended family, so thank you so much for continuing to take these needs to our Father. He alone can provide the wisdom and strength (physically, spiritually, and emotionally) that each of us needs in these difficult situations.

3. FINANCIAL PROVISION – Thanks so much for your prayers for God’s provision of the shortfall in our financial support. We are happy to report that one of our supporting churches has written to say that they will be increasing our support for the coming year. We praise God for this and continue to look to Him for the remaining support that we need in order to continue aiding the Bible translation efforts in Asia.

4. JUSTIN – Our son Justin is going through some challenging times right now and needs God’s wisdom and strength. He and his wife have separated and are in the midst of divorce proceedings. On top of that, Justin has a painful herniated disk in his neck and has been off work since early November. He’s had chiropractic treatments and a cortisone injection in his spine, but it will take some time before he sees improvement. Pray for God’s healing touch, peace, and provision financially. He will be off work at least until mid-January.

URGENT PRAYER REQUEST FROM AL & MICKEY WILLIAMS

Dear friends and family,

As you know, my father, Elmer Shertzer, has been under the care of hospice because of gangrene on his one toe that is complicated by poor circulation in his legs, congestive heart failure, and stage 4 kidney disease. Because of the bad circulation, amputation was ruled out as a viable option.

Since last Saturday (Dec. 1), Dad has declined rapidly. He was ambulatory with his walker on Saturday, but didn’t feel well enough to go to activities or meals. On Sunday, his legs were so weak he couldn’t stand without my sister Margie and I holding him up (which we only did in order to transfer him to a wheelchair to take him to the bathroom or to the table in his room for meals). His breathing was also erratic - cycles of apnea (no breathing) followed by labored breathing. This usually signals that death is near, so I notified my brothers in Alabama.

On Monday, Dave and his wife arrived. On Tuesday, Steve and his wife arrived. It’s been an emotionally and physically draining week for all of us. To our surprise, Dad is still alive, but he is very weak and the gangrene has begun spreading into the rest of his foot. The medicines they give him round-the-clock to keep him calm and pain-free also make him very groggy. He often says, “I want to go home!” or “I want to get out of here (skilled care).” He’s also verbalized his deep desire to go to his home in Heaven. One day when he said that, I told him he needed to talk to God about that. With great desperation he looked toward the ceiling and pleaded “Jesus, please take me Home! I want to come Home!” We all thought he was going to get his wish granted early this week, but God hasn’t seen fit to come for him yet. We don’t know why. Maybe it’s so we – the family – can shine the light of the Gospel to the staff and other residents.

Pray we’ll be good witnesses for the Lord during this challenging time and ask the Lord to give us the physical and emotional strength we need to keep going. On Saturday, Al begins his return trip to the US. His first of three flights is scheduled to leave Malaysia at 8:25 PM local time (7:25 AM Saturday in Pennsylvania). He is due to arrive in PA about 6:45 PM on Sunday. It’s been hard for him to be so far from home during this challenging time for Dad and our family. Please pray for his safety in travel and peace of mind.

Thanks so much! God bless you all!

Mickey (and for Al and our family)

AL & MICKEY WILLIAMS' PRAYER & PAISE BULLETIN: NOVEMBER 2018

PRAISE ITEMS:
1. TRIP TO MICHIGAN – Thanks so much for your prayers for Al and me as we participated in a missions conference at one of our supporting churches in Michigan on Oct. 24-28. God blessed us with: a. Safety on the roads and no car trouble. b. Good health and the ability to participate in all of the meetings and activities. c. Visits with family and friends. d. New acquaintances at the church and “on the road”. I, Mickey, was especially thrilled to talk with several Filipinas at a rest stop on our way to Michigan! It was like being ‘back home’ in the Philippines! ~smile~

2. GOD’S TIMING – On Oct. 24 (just a couple hours before Al and I were scheduled to speak to the youth at the first session of the missions conference), I felt compelled to call my Dad in Pennsylvania to see how he was doing. This was definitely God’s timing, because at that very moment Dad’s doctor was there examining the sores that she’d been treating on one of his toes. Less than a week before, when she had examined the toe, she had recommended Dad see a wound care specialist, but the soonest appointment he could get was Nov. 7. She was concerned to find that a small spot of gangrene had developed since she had examined the toe and now recommended he be admitted to the hospital for treatment or possible amputation of the toe. As soon as I hung up from talking with the doctor, I called my sister Margie to let her know what was happening. She had just arrived at Dad’s retirement home that very moment to visit him – God’s timing – and was able to take him to the hospital and help him over the next two days while he was a patient there. If she hadn’t been there to help Dad, my participation in the missions conference would not have been possible.

3. ONLINE RISK MANAGEMENT MEETINGS – We made good progress during our November 1 video conference on reaching a final proposal for the Live Online Listing of Bibleless Peoples that Wycliffe USA is considering. This risk assessment and risk management process for such an information sharing program has been quite interesting as I facilitated the discussions and brought input from my experience. This proposal will now go to the Wycliffe USA leadership and a development team who will work out the details on how this will be put into action.

4. AL’S TRIP TO KANSAS CITY – November 6 found me flying to Kansas City to join with a team of security trainers to work with a large group of college students preparing for overseas mission service. Over the next five days, we worked with them on dealing with threats such as carjacking, government interrogation, hostage survival, and many other issues. One of the roles I played was a government interrogation officer. It was a good opportunity to help them see what it is like to face an uncomfortable official situation like this. I was very impressed with the dedication of these students and will be praying for them as they leave in January for four-month overseas assignments alongside experienced missionaries. 

PRAYER ITEMS:
1. MICKEY’S DAD – When Dad was in the hospital, the doctors soon realized that amputation of his toe was not a viable option because of his many other health issues. The gangrene has now totally taken over his toe, so his doctor recommended he begin receiving hospice care. We praise God that is still able to enjoy many of the activities at his retirement home. He is ready to meet Jesus, but all of these changes are rather overwhelming for him and have taken a toll on him (and our family) emotionally. Thanks for keeping all of us in your prayers.

2. MULTIPLE EXTENDED FAMILY ISSUES – We’d appreciate your prayers for wisdom and strength (physically, spiritually, and emotionally) for us and for some of our extended family members who are going through very challenging times.

3. FINANCIAL PROVISION – We have been blessed to be part of the work of Bible translation since 1984. We would like to keep on doing so for as long as God enables us to do the work, but many of our financial partners are now elderly and no longer able to be part of the work financially. Would you pray with us for God’s provision of the $735/month that we need to make up the shortfall and be able to continue in this ministry? Thank you!

4. AL’S UPCOMING TRIP TO ASIA – November 30, I will be on my way to Penang, Malaysia for consultations with the leadership team working there on their safety and security preparedness. I will also be participating in planning meetings with the SIL Asia Area team as we look into the months ahead and set our priorities. I very much appreciate your prayers for this trip and look forward to seeing how the Lord answers.

OPEN HOUSE: RACHEL'S VINEYARD

Rachel’s Vineyard & Undefeated Courage will be offering another Open House at the new Columbia, PA retreat house. All are welcome! Rachel’s Vineyard & Undefeated Courage provide ministry and compassion to those who grieve children lost in the womb, particularly through abortion. Rachel's Vineyard is a structured and guided weekend group retreat, developed by Dr. Theresa Burke, based on biblical readings and exercises of forgiveness and healing. Retreats are available to men and women of any faith. More information about retreats is available at /www.rachelsvineyard.org/. The house will be open to tour/explore from 12-2 on SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10. Retreat team-members will be available for hospitality and conversation. The address is 1029 Lancaster Ave, Columbia, PA 17512. There is limited parking behind the retreat house. Please park in the front lot of Sahd’s Metal Recycling next door, and walk over. God bless, and thank you!

NEWS FROM THE CANCER CARE MINISTRY

Click here to read about the latest happenings from GCCM.

And here to learn about how you can support local students and the Cancer Care Ministry.

AN UPDATE FROM AL & MICKEY WILLIAMS

Dear friends,

A great deal has happened since we wrote to you in September. It has been a challenging time and we are
greatly blessed to have each of you praying for and supporting us each step of this journey. The Risk Assessment meetings last month in Orlando, Florida were a great success. We decided to gather the larger team again for the next meeting November 1. This will be an online conference again of twelve people
from six organizations. I (Al) have been asked to facilitate this session and work toward a conclusion that we hope to put online by the middle of 2019. I’m looking forward to writing to you about that development as the team puts it all together and rolls it out. The focus is on prayer for the Bibleless people of the world and I believe it is going to be a very exciting development.

As we wrote to you in September, I was busy preparing for my trip to Thailand for the Global Leaders
Meetings. At the same time, a crisis was hitting several of our teams in a restrictive Asian country. Several
teams had to leave for their home countries and several others are under a great deal of stress. I have spent
quite a bit of time working with a Crisis Management Team formed to deal with this crisis and the leaders of
this group. They, like many others across Asia, are serving in some very challenging situations. This threat is far from over. I very much appreciate the opportunity to help them and we will all appreciate your prayers for wisdom and direction.

As that crisis was unfolding and the date for my departure to Thailand was rapidly approaching, a 7.5 magnitude earthquake hit just north of the city of Palu in Indonesia. The city of Palu and the surrounding area were heavily damaged by the earthquake but the disaster did not end there. Shortly after the earthquake, a tsunami wave swept from the south, up the bay and over the northern half of the city.

The destruction was unimaginable. At last report, nearly 2,100 people are known to have died and an
additional 5,000 have been reported missing. I have visited Palu several times to provide safety and
security training to the teams who have been living and working in this region. My heart aches for those
who lost their lives and the thousands who have been injured. Several of our families were able to evacuate
Palu City on military transport to another city where they are recovering from this tragedy. There are a
great many unknowns ahead for them and the people they work with and serve in the Palu area.

I am so thankful for the opportunities I have had to serve them and I thank each of you for making this
possible. Last week one of those family members wrote to me to say:

“I’m very appreciative of all your training and experience that you shared with me a few years ago... I wish we hadn’t needed it, but even in the midst of this I can see that things have gone relatively smoothly compared to what could have been and a large part of that is due to how you have helped us in the past.”

Please pray with me for the people of Palu and these dear families who have been impacted by the earthquake and tsunami. May the Lord bring healing and direction for their future ministry with the people of Palu. October 4, I left home for Bangkok, Thailand and the Global Leaders Meetings. I joined a team of four to provide safety and security oversight for the conference of 230 Leaders and staff from around the world. It was a great opportunity to look back at what the Lord has been doing in our ministry of Bible translation and language development, and to look to the Lord for His leading for the future.

In addition to keeping focused on the two crisis events I am assisting with in Asia, I was able to listen in on the presentations and meet personally with several of the leaders that I serve in my security and contingency preparedness roll. It was a full and encouraging week. I’m home now and Mickey and I are preparing for our trip to Michigan next week for the mission conference at Five Points Community Church in Auburn Hills. We are looking forward to seeing our friends in that area as well as telling the stories of what we are seeing the Lord doing through the work in progress in Asia. November 6, I plan to be back on an airplane headed to Kansas City and the Fusion program at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. I have been asked again to join the team of trainers for this last week of the training section of the Fusion program that is preparing students for a semester of overseas service alongside veteran workers in some very difficult and challenging locations. You may remember my participation last year in this training in hostile interrogation and hostage survival. It is intense training and has served well in preparing the students for the work ahead of them. I will appreciate your prayers for the group this year as they learn from these intense sessions. We also thank you for your prayers for our family. We are going through some very stressful days and your prayers and encouragement are so precious to us. Our trust is in the Lord and we continue to look to Him for our strength. You standing with us is very precious.

We will also appreciate your prayers for our financial support needs. We have been blessed to have many
faithful individuals assisting with our financial support during our 36 years with Wycliffe, however, in recent years, many of those individuals have passed away or are no longer able to assist with our financial support. This reality, along with increasing expenses, has left a shortfall that is becoming quite challenging. Please pray with us that the Lord will provide opportunities to share our ministry with Wycliffe with others who will desire to join our team for the future.

Thanks and God bless you.
Al

Prayer & Praise Points:
1. Praise for the good Risk Management meetings in Orlando, FL in September and a good internet
connection for Al to participate in them remotely. Pray for the continuation of those meetings that will
be done online November 1.

2. Praise the Lord for safety in travel and during the Global Leaders Meetings in Thailand in October.

3. Pray for wisdom for Al as he assists teams in a restricted Asian country where the government is
becoming more hostile toward the Gospel.

4. Pray for the Indonesian people and the teams working there who have been affected by the
earthquake. Pray for God’s healing touch and for direction for the teams regarding future work there.

5. Pray for good health, safety, and wisdom to know what to share as we participate in a mission
conference in Michigan from Oct. 24-28.

6. Pray for Mickey’s father’s health in our absence.

7. Praise that Mickey’s sister (who has been living with us since early Feb.) is available to help Dad and
care for our house and pets while we’re away.

8. Pray for multiple extended family issues that are a great concern to us.

9. Pray for Al as he travels to Kansas City in early November to be on staff for the Fusion course.

10. Pray for God’s provision financially to enable us to continue serving with Wycliffe.

AL & MICKEY WILLIAMS: PRAYER & PRAISE BULLETIN, SEPTEMBER 2018

PRAISE ITEMS:
1. FAMILY – We praise God for our family. We don’t get to see them often enough, so when we DO get together, the time is precious to us. Because Justin lives several hours away, it was special having him visit us on August 19 and even “jam” a bit with his grandpa Shertzer, too.

On September 3, when my sister Margie and I visited with Dad, we had a special treat: James, one of the residents at Dad’s retirement home, joined us for a game of Scrabble. So what’s so special about that? James is 100 years old!

On September 8, one of my longtime wishes came true – I got to have one-on-one time with Jeremy’s
daughter, Everlee (9 years old). We had fun talking, making things out of Playdough, and playing with a paper doll house. On the evening of September 18, Justin was riding his motorcycle on a highway in western PA when a deer ran out in front of him. He hit the deer, but miraculously managed to keep the cycle on both wheels! We praise God for His protection over Justin.

2. WORKING VIA THE INTERNET - The past several weeks have been quite full. I’m thankful for good internet service and the ability to interact with our many colleagues across Asia. As you will read in our Prayer Items, I have been depending on this service a great deal. Last week I attended the Risk Management Network meetings. In addition to the general topics, I was able to discuss with others the increasing risk issues in some Asian countries and gain information from those who are dealing with similar issues. This was very helpful. Next week is the next round of risk assessment and contingency planning meetings for Wycliffe USA and a new information distribution initiative. I will be at home in Pennsylvania while most of the team is gathered in Orlando for those meetings. I’ll be joining them via internet video conferencing for the three days of meetings. I’m thankful to be able to participate in these discussions.

PRAYER ITEMS:
1. TYPHOON MANGKHUT – As hurricane Florence battered North Carolina on September 14, typhoon Mangkhut was causing a path of destruction across the northern Philippines. Pray that God would use these disasters to draw people to Himself.

2. MICKEY’S HEALTH – On August 27, I saw the “electrical” cardiologist. The good news is he didn’t feel the results of my 7-day heart monitor were abnormal. The bad news is we still don’t know why I sometimes get short of breath with little exertion. I’m watching my blood pressure to see if there’s a correlation. Pray we can get this figured out. In the meantime, rejoice with us in the news that the urologist found no signs of bladder cancer during my check-up on September 7! My next follow-up is in March 2019.

3. ASSISTING COLLEAGUES IN CRISIS – Some of our colleagues serve in countries that are not favorable to the Gospel. One such country’s government has recently taken an aggressive stance. Al has been providing council to our colleagues who serve there. Pray for wisdom for him and our colleagues. And pray for God’s protection and endurance for them in the face of opposition.

4. AL’S TRIP TO THAILAND IN OCTOBER – Soon I’ll be back in the air on my way to Bangkok, Thailand to join the security team watching over a gathering of about 250 people at a leaders’ conference. There are always interesting opportunities to both assist in caring for the conference participants and often to join in their conversations. I greatly appreciate your prayers for safety in travel and a problem-free conference.

5. OUR TRIP TO MICHIGAN IN OCTOBER – One of our supporting churches near Detroit is having their annual missions conference in late October and asked us to be part of it. Pray for us as we prepare for the meetings and as we travel there and back.

AL & MICKEY WILLIAMS PRAISE BULLETIN, AUGUST 2018

PRAISE ITEMS:
1. ONLINE FACILITATION – The three online sessions went very well and the risk assessment we completed is now moving on to the next steps in crafting this project. The end result is that information will be available on languages and people groups who do not yet have access to the Scriptures in a language that speaks to their hearts. Our hope is that this information will generate prayer for these people and for God’s provision of personnel to translate the Scriptures for them. I (Al) have been asked to continue to assist with this project, so I thank you for your prayers and ask that you continue to pray for this important project.

2. TRAVEL TO THAILAND – My (Al’s) trip to Thailand went very well. The group I went to speak to had scheduled me for a 20 minute session with the full group. Then they asked if I could continue for another 20 minutes the next day, and then asked if I could continue for a 60-minute session later that day. They work in some very challenging situations and the topic they asked me to speak on was how to deal with hostile interrogations.

Interacting with them has given me a great respect for them and where they work. It has also given me many things to bring to the Lord in prayer on their behalf. Thank you for praying for me during this trip. I hope you will join me in continuing to pray for our teams who work in challenging places.

After I left the conference, I went to Bangkok to conduct a security survey of the facility where we will be holding a leadership conference in October. It was a good visit and now I’m looking forward to joining with others on the security team to watch over that conference. I’ll be telling you more about that trip next month.

3. FAMILY TIME – On August 11 it was a treat for Al and me to spend a little time with our son Jeremy and his kids, his friend Sue Hutchinson and her kids (Sue and Jeremy were classmates in the Philippines and her parents are Wycliffe colleagues of ours), and my father (Elmer Shertzer) at his retirement home.

4. MICKEY’S HEALTH – Thanks for your prayers! Our insurance company gave its approval of the special CAM Heart Monitor that my doctor requested, so I wore it for seven days in July. A few days after I returned the monitor, I received a call from my doctor, personally checking to see how I was doing and to explain the results. There were many abnormalities and they correlated with the symptoms I was experiencing, so he wants me to see a cardiologist who specializes in the electrical workings of the heart. Please pray for wisdom for Dr. Bernabei as he sees me on August 27 and for Al and me as we process the information / suggestions for treatment.

PRAYER ITEMS:
1. THE MONTH AHEAD - I (Al) will be working from my home office for the next few weeks. The online risk assessment project team will next meet in Orlando, Florida in September, but because of other projects and needs, I have decided I will best be able to help them remotely rather than join them in Orlando. I will also be attending the Risk Management Network meetings in September, but this time they will be held in our area, so I can attend and still be home each evening. In addition to these, I’ll have the daily tasks related to the groups across Asia that I handle via email and internet calls. Thank you so much for your encouragement and prayers. It is great to see the progress in the translation of the Scriptures in Asia and the impact this is having in the lives of the people there. Each of you play a significant role in that progress and we greatly appreciate your partnership.

2. COUPLES IN CRISIS – Our hearts are heavy as we write this. One of the couples we’ve been praying for and seeking to help is now in the process of divorce and two others look as if they are heading that direction as well. Please continue to pray for these couples who are near and dear to our hearts. Pray for wisdom for us and the counselors from whom some of them are still seeking help for their troubled marriages. And pray that each couple would draw closer to Christ and to each other and have a desire to work hard to restore their marriages.

AL & MICKEY WILLIAMS' PRAISE BULLETIN, JULY 2018

PRAISE ITEMS:
1. JEREMY AND THE KIDS – Thanks so much for praying for Jeremy and the custody situation! God has worked in amazing ways! After we sent out the ‘brief update’ asking for prayer, Jillian and Jeremy met on July 11th and came to an agreement regarding the custody of the children, so they no longer need to go to court regarding this issue in September! Praise the Lord! Do continue to keep Jeremy in your prayers, though. The divorce is still not finalized.

2. HEART CATHETERIZATION – Thanks so much for your prayers regarding my (Mickey’s) heart catheterization on July 11. In the days prior to the test, God provided peace for me. In fact, instead of fearing the procedure, I was actually eagerly anticipating it! After the procedure, the doctor gave us the good news: the blood vessels look great and there is no blockage! Praise the Lord! However, we still don’t know the cause of my symptoms, so the doctor has ordered a new kind of heart monitor that I will wear for 7 days (if insurance approves). Pray for a clear, accurate diagnosis.

3. KARAO NEW TESTAMENT PROJECT – Thanks for your prayers for our colleague, Sherri, as she works to revise the Karao New Testament. God has provided a capable Karao speaker to help Sherri with the revision on a consistent basis, and her original helper has also returned to the village and helps as needed. Praise the Lord! Pray for this team as they work to get God’s Word ready to be published and into the hands of the people.

PRAYER ITEMS:
1. ONLINE FACILITATION - Thank you for your prayers for me (Al) as I facilitate a risk assessment and risk management plan for a new project that is being developed. This assessment, involving 12 individuals (in several different countries and time zones) representing six organizations, began on July 10 via internet video conferencing and is going very well so far. We will have two more sessions (July 13 and 16), so we value your continued prayers for good internet connections, good participation in the sessions, and results that will serve well as this new outreach is put into practice. I’m already hearing from those that are participating in (and will use the results of) these sessions, that they are pleased and thankful for this project.

2. TRAVEL TO THAILAND – Preparations are going well for my (Al’s) trip to Chiang Mai, Thailand on July 20 to join in a conference for one of the groups working in a nearby country. I have been asked to provide some individual training during this time with them, as well as to provide a presentation to the whole group on how to handle a particularly risk-prone situation that this group faces. I have also been asked to stop in Bangkok for a day to conduct a facility risk assessment at a location that has been chosen for a
conference in October. I’m looking forward to having these days to work with this team in individual and group sessions. Please pray for safety in travel and good interactions with these precious people.

3. COUPLES IN CRISIS – Thanks for your prayers for these couples. We see glimpses of God at work. Pray for wisdom for the counselors they are (or soon will be) seeing regarding their troubled marriages. Pray that these individuals would be drawn closer to Christ and to each other, and be open to working hard to restore their marriages.

Al & Mickey Williams Update

Dear praying friends,

Many of you have written asking how the custody hearing went last month for Jeremy. Thanks so
much for your prayers for Jeremy and the four kids. Jeremy was given 50/50 custody of the children until school starts this fall, but on September 17th, he and Jillian must go before a judge in court to come to a more permanent custody settlement. Please keep praying! Photo (L to R, Back row 1st): Sullivan (10), Everlee (9), Colvin (7) and Vaughn (6).

On another note, I (Mickey) saw the cardiologist in June because of shortness of breath, chest pain, and palpitations. He ordered a treadmill stress echocardiogram and I failed it, so I am scheduled for a heart catheterization on July 11 (this Wednesday) in the morning. I’d appreciate your prayers. In all honesty, I’m wavering back and forth between feelings of anxiety (because my cousin recently had a heart catheterization done and it caused him to have a stroke) and complete peace (when I have my eyes on the Lord instead of on my circumstances).

Thanks so much for standing in the gap with us!!!

Mickey and for Al, Jeremy and the kids

AL & MICKEY WILLIAMS' PRAISE & PRAYER BULLETIN, JUNE 2018

1. VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL IN MARYLAND – On June 18, Al and I (Mickey) shared about Bible translation with children in grades 1-7 at Grace Bible Church in Manchester, MD. We had a wonderful time with the kids and we are especially grateful to the Lord for making it possible for me to participate this year. Last year, we couldn’t go because I wasn’t feeling well. This past weekend, I wasn’t sure if we would have to cancel out again because of my health, but God made it possible! PTL!

2. EXTENDED FAMILY – On June 2nd, Al and I attended the wedding of our niece Ellen (daughter of Al’s sister Sandy and brother-in-law Dennis) in Washington, D.C. It was great to see Al’s sisters and their families again. We hadn’t seen some of our nieces and nephews for many years, so it was fun interacting with them now as adults. We all agreed that a wedding was a nice way to have a family reunion.

PRAYER ITEMS:
1. JEREMY AND THE KIDS – Thanks so much for your prayers for Jeremy and his four children in the midst of the divorce proceedings. Pray for wisdom and guidance from God for Jeremy as he continues seeking legal help in dealing with the divorce, especially in regards to the custody hearing that will take place today, June 20.

2. COUPLES IN CRISIS – Please continue to pray with us for some couples who are near and dear to us whose marriages are in turmoil. Pray for the Lord’s healing touch and strength for them, and wisdom for us as we seek to help them.

3. KARAO NEW TESTAMENT PROJECT – It is no simple thing to translate the Scriptures into another language. The process is challenging and time consuming. As it nears completion, the enemy of our souls does all he can to stop it from happening. We are seeing this happening in the Karao project in the Philippines. Our colleague, Sherri Brainard, and a variety of Karao speakers completed translating the New Testament into Karao last year. A few months ago, Sherri began the revision process. Her main helper in
the translation process – and who Sherri had thought would help her with the revision as well – had to leave the village to go help her adult son who had a stroke. Pray for God’s provision of capable Karao speakers to help Sherri with the revision so His Word can soon be published and into the hands of the people.

4. ONLINE FACILITATION – I (Al) was recently asked to facilitate a risk assessment and risk management plan for a new project that is being developed. This assessment will involve 12 individuals representing six organizations and will be held in several sessions via internet video conferencing. These individuals are located in several different countries and time zones, which will add to the challenges. The preparations have already begun and I’m looking forward to leading the three online sessions in July. Your prayers are greatly appreciated for the remaining preparations, good internet connections, good
participation in the sessions, and results that will serve well as this new outreach is put into practice.

5. TRAVEL TO THAILAND – Planning is well underway for me to travel to Chiang Mai, Thailand in late July to join in a conference for one of the groups working in a near-by country. I have been asked to provide some individual training during this time with them as well as to provide a presentation to the whole group on how to handle a particularly risk-prone situation that this group faces. I have also been asked to stop in Bangkok for a day to conduct a facility risk assessment at a location that has been chosen for a
conference in October. Please pray for smooth travel and good interactions with the many people I will see on this trip.

Al Williams in Indonesia, Week 4

Indonesia Week Four –
Sentani and the Journey Home

Sunday, April 25, dawned as another beautiful day and with it came a reminder that my time in
Indonesia was quickly coming to a close.

I had several choices of where to join in worship that morning and decided to join the group at Newman Chapel. Alice provided transportation and we picked up Liz on our way as well. There were about 200 Indonesians and expatriates attending the service. I was especially touched by the testimonies and worship: stories of communities changed by the translated Word of God, and Scripture translations that are soon to
be completed and in the hands and hearts of those eagerly waiting. There were also requests for us to pray:

For the people and situation surrounding an Indonesian Christian aid worker who was brutally
killed as he and his team were seeking to respond to a medical epidemic.

For Chris, a young missionary who is struggling with malaria and dengue fever.

For civil unrest that is growing in some areas and affecting the spread of the Gospel.

I was reminded that there are many here who are living and working in challenging, even threatening,
conditions to serve the Lord and bring His life-changing word to people waiting to hear.

Sunday lunch was a great opportunity to fellowship with some families I have gotten to know over the
years I have visited Sentani. It was an afternoon out at Papa Ron’s Pizza place. Lots of good pizza and
stories of their lives and work across this region.

Soon after our pizza outing, it was time to go to the Hillcrest International School campus for the Sunday
evening Wycliffe gathering. That was a special time of fellowship with friends I have known for years and
an opportunity to meet more of those working in this area.

Bright and early Monday, I was back at the YAJASI hangar for the second day of the Field Security Committee training. As this was our last day together for this trip, we had a lot to work through
in the hours we had. One of the highlights of the day was the opportunity to visit a bit with Jefron and Rio. I had heard of these men for several years as they worked their way through flight training. They are now fully qualified as pilots with the YAJASI team
serving the work across Papua, Indonesia.

The Field Security Committee and I continued to work through the 71 risk items we identified on Friday
and then launched into the development of a sample-but-real contingency plan for one of those threats.
Civil unrest is an ongoing threat in this region of the country and has, in the past, been a very serious
problem. We talked through the issues and challenges, what can be done to protect and care for staff
members in the Sentani area and other locations around Papua, and looked intently toward developing
a plan of action, should civil unrest become a significant threat again. 5:00 PM came around amazingly
soon and we closed our time together so I could get back to the guest house and get my bags packed for
my flight leaving in the morning.

Tuesday morning, before I left for the airport, one of the leaders from a local organization sponsoring
some of our Wycliffe staff asked to have some time with me to discuss security issues for his group. I
had met Raemon some years ago and it was good to have some time with him again. I shared with him
some of what I had presented in the sessions for the Crisis Management Team and Field Security
Committee members. He also offered to give me a ride to the airport and I gladly accepted.
I had a lot of time to think through the past three and a half weeks as I waited at the airports in Sentani,

Jakarta, Seoul, and Detroit, and during the many hours on airplanes between those airports.
For those of you who enjoy numbers, my travels covered about 26,000 miles in 11 flights and altogether
added up to 100 hours of travel by roads, at airports and on airplanes. Yes, it was a long journey.
I was thankful to arrive at the Harrisburg airport on time Wednesday afternoon and have Mickey waiting
for me. It is good to be “home” again.

This “journey” may be over, but there is much to follow up on now that I’m back in my office at home. A lot of the training and consulting that I’m doing these days is via the internet. This enables me to reach out to and help many more people than I would be able to if I could only do this in person.

I am very thankful for each of you who have prayed for and encouraged me as you joined me in this
journey. You are each a great blessing to me. I’m looking forward to taking you along on my travels in
the future. I hope you are looking forward to that, too.

Blessings,
Al

Al Williams in Indonesia: Week 3

Indonesia Week Three – Bali to Sentani

Monday we had our last large group meetings. Some of the 160 participants had to leave over the weekend, but those of us who remained carried on with the work. We focused on how the future planning for SIL and Partners in Asia will look in our regions of Asia and how we can best adjust to be the most effective in reaching the minority peoples with the transforming Word of God. We did have time for a group picture, but you will notice that some are facing away from the camera because they are working in very sensitive locations.

My meetings Tuesday were with a much smaller group (about 25) focused on support services for Asia and the Pacific. These were great opportunities to discuss face-to-face the challenges we face in our roles and how we can best help each other across this vast area.

My day didn’t end with these meetings; it had really just begun. After the meetings ended and we had a bite to eat, Liz and I headed to the airport for the flight to Sentani, Papua province at the far eastern side of Indonesia. Mickey and I have known Liz for about ten years. She lives in Manila where she assists with the Information Technology needs of the group. She was going to Sentani to lead several workshops focused on software that is being used in Literacy programs across that region.

As we left for the airport, I wondered what to call a flight that leaves at 1:25 AM? Is that a late flight or an early flight? Either way, neither Liz nor I were able to sleep much before we arrived at Sentani at 8:30 Wednesday morning.

As we were preparing to leave Bali, word reached us that the undersea internet cable serving Papua province was broken. There were quite a few rumors or stories as to what happened. Was it an undersea earthquake that broke the cable? An undersea volcanic eruption? My favorite is that a shark bit and damaged the cable. I guess that really does happen. Whatever the cause, Liz and I arrived in a true crisis: internet withdrawal was full blown. Every time I mentioned the internet, everyone laughed. It was sort of fun being “unplugged” for a while. There was a backup internet connection for the province, but it was extremely slow-to-non-existent most of the time, but I was occasionally able to get a brief message home.

Alice is the leader of the Field Security Committee for Papua Province. She picked Liz and me up at the airport and took us to where we would be staying. This gave me some time to settle in and get the training materials ready for the morning. After a nice supper with one of the families working in Sentani and a good night of sleep, I was ready to begin the Crisis Management Team training. This one day seminar is to prepare individuals to join a Crisis Management Team which will assist the Field Security Committee in dealing with significant crisis situations involving Wycliffe members. SIL is no longer working in Indonesia, so the Wycliffe members working in Indonesia are sponsored by local organizations. There are currently seven non-government organizations, three church organizations, and one mission school sponsoring these Wycliffe members. Each of these organizations, as well as the Wycliffe organizations these individuals came from, are looking to the Field Security Committee to care for their Wycliffe members in case of a crisis. It is a big job.

Twenty five years ago SIL Aviation turned over leadership of the aviation program in this region to a new non-government organization known as YAJASI. The program has grown significantly over those years and is under the leadership of an Indonesian Director and a majority Indonesian Board of Directors. Several of the families Mickey and I went to Moody Bible Institute and Moody Aviation with have worked with YAJASI throughout those years. The YAJASI leadership offered the use of their facilities for the training sessions and this served us very well.

Twenty five people attended the Crisis Management Team training including several Indonesian members of the sponsoring organizations. It was a stressful day for many (that is part of my job to make it as life-like as possible) and the comments I received told me that many left with a new appreciation for what is involved in managing a crisis to resolution.

Friday was the first of two days of training for the Field Security Committee. This committee is composed of a representative from each of the sponsoring organizations. We focused on developing an actual Risk Assessment of Papua Province as the Committee members felt this would be the greatest help for them. This was a review for two of the Committee members and quite a new process for the rest. They did a great job and by the end of the day had identified and ranked seventy-one potential crisis events they felt needed to be addressed. We discussed how to reduce the likelihood of these events affecting the members, and how to reduce the impact these events would have should they occur. We also discussed what other help is available to deal with these outside of the Field Security Committee and possible Crisis Management Teams. It was encouraging to see that there is other help and support available. Friday ended with a lot more work to be done to finish the Risk Assessment and begin working on Contingency Plans. That will be the focus for our Monday sessions.

Friday night was an opportunity to get out of the classroom and visit Hillcrest International School which most of the Wycliffe children attend. This was the final night of their big basketball tournament. There were boy’s and girl’s teams from Hillcrest and several other area schools. It was a very loud and fun night of basketball and burritos. I was able to see quite a few other friends at the games and had a few conversations. Did I mention it was really loud? The Hillcrest girls won and the Hillcrest boys came in second. Everyone had a great evening.

After all that fun, I was off to find some sleep and get ready for Saturday. Some friends invited me to join them for a day at a beach and I really did not want to turn that down. Imagine leaving snow in Pennsylvania and finding yourself on a tropical beach. There are a few perks to this work.

Early Saturday, Tim and Tammy picked me up and we joined a fourvehicle caravan over some amazing roads (four-wheel drive would have been nice) to get to the place where we could take some boats across the bay to a very nice, private beach. (Well, it was a bit private - four other families joined us, so there were lots of us.) It was a very nice break from traveling and teaching. It was also a great opportunity to get under the water again. Sever families brought scuba equipment, and when they heard I had not been scuba diving since we left the Philippines nine years ago, they insisted I join them. I didn’t resist very much. I borrowed some scuba gear from Jason and Erin and joined Jason for a very nice dive out on the coral reef.

After such a day of fun, we braved the road back to Sentani. Frans, the Director of YAJASI, invited me to join his family for supper that evening. It was a very nice opportunity to get to know him and his family better, and to hear of his history with YAJASI and his dreams for the future. It was a great week, and I found myself pretty tired by the end. This trip is also quickly coming to an end, but that is a story for my next, and last, letter on this journey.

Blessings, Al

Al Williams in Indonesia: Week 2

Indonesia Week Two – Bali Sunday, April 15, 2018

BACK IN THE AIR AGAIN

Early Sunday morning, April 8, I was in a taxi on my way from the Yayasan Suluh office to the Jakarta airport. Dodi and his Blue Bird Taxi got me to the airport in about an hour and I was soon checked in. After a short Garuda Airlines flight (only 1 ½ hours; really short compared to the 14 hour 40 minute flight last week), I arrived at the airport on Bali, Indonesia. By the time I arrived, I could tell something was not quite right in my stomach.

Indeed, by the time the taxi dropped me off at the Grand Inna Bali Beach Hotel, I could tell it was not going to be a good day. I rarely get sick on these trips, but something I ate in Jakarta was letting me know that this was going to take a while to get over. I spent the rest of Sunday getting some rest, and wondering how I would be able to work on security for the meetings and still be near a restroom.

One of the things I do on a regular basis is give pre-travel briefings to new members before they leave for an overseas assignment. I try to live what I teach in those briefings and this time it certainly paid off. I travel with a small bottle of Kaopectate caplets and I’m sure glad I had them.

By Monday, I was up and moving and getting to work, though not over that stomach bug yet. Gary, who lives in another Indonesian city, joined me on the security team for this conference. We are also assisted by Tiar and Yusak, two men who were in the training I led in Jakarta. Tiar and Yusak have been very helpful in interfacing with the hotel staff. They are also assisting with the logistics team for the meetings. Gary is very interested in becoming much more involved in security and contingency leadership in Asia, and this has been a great time for him to gain experience and for me to get to know him better.

Tuesday found me much more functional. I was sure glad for that. Thank you so much for your prayers.

Most of the 160+ participants from across Asia and the Pacific, and a few from farther away, had arrived by Tuesday morning. About one half were with me in a leadership training program Tuesday and Wednesday, while the other half were meeting with Asia and Pacific church and partner organization leaders.

The impact of Bible translation in Indonesia became very clear Tuesday as I was talking with one of my friends here. She told me that some years ago, she and her husband were involved in a translation project in Indonesia. Much has happened in that people group since that time, and one of the men she knew from those days is now a Pastor and significant church leader. He is here attending this conference, representing his church and their strong interest in Bible translation and reaching other Indonesian groups with the translated Scriptures.

Thursday, all 160+ of us met together to hear from our senior leaders and to discuss very significant topics related to the Bible translation movements in Asia and the Pacific. Topics, like the Indonesian Church, MUSE (Multilingualism, Urbanization and Scripture Engagement), and Localization (the encouragement of local leadership and participation in the Bible translation movement) filled our days. There were some times of extra excitement too.

FIRE

At our break times, the hotel staff provides us with some snacks along with hot tea and coffee. The drinks come in nice urns with alcohol-andwax-fueled burners underneath to keep them hot. Unfortunately, Thursday afternoon, when one of the meeting participants decided to tip the tea urn forward to get the last little bit of tea from the urn, the can of burning alcohol and wax underneath tipped over and poured the flaming fluid down the front of the table and skirting which all erupted in flames. It made for some exciting moments as several people immediately fought to beat out the flames. Thankfully, no one was injured and little damage was done. Before the meetings, Gary and I had prepared a fire evacuation plan for the room as well as checked the location and condition of the fire extinguishers, which, in this case, were not needed.

Thank you for your prayers for safety. The Lord answered with protection from what could have been much worse. When some hear that we are focused on security, they ask if we really think there will be an attack on our meetings. I tell them that although it is a possibility, it is very unlikely. A fire like this one is a much more likely threat to our group, and that is why we seek to be prepared as much as we possibly can to meet a wide variety of threats.

I would like to send pictures and introduce you to many of my friends who are here with me working through these meetings and topics, but many of them are working in very sensitive locations and cannot have their names and pictures published. This is always a reminder to me of the risks they are taking (carefully) to serve the Lord and reach people in difficult places.

Friday and Saturday, we continued to work on our planning and strategy sessions (Gary and I made sure the flames under the tea and coffee were put out before break time started). We made good progress, and I was able to build some new relationships with the people in my table group. One of them is a Bible translator in a small village in Vanuatu that is served by a road built by some of my friends from Pennsylvania. It really is a small world.

On Sunday, we spent the morning in a time of Bible study, reflection, and worship. We finished the morning with Communion led by a Pastor from Timor. It was a very good day. Your prayers are great blessings, and very much appreciated, as I participate in the next two days of meetings and then take to the skies for my next stop which is Sentani, in Papua province to the East. I’m sure there will be much more to tell you of that part of the journey next week.

Blessings, Al

Outreach Report to Church Council: April 2018

A Year of Milestones
For a full directory of all of MCC’s outreach and service ministries, visit the ministries page at www.mcchurch.net. A description of each ministry is provided, along with a list of volunteer opportunities and the skills and time commitment required. The ministries highlighted below are just a few of our many outreach efforts, focusing on those that are currently celebrating major milestones.

Meals on Wheels: 30 Years of Service 
Meals on Wheels is celebrating its 30th year serving home cooked meals to the elderly, handicapped, and those convalescing. Our Community Breakfast will be held on April 21 at First Campus. We have recently had some challenges with some of our equipment, having to repair our range and an upright freezer. Our convection oven has had some age-related issues and we will be receiving a new oven thanks to Clark Services.

Our client numbers have been low due to many illnesses and moves to nursing facilities, so we are currently able to take on new clients. Those in need of meals can call 872-2415.

Romanian Mission: 20 Years of Service 
On June 20th six people from Lancaster County will once again travel to Romania to visit the children at the Casa Ray Orphanage. Three of the team, Scarlett Morris, Mary and Mike Heisey are from our church. For Mike and Mary this will be their 20th year to help organize these trips.

We go to help the children and the Gavril family, who founded and run Casa Ray Orphanage. We will be having Bible studies, crafts and games; but mostly spending time with the kids and just loving them. There will also be opportunities for the team and kids to go out into the community and help others.

We ask that you hold the team up in prayer. They ask for the Lord’s presence and direction to be central in all our efforts. We also welcome financial donations. All donations designated for the Romania trip or Casa Ray will go directly to meeting the needs of these children. Please note Casa Ray or Romania trip on the memo line of a check made payable to Millersville Community Church and put it in an envelope in the offering or Mike and Mary Heisey's mailbox.

Homes of Hope: 10 Years of Service 
In October 2017, Penn Manor Homes of Hope celebrated its 10-year anniversary. Over the past decade we’ve served more than 30 homeless families, providing transitional housing, budget training, and counseling. We are looking forward to building upon that success in the years to come.

Unfortunately, the property we have been using as our transitional home is no longer at our disposal. The property owner is experiencing some financial shortfalls and needs to sell the unit. Therefore, we have begun the process of exiting the unit.

The ministry team has been exploring options for acquiring a new transitional house, but so far none of our leads have panned out. We are hoping that someone who owns rental properties might learn of our need and loan one of their units to the ministry. Until this need is filled, Homes of Hope is unable to accept any new clients or furniture donations. We are also in need of volunteers to fill several vacant positions on our steering Committee, including Chairperson, Inventory Coordinator, and Secretary.

MCCares: A Record-Setting Year of Service 
In 2016 Love INC asked MCC to revive our partnership with the Love INC Clearing House, which matches church volunteers with specific needs in the community. I appealed to our MCC family to step up, and you made 2017 a record-shattering year. We successfully filled 85 requests for volunteer drivers, house cleaners, etc.

Beginning in 2018, I turned over the responsibility for coordinating Love INC’s requests and finding volunteers to Jill Billman. I thank her and pray that you all will show her the same dedication this year that you showed me in 2017.

Garden of Grace: Another Record-Breaking Year 
In 2017, the Garden of Grace delivered a record 6,217 pounds of produce to area food distribution agencies and families. Since its inception in 2010, we’ve delivered more than 37,800 pounds (nearly 19 tons) of produce to those in need in the Millersville and Lancaster area. Lancaster County Council of Churches and Water Street Outreach were the biggest recipients. Other local agencies served included Arch Street Center, Domestic Violence Services, The LOFT, Millersville Meals-on-Wheels, Millersville Manor Apartments, and MCC’s own Cancer Care Ministry.

For the Garden of Grace to continue serving the community, we need more people willing to help out. This past summer, 44 volunteers (22 from MCC and 22 from the community) worked in the garden. Unfortunately, only a handful of those people served on a regular basis. In order to sustain this important ministry, we need more people to become involved even if it’s only for a day.

Volunteering with the Garden of Grace is very flexible. Though there are some scheduled group activities like spring planting and fall cleanup, most of the work can be done independently. Spending a day in the garden weeding and harvesting produce is a great small group service project. If you don’t have a green thumb, you can help put up the fence or clean out the shed or rain barrel. If you don’t like the dirty work, you can consider delivering to the produce to local food banks. There are many ways you can help out with the Garden of Grace. Contact Joy Olcott at garden@gracemillersville.org to found out how.

Celebrating Our 10th Church Plant in Partnership with Glad Tidings India 
Since 2008, MCC has partnered with Glad Tidings India to spreading the gospel in India by planting churches among some of the largest unreached people groups in the world.

In January, 2018, MCC sponsored the planting of our 10th missionary church. Each church plant requires an investment of $3,600. Funds for these churches were provided out of annual outreach allocations, the Luke 19 Project and other fundraisers, and individual givers. The Luke 19 Project generates seed money by giving volunteers $10 and challenging them to invest it in a fundraising effort, similar to Jesus’ parable of the Minas in the 19th chapter of Luke’s gospel.

Our latest missionary/planter, M. Sakthivel, will preach God’s word in Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state in India. The region has a population of 70.4 million, of which only 6.1% is Christian. Pray for M. Sakthivel’s church and the success of all our missionaries throughout India. Throughout 2018 we’ll receive reports about the progress of this new congregation, which we’ll pass on to the congregation as they arrive.

But we’re not done yet. In 2018, I will be looking for some generous individuals who are willing to partner with me in winning even more unreached people in India to Christ. If you are as excited as I am by this opportunity to advance the gospel, please don’t wait to hear from me. Contact me at bruceheydt@gracemillersville.org for more information.

The Cottage: Casting a Vision 
The board of this new outreach proposal met for the first time on April 4 to begin formal discussions aimed at launching a ministry that provides secure, low-cost temporary housing for women and their dependent children who need respite from the difficulties of stress-filled lives. The board’s biggest initial challenge is finding overnight accommodation in which to house clients. The board will continue to meet and to pray for God to provide the resources we need in order to serve displaced women. For information about The Cottage, contact Diane Duell at dduell204@gmail.com.

Respectfully submitted by Bruce Heydt with input from our volunteer ministry leaders

Al & Mickey Williams' April Prayer and Praise Bulletin

PRAISE ITEMS:

1.    AL’S TIME IN INDONESIA – Thank you so much for your prayers for Al as he is in Indonesia. If you did not get Al’s two email updates from Indonesia and would like to, please let me (Mickey) know and I’ll send them to you. Al made it safely to his 3^rd and final destination on Wednesday morning after an overnight flight from Bali to Jayapura. Sadly, he didn’t get much sleep on the plane, so pray he will be able to get adequate rest each night and stay healthy. 

2.    BELATED CHRISTMAS – We are deeply grateful to the Lord for allowing Jeremy the privilege of spending time with his children again over the past two months. It was especially fun having them all here to celebrate Christmas on March 25. God even sent us a heavy snow-shower that afternoon to make it feel like Christmas!

3.    MICKEY’S SISTER – I have really appreciated having my sister staying with me while Al is away. She is a big help to me and has been great company for me.

PRAYER ITEMS:

1.    AL’S TRIP BACK TO THE US – Al is scheduled to begin his return trip to the US on Tuesday morning, April 24 (i.e. Monday night at 10:50 PM, EDST). The two-day trip involves four flights and little-to-no sleep, so your prayers for his safety and stamina are greatly appreciated!

2.    UPCOMING TRIP TO NC – We’d appreciate your prayers for safety as we travel to NC in May. Al will be participating in meetings, but my focus will be to visit and encourage colleagues I haven’t seen in many years. Pray also for my father in my absence. I’m so glad my sister is living in this area of the country now. She’s been a big help to me as she helps care for Dad. .

3.    JEREMY AND THE KIDS – Please keep Jeremy and his four children in your prayers as they seek to find their new normal as a result of the divorce. Pray for wisdom and guidance from God for Jeremy as he continues seeking legal help in dealing with the divorce. Pray especially for him and his lawyer in regards to the custody hearing that will take place in mid-May.

My Indonesian Journey, from Al Williams

April 7, 2018

Greetings from Jakarta, Indonesia.

I greatly appreciate your prayers and encouragement as I make this journey through Indonesia. Your emails and notes are a blessing and I look forward to them each morning. I thought you might enjoy joining with me a bit in the highlights of this journey, so I plan to write a brief update once each week along the way.

Monday, April 2, started out as a bit of a shock. After a beautiful Easter Sunday, we woke to snow lightly falling in Elizabethtown. By the time I began to put my suitcases in the car for the trip to the airport, we had more than three inches of beautiful white snow blanketing our cars and neighborhood. Friends at church have often accused me of knowing when the snow is coming and planning a trip out of the country before it arrives. I guess I misjudged this one.

The snow did not delay my departure, and I was in the air headed to Atlanta by 6:10 PM, Pennsylvania time. After a two-hour flight to Atlanta and a four-hour wait for the next flight, I was on my way to Seoul, South Korea. Even as a pilot, it is amazing to me that an airplane can stay in the air that long. This flight was fourteen hours and forty minutes. Wow. After a twelve-hour wait in the new Seoul Incheon Airport, I was settled in for the seven-hour flight to Jakarta, Indonesia - my first stop on this trip. After a one-hour taxi ride, I was very ready to stop for a bit. Berton, from the Yayasan Suluh office, helped me take my bags to the apartment they had arranged for me. I really appreciated his staying up late to meet me, as it was 11 PM Wednesday, Jakarta time, when I arrived. If you are wondering about, or even working on, counting up the hours, I’ll help you out. By the time I closed the door on the apartment and headed to the shower, it had been 44 hours since I walked out the door of our home in Elizabethtown. It was a good but very long trip. Your prayers carried me through those miles and I’m thankful for them.

Thursday morning, I was up early… you know, jet lag. It helped me to get ready for the first day of Security and Contingency training with the Yayasan Suluh staff. Several of the staff had previously worked with SIL when SIL had an official presence in Indonesia. Now they are carrying on the work of Bible translation and language development as a national organization led by an all Indonesian Board of Directors and leadership team. I had been talking with their Director, Veni, for several years, offering to help her and her staff with this training. The timing of this trip worked out to be just right this time.

The first half of Thursday, all of the Yayasan Suluh staff met together to work on personal safety and security training. This included six members who are working on a Scripture translation into one of the Indonesian sign languages. Just imagine, twenty people in a rather small room, six are hearing impaired and many are limited in their understanding of English. I had Petrus sitting next to me to translate what I was saying into Bahasa Indonesian, while another person was translating what I, or Petrus, was saying into sign language for the six hearing impaired members. Petrus was also translating comments and discussions from Bahasa Indonesia into English so I could keep up with what was being said. As one of the hearing impaired folks “said”, “Please speak slowly”. I got the message.

We had a great time that morning, and after a very nice lunch, we continued the training with the Yayasan Suluh leadership team. The eight of us worked on the principles of risk assessment and contingency planning, then began working on a real risk assessment for the Jakarta office and neighborhood. That took us through the end of Thursday. By that time, jet lag was catching up with me and I was very much in need of some rest.

Friday began with a nicely packaged breakfast of rice, noodles, chicken, and a few things I’m not sure of, but very delicious, all wrapped in a fresh banana leaf. A very nice touch of the tropics.

The leadership team and I continued working on the risk assessment we had begun Thursday, and settled on twenty-seven items that need attention. This was also a very good time to talk through not only how to do this assessment, but what they can do to care for these issues they identified. After another very nice lunch (are you getting the impression this all revolves around really good food?), we began working on the contingency planning process. The Chairman of the Board for Yayasan Suluh joined us for this session, and we had very good discussions and interactions among the whole team. Several times the discussion went on for quite a while till someone in the group realized I had no idea what they were saying, so they stopped and filled me in, in English. It was great to see them so fully engaged and working together on this task.

Our time finished with a group picture to remember the days together. It has been a great blessing to be with them. The work with Veni and Yayasan Suluh is far from finished, and I’ll be working with them from my office in Elizabethtown via Internet calls and email. I’m looking forward to that.

Today I’m back to emails, finishing documents from the past two days of training, and preparing for the flight to Bali tomorrow morning. Next stop is the conference of leaders from Asia and the Pacific. About 130 of us in all. I look forward to bringing you a bit of that story next week.

Blessings,

Al

Al & Mickey Williams January Prayer and Praise Bulletin

AL’S TRIP TO NORTH CAROLINA - Thank you once again for your prayers as I drove to the JAARS Center in Waxhaw, North Carolina. I was able to accomplish quite a few things on this trip even though the JAARS Center was closed for a day and a half due to snow and ice. Some days it was actually colder in North Carolina than it was at our home in Pennsylvania. I had meetings with some of the Security and Crisis Management staff that I usually relate to from a distance and also had time to catch up with some (but, unfortunately, not all) of our friends who live there.

One of the major reasons for this trip was an invitation to attend the JAARS Board of Directors meetings. This is the body that provides oversight and direction to the JAARS President and is highly engaged in the focus and activities that JAARS will be involved in for the future. Many of you will remember that when Mickey and I joined Wycliffe Bible Translators, we were focused on serving the work of Bible Translation in the Philippines – I, as a pilot and mechanic; Mickey as a nurse, secretary, etc. JAARS is the organization that trains and supports the pilots and mechanics that serve with SIL and has been a very significant part of our lives. A few months ago I received a request to consider becoming one of the directors on the JAARS Board. The meetings this week were an opportunity for me to get to know the current Board members and to observe their process in this round of meetings. It was also an opportunity for them to get to know me briefly as they consider my gifts, abilities and skills as they consider the talents needed on the Board in the future.

We will appreciate your prayers as Mickey and I consider this opportunity, and for the JAARS Board as they consider inviting me to become one of the directors in 2019. A decision on this position will be made later in 2018.

IVATAN NEW TESTAMENT; RE-LAUNCHING – In early 2016, as the Jesus Film was being dubbed into the Ivatan language of the northern Philippines, many Ivatan asked how they could get a copy of the New Testament in their language. Sadly, it had been out of print since the 1990’s. But in November 2016, during the launching of the Ivatan Jesus Film, our colleagues were able to make the Ivatan Scripture App available to those with mobile phones. They also shared the exciting news that the Ivatan New Testament was being reprinted and would be available within the next year! On December 9, 2017 that promise came true as the Ivatan New Testament (including selected Psalms and the Book of Proverbs) was made available to the people during a special re-launching celebration! Praise the Lord! Pray that God’s Word will draw many Ivatan to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

JEREMY’S HOUSE - Thanks so much for your prayers regarding someone to buy our son Jeremy’s house. On December 29, God answered as the sale of the house was finalized! This is a huge relief for all of us. 

PRAYER ITEMS:
UPCOMING TRIPS - I (Al) am in the process of planning an extended trip to Indonesia in March. This will be an opportunity to provide security and crisis management training to some of our teams and partners working there. I’ll also be attending our annual leadership meeting. This is the round of meetings where we discuss planning for the work ahead, not only in Indonesia but across Asia. In addition to that upcoming trip, I’m working to develop security and crisis management training that can be done via video conferencing over the Internet. Travel expenses and time being in short supply, my hope is that this means of training will allow me to reach more people at less expense and time than seeking to be at each place in person. There is no replacement for in-person training, but I hope this will be valuable too. Please pray for wisdom and good success as I seek to grow in this area.

JEREMY - “Thank you” is not a strong enough term to express our appreciation to those of you who are praying for our son Jeremy and his children as they continue to walk through the divorce process. Although we are not at liberty to give you more details, please know that your prayers are extremely important right now for all involved!