The summer is here! We finished our first of three semesters of training down in Missouri. Two more to go! That’s so exciting, for those of you who have been with us throughout the years, it is almost surreal that the time for heading over seas is getting closer and closer, and will soon be here. We had classes to finish up at the end and lots of “getting the proper perspective” and focus (es). If you have been following our blogs, you may know that we have been taking phonetics (the art and science of understanding the sounds we produce through our mouths in order to make “speech”); which we have now completed. Phonetics wrapped up with a research project where we studied a language of our choosing (we chose Indonesian of course J). We learned so much in that project, not just about the language of Indonesia but also the culture and history that makes up Indonesia. Indonesia is made up of thousand of islands, and has had many influences from all the trading companies and many wars that occurred right on their “front yard”. Indonesian became the official language of Indonesia in 1945 after declaring its independence. After gaining their independence, the Indonesians wanted their language to give them a sense of identity. Since their country had so many influences from outsiders, they struggled to know who they were and desired, in their diversity and great natural barriers, to have a uniting bond that would be the bridge to connect the many islands. So in 1945, “Indonesian” became the national language taught in all the schools for everyone to know and be united through. This bond gave the country a national pride that they never had before and they were now able to call someone their countryman that they once could not even communicate with. I don’t want to go too in-depth with this brief overview, but we just wanted to inform you of who we soon will be serving amongst. Many influences, cultures, and religions make up this language group of Indonesia, remember; it is not the language that makes up a people, it is the people and their culture that makes up that language. Our God is one Who loves people (2 Pet. 3:9), and we are called to imitate Christ (Phil.).
Before we head back to our home in PA, we are stopping in Tennessee to see Scott and Jennie (Seth’s sister) and to see how her pregnancy is doing. We are very excited to see friends and family and would love to get involved with each one of you as much as possible! Whether it is through a meal, church, or work, we would love to connect with you and see what God is doing in your life and share what God is doing in our lives. You have our contact information, so feel free to contact us!
The first half of July we plan on being in New Jersey and connecting with our Church out there and seeing our family and friends. We miss them all so much; we can’t wait to see them (you) all! Please contact us, we want to see you like we said and catch up with you while we are in the area 🙂
Stoking The Fires 