Dear Praying Friend,
Our most recent trip was packed with adventure, challenge and the kind of outcome that humbled and satisfied us.
Donna and I boarded a plane in Victoria to start a 42 hour trek to Pakistan. We left a cold spring behind and found something like ‘high summer’ in Shikarpur with temperatures reaching the 40C mark. Landing in Pakistan is like arriving on another planet. The differences can be described, but what happens to a visitor can only be described as overwhelming.Traffic, pollution, population, poverty, dust, language, clothing bombard the senses.
There is a mix of wonder and anxiety pulsing through us in emotional waves. We have been visiting Pakistan since 1992 and it hits us as familiar and strange in the same moment. The short spring conference on the Shikarpur Christian hospital grounds gave Donna and I many opportunities to speak, pray and encourage our staff. We met with each of our Canadian and American hospital workers. We are in awe of our field personnel who serve the Lord in the Sindh. We listened to our workers describe the beginnings of an emerging ‘group’. It is a breakthrough for the field. With most of our hospital workers leaving for home assignments this summer the hospital will reduce its ministry to an outpatient clinic. It desperately needs more trained doctors and nurses to sustain its work in the short and long term.
We drove to Hyderabad with 2 of our workers and stayed a few days in that city so that we could do the remaining interviews. We discerned that this has been
a fruitful year of ministry in Pakistan. Unfortunately Donna and I both acquired a stomach bug, while I got over mine quickly; Donna’s lasted a week (well into our time in Japan) required a second course of treatment and resulted in her losing over 10lbs. Happily, she is gaining that weight back.
We boarded 
a plane at midnight for our trip to Tokyo via Hong Kong. On the ground we were met by American field workers in the late evening and soon found our beds in the MidoriNo Chapel. We had a few interviews the next few days ahead of the ‘Canadian only’ spring Conference in Oarai. We met with our 3 Canadian families because the American workers had all attended a World Venture conference in Thailand. The 3 days in Oarai were packed 
with family fun and worship. Donna had prepared for the 4 children’s meetings as Dave taught and interacted with the adults. The conference was 
followed by a few days in the Tokyo area as we interviewed all our field workers.
The days seemed to blur together with activity, laughter, and prayer as we shared burdens, listened to how God was at work in our people and through them. We became aware that like Pakistan, this has been a very fruitful time of ministry in Japan.
We boarded our plane on April 18, a bit weary, but very encouraged. The responses of our workers to us and to our ministry among them made us feel very humble, and at the same time deeply satisfied.
We could not do this work without your prayers. We were so often aware of strength that was beyond our own, and opportunity that was outside our making. Thank you for standing with us!
Dave and Donna
Thanks and Requests
Praise
- For the evidence of God’s work through us.
- For our health and rest, we feel back to ‘normal’
- For the fruitfulness of ministry on both fields
Request
- For additional workers in Pakistan
- For the Shikarpur Hospital outpatient clinic
- For additional fruit in ministry on both fields
- Direction for our fall trip to the Philippines and Indonesia
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