Ramsey April Prayer update

                                               




My apologies to those of you who struggled to read our last e-mail update.  It looked so pretty on my computer.....but I'll try to keep it more functional from now on.

We still have nine weeks before we depart, but already I am at the point where answering my e-mail has been relegated to the end of my priorities; so if you don't hear back from us when you write, that's why.  We really do appreciate hearing from you....this is just how spring goes for us........and  this spring has been even more interesting than most.  We had a couple of cancellations after we finished  accepting  the participants for our various trips, and although we haven't been trying to fill those spots, we have several people who have contacted us in the last week or two who want to join these teams still....and John, ever flexible man that he is, is working with them to try to make it happen.  Even though they have only two months to do what the others are doing in four months (pre-trip reading, immunizations, raising support; it's craziness! 8-)

Meanwhile, the trip to Asia this year is getting my nomination for the most creative, out of the box Discovery trip yet.  Not only has the team leader not been trained by us (an answer to our prayers that was not at all what we were expecting), but John just accepted a 65 year old on the trip (our age limit is 35.)   There are all sorts of unique things about this trip; more often than not, I just shake my head when John tells me about the latest development.   It feels like a wild ride that we are all on, trusting God  every inch of the way.

What else?  This was pretty awesome: a couple of days after John got my new laptop working, we wound up having to vacate our office for two days because of construction in other suites that produced awful paint fumes along with no ventilation.  Since we both had laptops, we just packed up what we needed and were able to work out of our home for those two days.  What a blessing; especially this time of year when it feels like we cannot afford to take extra time off for such problems.  I was so grateful/thankful for God's provision...in just the right time!

Sooooo, prayer requests for us include:

• Please continue to pray for everyone in every location who is working in some way to help put together the Discovery trips for this summer (Did I cover everybody?????)
• Pray as John makes decisions regarding these last minute applicants....and for those making decisions regarding the national participants who will join our teams.
• Pray for our participants as they prepare for their trips (we give them a lot of assigned reading as well as the logistics they need to take care of to go.)
• Pray for George and his health
• We would like to train someone to debrief the Asia participants soon after they return; both because of the uniqueness of this trip and because they will get back well before we will so we will not be able to debrief them soon after they return (which is the best way to do it, we think.)  We have some ideas and a person in mind.....
• Pray for us (alright, especially for me!) for joy and peace in the journey; that God will guide us and help us with all that needs to be done before the trips begin, and that we will rest and trust in him throughout the process.

As always, thanks so much for your prayers!  Thank you, THANK YOU, thank you!!!!!

In His service;

Shevawn & John


"Divert daily - withdraw weekly - abandon annually.  That's the secret to lasting."      
-Rick Warren