It’s always a joy and a challenge to write prayer letters, a joy because it brings up great memories of time together with you and a challenge because we want the letter to be encouraging, practical, and helpful.

We’re emerging from what became a spring-semester whirlwind . . .
• Helping to serve visiting pastors, missionaries, and other guests for the March Servants’ Conference.
• Teaching 28 great young people the Practical Medical Training course at Hyles-Anderson College and a group of dedicated adults the Acts and Missions class in the evening Bible institute. A special blessing: for the first time, I’m also privileged to teach a couple of classes for summer school.
• Caring for the ongoing health and ministry concerns of the missionaries and their heartaches.
• Teaching, serving, visiting, and reaching folks through the ministries of our local church. I recently was blessed to share the Gospel with a man from El Salvador, and he trusted Christ.
• Lana’s Sunbeam Department (special-needs children) moved unexpectedly to a new location in April. Over the four Sundays, God gave remarkable grace to all to deal with the many aspects of the stepwise move.

We’re now preparing for June’s Candidate School, when those applying for missionary service will join us for training and to complete the application process. This is always a huge blessing. Probably the best part is hearing their testimonies and sensing the work of God in their lives, all with the perspective of the service the Lord seems to have planned for them.

The most spiritually impactful event of the season was the funeral of a friend and veteran missionary, Jonathan Bryan. Serving for over 20 years in Zacatecas, Mexico, the Lord used him and his wife Laura to start five churches and a children’s home. The Lord led me to represent the FBMI Home Office team there in McAllen, Texas, for the funeral. He even enabled me to witness to two Uber drivers, one from Mongolia and one from Cuba. After the viewing, I attended the Wednesday service of Harvest Baptist Church in Edinburg for, providentially, the last day of their Missions Conference. It meant so much to me to meet Pastor Yontz and his adult son Brian, who serves as an assistant. How great it was to learn how Bro. Bryan as a child had been in a children’s home, lovingly and effectively cared for by the Yontz family. The church displayed the wonder of God’s goodness, His love, His wisdom, His grace . . . no wonder Jonathan became a missionary and started such a loving, effective children’s home! The Spirit-filled atmosphere reminded me of what the amazing church in Antioch must have been like.

With deep gratitude for each of you, and for the Lord Who makes it all possible,

Dan and Lana Siemer