There are two reasons to write you at this time. One is to inform you of my mother’s passing on June 5. Although she was not of our faith, she was generous and financially helped us many times. She had high standards for behavior and maintained her personal discipline through the last days of her 90-plus-year life. She continued to give advice and even recently urged me on a certain course of action, which she felt would be beneficial to my children. My mother remembered our birthdays and, up until a few years ago, was still sending cards and gifts to our children all the way to Cambodia.

I am so glad that my mother stressed a relationship with our extended family, such as grandparents, great uncles and aunts, and aunts and uncles. She was very insistent that we take time to visit them in their homes, write appropriate thank-you notes for gifts, and generally appreciate these connections.

My mother displayed an energy and willingness to do the new and unknown. When I was eight years old, my family moved to France. My father was changing careers, and it required him to study in France. We were there for two years and, for all practical purposes, became French. My mother decided before we left that we would not live in an American or expat community and, as I remember it, did not even get together much for an occasional meal with other English speakers.

Because my mother’s death happened in her sleep, I was not there to say goodbye to her earthly remains. However, there will be a memorial service on September 6. This will take place in New Jersey. Then on September 8, there will be a second memorial service in Blue Mountain Lake, New York. I am planning to be at both of the memorial services and also spend a brief time in the U.S., visiting some churches. I most likely will come alone or with my son only.

Please pray for my time spent with family, as well as for my traveling plans and a need for transportation for my brief time in America.

My second reason for writing is to inform you about an upcoming trip to the state of Andhra Pradesh in India, a place I have visited many times. I will be there from July 26 to August 9, preaching in various churches. We support several pastors there, and this will be a chance to visit them and their ministries.

May I ask you to consider helping financially? The money will be used for the expenses of a pastors’ meeting, which we conduct every year. In addition, there is a need to repair the original church building where Suni’s father, who completed the construction in 1968, was the pastor. For these 30 years, it has been used for God’s glory in His service. If you inform me of any extra money sent to our FBMI account, I will note that and add it to what we are planning to give on our own.

Please see the attached pictures.

Sincerely

Walter Poole