My family and I are so thankful for you, our supporters. Souls who are won and disciples who are trained are fruit to your account. We appreciate your birthday and anniversary cards and are encouraged and strengthened by your prayers.
ANSWERED PRAYERS
Since our last prayer letter, we have experienced God’s grace. My wife was having a very frustrating time obtaining her visa to live and work in Cambodia, requiring three visits to the border of Vietnam in order to sort this out. Many prayers went up from friends near and far, including you. In addition, our umbrella organization, which represents us to the government here, was under review. These two issues were closely related and were successfully resolved.
NEW WORKERS
We are amazed at God’s goodness in sending a new family to our church. The man and wife own a food stall in our nearby market. Mr. Samnang used to be a pastor in another province but had to stop through no fault of his own. He expressed a desire to get back into the ministry. As a result, he is helping us in our Sunday services and joining me on Saturdays for soul winning. His wife encourages us with her singing and sweet spirit.
SALVATIONS AND A BAPTISM
Kongkia is a young teen girl who has come to our church off and on for several years. While visiting her, we met her older sister Leeup. They both prayed for salvation.
While in India recently, I was riding the train to the airport when I met Joseph. He was a young college student, who had been raised Catholic. I was able to clarify that salvation is by grace alone, and he happily agreed to receive God’s gift.
Seyla and her sister are very dear to us. In their family, the only influence for God was their elderly grandmother, as their parents did not take any interest in spiritual things. Later, the entire family moved, and the grandmother died. It seemed their link to God was lost. But my wife never stopped hoping, and others joined in prayer. One day, my wife saw Seyla again in the market. The girls are now back in church, and although they are not yet saved, they are hearing the Word of God.
In my last letter, I mentioned one particular man and his need for baptism. This past May, he obeyed the Lord in baptism. Due to the living conditions in his settlement, there is practically no privacy. Everyone is aware of each other’s comings and goings. His neighbors will be watching him carefully to observe any changes in his life.
INDIA
After a four-year gap, our family was able to visit India. This time we had much more interaction with the pastors and their families. We saw firsthand the excitement of young pastors as they showed us their work, some with recently purchased land and a half-finished shell of a building, and others prayerfully waiting for an opportunity to start that process. All of them were enthusiastic about God’s call to ministry.
On a more personal note, my children and their Indian cousins (and aunts and uncles) have always enjoyed spending time together. But on this recent trip, there was something very sweet, but at the same time, sad. It seemed as if the younger generation realized the innocence of youth was passing, as they stand on the shore of adulthood. Notes were exchanged with a depth that I never could have imagined, and there were many tears at the train station.
Please Pray for . . .
• The man who was recently baptized; he has serious health challenges.
• Our son’s senior year; he needs to catch up in math to graduate next year.
• Our daughter, who has already graduated. She has a “free” year before college, so we need to know how to use that time profitably.
Sincerely,
Walter Poole and Family
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- A man receiving a gift in church
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- Praying at the construction site of a church
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- Our family with an Indiana pastor and his family