Arriving in Mississippi for Training and Orientation

This is the lovely house where we are staying. Our host family, John and Vicki, have opened up their home to us for the two weeks that we are here at Pre-Field Orientation (PFO). We have the whole upstairs with a family room, three bedrooms, bathroom, and refrigerator. It is nice getting to unpack a little and wash clothes when needed.

After church today, Vicki made BBQ Nachoes (a Memphis specialty), pork barbeque, potato salad, baked beans, coleslaw, and her famous homemade cheesecake. It was so delicious!

Kaitlyn got real spoiled when they let her drive their 2008 Mazda Miata! She had so much fun! I think Vicki had just as much fun letting her drive!

Southhaven, Mississippi, is the headquarters for the home office of NICS (Network of International Christian Schools). We have been in a full week of training and preparation for life overseas. We have learned many things and been reminded about things we needed to hear again. They have made it interesting with lectures, groups, and games. We are learning about the kids that we are raising (third-culture kids), transition, the correct way to handle culture stress, just to name a few of the topics. There are around 160 new missionaries plus their children going to 21 different countries all over the world. Please be in prayer for us as we leave for our new place of ministry. Most of us have sold everything, please pray for those still needing to sell houses and cars. All of us are leaving family and friends that we love. Pray that God would give His grace and peace to all these relationships.

Reaching the world through international Christian education. Some will serve as teachers, business administrators, school councelors, principals, directors, and administrative assistants.

James, Daniel, Kaitlyn, Dianne, Tracy, Andrew, Jonathan, Samuel, Faith, and Ethan

The two families meet again. Who would have thought our paths would have crossed again in this way? They were just youth when we first met them in 1995. We will both be serving in Singapore at the International Christian School.

Happy Birthday Samuel!

Samuel celebrated his 4th birthday with some family and friends at Chuck E. Cheese. Everyone had a great time.

A Time to Celebrate

For the Teafatiller family, June symbolizes a month of celebration. Indeed, we have much to celebrate and for which to give God thanks. On June 4, James and I celebrated our 20^th wedding anniversary. It's hard to believe it has been that long since we said those famous words, “I do.”

On June 6, James and Dianne finished teaching school; Dianne finished her 1st year teaching and is now a certified Business Education teacher. (I could have never done this without God’s grace, James’ help and support, and the wonderful staff at my school.) Our children also finished the school year well. Can you imagine that we will have a Junior in high school, an 8^th grader, a 6^th grader, and a four year-old when the next school year starts? Wow! How time flies!!!

On June 10, we will celebrate Samuel's 4th birthday with our family and friends enjoying good food and fun games at Chuck E. Cheese. He has been talking about "Chuckie" for weeks now.

On June 23, we will celebrate again as we travel to Southaven, Mississippi, for our Pre-Field Orientation. We will join 200+ new NICS's missionaries including teens and children for a two-week training and preparation. This time symbolizes the beginning of a new chapter in our lives and yet another reason to celebrate.

Thank you for journeying with us through your love, support, and prayers. We have such wonderful friends and family and are so thankful to have you in our hearts and lives!! For all this, we say, "Thank you!" Yet another reason to celebrate.

“There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven”
Ecclesiastes 3:1

Seeing God in our Everyday Lives!

Is it a coincidence or is it God? Many times you might ask yourselves this similar question. Just a couple of days ago, we put a bedroom suite on Craig’s List (an on-line sales ad). One of our first inquiries was from Kathy. We talked to her and set up a time for her to view the furniture. During the phone conversation, she asked why we were selling the furniture, and I told her that we were moving overseas. She quickly said, “Oh really, where?” I told her Singapore. She then went on to tell me that they are from Singapore. They have lived there for 14 years. They are ethnically Taiwanese, so not Singaporeans, but ex-pats such as we will be. We enjoyed visiting with the father and two girls when they viewed the furniture and came back the next day to pick it up. The mother and youngest sister are still in Singapore. The family is setting up a home base in McKinney, TX. The two oldest daughters are going to universities in different states, while the youngest daughter attends an American high school in Singapore.

God has a way of orchestrating our circumstances. He is so good!! I praise Him for bringing familiar to the unfamiliar. It was such a blessing talking to this family and meeting our first friends in Singapore!!

"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever." Psalms 118:1

A New Place to Call Home

We are so excited that we will have a new place to call home when we arrive in Singapore on July 10th! God has provided us a beautiful apartment! After much searching on the internet and trying to figure out where the MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) and bus routes were, we found one that would meet and exceed our needs. I must say that after being denied once by one owner because he was afraid of the “wear and tear” on his apartment with us having four children, we were thrilled to get one.

James kept saying that God has something better, but I couldn’t imagine what that would be. The Business Manager of our school was so kind to go view the apartment, negotiate for the best price, and take pictures for us. We got the best price possible for a three bedroom, fully furnished place. From the outside, it doesn't look like any apartment that you would typically see in the States, maybe more like a hotel! It is on the 9th floor of a 10-storey building. It is very nice with a pool and clubhouse. It also has lots of greenery surrounding, since it is located near a nature reserve. Here is a link to view some pictures: http://www.singaporeexpats.com/singapore-property-pictures/condo/hillview-heights.htm

Thank you for your prayers for us during this time! “Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works with us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen!” Ephesians 3:20-21

The Truth

Teaching middle school students this year has been an eye opener for me. It is amazing how the kids can be doing something or say something and when I correct them, they quickly deny doing the very thing I saw or heard them do. Not only do they deny it, their friends are quick to defend them and begin to lie for them and say they didn't do the very thing they also saw them do. I find myself telling them that they are getting so good at lying they probably have forgotten how to tell the truth.

How important the Word of God is to teach us the truth! I recently heard on Christian radio that only 28% of born-again believers read their Bible outside of church. It is no wonder that we get so tripped up and start to believe every lie the enemy throws at us. Let's be careful that we don't "exchange the truth of God for a lie," like we read about in Romans 1:18-25.

Let us "hide God's Word in our heart, that we might not sin against Him." (Psalm 119:11) Let's keep God's Word first on our daily agenda so we will know the Truth. It is the Truth and only the Truth that will set us free!

"If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:31

Now you can listen to the Bible on-line in only 15 minutes a day. See "The One Year Bible on MP3 Player" post below.

One Year Bible on an MP3 Player!

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