Oh how encouraged we are to be surrounded by so many retired missionaries who have ran with endurance on the field.  They are witnesses who bare testimony to God’s sustaining power all over the globe.  They are witnesses to the peace that comes when one obeys the Lord, even in the face of great difficulties.  They testify to us that God’s Word is power and we have heard story after story about how the Gospel has compelled tribes of people to renounce their false God’s and bow to Jesus Christ.  The Lord continues to use others here at GIAL to educate us, encourage us, and grow our excitement for the mission field. 
 
A couple weeks ago, there was a “Cameroon night” hosted at a retired missionary’s house where missionaries at all different stages in the process gathered.  It was so encouraging to see the missionaries who completed their translation work and to hear stories of how the Lord used his Word to bring many to Christ.  The task ahead of us seems insurmountable, but if the Lord sustained these missionaries than he can sustain us!  There is nothing impossible with God! We walked away tremendously encouraged.
 
Dave has still been working very hard in his classes and has been doing extraordinarily well.  Currently he is in a class that is teaching him how to acquire an unwritten language.  Instead of hearing lectures about how to go about this task, he is actually putting methods he has been taught into practice.  He is responsible to learn an African language “Bemba” with the help of a Bemba speaker, Elijah.   Dave and his other classmates meet with Elijah 3 times a week to learn his language.  We get the feeling that we will be using every single thing taught in this class!
 
As mentioned in the last newsletter, I (Stacey) took a “Medicine in the Bush” class where I learned how to deliver babies, snap a dislocated shoulder back into place, put in a catheter, and so on.  I was very surprised when they had us giving one another shots (in the rear!) on the first day.  I am grateful for the information but it was made ever so clear that medicine is not a gifting of mine.  I have also started taking a French class here in Dallas and am enjoying it more than words can describe.  I love academics and I love learning French.  The kids are enjoying learning what I am teaching them as well.

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When we decided to adopt several years ago, we did it out of obedience to the Lord and out of compassion for orphans.  Who would have guessed that we would be the recipients of so much joy in raising these very orphans. 
 
Our firstborn son Kaden was abandoned on a street in Ethiopia 3 years ago when he was just one day old.   Kaden was hospitalized and a Christian brother, who we later found out was the director of Kaden’s orphanage, said he stayed up for days praying that the Lord would spare Kaden’s life.  The Lord answered his prayers, along with hundreds of others, and now we have the honor of being Kaden’s parents.  We adopted him to be a blessing to him and the Lord made him a blessing to us – what a kind God!
 
In honor of Kaden, here are a couple of fun facts about him…

• When he does not know what a food is, his default is that it is “apple pie.”  He picked up almonds the other day and asked, “Apple pie”? (oddly enough he has never eaten apple pie!).
• He LOVES cleaning and order.  For about a month now, every time we pick him up from the nursery at church, they tell us that he is “quite a cleaner.”  In fact, one time he was upset to leave because he had not accomplished all of his cleaning tasks.  At home, I have to ask him not to clean up his toys because his brother and sisters often take that opportunity to be lazy.  He fights back the tears.
• Kaden talks more than all three of our other children combined.  We have recently taught him to raise his hand, while simultaneously closing his mouth, when he wants to say something while others are talking.  That has helped…a little.

We thank God for giving us the gift of this little boy that we love so dearly! 

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Many of you have heard that a World Team colleague and friend of ours, Noah Huss, died in a car accident on March 6^th, Kaden’s birthday.  We, like so many, were extremely shocked and grieved when we heard about his death.  And yet, we take heart in knowing that Noah is very much alive and all the more engaged in Kingdom-of-God happenings than when he was here on earth.  We are encouraged to press on in furthering the Gospel because we know that Noah has joined the great cloud of witnesses who is now surrounding us, calling us to run with endurance. 
 
He left behind a wife and three sons, his youngest being only a few months old.  If any feel compelled to bless his family financially, there is a memorial fund that has been set up in his name.  To those interested, please send checks to Noah Huss Memorial Fund, c/o Westminster Presbyterian Church, 2151 Oregon Pike, Lancaster, PA 17601.  Please designate checks to “Noah Huss Memorial Fund.”  He will be missed.

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• PRAY for Noah’s family, Rachel and her three sons, as they grieve the loss of Noah and figure out how to live life without him.
• PRAISE God that Dave is doing so well in his classes and PRAY for continued endurance.
• PRAY 1 Cor. 13:4-7 for us. Namely that we would be increasingly characterized by love.
• PRAISE God for saving 21 of the “Baka” people in Cameroon, who for decades have rejected the Gospel.
• PRAY for those interested in coming to Cameroon with us—that the Lord would grow an increasing desire in them to spread his Gospel overseas and that they would conquer every hurdle in getting to the field.

 
As always, we cannot thank you enough for your Gospel partnership in this ministry,
Dave and Stacey